Road construction workers dug up buried streetcar rails and brickwork paving.
Construction work in Houston has unearthed old streetcar rails and brick pavers, begging the question: when did Houston have a streetcar?
Ariana Garcia describes the find for the Houston Chronicle, noting that “The discovery quickly drew attention online, prompting a wave of reactions from curious residents and nostalgic Houstonians. On Reddit, users expressed both surprise and regret over what had been lost and covered up.”
According to Garcia, “Streetcars operated in Houston from 1868 to 1940. According to the University of Houston's Houston History Magazine, the main line ran from downtown's Franklin Street, near Buffalo Bayou, up Washington Avenue and Heights Boulevard to 19th Street.” Today, some brick-paved roads remain — some as important historical markers of Houston’s Freedmen’s Town neighborhood, populated by formerly enslaved people — but the streetcars are long gone.
Earlier this month, construction workers also discovered defunct streetcar rails in Chicago.
Read the full story: Unexpected discovery at Houston worksite offers glimpse into city's history
OKC streetcar will stay fare-free after ridership shot up 74%
The downtown streetcar saw a surge in ridership after it eliminated fares in January.
Houston improved walkability ahead of the World Cup. Will it last?
Some mobility advocates say the city's 'Green Corridor' amounts to 'lipstick on a pig' rather than a true commitment to better transit and walking infrastructure.
Kansas City completes riverfront streetcar extension
The streetcar line carries a third of the region's transit riders.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
40 years after approval, Chicago breaks ground on new park
The park honors Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, the city’s first permanent non-native settler.
‘Hoodwinked:’ New Mexico bill aimed at microgrids paves way for data center development
In an interview with High Country News, Padilla said the legislation “ignited” New Mexico's economy.
California’s ‘unrecognizable’ water plan may go down the drain
After four years of regulatory processes, water agencies say the plan to overhaul how cities and farms take water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has changed dramatically.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority