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.
Houston's efforts to improve transit access and walkability ahead of this year's FIFA World Cup could have long-lasting impacts on the city's infrastructure.
As Michael Adkison reports for Houston Public Media, the city created a 14-mile loop dubbed the "Green Corridor" to highlight the city's car-free options. "The Green Corridor can be roughly split in two: the walkable portion on a hike-and-bike trail, and the other half following the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County's light rail system." Visitors can connect to the newly pedestrianized Main Street promenade and the FIFA Fan Festival in East Downtown.
METRO has increased train frequency for the Red Line light rail, which is accessible on about half of the Green Corridor.
Some transit advocates, like Kevin Strickland of Walk and Roll Houston, say the effort is not enough and that "it feels like a bunch of existing features have been stitched together, or connected together, on a map with some lines" rather than a real effort to improve mobility. Strickland points out that summer temperatures in Houston often reach extreme highs, making walking less viable for all visitors.
FULL STORY: Houston’s World Cup officials want to make the city more walkable. Will it work?
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