Texas

Texas Grid Holds Up to Freezing Temperatures
Efforts made to prepare the state’s infrastructure for winter storms after 2021’s disastrous freeze are paying off.

How Houston Keeps Housing Affordable
The city’s limited land use regulations have kept housing costs relatively low, but government intervention is still needed to provide housing to the lowest-income residents.

Austin Rents Fall as Apartment Construction Accelerates
As more multifamily developments become available and the tech job boom slows, Austin is seeing more affordable rents than a year ago, but costs remain above pre-pandemic levels.

Houston Makes ADA Upgrades to 5,000 Bus Stops
The project is part of a larger plan to make all of the region’s bus stops universally accessible.

Zoning Reform Faces Uphill Battle in Dallas
Proposals to boost housing production through ‘gentle density’ increases face strong opposition from residents concerned about losing single-family neighborhoods.

Texas DOT to Explore Passenger Rail
The agency’s plan to study potential passenger rail routes is giving hope to transit advocates in the historically car-oriented state.

Texas Judge Reverses Three Austin Zoning Reforms
The ruling impacts ordinances passed in 2022 aimed at increasing housing density and supporting mixed-use development.

Austin Approves Upzoning
Combined with the recent decision to eliminate parking minimums, the move to end single-family zoning could help make housing more affordable.

San Antonio Leaders Look to Revive Dormant Bike Plan
The city’s 12-year-old plan to improve its bike network has made little headway. Now, city leaders hope to revitalize the effort.

Greyhound Leaves Downtown Houston
The bus company is moving to a smaller station farther from the city center.

How Paris, Texas Became a ‘Unicorn’ for Rural Transit
A robust coalition of advocates in the town of 25,000 brought together the funding and resources to launch a popular bus service that some residents see as a mobility lifeline—and a social club.

West Texas Growth Prompts Water Supply Concerns
Small desert communities are looking for ways to conserve water as their tourist and resident populations grow.

The Largest U.S. City Lacking Mass Transit
Arlington, Texas has the dubious distinction of being the largest city in the nation with no fixed-route public transit system.

San Antonio Awarded Federal Grant for Bike Lanes
The $16 grant will fund a two-way, separated bike lane in the city’s downtown.

Austin Creates Homeless Strategy Office
The new office is dedicated to consolidating the city’s efforts to house unhoused residents.

Fort Worth Amends Comprehensive Plan to Reduce Industrial Zone
After residents protested the size and location of a proposed industrial growth zone, the city council voted to adopt an amended version of the plan.

El Paso Zoning Changes Could Bring Opportunity—or Displacement
Some residents feared proposed zoning reforms aimed at redressing historic injustices could harm residents in the short term.

Austin Relaunches Open Streets Program
‘Living Streets’ lets residents apply for three types of temporary or semi-permanent street closures.

Houston Adding New Bus Shelters
Metro plans to add 2,000 new shelters at bus stations in the next five years.

Energy Reliability on the Ballot in Texas
Texans will decide on November 7 whether to subsidize electricity generation to strengthen the power grid to prevent blackouts, but only with the construction of new natural gas power plants.
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