Houston Safer Streets Program Launched
Mayor Sylvester Turner and Together for Safer Roads (TSR) launched Phase 1 of a Houston Safer Streets program in the Gulfton Complete Communities neighborhood. The goal of the program is to make the city's streets and roads safe for pedestrians, bus riders, bicyclists, drivers, wheel chair users and others.
Gulfton is the most diverse and densely populated community in Houston and has been the location of a high number of vehicle-pedestrian collisions and near-misses as families walk children to and from school. A large number of Gulfton residents rely on mass transit, bicycles and walking to get around.
TSR will provide an initial $125,000 in cash and resources to the Gulfton project. Houston Public Works will provide $500,000 in intersection improvement funds to signalized pedestrian crossings on Hillcroft, wider sidewalks, new curbs, delineated bike safety lanes and more. Additionally,
TSR will provide seed funding for the community engagement and measurement pillars of the project; and the City of Houston (COH) will provide at least a five-fold match to build out the improvements, which have been identified in the Gulfton Complete Communities Action Plan.
The COH and TSR, will work together with partners, community leaders and students, to identify and define road safety problems, and
measure and assess the program's progress. This
includes
conducting a before-and-after analysis of crashes, injuries and fatalities.
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May is National Historic Preservation and Bike Month!
Sociedad Mutualista Obrera Mexicana Building located at 5804 Canal is a protected landmark
National Historic Preservation Month - Historic Preservation month is a time to celebrate, promote, and explore historic places within our communities. These historic treasures may be historic buildings or landmarks, or places that matter to people and instill national and community pride. Click
here for 31 ways to celebrate historic preservation month.
National Bike Month - Bike Month is celebrated in communities from coast to coast. It was established in 1956 as a way to showcase the many benefits of bicycling and encourage more people to bike. Why is biking great? Biking to work or school can save you time and money. It's a great way to stay fit, and has a positive air quality impacts on the environment. It's also a fun way to explore your community!
2019 Bike to Work Day
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The City of Houston will celebrate Bike to Work Day (BTWD) on Friday, May 17, at Hermann Square in front of City Hall, 901 Bagby. Event festivities are from 7:00 am to 10:00 am, with the 20-minute bike ride beginning 7:20 am and ending at City Hall. Sponsor booths, activities, including a free yoga class will take place during and after the ride.
BTWD is an opportunity to celebrate the bicycle as a mode of transportation. With 40% of all trips in the U.S. being less than two miles, bicycle commuting offers a healthy and sustainable way to get from one destination to the next. With Houston's continued expansion of bicycle infrastructure and Houston BCycle, there are many great reasons to hop on two wheels to get to where you need to go.
The Planning & Development Department (P&D) is coordinating event efforts. Please
click here to register for the ride. For more information, visit the
BTWD web page or send an email to bikeways@houstontx.gov.
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Hotel Motel Application Review
In addition to reviewing land subdivision plats, P&D's Development Services Division reviews hotel motel applications in the corporate city limits. These applications can be administratively approved in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 28. If the applicant is requesting a variance, action by the Planning Commission is required. Variances may be sought due to locational requirements such as frontage on a major thoroughfare, and proximity to adjoining land uses such as residential areas, schools, churches and other designated uses. Three hotel motel applications have been considered since the beginning of 2019.
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Program Updates
 Complete Communities: In March, Mayor Sylvester Turner announced the establishment of a fund to receive donations and pledges for neighborhood improvements. With an initial $25 million fundraising goal, the fund already has $10 million in contributions and commitments. For more information from the press release, click here.
For additional information from Complete Communities newsletters, click
here
.
Walkable Places Committee: The committee is currently in the process of finalizing the proposed Walkable Places ordinance framework and the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) ordinance amendments. The committee met on May 1, click
here
for meeting materials.
Solid Waste Collection Plans: Effective April 26, 2019, the Solid Waste Management Department requires that all developments within the full-service city limits proposing single family residential lots, must provide a Solid Waste Plan (SWP) in compliance with Chapter 39. There are significant changes to container locations. The SWP guidance memo, revised April 23, is available on the "Development Regulations" here.
Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC): Agenda items for the April 24 meeting included consideration of adoption of a Vision Zero resolution and a no parking in bike lanes policy or city-wide ordinance. Click here for details about the BAC.
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Upcoming Meetings & Events
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STAY CONNECTED
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