Bright Spot in My Day: From the Planning Director |
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Sunday, November 20, I had the sad honor of speaking at the 2022 World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, a day to remember our friends, family members, colleagues and neighbors who lost their lives to automobile crashes. In 2021, there were 331 of them in Houston. An additional 1,624 were seriously injured – many never fully recovering.
In 2019, Mayor Sylvester Turner signed the Vision Zero Executive Order, committing Houston to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on our streets by 2030. You can read about our work and our successes in the Vision Zero Annual Report.
I am asking for your help. As someone who, perhaps like you, uses a car for most of my daily transportation, I have had to reflect on how my behavior can contribute to the problem. Am I giving my driving my full attention? Do I need to slow down? Did I make room for people riding bicycles and other road users?
As a car driver, I sometimes feel that I own the road. We all know that’s not true; our roads are built to provide safe passage for everyone. As the driver of a two-ton vehicle, I have a larger responsibility to be in control because my actions can cause serious damage to me or someone else. Conversely, if automobile drivers are cautious, aware and kind, they can save someone’s life. That person might be you. Choose to drive responsibly.
Margaret Wallace Brown, A.I.C.P.
Director, Planning & Development Department
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Traffic Deaths Serves As Tragic Reminder to Drive Safely |
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As Houstonians, Texans and Americans across the country take to the roads to reach Thanksgiving holiday destinations this week, the City of Houston paused on Sunday, November 20 to participate in World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. As Director Wallace Brown mentioned in her column, the event served as a reminder for all drivers to slow down, follow traffic laws, eliminate distractions, share the road and watch for pedestrians, people on bicycles and all road travelers. Event guests and participants were invited to take the Vision Zero pledge, and learned more about Vision Zero Houston’s commitment to end traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030 in our city. Through the Vision Zero program, the City of Houston is designing and building roadways, sidewalks, and bikeways and setting policies to ensure safe mobility for all. Read the full press release.
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GIS Team Contributes to World Series Parade Public Safety |
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The nation's eyes turned once again to Houston earlier this month when the Houston Astros won the World Series, and more than 1 million people lined the streets of downtown to celebrate the team's victory. Planning a public event of that scale on a short timeline requires the collaboration of multiple City departments, including the Planning and Development Department's Geographic Information Systems team. Assistant Director Larry Nierth explained how GIS was involved in enhancing public safety for the event:
"So when we get these very large events, we work with the Office of Emergency Management, Houston Police Department and the Fire Department to get advanced intel on the route and barricade information. It’s complicated because sometimes the route is in a state of flux all the way up to the event. For a sporting event, the timing can change based on who won the previous game.
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In this case, we got the route Friday and I generated the GIS data off the HPD map afterwards. When we were certain the parade was going to happen Monday, Ryan Mize loaded the data into the call floor database and map Sunday night, and added a bookmark for the call takers to get to the event quickly. The call floor at the Houston Emergency Center was able to see the route and barricade information at that time," Nierth said.
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Watch Livable Places Presentation for Builders & Designers |
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Planning & Development Department staff gave a webinar on Thursday, Nov. 17 to update the design and development community on the recommendations proposed by the Livable Places initiative. Watch a video of the presentation. The December Livable Places Action Committee meeting has been cancelled. Thank you to all residents who reviewed the Draft Ordinance Amendments and responded to the Residential Buffering Survey last month. More than half of the survey responses were supportive of the amendments.
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Planning Commission will vote on the ordinance amendments in December and a City Council public hearing is intended to be scheduled for late December. |
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Art Project Improves Franklin Elementary Crosswalk |
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The crosswalk is brighter, beautified and more visible to drivers and pedestrians in front of Franklin Elementary School thanks to a community art and safety project earlier this month. The school, located in the Magnolia Park-Manchester Complete Community, organized the event with the Planning & Development Department, Houston Public Works, Complete Communities and East End Communities. Franklin students created the original drawings and event guests helped paint the crosswalk based on their drawings.
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Employee Spotlight: Truscenia Garrett
Reflects on 20 Years with the City
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Continuing our spotlight on Planning & Development Department employees who are celebrating years of service milestones, this month, we checked in with Administrative Coordinator Truscenia "Tena" Garrett. After 22 years, with the City, she is retiring at the end of the year.
Q: Why have you chosen to devote 20 years of service to the City of Houston, and make the Planning Department your career home?
TG: I work with some incredible people. I enjoy what I do, and as an Administrative Coordinator, I get to help people everyday, both in the office and the public realm.
Q: What do you consider to be your accomplishments and contributions to the team over the years?
TG: My accomplishment is to work in the same division of the Planning Department for over twenty years and continually learn and grow. My contribution is to be able to share, all that I have learned, not just with the City, but with the world.
Q: What advice do you have to new employees joining the city and the Planning Department?
TG: Do something that you are passionate about. My prayer was that I would get a job where, I got along with the people, I got paid for my service and that I had the skills necessary to do my job. My employment with the Planning Department gave me all that and more. It gave me a family, and some life long friends, and for that I am truly grateful.
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611 Walker Street, 6th Floor,
Houston, TX 77002
832-393-6600
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