Gail Delaughter/Houston Public Media
A mobility examine for the Washington Avenue hall, which has been years within the making, is about to wrap up inside the subsequent few months. It’ll advocate a multimodal remaking of the well-traveled thoroughfare with a watch on the longer term, based mostly on suggestions from the Houston residents who use it.
However elements of Washington Avenue are set to be repaved beginning subsequent week – as a part of a multimillion-dollar building contract that was hurriedly permitted earlier this month by the METRO Board of Administrators.
“Why are we desirous to repave Washington Avenue if sooner or later there’s going to be enhancements on Washington Avenue?” Houston resident Dominic Mazoch requested METRO board members throughout a unexpectedly known as particular assembly on March 6.
“I feel this entire factor must be tabled,” Mazoch stated.
The board unanimously permitted a $24.4 million contract with MC2 Civil for on-call repaving providers within the area, regardless of a few of them expressing issues about it.
Bob Fry stated the transfer was directed by the Metropolis of Houston and that he did not like the very fact it was being “pushed so quick,” and Robert Trevino questioned why he and different board members couldn’t get extra particulars about which streets can be repaved.
Peter Eccles, the director of coverage and planning for native transportation advocacy nonprofit LINK Houston, stated he is involved that repaving Washington Avenue would primarily be “freezing an already harmful road in amber.” The hall was recognized as a part of town’s “high-injury community” for site visitors collisions, and Eccles stated he worries that repaving the road may encourage extra harmful driving.
Security issues are on the root of the Washington Avenue Hall Research being performed by the Houston-Galveston Space Council (HGAC), at a price of $700,000. Town requested the examine in 2021, it started in late 2023 and is about to conclude in Might or June, in keeping with Caroline Bailey, a senior planner for the HGAC.
The group has been soliciting suggestions from residents a few vary of potential alternate designs for the Washington Avenue hall, together with expansions of the pedestrian and bike owner realms and the implementation of sunshine rail. A public engagement session was held March 6 – the identical day METRO held its assembly to approve the on-call repaving contract – and a digital engagement session is scheduled for Wednesday evening.
Suggestions will be submitted by March 23 on the web site for the examine.
“We have had a whole bunch of individuals depart suggestions in in-person conferences and on-line,” Bailey stated. “We have now overwhelmingly heard from folks that they need transportation choices. They wish to have safer and extra (pedestrian) crossings alongside Washington Avenue. They want extra pedestrian realm with shade and public areas.”
Bailey stated town will not be obligated to implement the suggestions that come out of the HGAC examine. However, she added, they nonetheless could possibly be used – even with the approaching repaving of Washington Avenue. Among the anticipated suggestions will likely be short-term, doubtlessly carried out inside 3-5 years, whereas others will likely be long run.
METRO repaving initiatives
A spokesperson for METRO acknowledged the repaving work to be completed on Washington Avenue was along with town, which has been on the lookout for methods to chop prices amidst a looming price range deficit in extra of $300 million.
A part of Texas Avenue was repaved a number of days after the contract was permitted, in keeping with the spokesperson, who stated repaving work on the phase of Washington Avenue between Interstate 10 and Heights Boulevard is about to start Monday, March 24.
Different streets that could possibly be repaved as a part of the contract with MC2 are Kirby Drive, Memorial Drive, Montrose Boulevard, Westheimer Street and West Grey Road, together with sections of downtown streets.
“Whereas we’re beginning to work rapidly, we’re nonetheless taking time to evaluate initiatives to make sure feasibility, fiscal accountability, and total impression on mobility,” the METRO spokesperson stated. “Due to this, the checklist will proceed to develop and alter.”
Eccles stated a lot of the stretch of Texas Avenue that not too long ago was repaved doesn’t embody METRO bus routes. He additionally famous there are present tax income streams for Houston-area municipalities to finish street work, by METRO’s Common Mobility Fund.
Alongside these strains, Eccles stated he thinks METRO initiatives ought to deal with bettering transit experiences and never the experiences of all street customers, together with particular person motorists.
“It units a nasty precedent for METRO to be making these kind of unilateral road enhancements that aren’t tied to transit,” he stated.
Marlene Gafrick, a senior advisor to Houston Mayor John Whitmire, stated in a press release that METRO’s repaving work alongside Washington “will prolong the roadway’s life and permit for consideration of the examine suggestions when the street is reconstructed.”
“Lots of Houston’s roadways want restore or reconstruction,” Gafrick added. “In most situations, it takes 5-10 years to acquire funding and design a street reconstruction. Within the meantime, our roadways proceed to say no. The administration is prepared to companion with any TIRZ, Harris County, METRO and others to enhance our roadways for the good thing about all Houstonians.”
