Houston Bike Plan Heads to Council for August Vote; Plan Envisions 1,789 Miles of Bikeways

It's time to contact your City Council Members if you'd like Houston to become a more bike-friendly city.

One year and 4,000 online survey responses later – coupled with dozens of public meetings and community events – the Houston Bike Plan is bringing a vision to a Houston City Council vote in August that could make a car-driven city the gold standard for bicycling metropolises.

Council Members reviewed the plan in June that calls for 1,789 miles of bikeways across Houston with more off-road trails, high-comfort bike lanes to make riders feel safer, and connections so riders can get to where they need to go.

While ambitious – the total plan is a 20-year vision with a $500 million price tag – planners believe it can be partially implemented through grants and existing dedicated city funding of up to $5 million per year. In fact, planners believe adding close to 800 miles of bikeways is doable within the next decade. Beyond that, creative funding will be required, such as seeking donors or a possible referendum to give voters the opportunity to weigh in.

Nearly 700 miles of proposed bikeways would be separated from automobile traffic creating what are called “high-comfort” lanes. Numerous surveys indicate people want to bike but they just don’t feel safe, or comfortable, doing so on city streets.

ADDING CONNECTIONS TO MORE DESTINATIONS: JOBS, PARKS, SCHOOLS

If the plan comes to fruition, it would connect more Houstonians with more destinations via bicycle to job centers, parks, schools and entertainment venues.

The idea is that adding connections between existing bikeways would encourage more bicycling. Currently, Houston has a hodgepodge network of bike lanes and trails making it challenging to bike east and west. Several neighborhoods in Near Northwest Houston don’t connect with trails or bike lanes. 

The city has taken significant strides to improve bicycling in the past few years, earning Houston a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community award from the League of American Bicyclists in 2013.

CONTACT CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO ADVOCATE FOR BIKE PATHS IN YOUR AREA

For Houstonians who want more opportunities for safer bicycling -- along with more transportation choices -- now is the time to contact your city council member. Council members representing Near Northwest Houston and Super Neighborhood 12 include Brenda Stardig for District A, Ellen Cohen, District C, and all five at-large council members, Mike Knox (Pos. 1), David Robinson (Pos. 2), Michael Kubosh (Pos. 3), Amanda Edwards (Pos. 4) and Jack Christie (Pos. 5).

Review an executive summary of the plan and an interactive map of trails and bike lanes here. You can advocate for specific trails and bike paths in your area.

The Houston Bike Plan is supported by 4,000 public comments, 97 percent of which were positive, according to Bike Houston, the city’s only non-profit bicycle advocacy group, one that played a key role in community outreach for the plan.

Candidate Forum for Texas State Rep. Dist. 139 is February 22!

Who Will Replace Sylvester Turner as Our State Representative? 

HOUSTON, February 15, 2016 – Near Northwest Houston residents can find out more about the candidates vying for Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner’s former seat during the Texas State Representative, District 139 Candidate Forum, 6:30-8 p.m. Monday, February 22, 2016, at Advent Lutheran Church, 5820 Pinemont Dr.

With four candidates participating in the Texas Democratic Primary March1 – and no Republican candidates – time is short to learn more about who will likely be the next Texas State representative for District 139 during the 2017-2019 term.

The forum, sponsored by the Central Northwest Super Neighborhood Council (SN 12) and the Inwood Forest Community Improvement Association, will give voters a chance to meet the candidates and learn where they stand on issues like transportation mobility, education and healthcare.

“This is an opportunity to learn about the four candidates for District 139, one of whom will likely be our next state representative,” explained Alicia Nuzzie, vice president with the SN 12 Council. “This timely forum can help voters make an informed decision during the early voting period and just before the primary.”

The four candidates running for Turner’s seat are Randy Bates, Jerry Ford, Jarvis D. Johnson and Kimberly Willis. The Texas Democratic and Republican primaries will be held Tuesday, March 1. Early voting runs through February 26. 

A Candidate Mingle from 6:30-7 p.m. will give voters a chance to meet candidates up close. The political forum with questions from the audience will begin at 7 p.m.

“By attending this forum, Near Northwest Houston residents can help ensure that their voices are heard in the State Legislature,” said Mark Klein, president, SN 12 Council. “When candidates see a community cares enough to attend a forum and then vote, they tend to be more responsive to its needs.” 

Texas House District 139 includes neighborhoods such as Acres Homes, Candlelight, Garden Oaks, Inwood Forest, Oak Forest and Shepherd Park Plaza. To see if you reside in District 139, visit bit.ly/TX_Dist139 or check your Voter Registration Card.

SN 12 & Inwood Forest CIA Candidate Forum

6:30-8 p.m. Monday, February 22, 2016

Advent Lutheran Church

5820 Pinemont Dr., Houston, 77092

ACTION ALERT: Expansion of Antoine Being Considered

On October 20, 2015, the City of Houston’s Public Works & Engineering Department (PWE) arranged a community meeting about reconstructing Antoine Drive – a Capital Improvement Project (CIP) slated to begin in 2020 – at the offices of the Near Northwest Management District. Unfortunately, PWE did not provide enough advance information to surrounding neighborhoods about this meeting, so many communities impacted by the Antoine corridor were not aware of this presentation. 

While only the north end of the corridor (from Victory Drive to Bridge Forest Drive) is funded for reconstruction at this time, PWE discussed plans to widen the southern portion of Antoine from four to six lanes from HWY 290 to Tidwell. This plan, which was previously off the agenda according to the City of Houston's Mobility Study and study representatives due to strong neighborhood sentiment, is now being considered again.  

Public comments on both projects are currently being taken and are due Monday, November 30, 2015.  

Though the southern portion of the project is only in the planning stage and unfunded at this time, speaking out now against any widening of this street is important. If you disagree with the expansion of Antoine, please consider submitting comments against this proposal. 

Comments can be sent to Carol Haddock, Public Works and Engineering at the City of Houston at pweplanning@houstontx.gov. Below is a sample letter along with some points to consider when writing comments:

Dear Ms. Haddock,

My name is ____________ and I live in _______________(neighborhood). I am against the widening of Antoine drive from Highway 290 to Tidwell from four to six lanes for motorists because the expansion will be detrimental to surrounding neighborhoods. Widening the road will not alleviate traffic or ease congestion. It will only create more problems for this residential corridor. We want a safe, pedestrian-friendly street where residents and all modes of transportation, not just cars, are considered. 

Sincerely,

(Name and Address)

**************************************************************************************

Other talking points to consider including in your letter:

• Antoine Drive is a residential corridor with a school and homes lining each side of the street. Widening the street from four to six lanes for motorists will create an unsafe environment for homeowners whose driveways empty out onto the corridor, neighbors who walk along the street, and students who cross the street to get to and from Scarborough High School. 
• There are already problems with motorists traveling at high speeds on Antoine. Adding additional lanes of traffic will only turn this residential corridor into a highway of motorists. This will create an unsafe street and an unsafe environment for those who live in the area.
• For decades, there have been numerous attempts to widen Antoine to alleviate traffic congestion; all have been met with strong resistance from people who live in this area.  It is disappointing that this plan is again being considered when there has already been so much opposition expressed in the past.
• Under the current plans for the north end of Antoine, reconstruction was kept to four lanes. We ask that the same be considered for the southern end as well and that there be consistency between the two projects.
• Numerous urban transportation studies show that widening streets do not relieve congestion and can actually increase congestion over time. 
  • Many traffic engineers state that "trying to cure traffic congestion by adding more capacity is like trying to cure obesity by loosening your belt."[ii]
  • In an Aug. 16, 2013 New York Times article, “Widen Main St.? Community Had Other Ideas, and Thrived,” transportation project manager Ken Kuminski states, “bigger is not better” when plans to widen a town’s street was met with opposition. By working with residents, a more walkable, pedestrian-friendly street was developed. The design helped cut down on car accidents and injuries and actually helped improved the overall community[i]. 
• In 2013, City of Houston Mayor Annise Parker issued an Executive Order making Complete Streets the basis for a new, more urban and inclusive approach to the City’s streets as they are rebuilt over the next 20 years. Complete Streets are defined as streets that are safe for all users, including walkers, bicyclists, drivers, people who are disabled, and transit commuters.
  • In a press release outlining this decision, Mayor Parker is quoted as saying, "The Complete Streets and Transportation Plan recognizes that all streets are different. The function of the road, current and projected adjacent land use and travel demands, availability of right-of-way, community input and the level of vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle traffic must all be considered in decisions regarding enhancements. The ultimate goal, where appropriate, is walkable and bike-friendly neighborhoods with amenities such as trees and landscaping, public art and street furniture.[iii]  

[i] Gaffney, Dennis.  "Widen Main St.?  Community Had Other Ideas, and Thrived." New York Times, August, 2013.

[ii]Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, and Jeff Speck. Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream, North Point Press, 2000, 88-94.

[iii] The City of Houston, Office of the Mayor. (2013). Mayor Annise Parker Announces Visionary Complete Streets Policy for Houston [Press release]. Retrieved from http://www.houstontx.gov/mayor/press/20131010.html

FRA Rules Out Bullet Train Routes Threatening Urban Neighborhoods

With the release of FRA's Alignment Alternatives Analysis Report, it seems safe to conclude that the high-speed rail project no longer presents an imminent threat to urban Houston neighborhoods. View this email in your browser

On Monday, Nov. 9, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) released its final Alignment Alternatives Analysis Report, which can be accessed here. This report contains excellent news for Houston neighborhoods:

• The Houston station is to be located in the 290/610 area, just as Houston High-Speed Rail Watch has been advocating. 
• All routes that were under consideration for reaching downtown were rejected and are off the table (it turns out only two were being studied).

It seems safe to conclude that the high-speed rail project no longer presents an imminent threat to urban Houston neighborhoods.

We are gratified by this turn of events, and we hope and believe that our voice and the voices of our communities played a role in the decision that has been taken.  With our mission apparently achieved, Houston High-Speed Rail Watch and its individual members are now considering our next steps.

For those who want more details, specific points of interest include the following:

• Page 22 of the Alignment Alternatives Analysis Report discusses the two Downtown Houston routes being eliminated from further consideration and details the reasons.
• The FRA also released a report from TCR called Screening of Alignment Alternatives.  Pages 134 and 135 of that report contain maps of the routes TCR and FRA were considering for reaching downtown that are more detailed than the maps previously disclosed to the public.
• TCR’s view of the last-mile choices is detailed in yet another TCR report calledLast Mile Analysis, dated March 27, 2015, but not released publicly until now.  Pages 62 through 65 of this report discuss the routing and station alternatives within Houston.

Houston High-Speed Rail Watch is watching out for you.

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FRA Issues HSR Report: Narrows Route Selection but Leaves Door Open for Concerns

On August 12, 2015 the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued the Corridor Alternatives Analysis Technical Report, which analyzes four possible corridors for Texas Central Railway’s (TCR) proposed high-speed rail project. Unfortunately, the report provides little insight on the real impact the high-speed rail project would have on Houston neighborhoods.  
 
While two of the corridors running through Houston neighborhoods – the BNSF line along 34th Street and the UPRR line in the Washington Corridor – appear to have been eliminated from consideration, the report leaves many concerns:

• The Utility Corridor (the only alternative to make it through FRA’s screening process) ends in Hockley. From Hockley to Houston, this routing alternative would follow the UPRR (rail) corridor.
• The report indicates that portions of the BNSF, UPRR and I-45 Greenfield corridors may be further investigated in the event there are constraints in the Utility Corridor that would require an alternative to be developed.
• The report fails to address the question of where the Houston station would be located (downtown or outside the 610 Loop).

Ultimately, the report leaves the door open for potential routes through Houston neighborhoods. Findings in the report relate mostly to the path that would be taken through rural counties between Dallas and Houston.

View the full report and potential corridor map here. 
 
The FRA’s next step will be to evaluate the range of alignments within the Utility Corridor and identify alternatives in more detail. 
 
Your Houston High-Speed Rail Watch will keep you posted.

Be sure to like our Facebook page to get high-speed rail updates, fast!

Sincerely,
Houston High-Speed Rail Watch

Houston 2015 Mayoral Candidate Forum - Sept. 1

Meet and hear from all seven Houston Mayoral candidates at the 2015 Mayoral Candidate Forum, Tuesday, September 1, at the Grace Church Garden Oaks auditorium, 3754 N. Shepherd Dr.

Hosted by the Garden Oaks Civic Club, Super Neighborhood #12 and the Leader Newspaper, this public conversation with mayoral candidates will focus on their vision for the nation's fourth largest city. Jonathan McElvey, publisher of the Leader, will moderate the forum.

• Meet and greet the candidates from 6:15 - 6:45 p.m.
• The candidate forum follows from 6:45 - 8:30 p.m.

Childcare will be provided for children at least three years of age and potty trained by the Harriet and Joe Foster YMCA.

This special forum is free and open to the public. To ensure your spot at the forum and suggest a question for the candidates, please register at theleadernews.com, or call (713) 686-8494.

Affordable Housing Takes Center Stage at SN 12 Council Meeting Wednesday, May 27, 2015

With the Pinemont Park & Ride HHA proposal a recent core issue for our neighborhoods, the next Super Neighborhood 12 Council meeting will focus on affordable housing and aging apartments, 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesday, May 27, 2015, at the Candlelight Community Center, 1520 Candlelight Lane (map http://bit.ly/candlelightcntr).

This will be a great meeting to hear from two groups with strong experience regarding affordable housing. Plus, we will have an update on the Houston Housing Authority proposal to build an affordable multifamily housing complex at the corner of Main and Crosstimbers.

Guest Speaker Jason Holoubek from Avenue CDC (a nonprofit specializing in quality affordable housing) will give background on affordable housing, the agencies/groups who provide housing in Houston (HUD, HHA, nonprofits) and why Avenue CDC has found success with their developments. Avenue CDC's work includes Futon Gardens, Washington Courtyard Apartments and Elder Street Artist Lofts (a conversion of the old, formerly decaying Jeff Davis hospital). 

Wayne Norden, president of the Near Northwest Management District, will discuss the Management District's work regarding aging apartment complexes in our area. 

As always, community leaders will also share updates about issues that matter in their neighborhoods and the city. Join your community leaders for this informative meeting.

Town Hall: METRO Sale of Pinemont P&R to Housing Authority is 7pm Apr. 16, 2015

The Pinemont Park & Ride Town Hall is 7 p.m. tonight, April 16, at the Life Center at Advent Lutheran Church at 5820 Pinemont Drive. If you believe that government has a duty to act transparently, to fully vet and study the impact of proposed projects on neighborhoods, and to engage communities directly affected by major decisions, please attend this town hall to learn more.

METRO is seeking authorization to sell the Pinemont Park and Ride to the Houston Housing Authority (HHA) to build a 300-unit “affordable” housing complex. There are reasons why Super Neighborhood 12 residents are concerned about this proposal.

There was little attempt, if any, to notify residents directly affected that METRO was going to sell the abandoned Park & Ride to the HHA to build something that would add 1,000+ residents to the area. The Super Neighborhood 12 Council was not notified, nor were the property owners associations of abutting or nearby neighborhoods. In the past, private developers of "affordable" and/or subsidized/tax-credit apartments in the area have sought input from SN Council 12, while sharing designs and tenant requirements, allowing neighbors to fully understand the intent and impact of such projects.

This sale was a fait accompli until nearby residents packed a METRO Real Estate Committee meeting last week to voice concern. The METRO committee had opted to skip seeking private bids on the open market and instead sell the project to the HHA. After the METRO committee eventually agreed to open up the bidding process – so that taxpayers could get the highest value for this property – the Chair of HHA, Lance Gilliam, threatened to use eminent domain powers if a private investor won the bid.
 
Curiously, this property is more than a half-mile from the nearest bus stop on the soon-to-be-enacted Reimaging METRO routes. It is also not very near service providers that low-income residents can utilize to improve their lives.

The Pinemont Park HOA, along with several other homeowners associations, are asking METRO to postpone the sale until:

• An assessment is completed on the current value of the property and the expected increase in value once 290 construction is completed.
• An environmental impact study has been done to identify how a residential build of this magnitude will impact infrastructure and livability, including areas such as traffic, transportation, sewage and school crowding.
• There is greater transparency and community engagement in this process.

The Pinemont Park HOA Board has announced that it is not anti-development nor against affordable housing. There are other affordable apartment complexes in the area, plus Section 8 housing. 

The Pinemont Park HOA board believes, however, that the HHA’s proposal is not the appropriate site for a project of this magnitude that could impact existing infrastructure. Other residents believe METRO has a fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers to seek the highest possible bid and best use for this property, while seeking affordable housing properties that allow residents to directly access transit lines and nearby service providers. 

Consider the strident opposition to the luxury Ashby high-rise apartments slated near the Museum District. There are parallel concerns: infrastructure impacts of adding numerous residents and best property use.

A petition asking METRO to halt this sale can be signed here: http://bit.ly/PinemontParkRide_petition.

Upcoming Events

Town Hall Meeting, 7 p.m. Thursday April 16, 2015, at the Life Center at Advent Lutheran Church on 5820 Pinemont Drive. Mr. Jim Robinson, Metro Board Member and Deputy Director for Special Projects, will be in attendance. An open and respectful dialogue is requested.

Metro Board Meeting: METRO's Real Estate Committee deferred a final decision on the sale to the full METRO Board meeting at 9 a.m. Thursday, April 23, at 1900 Main Street. Residents can speak at the meeting by signing up 48 hours in advance; call 713-739-4834 to speak. Concerned neighbors can send an email to Rosa Diaz, Director of Board Support for METRO, at rosa.diaz@ridemetro.org

CATO Institute Reveals High Cost of HSR

The CATO Institute released an overview in 2010 concluding that:

"High-speed rail is not a grand solution to America's congestion and mobility problems, as it is often alleged to be. While high-speed trains in Europe and Japan are technologically impressive, nearly all the routes in those jurisdictions lose money and need large subsidies to stay afloat. America's geography is even less suited for a successful high-speed rail system than Europe or Japan because our cities are less dense and spaced farther apart. The federal government should withdraw its support for high-speed rail, and instead focus on major aviation and highway reforms to improve the nation's mobility. America faces major transportation challenges, but throwing taxpayer funds down a high-speed rail money pit will not solve them."

For more visit Cato Institute HSR findings.

Don't Railroad our Neighborhoods: Chronicle OP-Ed 2-2-15

Don't railroad our neighborhoods with HSR ... Excellent Chronicle op-ed piece on 2-2-15 by Evan Michaelides, a neighborhood leader working with Super Neighborhoods 12 and 22 to support alternative bullet train routes. The commentary featuyres a map of alternative routes that woud be far less instrusive to our residential community. http://bit.ly/1DxXFyz

350 People Pack High-speed rail town hall hosted by SN 12

An overflowing crowd packed Lutheran High North for Super Neighborhood 12's High-speed Rail Town Hall Forum on January 5 to ask questions about the bullet train being proposed by Texas Central Railway (TCR). Resdients questions Robert Eckels, president of TCR, about the bullet train's potential impact on property values, noise, neighborhood character and aesthetics, the 18-hour non-stop train traffic every 30 minutes and more. Several elected officials attended the Town Hall.

New Coverage of the Town Hall - stories Hyperlinked

Residents air concerns over Dallas-Houston high-speed rail - The Leader News, Jan. 9, 2015

Dallas to Houston high-speed rail's speed bump: property values - HBJ, Jan. 6, 2015

Residents Voice Concerns About Dallas-Houston Bullet Train - ABC-13, Jan. 5, 2015

Not everyone supportive of proposed 90-minute train ride from Houston to Dallas - Fox 26, Jan. 5, 2015

Community members express concerns over high-speed rail train - KPRC Ch. 2, Jan. 5, 2015

High speed rail debate continues -Houston Community Newspapers, Jan. 14, 2015

Texas taxpayers should not be railroaded into high-speed project - Houston Community Newspapers, Jan. 10, 2015, Guest Columnist

State Sen. Brandon Creighton: Federal Gov't has Reached New Low w/Dallas-Houston HSR - Houston Community Newspapers, Feb. 1, 2015

800 Pack Montgomery County HSR Meeting to Oppose HSR - The Courier, Feb. 2, 2015