The ordinance called for the council to approve an interlocal agreement between the city of Houston, Texas Southern University and Harris County, with Houston chipping in around $396,000 to the work. Harris County would provide the bulk of the funding for the $12.4 million project and would also take the lead on design and construction, according to the ordinance.
The work is meant to calm traffic near the university, improve public transit stops, improve pedestrian circulation and beautify streetscapes. Specifically, the following work would be carried out:
- Blodgett Street would be converted from a four-lane divided boulevard to two inside travel lanes and two outside bike lanes with sidewalks on each side and pedestrian lights;
- Tierwester Street would be converted from a four-lane undivided boulevard to two inside travel lanes and two outside bike lanes with sidewalks on each side and pedestrian lights;
- Rosewood Street would be reconstructed with asphalt pavement, sidewalks and pedestrian lights;
- Sampson Street would receive milling and overlaying work on the existing asphalt road with sidewalks added on the west side; and
- The existing sidewalk on Attucks Street would be replaced with a 6-foot-wide sidewalk.
The project would be another in a line of collaborations between the city and the county related to roads and drainage dating back to the two entities entering a "Master Road Log Agreement" in February 2018.
District D Council Member Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, who represents the area where TSU is located, tagged the item at the Nov. 16 meeting. As a result, no council action could be taken on it, and it will be brought back to the council at its next meeting following the Thanksgiving holiday. Evans-Shabazz was joined by District J Council Member Edward Pollard, who also tagged the item.
Evans-Shabazz said narrowing key roads, such as Blodgett and Tierwester, to one lane in each direction would cause problems for locals trying to travel to nearby schools and churches, which include Yates High School and the Pilgrim Congregational United Church. She said congestion could drive traffic to smaller neighborhood streets, such as Rosedale Street, where Lockhart Elementary School is located.
Because some streets near TSU are already closed off to protect students, cyclists can use campus roads to go through TSU and into the University of Houston campus to the east, Evans-Shabazz said. She emphasized that she was in favor of other elements of the plan, including sidewalk and drainage improvements.
"We do want the sidewalks; we do want the streets, but more importantly, I want community engagement so the community can determine if this is a feasible option for them, because I don’t believe the community will come forward to say they want to narrow these streets," she said at the Nov. 16 meeting.
TSU is located within Harris County Precinct 1, where Commissioner Rodney Ellis has been leading efforts to build bike infrastructure, including prior projects in the university area. In a statement to Community Impact, Ellis said the proposed improvements around TSU will be a game changer for the university and the surrounding community. He said the project was the culmination of years of community outreach.
"From enhanced safety and accessibility for people walking and biking, better street lighting, improved drainage, and access to transit, this project contributes significantly to our residents' safety, resilience and quality of life," Ellis said. "While I understand some may have concerns, this project is the culmination of years of community outreach, designs and traffic studies showing that this investment will improve mobility and safety. I sincerely hope Houston City Council will support this transformative investment for the Third Ward community.”
The item will be brought back to Houston City Council for consideration at its Nov. 30 meeting.
