The big picture
The Montrose Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone is seeking grant funding for one project to install a bike lane on Waugh Drive between Allen Parkway and Dallas Street, and a second project to improve roads and pedestrian safety around area schools.
More details
The Waugh Drive project is intended to help pedestrians and cyclists more safely access Buffalo Bayou Park. It follows up on another TIRZ project that involved installing bike lanes along Waugh south of Dallas Street to West Alabama Street. Details include:
- adding protected and dedicated on-street, 6-foot-wide bike lanes in each direction
- removing a vehicle lane in each direction
- installing new 6-foot-wide sidewalks and replacing existing sidewalks in disrepair on several streets, including parts of West Dallas, Columbus, Stanford, West Clay, West Bell, West Pierce, Marconi, Crocker, West Gray, Peden, Bomar and Taft streets
- making crossing improvements at West Gray and Stanford streets
TIRZ officials submitted grant applications for both projects on June 5 to TxDOT with hopes of the projects being funded through the agency's Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside program, said Connor Stokes, a technical expert brought on to help with the process with Hollaway Environmental and Communications.
The Waugh Drive project is estimated to cost $1.3 million with around $1.05 million potentially covered by the grant and $264,600 covered by the TIRZ. The school routes project is estimated to cost $8.5 million, with around $6.8 million potentially coming from the grant and $1.7 million from the TIRZ.
One other thing
Along with the applications, the TIRZ submitted letters of support from elected officials, neighborhood and civic associations, bike and pedestrian groups, and Montrose residents and community members, Stokes said. The school routes project received 65 letters of support and 396 signatures, while the Waugh Drive project received 16 letters of support. Grant awardees are expected to be announced in October.
