The Katy City Council unanimously approved several street improvement projects as part of the 2018 Street Rehabilitation Project at its July 23 meeting. The first approval allows the city to enter into a $373,175 contract with AAA Asphalt Paving, Inc. out of Houston to improve several streets in the city, while the second approved a stop sign to help control traffic while a contractor transforms a portion of Bartlett Road into a green space. Katy Mayor Chuck Brawner said no start date has been set for the contract and subsequent projects, but the city will be working with the contractor to determine start dates now that the contract is executed. Improvements will be made to several streets in Katy as indicated below:

• Clemson Street will be resurfaced at a cost of about $41,000.
• Fifth Street will be resurfaced between East Avenue and Katy Fort Bend Road for a cost of about $10,000.
• Bartlett Road will be resurfaced from Buffalo Bend Drive south toward Whistler Drive for about $66,000.
• Bartlett Road will also be resurfaced at the intersection with Mert Drive for about $2,000.
• Iris, Dahlia and Delfren streets as well as Avenue A will be resurfaced for a cost of about $182,000.
• Pin Oak Road will have a right turn only lane added at the intersection of Nelson Way Street with adjustments to curbs and islands to facilitate the new turn lane for a cost of about $14,000.
• Tenth Street will receive Americans with Disabilities Act compliant sidewalks, crosswalks, ditch clearing along the street and inlets will be added to the existing storm sewer that also runs along that street for a cost of about $43,000.

Council Member Janet Corte said she was especially excited to see the improvements to Tenth Street move forward because children walk along and cross Avenue D at Tenth Street to get to Katy Elementary School. The improvements to Tenth Street will span from Avenue D to Whispering Lake and make students safer as they walk to school, she said. “That’s something that we have really pushed is more sidewalks and more mobility in the city, so Janet [Corte] and I both talked about this," Council Member Chris Harris said. "It’s in Ward A, and that’s where a lot of elementary students [cross the street]." The city also approved an ordinance that allows for the addition of a stop sign at the intersection of Bartlett and Franz roads. The new sign will be in place for the duration of a project that removes a portion of Bartlett Road to construct a green space. Harris said the added green space was in response to feedback from residents before and during the most recent City Council elections. “When we’re putting this stop sign in at Franz and Bartlett, the main part—I think the exciting part—is that we are going to [have all the] asphalt torn up and it’ll be removed and [that section of road] will be turned into essentially a green belt,” Harris said. The council will meet again 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 13 at City Hall in downtown, 901 Avenue C, Katy.