The April 29 episode of The Houston Breakdown includes an update on Texas Central's plans for high-speed rail connecting Houston and Dallas and a look at Houston's upcoming decision on local noise ordinances.

Houston explores changes to its noise ordinance

Coming up on Houston City Council’s docket next week is a proposal to strengthen noise restrictions for local bars and restaurants. The vote comes in response to complaints from around Houston, including residents who live near the Washington Avenue corridor, a roughly 4.5-mile strip connecting downtown Houston to Memorial Park that’s home to a lively bar scene.

Community Impact Newspaper's Houston City Hall reporter Sofia Gonzalez explains what's at stake for residents and businesses.

Texas Central faces eminent domain legal challenge

Since 2014, the company Texas Central has been developing plans for a high-speed railway that will stretch all the way from Houston to Dallas. The project aims to use a system modeled after Japanese Shinkansen bullet trains to create a 90-minute travel alternative between the two cities, a commute Texas Central says nearly 100,000 Texans make more than once a week.

However, the proposed railway has hit its share of snags in the years leading up to its planned groundbreaking, which was initially estimated for late 2021, but remains stalled due to lawsuits from property owners that could be affected by the project. In the next few months, the Texas Supreme Court is expected to make a significant decision in one such case against Texas Central. Reporter Jishnu Nair shares the latest on the project.

Also on this episode...

Sugar Land Regional Airport considers new sources of revenue; League City considers an ordinance to allow pigs to be kept as pets in homes; construction-themed amusement park Dig World opens in Katy; and more.

The Houston Breakdown is a production of Community Impact Newspaper. This episode was produced by Olivia Aldridge with editing by Marie Leonard. Weather and allergy reports are sourced from www.weather.com and AccuWeather. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other major listening platforms. New episodes are released every Friday morning.