From the Inbox:
Hello I-45 Coalition folks –
There are finally some updates regarding I-45!
As you may recall, back in mid-November 2011, TxDOT held 2 public meetings to get the public’s input on their thoughts on what should be done regarding the expansion of I-45. Comments were encouraged via email, website, comment forms, etc. TxDOT was supposed to publish those findings within 2 months after the meetings. Well 2 months came & went, 6 months and now – 10+ months after the November meetings, the results have been posted! You can find them by going to TxDOT’s website for this project at www.ih45northandmore.com. Left column at ‘NHHIP Scoping Meeting Documents’. If you made comments – make sure they are there & accurate. Many of the comments make very interesting reading!
On Sunday, 9/2/12, the Chronicle reported that I-45 between Loop 610 & Beltway 8 had the 3rd worst congestion in Texas! I-45 between I-10 heading North to 610 was the 10th most congested. I-45 heading South from I-10 to 610 was ranked #13.
A couple days later, the Chronicle reports that TxDOT is considering the concept of a downtown “roundabout” to help congestion.
TxDOT will be holding their 2nd round of public meetings to discuss I-45 soon, probably sometime this fall. No specific date has been announced yet. Please be sure that you are on the I-45 Coalition’s email list so that we can notify you when the meeting(s) will be held. If you are getting this email directly now, you are probably OK – but if you are going to change emails, perhaps adding a work email or home email or alternate email might be a good idea so that we can contact you. Please share this information with friends & neighbors – we need to be sure that TxDOT knows & understands the desires and concerns of folks that live & work in the areas that will be affected by TxDOT’s actions.
As always, for updates, you can always check our I-45 Coalition Facebook page or our website at www.I-45Coalition.org. You can also sign up on our website (email info, volunteer info, contribute $, etc) or send me your email info directly to [email protected].
If you would like to become more involved, you are welcome to attend our next (quarterly) meeting of the I-45 Coalition Steering Committee. Our next meeting will be held on October 22nd at 7 pm at the Lindale Park Clubhouse, 218 Joyce (off of Fulton in Lindale Park). Once activity on I-45 becomes more active, we will increase our meeting frequency.
This has been & will continue to be a LONG, LONG project – but the MOST important time to be involved is NOW – while TxDOT is determining what the scope of the project will be, with a LOT of input from residents & taxpayers! Please stay involved if you value your homes, your neighborhood & your city!
There are now specific dates and locations for the second scoping meetings, the details of which you can see here:
Two identical public scoping meetings will be held in the project area. An open house meeting format will allow the public to come and go at their convenience. Project team members will be available to discuss issues and answer questions regarding the proposed improvements and the EIS process. A short video regarding the project will be presented throughout the meeting. Maps of the study area and exhibits of the preliminary alternatives will be on display. The same information will be presented at both meetings. The public is encouraged to attend anytime between the hours of 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the most convenient meeting location.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Jefferson Davis High School
1101 Quitman Street
Houston, TX 77009Thursday, October 11, 2012
Aldine Ninth Grade School
10650 North Freeway Houston, TX 77037The purpose of this public scoping meeting is to present information about, and receive public feedback on, preliminary alternatives for highway improvements in the North Houston corridor, the process being used to evaluate these alternatives, and how community feedback has been incorporated to date in the planning process. The revised Need and Purpose Statement and Project Coordination Plan documents will be available for review. After the scoping meetings, the information presented at the meetings will be available for review and reproduction on the project website www.IH45NorthandMore.com, and at the TxDOT Houston District office, 7600 Washington Avenue, Houston, Texas 77007. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding state holidays.
The public will have the opportunity to provide written comments during and after the meeting. If you are unable to attend one of the public scoping meetings, you may view project information and submit comments on the project website www.IH45NorthandMore.com, or you can mail comments to: Director of Project Development, Texas Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 1386, Houston, Texas 77251-1386. You may also email comments to the address: [email protected]. Comments received by email or postmarked by Friday, October 26, 2012, will be included in the public meeting record.
Here’s the direct link to the documents and comments from the first scoping meeting. Take a look through them and be sure to attend one of the meetings in October. Marty Hajovsky has more.