This was posted as an update to the change.org petition in support of the West 11th Street project:
The opposition to making 11th street safer is asking TXDOT to stop the project-we need your help!
The group that has organized against making 11th street safer is not giving up after the mayor’s decision to move forward. Instead, they are asking TXDOT to intervene and stop the project, which the state has done before in Houston.
Please consider emailing your state representative (https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home) and the governor (https://gov.texas.gov/apps/contact/opinion.aspx) to express your support for the city’s plan to make 11th street safer.
See here for the previous update, which includes a comment making the same claim, that opponents of the project are going to TxDOT to try to stop it. I inquired about the reference to TxDOT stepping in on a project before in Houston, and I think that may have been said in error. There is the recent example of TxDOT taking control of a stretch of Broadway in San Antonio, which scuttled that city’s plans for a redesign that included a “road diet”. That piece of Broadway had previously been a part of the state highway system and was transferred to San Antonio a few years ago; TxDOT acted to rescind that transfer.
As far as I know, West 11th Street has only ever been a city of Houston street, so TxDOT would not have the same ability to intervene. That said, sticking it to cities is now a core component of Republican ideology, and making a similar move here would be politically consistent. I don’t know how to evaluate anything outside of a political lens these days. What I’m saying is that while I, a mostly normal person, don’t see a means for TxDOT to step in, that doesn’t mean it can’t or won’t happen, not if Greg Abbott decides it’s a good idea. Another possibility would be for the Republicans in the Legislature to pass a bill in 2023 that limits or bans “road diets” in some fashion, thus potentially stopping this project before it could be completed. Given the legislative calendar and the fact that construction is scheduled to start in the next couple of months, that seems less likely to be effective.
I really don’t know how the opponents can succeed here. There’s no clear path for them. But given everything we’ve seen and experienced recently, I’m hesitant to say it can’t happen. Go ahead and contact your legislators and the Governor’s office with your support. It can’t hurt.
The Bike Houston Facebook page doesn’t say anything about the possible challenge to the 11th Street project. I think that most of the opponents are neighbors who worry about increased traffic on residential streets. I can understand that. Just look at the guy and his dog who were fatality struck by a pickup truck on W 25th Street in April. The police adjudicated it as the pedestrian’s fault, due to “failure to yield.” But there’s no place to yield from a speeding truck when there’s no sidewalk and cars parked on the street. Moments after being allowed to leave the scene, the truck crashed a parked car and was charged with being intoxicated. So, yes, the neighbors being concerned makes sense to me.
The businesses along 11th Street should use bicycle traffic to attract more patrons. Adding bicycle racks, or perhaps something like Rice Bikes has–a work stand that is bolted down and has tools cable tied to it for use by the public. The businesses could offer specials for urban explorers riding around the neighborhood.