It’s a very different project than what was first proposed.
A planned extension of the Hardy Toll Road through the Near Northside into downtown Houston will proceed, but with various community-driven design elements.
Harris County Commissioners on Tuesday approved a plan by the Harris County Toll Road Authority for the extension from Loop 610 to the Elysian Viaduct near Interstate 10. Toll authority officials previously said it could be four years before construction of the long-proposed toll road extension is complete.
Despite being a tollway project, commissioners cheered the efforts to make the road more palatable to the community and add elements such as park space, bike trails, community meeting facilities, sound walls and trees that are much-needed in the Near Northside.
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After county officials balked at a 2020 proposal for the extension, citing neighborhood concerns, HCTRA spent two years holding public meetings in the community and adding amenities to the project based on what residents said they wanted. Those discussion led to a number of changes, including:
- An entrance and exit to the tollway at Cavalcade, so residents have some access to the tollway for their own use, rather than it simply running unimpeded through the area.
- Green spaces both next to and on top of the tollway where it will be depressed, with parking beneath the portion of the road that will be elevated to increase access to the parks but shield the parking lots.
- A HCTRA building planned for the agency’s IT offices in the area open to the community for public meetings and possibly classes.
“This project has morphed into something the community does support,” said HCTRA Executive Director Roberto Treviño.
Treviño said Monday he expects HCTRA to build many of the items the community sought prior to the tollway construction.
Despite the commitments, concerns remain that the amenities shroud what is still a large road to serve vehicle trips.
“Like many environmental justice communities, the Near Northside has been repeatedly asked to bear the burden of air pollution sources like highways,” said Jennifer Hadayia, executive director of Air Alliance Houston. “Unfortunately, this new highway will add even more air pollution to the community… Near Northside deserves investments like parks, recreation facilities and affordable housing without a four-lane highway going through the neighborhood.”
To address some of the concerns, county officials approved HCTRA’s plan, but also told the agency to work with Metropolitan Transit Authority, Harris County Pollution Control and other agencies to monitor and mitigate pollution, ensure the project does not displace affordable housing and offer improved transit.
See here for some background and here for a preview story in the Chron. As I said, this is a very different project now than what was first proposed, which was basically just highway through the neighborhood. It’s a little hard for me to imagine this much accommodation for the residents of those neighborhoods being made in the old days. Doesn’t mean this is a perfect project, doesn’t mean there aren’t reasons to oppose it, just that where there’s a responsive government, we’ve come a long way. That’s worth noticing.
And close any loopholes that prevents the toll authority from carrying through, or discontinuing, the neighborhood improvements. Remember these are the institutions that said the beltway was going to be free after it was paid off, among other promises.