TRANSPORTATION UPDATES
COMPILED BY GEORGE WIEBE & ILANA WILLIAMS
TxDOT plans for more electric vehicle charging stations To support the growth of electric
ONGOING PROJECTS
SIDEWALKS:
EXISTING PROPOSED
CHARGING HOUSTON
Charging station
N. BELLAIRE BLVD.
vehicles, Houston is addressing air quality concerns and long-term funding strategies for electric vehi- cles and charging stations. Texas has also been allocated $400 million of federal money, which will be distrib- uted over the next five years, to fund electric vehicle infrastructure. As of Aug. 22, there were over 19,700 electric vehicles registered in Harris County, according to data from Dallas-Fort Worth Clean Cities and the North Central Texas Council of Governments. However, electric vehicles account for 0.55% of all registered vehicles in Harris County. While electric cars are becoming more accessible, the issue lies with making charging stations more available, said Harry Tenenbaum, director of commercialization and infrastructure at Evolve Houston. The nonprofit works with entities to facilitate installing and developing electric vehicle infrastructure. “The first step is learning more and finding out how many people don’t have access to charge at home,” Tenenbaum said. The federal government and the state have invested in infrastructure to meet the growing demand and improve accessibility. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas estimates Houston will have 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2028, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. Ebrahim Eslami, a research scientist at the Houston Advanced Research Center, said there are between 7 million-10 million cars in Houston, but even if there is a small
Electric vehicle charging stations can be found at more than 20 location s throughout the local area.
"SHORT SIDE"
PASEO PARK
"STRAIGHT SHOT"
S. BELLAIRE BLVD.
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Paseo Park sidewalk addition Bellaire City Council heard recommen- dations from Public Works Director Michael Leech on Aug. 1 regarding a resident’s request to install a new sidewalk path along the south side of Paseo Park. Paseo Park is a small three-block trail within city limits between north and south Bellaire Boulevard, just east of Rice Avenue. It is home to the Bellaire Streetcar Line landmark. The park has sidewalks running along the north, west and east sides of the park with a gap on the park’s south side. Public works brought two proposals for council to mull over: The first plan, nicknamed the “Straight Shot,” is a 275-foot addition along the park’s southern border, costing an estimated $20,000-$30,000. The second option, nicknamed the “Short Side,” would add an attaching line of sidewalk between the park’s south- west corner and the sidewalk along the streetcar, costing an estimated $15,000-$25,000. Council members also have a third option of leaving the park as it is. No decision has been made as city staff plans a more concrete presen- tation for council. Construction could begin within 90 days of approval. Timeline: TBD Cost: estimated at $15,000-$30,000 Funding source: city of Bellaire
610
HERMANN PARK
BELLAIRE BLVD.
52% increase in alternative-fuel vehicle ownership over the past five fiscal years statewide President Joe Biden’s administration aims to have 50% of new car sales be electric vehicles by 2030 .
N. BRAESWOOD BLVD.
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19,700+ electric vehicles registered in Harris County
SOURCES: RELIANT, DALLAS-FORT WORTH CLEAN CITIES, THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, WHITE HOUSE, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
said Thomas Pommier, senior staff analyst at Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Office of Resilience and Sustain- ability. This is part of President Joe Biden’s administration’s goal for 50% of new car sales to be electric vehicles by 2030, according to a June White House news release. Beginning in 2023, an estimated $42 million-$43 million is expected to flow through the Houston-Galveston Area Council to deploy more electric vehicle chargers in the region. “Fortunately, there are a lot of people and a lot of organizations that are not only interested in this, but passionate as well and provide whichever resources they can ... to investigate the impacts of the human health and environmental impacts of transportation,” Tenenbaum said.
amount of electrification, there can be an improvement in air quality. “Assuming 100% of [vehicles] are going to be electric by 2040, we need electricity,” he said. “We need the infrastructure for [electric cars] to emerge as the main source of electric production sources.” Electric infrastructure Electric vehicle infrastructure requires generating enough power, transmitting energy across the grid and bringing energy through electric chargers, Tenenbaum said. Under the federal Bipartisan Infra- structure Law passed in November, Texas is expected to receive more than $400 million from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program over the next five years,
ALL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED AS OF AUG. 15. NEWS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE OR OTHER LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS? EMAIL US AT BMWNEWS@COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM.
TWU Houston Open House Sept. 17, 10 a.m.-noon Texas Medical Center
MBA • Health Care Administration • Nursing • Nutrition & Food Science • Occupational Therapy • Physical Therapy
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BELLAIRE - MEYERLAND - WEST UNIVERSITY EDITION • SEPTEMBER 2022
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