Crews plan for next phase of $115 million Shepherd Drive reconstruction From the cover
Vehicle crashes on Shepherd Drive
Two-minute impact
136
130
127
610
40.2% increase in vehicle
97
Phase 1
The $115 million project spans roughly 5 miles from the northern segment of Loop 610 to I-10 West. It will reduce the number of tra c lanes on each road from four to three while adding protected bike lanes and installing sidewalks, according to MHRA information. Tree planting is also a major initiative of the project, Weesner said. Trees will create a shade canopy throughout the project’s boundaries and a barrier between pedestrians and cars, she said. Other elements include new tra c signals, crosswalk striping, new signal timing, and the replacement of underground water and sewer infrastructure. Both phases have been fully funded, including with help from a $40 million federal grant, funds from the MHRA and funds from the city of Houston for water and sewer work, Weesner said. In March, city of Houston o cials requested a temporary pause of all projects that involve narrowing vehicle lanes or adding on-street bike lanes while the new administration of Mayor John Whitmire conducts a review. City o cials said it was a standard review for a new administration, and MHRA o cials said their timelines have not changed.
crashes from 2020 to 2023
2023
2020
2021
2022
Year
W. 19THST.
Based on crash data from 2012-2018, the project is expected to reduce: Vehicle crashes by 42% Pedestrian crashes by 67%
W. 18THST.
Bicycle crashes by
38%
Proposed typical section The reconstruction of Shepherd and Durham drives will entail the removal of one vehicle lane in each direction to make room for bike lanes and wider pedestrian zones.
Phase 2
WHITE OAK BAYOU
10
Pedestrian zone
Tree zone
Roadway (3 lanes)
Street light
Bike way
Tree zone
Pedestrian zone
N
SOURCES: MEMORIAL HEIGHTS REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION COMMUNITY IMPACT
What they’re saying
times, power was shut o by accident, without warning. “If it goes o in the middle of us sewing, I’ll probably have to start over and rework that whole piece of material,” he said. “It could cause damage to the machine.” Lopez also said he was concerned about whether the new bike lane would hamper access to the business’s main entrance from Shepherd, which leads to the shop’s main set of vehicle bays. He emphasized that, although the main parking area is along West 26th Street, the critical front entrance faces Shepherd. “Change is inevitable. I recognize that. I welcome the change,” he said. “I think that better communi- cation about it and how it impacts some things for business owners would help us all.” Weesner said the MHRA is carrying out con- struction in ways that are meant to keep the streets and driveways open for business owners as much as possible. The bike lanes are being designed in a way similar to sidewalks so that they will not block access to businesses, she said.
Kevin Strickland is president of the Greater Heights Super Neighborhood. He also lives several blocks away from where construction will soon be taking place at 14th Street. Although construction will be tough, he said the bene ts are well worth it. The project is already spurring developer interest, and it will improve drainage and mobility, he said. “It’s impossible to walk across four lanes of speeding tra c,” he said. “It’s not reasonable to walk to a light that might be a quarter-mile away, so people are sort of running across the street. The improvements will address that.” Some business owners, including Larry Lopez, owner of Upholstery by Coleman on Shepherd, said they think the project will provide a big bene t once completed to a street that has been long overdue for upgrades. However, Lopez said he wished the MHRA was better at communicating construction updates to businesses. On several occasions, Lopez said he has shown up to work only to have crews warn him they would be cutting o power in 30 minutes. Other
“Our frustrations with it is there’s really no communication. … No one’s ever come to us and said, ‘Here’s what we’re going to be doing.’”
LARRY LOPEZ, OWNER OF UPHOLSTERY BY COLEMAN
“The construction team works with individual property owners to manage
construction so that access is maintained.” SHERRY WEESNER, PRESIDENT, MEMORIAL HEIGHTS REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
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