Reconstructing roads From the cover
About the project
Design changes
The current design of West Alabama Street includes 4- to 5-foot sidewalks with buffers that vary in size, as well as spaces between businesses and the walking path.
The full concrete roadway reconstruction includes making several enhancements to the roughly 1.6- mile stretch of road. Muhammad Ali, project engineer from Gauge and HR Green Engineering, said the project’s main goal is to improve the standards of the street to meet today’s safety regulations while also investing in better drainage and stormwater capacity. Drainage improvements include installing larger stormwater boxes under the roadway and upgrading inlets, which could help alleviate street ponding, Ali said. According to a June 2024 report by the Houston Public Works Department, West Alabama Street is prone to flooding during periods of heavy rainfall. The project also aims to improve mobility and safety for pedestrians, which Ali said includes creating new city-compliant 6-foot sidewalks with an estimated 4-foot buffer between the sidewalk and roadway, as well as new traffic signals and high-visibility crosswalks. However, the design does not include protected bike lanes and will maintain its current 12-foot car lanes and a general two-way left-turn lane.
60-70 ft.
4 ft. buffer
12 ft. lane
11 ft. two-way turn lane
12 ft. lane
4 ft. buffer
6 ft. sidewalk
6 ft. sidewalk
Proposed section: New curb and gutter concrete pavement One lane in each direction Clearly marked continuous center two-way left-turn lane New traffic signals 6-foot sidewalks Implemented best practices to protect mature trees
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SOURCE: MONTROSE TIRZ/COMMUNITY IMPACT
The history
Public input
“By reducing a car lane, drivers can’t speed the way they are used to. So, by removing the bike lane, it is actually reducing pedestrian safety.” KEVIN STRICKLAND, CO-FOUNDER, WALK AND ROLL HOUSTON
Matt Brollier, chair of the Montrose TIRZ, said West Alabama Street was originally part of Houston’s Capital Improvement Plan around 2016 but was taken over by the TIRZ roughly three years ago due to limited city funds. The original design included a dedicated on-street bike lane, but the former design would have eliminated the center lane to allow for the bikeway. In early 2024, Houston Mayor John Whitmire released his new guiding mobility prin- ciples, which included requiring all road projects to maintain the number and width of existing car lanes, effectively reversing the previous design on West Alabama Street.
Despite the city’s directive, Montrose residents expressed their displeasure at several board meetings and hosted a protest at the project’s open house in June about the changes. Alondra Torres, co-founder of Friends of the Boulevard, an organization that advocates for inclusive and accessible designs in Montrose, said the community preferred the original plan, which included additional safety measures and focused on multimodal transportation. “What people want right now is for the priority to be safety and the inclusion of pedestrians in the plan,” she said. “Whitmire’s plan is car-centric, but people in Montrose want to walk, bike—that’s how we get around.” In early 2024, when Whitmire first announced his new mobility guidelines, Houston Planning Director Marlene Gafrick said several factors led to redesigning projects that reduced car lanes, including the removal of street parking for residents and businesses, the impact on service delivery for emergency responders and the removal of businesses’ access.
“I would not describe this as a fixation on vehicle priority. We are trying to carefully balance current
and future mobility needs.” MARLENE GAFRICK, DIRECTOR, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Ali said that while bike lanes cannot be added to West Alabama Street, the TIRZ has applied for a $500,000 grant from the Texas Department of Transportation to place bike lanes on corridors with less vehicle use. A map wasn’t available as of press time, but Brollier said the concept aims to link destinations throughout Montrose with concepts such as shared-use paths.
Mayor John Whitmire’s guiding mobility principles
Maintain the number &
Provide safe sidewalks and pedestrian crossings
Ensure reliable service for emergency responders
width of car lanes
SOURCE: CITY OF HOUSTON/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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