Cy-Fair Edition | July 2022

TRANSPORTATION UPDATES Harris County commissioners approve $53M for trailway projects Harris County commissioners

COMPILED BY EMILY LINCKE & DANICA LLOYD

UPCOMING PROJECT

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has “too many unknowns.” “Safety is my No. 1 concern, and I’ve not seen enough of the concept to confidently say it’s properly being addressed in these projects,” Ramsey said in an email May 17. Meanwhile, Cagle said he would have preferred additional trails be funded by the county’s parks budget. “While Commissioner [Cagle] is a major proponent of hike-and-bike trails and has considerably expanded their availability throughout Precinct 4, he voted against this measure because he believes it sets a bad precedent of diverting toll road money to projects not originally envisioned when toll roads were first pitched to Harris County voters,” said Joe Stinebaker, Precinct 4 director of communications, in an email May 17. The HCTRA identified 22 priority projects that were ranked as having the highest community benefit and were given a prioritized timeline. These projects would cover 65 miles and cost $131 million. Some of the more expensive priority

New ways to commute The Tollways to Trailways project will bring biking and walking paths to Harris County for local commuters to utilize daily.

approved $53 million on May 10 for the Harris County Toll Road Author- ity’s new Tollways to Trailways initiative, which will add 236 miles of new recreational trails across the county’s four precincts. According to the HCTRA’s planning documents, most of the trails will be placed adjacent to existing toll roads, providing access to existing parks, public transit hubs, schools and neighborhoods. A timeline for the project has not yet been announced. “Tollways to Trailways make[s] the county healthier and more resilient by expanding healthy mobility choices, creating more local green spaces, and giving people transporta- tion options that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve regional air quality,” HCTRA’s plan reads. The request was approved in a 3-2 vote with Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey and Precinct 4 Commis- sioner Jack Cagle dissenting. Ramsey said he voted against the item because he believes the project

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236 miles of trails will be added across Harris County. 63 projects are envisioned for the Tollways to Trailways plan across Harris County’s 4 precincts. $601 million in funding will be needed to cover the plan’s trailways.

ALL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED AS OF JUNE 14. NEWS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE OR OTHER LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS? EMAIL US AT CYFNEWS@COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM. improved drainage and new traffic signals for multiple intersections. Phase 1 was completed by Precinct 4 in 2019 from Spring Cypress Road to Louetta, but following redistricting, officials are re-evaluating plans to maximize efficiency. Timeline: design phase to start in third quarter Cost: TBD Funding source: Harris County Precinct 3 Telge Road widening Harris County Precinct 3 is planning to re-evaluate plans for the widening of Telge Road from Louetta Road to north of the Grand Parkway. Plans previously included widening Telge to four lanes,

$53 million in funding was approved for the project by Harris County commissioners May 10. SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY TOLL ROAD AUTHORITY/ COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER projects include a Space Center Bou- levard trail, a west extension to the Cypress Creek Greenway and an Alief East Loop project. Combined, these projects would cost $48.3 million. The remaining 41 projects would be completed later and cover 171 miles at a cost of $470 million.

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CY-FAIR EDITION • JULY 2022

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