TRANSPORTATIONUPDATES
COMPILED BY MATT DULIN
Richmond corridor included in updated transit development guidelines
610
10
Northwest Transit Center
Transit station Transit-oriented development corridor NEWAPPROACH FOR NEWDEVELOPMENTS
Building projects along Richmond Avenue and other streets will be able to opt into new transit-friendly design rules.
OLD KATY RD.
59
527
KIRBY DR.
288
610
Westpark/Lower Uptown Transit Center
SAGE RD.
RICHMOND AVE.
59
MONTROSE BLVD.
N
release about the project. Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects led the development of the concept. Starting in September, one lane of Memorial Drive in each direction will be closed through fall 2021 while a new section of roadway and tunnel structures are constructed just south of Memorial Drive. Timeline: fall 2020-2022 Cost: $70 million Funding sources: Memorial Park Conservancy, the Kinder Foundation, Uptown Development Authority Newbus rapid transit service goes live Houston’s rst bus rapid transit line began service Aug. 23. The METRORapid Silver Line connects the Northwest andWest- park/Lower Uptown transit centers with eight stops along the way. The service uses rail-platform-like stations at stops, wider doors and level boarding. The cost to ride is $1.25 each way. Buses arrive every 10 minutes from 5 a.m. to midnight. As with other transit trips, all riders are required to wear face masks.
288
SHEPHERD DR.
Side or rear lots with reduction in parking minimums
Dedicated pedestrian realms, with safety bu er
SOURCE: CITY OF HOUSTON COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER 3 NEW GUIDELINES
N
A set of guidelines touted as a “paradigm shift” toward more tran- sit-friendly and walkable develop- ments is slated to take e ect Oct. 1. “We are literally changing how people move about in the city of Houston,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said ahead of the Aug. 5 vote approv- ing the measures. New transit-oriented development guidelines will apply to high-capacity transit corridors—those connected to light rail and bus rapid transit lines. For Richmond Avenue and streets
Trees and fences must meet certain requirements
within a half-mile of transit stops there, these guidelines will be optional. When Richmond is redevel- oped into a bus rapid transit line by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County sometime in the next 20 years, these guidelines would become mandatory. The Planning Commission will nalize the corridor map Sept. 17.
The City Council also approved a set of standards for Walkable Places pilot areas, including Midtown. The policies also create a path for property owners or the city to establish new Walkable Places. Both sets of guidelines regulate the parking lots, sidewalks, driveways and building site plans to encourage pedestrian-friendly access.
UPCOMING PROJECT To support the new land bridge, Memorial Drive will be rerouted through newly constructed tunnels, allowing a natural connection between the two sides of the park.
Memorial Park Land Bridge Construction will soon be underway on Memorial Park’s 100-acre land bridge across Memorial Drive, which will tie together the north and south sections of the park, bolster the area’s native prairies and expand its trail network, the Memorial Park Conservancy announced Aug. 10. The project also includes a 45- acre prairie restoration. The conservancy also said the project will have drainage bene ts by o ering detention and a stream channel to act as a “green sponge, helping to absorb and clean stormwater,” according to a news
W. MEMORIAL LOOP DR.
MEMORIAL PARK
N. PICNIC LANE TO BE REMOVED
N
ALL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED AS OF AUG. 31. NEWS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE OR OTHER LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS? EMAIL US AT HRMNEWS COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM.
8
COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
Powered by FlippingBook