City of Houston Prioritizes Pedestrian-Friendly Improvements
No matter what mode of transportation someone chooses in order to get from point A to point B, they should be able to do so safely. The city of Houston recently announced that they intend to prioritize improvements of its sidewalk and crosswalk systems.
Houston Public Media reported on Thursday, April 18th that it intends to fix crumbling sidewalks, install new walkways, provide bus shelters and put other pedestrian-friendly options in place, particularly in the Gulfton neighborhoods of Houston.
Mayor Sylvester Turner cited a recent study conducted by Rice University that illustrated poor sidewalks and high crash rates, particularly across busy intersections. The area around Gulfton has a high concentration of immigrants; many coming to the U.S. for the first time. Gulfton also has a number of schools attended by a large number of students. Ensuring greater public safety for this area has now become a priority for city leaders.
“We know about the needs because grieving families have spoken to City Council about their relatives who were killed or injured by vehicles while walking from school or catching a bus,” said Turner.
The city plans to begin the improvements, focusing on the areas around Bellaire Boulevard north to High Star Drive. Turner said that there will be a series of projects that will utilize funds from both the public and non-profit sectors to finance the improvements.
Houston Public Works has invested $500,000 and a coalition of private sector donors, the non-profit organization Together Safer Roads, has put forward an additional $125,000 to help get the pedestrian improvement projects underway.