SOUTHEAST HOUSTON MOBILITY PLAN May 2019 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS City Council Toby Stephens Khang Nguyen Mayor Sylvester Turner Hobby Area Management District Paresh Lad Houston Public Works City of Houston Roxie McKinney Council Member Dwight Boykins Houston City Council District D Maria Town Houston City Council District D Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities Technical Advisory Committee Council Member Robert Gallegos Priya Zachariah Houston City Council District I Jessica Wiggins METRO Bike Houston Rodney Jones Steering Committee Joseph Faust Sunnyside TIRZ BNSF Frances Dyess-Castenaeda Yue Zhang Houston East End Chamber of Commerce M.E. “Sonny” Garza Charles Airiohuodion TxDOT Mark McMillen Gulfgate TIRZ Minnetex Super Neighborhood Council Amar Mohite City Staff Raul Diaz Harris County Precinct One Reveille/Park Place Civic Club Jennifer Ostlind Amery Reid Sharon Moses-Burnside Kay Barbour Harris County Precinct Two Southbelt Ellington Chamber of Commerce Carlene Mullins Melissa Beeler Stephan Gage Leroy West Cheryl Mergo Consultant Team Sunnyside Combined Super Neighborhood H-GAC Walter P Moore, Prime Consultant Tom Brents Tim Brown Asakura Robinson Garden Villas Community Association, Inc. HISD and HCC One World Strategy Group Keyur Amin Jesus H. Saenz Jr. Community Development Strategies Gateway Ace Hardware IAP, Hobby Airport Funding Sources Gusta Booker, Jr. Liliana Rambo Greater St. Matthews Church Houston Airport System Houston-Galveston Area Council Texas Department of Transportation Don Huml Beth White Gulfgate TIRZ Houston Parks Board Council Member Dwight Boykins Council Member Robert Gallegos Tracy Stephens Jonathan Brooks Gulfgate TIRZ/Sunnyside Civic Club LINK Houston Gulfgate TIRZ The preparation of this document was financed in part through grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation under Section 112 of the 1973 Federal Aid Highway Act and Section 8(d) of the Federal Transit act of 1964, as amended. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the official views or policy of the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Texas Department of Transportation, Houston- Galveston Area Council, and the City of Houston. Acceptance of this report does not in any way constitute a commitment on the part of any of the above agencies to participate in any development depicted therein nor does it indicate that the proposed development is environmentally acceptable in accordance with appropriate public laws. ii SOUTHEAST HOUSTON MOBILITY PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Southeast Houston plays an important This Plan represents a step in the continued 1. Build out of major corridors to enhance role in Houston’s landscape and economic progress toward fostering an equitable connectivity and spur development competitiveness. At the confluence of the transportation network that enhances safety nation’s 36th largest airport, an extensive for all road users, particularly in underserved 2. Facilitate more context-sensitive bayou trail network, and a dynamic collection communities where street safety and street design for each major corridor of neighborhoods, Southeast Houston’s transportation affordability disparities persist, in the study area mobility future will shape Houston’s while simultaneously supporting our city’s 3. Right-size streets and right-of-way transportation decision-making and how global economic reach. Six major concepts designations distinct travel modes are integrated for a outline the mobility recommendations and seamless user experience. work to answer the Plan’s central questions. 4. Increase high-comfort bicycle connections between Sims Bayou and the surrounding neighborhoods

5. Align sidewalk and bikeway improvements with METRO’s planned high-capacity transit investments

6. Prioritize improvements related to the community’s goals and objectives

iv SOUTHEAST HOUSTON MOBILITY PLAN PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The Southeast Houston Mobility Plan is a comprehensive transportation study, focused PlanHouston City of Houston Mobility Plan on furthering the City of Houston’s goals for a more healthy, resilient, and connected city established through PlanHouston and • Spend money wisely • Mobility is a key factor in a community's leaning on processes and technical guidance • Grow responsibly vitatility elaborated in the City’s Mobility Plan. This • Sustain quality infrastructure • Costs associated with new development plan allows for more in depth consideration / redevelopment must be equitably of the existing transportation and mobility • Nurture safe and healthy neighborhoods allocated. conditions, infrastructure, and development in • Connect people and places • Access (curb cuts/medians) must be the Southeast Houston Study Area. • Support our global economy consistently and proactively managed. The primary purpose is to identify short, • Right-of-way standards for future major medium and long-range projects, policies, and • Foster an affordable city arteries must reflect “best practices,” programs intended to promote better mobility • Protect and conserve our resources fully recognize aesthetic concerns, and for all road users, and to consider and develop • Communicate clearly and with anticipate peak traffic volumes at fully a multi-modal classification for streets within transparency developed conditions. the study area. This summary details the year- long study process, from existing conditions • Partner with others, public and private • Neighborhood concerns must be and public engagement efforts to improvement carefully balanced with the need to recommendations and implementation maintain circulation (recognize the value strategies. of connectivity/circulation). • Long-term “notice” provided by Major Thoroughfare and Freeway Plan must be effectively publicized and communicated. • Nonstructural approaches should be considered as well as new road construction.

Goals and Principles

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY v CONTEXT OF THE STUDY

The Study Area is bounded by Interstate 610 SOUTHEAST HOUSTON MOBiLiTY PLAN S A M to the north, State Highway 288 to the west, C Freeway d ¨¦§45 r Bro R m e Ho u e lcombe s l k g P Bl ig ad Major Roads v rl r L Beltway 8 to the south and Interstate 45 and d Spanish T G i d w Ol Alle t t l ay St Streets e n G Galveston Rd to the east. Much of this area 288 V UV Y e Railroad i el lvd low no n s c tone e Blvd ace B a R Water t

S B was developed post World War II and has seen d S a er y ¦¨§610 W y Park ou Park Pl e a Ü est h R y ic

s Long Dr e Allendale Rd R modest growth since 2000. Major destinations i v erw d Dr Study Area

i e T e i ard Dr l ie l w

D Dix e Fannin St Fannin Crestmont St 0 0.5 1 Almeda Rd r Ho within the study area include: S

t S Richey Miles B d e rr lmes R y V Ho Winkler Dr B in a c y e • Hobby Airport M o B St u a t a for u y r l el o Spencer Hwy o t B y i u n a Sco B L s ¬ m «3 u i tt S Vista Rd • Sims Bayou t St h Myka Houston Blvd

e r College Ave

J

K

Reed Rd u w

i

t n a R l

a P g Fairmont kwy

n o • Houston Botanic Garden (proposed) B

d d Strawberry Rd

l Berry Gully v T

R d e

d

l Airport Blvd e William P. p r rport Monroe Rd k D h Hobby Ai o o d o br e R n dg e E y

t e

S Acres Dr R S r Crenshaw Rd F According to the Houston-Galveston Area d

Cullen Blvd d t o ¨¦§45 Galveston Rd

o

Martindale Rd w aver S Council, the study area is expected to increase UV288 r a

e S Sh l by 50% in population, 58% in households, and C 19% in employment. Traffic volumes along W Orem Dr E Orem Dr the roadways are also expected to increase Allison Rd Kingspoint S by 44%. Much of the anticipated growth is d Fuqua St a eda Genoa R d b Alm o

R r Furman Rd

R d Cottingham Rd Cottingham

e v d l B

expected to occur in the south portion of the m B l a a le c e a

k d B h rs a study area. This added stress will increase a c «¬8 w S k C Tu lea rkey r B existing mobility gaps and add strain on the Creek l C v re d e transportation systems in the area, making it Esri, HERE, Garmin, © OpenStreetMapHughes Rd contributors, and the GIS user communityk critical to identify and overcome the mobility shortcomings that residents are currently experiencing.

Hobby Airport Sims Bayou at Mykawa Rd. Source: Fly 2 Houston Source: Harris County Flood Control District vi SOUTHEAST HOUSTON MOBILITY PLAN COMMUNITY SNAPSHOT 2012 2016

POPULATION EMPLOYMENT TRANSPORTATION

208,650 Not in Labor Force: Drive Alone 78% ¨¦§45 36

¨¦§10 ¨¦§610 5% Carpool 11% OF COUNTY Unemployed: 6 POPULATION 55 s/mi Public Transit 4% EDUCATION Employed: 59 Walk/Bicycle 2% HOUSING 32 21 18 29 Other 5% High School Some College Less than a Diploma / GED College Degree or High School More Diploma 29 minutes 47 minutes live below the Under 14 years: 23 AGE 23 national poverty line 14 - 17 years: 5 37ears od 18 - 24 years: 12 aerae ae homes are 1 IN 8 vacant Over 65 years: 10 Asian 4 1 Other RACE 43 White 7 (on a scale of 100) Owner vs. 52 48 41187 Renter 50 Hispanic median household income Source: American Community Survey Black 38 2012-2016 5-year estimates Walkscore data from walkscore.com

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY vii PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT & PROCESS

Vision Statement The Southeast Houston Mobility Plan addresses the dynamic mobility needs of the many NEIGHBORHOOD communities in Southeast Houston. The Plans strategies, actions and performance measures CONNECTIONS will build on previous efforts with measurable, achievable and ambitious projects, policies, and programs that will create and reinforce connections to promote the area’s economic competitiveness and well-being of its residents. REGIONAL ACCESS

The planning process included three where participants were able to identify their committee meetings, two public meetings,and preferred type of “neighborhood connections” TRANSPORTATION six civic club meetings. A total of 120 by a low, mid, and high ranking of precedent comments were collected through the Online images as seen here and could select from the CHOICES Public Comment Tool. Recommendations in following list: this study were driven by the goals which were • High quality sidewalks, crosswalks, and established by community leaders during the bikeways SAFETY steering committee and refined through public workshops and community surveys. • Closer destinations, infill, and mixed use development • Street connectivity What We Heard HEALTH • Microtransit (flexible service / on demand) Workshop participants were able to provide direction to goals and refine recommendations • Bikeshare through iterative feedback throughout the • Scooters life of the project. For instance, participants PARTNERSHIPS The results from this exercise favored the at the first public workshop ranked the seven provision better walkability and microtransit overarching goals put forth by the steering solutions, in addition to more mix of land uses committee and afforded an opportunity to and higher density development patterns. suggest new goals, where higher priority was RESILIENCE emphasized on neighborhood connections, safety, public health, and resilience objectives. Consequently, the project team and steering committee put forth a neighborhood Community Goals connections station for the second workshop

viii SOUTHEAST HOUSTON MOBILITY PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS

The system improvement recommendations Right-size streets and right-of-way Align sidewalk and bikeway investments were developed through the guidance of the designations with METRO’s planned high-capacity transit steering committee and refined by public Many of the streets in the study area are investments input at workshops, the project survey, and designed to handle much heavier traffic and Future plans call for an expansion of high- an interactive mapping function. Project are overbuilt, in many cases. This provides an capacity transit in the study area. This recommendations made in this plan fall within opportunity to transform the area by right- plan identifies where sidewalk and bikeway one of the following six categories: sizing streets and reallocating right-of-way, investments can be programmed in the where possible, to enhance the public realm near and mid-term future to complement Build out of major corridors to enhance and activate streetscapes with wider sidewalks the expansion of transit. Though the exact connectivity and spur development and bikeways. Off-street parking could also be alignments and stations are unknown at this Areas in the southwest portion of the study considered near commercial uses. point, there is enough information available area would benefit greatly from the build-out of from METRO’s long-range transit plan to planned street connections to SH 288 and to Increase high-comfort bicycle connections know the general vicinity of where new transit Beltway 8. This would enhance regional access between Sims Bayou Greenway and the infrastructure will be introduced. for undeveloped parcels and would attract surrounding neighborhoods more commercial and light industrial uses to Sims Bayou is one of the most consequential Prioritize improvements related to the the area. In addition, extending corridors would segments in the 150 miles of linear parks and community’s goals and objectives allow for the expansion of local bus routes trail system the Houston Parks Board has Prioritization in this plan is anchored by the to the new Veterans Administration Hospital developed to date. Expanding access to this vision and goals defined by the community currently in development. amenity to the surrounding neighborhoods in this planning process. For instance, stands to make a significant improvement neighborhood connections, public health, and Facilitate more context-sensitive street for households facing higher socioeconomic safety are woven into the recommendations design for each major corridor in the study vulnerabilities and would facilitate more active in this study but also shape the project list area transportation and recreation in an area of the determined in this plan. The study area’s major corridors are city facing a legacy of health disparities and the connective tissue for the various higher rates of chronic illness. neighborhoods and destinations that make up the study area. Each corridor has an opportunity to enhance connectivity in its own way, based on its available right-of-way, planned and future multimodal projects, and land use patterns. This study identifies the purpose each major corridor serves and how they can be leveraged to further bolster neighborhood connectivity.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ix