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 d Study Area erw Dr 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 averag av averag av 23 national poverty line 14 - 17 years: 5 b ehicle b ansit 37years od 18 - 24 years: 12% averae ae homes are 1 IN 8 vacant Over 65 years: 10% c walkscore 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.