Houston CM Gonzalez calls for Complete Streets

Dallas, San Antonio on the way

Jay Blazek Crossley, Oct 25, 11.

Council member Ed Gonzalez has issued a call for the City of Houston to adopt a Complete Streets policy in coordination with the launching of the ReBuild Houston initiative, according to his campaign website:

Remember the ‘do over’? When you were granted an opportunity during a childhood game to start anew? Well, our city has an exciting opportunity for a ‘do over’ as ReBuild Houston moves forward. I call our city’s ‘do over’ Complete Our Streets.

The idea: when our city embarks on infrastructure improvement projects, it identifies ways to make other improvements, like quality of life enhancements, at the same time.

These ‘complete street’ improvements can include:

wider sidewalks,
bike lanes that help connect our growing hike/bike trail network, and
streets that are considerate of our disabled community.

We can both encourage more walkability and healthier communities, and reconstruct our streets to help address our flooding issues. We not only rebuild, but also ‘complete’ our streets where appropriate.

Whenever I discuss Complete Our Streets with folks, I get motivated to act. Fresh ideas will help Houston evolve and become a strong world class city. In order for me to keep working to complete our streets, I need your help.

The Houston Coalition for Complete Streets formed earlier in the year as a coalition of nonprofit community groups including AARP - Houston, APAC, Avenue CDC, Better Houston, Bike Houston, Care for Elders, Catholic Charities, Citizens’ Transportation Coalition, Go Neighborhoods, HIVE Houston, Houston Tomorrow, JCC Houston, LISC - Greater Houston, and Neighborhood Centers.

Elsewhere in Texas, Dallas Complete Streets is a partnership of the City and private nonprofits and local firms. The Dallas City Council recently reviewed a plan to plan for Complete Streets, according to the Dallas Morning News:

At long last, the City Council was briefed this morning on a plan to plan to create streets in Dallas that work better for walkers, runners, bikers and strollers.

As anyone who has spent a moment in Dallas knows, the streets here are almost entirely built to accommodate the automobile to the exclusion of other forms of transportation.

Where sidewalks exist, they are usually narrow and often in bad shape. Bike lanes are few and far between. Crosswalks are often not well-designed and poorly marked. Building codes support big box retail and acres of parking. Awnings, cafe seating and other pedestrian amenities are discouraged.

You get the idea. The complete streets idea is about changing that.

This morning, the council talked about a plan to spend about $800,000 in grant money to plan for redesigning streets to address the situation.

In San Antonio, City Council has already adopted a Resolution on Complete Streets (pdf), launching a Complete Streets Initiative:

The Complete Streets Initiative seeks to create “Complete Streets” throughout the San Antonio metropolitan area. Complete Streets are roadways that take into account all users, including people driving cars, using transit, riding bikes, walking and using wheelchairs. The purpose of Complete Streets is to enhance choice of mobility; facilitate physical activity for daily needs and recreation; and improve the quality of life, health and safety for all members of the community.

The plan was adopted along with an update to the City’s bicycle master plan, according to mySA.