@TxDPS
@KHOU
Here's what we know based on reports from
@KHOU
and
@KPRC2
:
🚲 A child on a bike attempted to cross a residential street at an intersection.
🚙 Someone driving a two-ton SUV failed to yield, killing the child.
☀️ It happened in broad daylight.
👮
@TxDPS
blamed the child.
"Officials said."
Your job,
@KHOU
, isn't to parrot what officials said. Your job is to ask questions.
Was the driver speeding? Distracted?
Does the SUV have a large forward blind zone?
What's traffic like in this area?
Is this a place where children often ride bikes?
Texas DPS officials said the 8-year-old boy was riding his bike in an area that isn't safe for pedestrians or people riding bikes. The driver stayed at the crash site to assist with the investigation, officials said.
SO THE WAUGH DRIVE BIKE LANES END AT DALLAS STREET BECAUSE THEY WERE PAID FOR BY THE MONTROSE TIRZ WHOSE BOUNDARIES END AT DALLAS STREET AND EVEN THOUGH EVERYONE KNOWS THE BIKE LANES SHOULD BE EXTENDED ALL THE WAY UP TO BUFFALO BAYOU NOBODY SEEMS TO AGREE ON WHO SHOULD PAY FOR IT
Studies from cities around the globe show that people who bike visit bars and restaurants more frequently (and spend more money at them) but sure, go ahead and antagonize us,
@TruckYard
. There are plenty of bike-friendly businesses in EaDo.
Spotted on Brays Bayou today.
How is this still happening? The City convened a group including
@hcfcd
,
@houparksboard
and others to identify better, safer ways to close trails in the wake of Matthew Ledvina's death, caused by similar netting.
This must be removed immediately.
A clear majority of Houstonians support investing in transit over highways.
A clear majority of Houstonians would prefer walkable, mixed-use developments over single-family homes.
11th Street redesign is winning people over:
“I initially hated it…But having to ride home at night late, I love it now. I feel safe.”
“Now that they’ve actually done the work I’m a lot happier with it. I feel like it’s a lot safer. I’m a driver, and I feel safer driving now.”
“Even if you don’t like to ride bikes or walk, as mayor you have to realize that every other city seems to care about this stuff… You don’t have to like that stuff yourself, but if you want your city to compete globally, you have to accept it.”
Council Member Michael Kubosh wants you to send him photos of people using Houston's bike lanes. 📸
“I’d like the citizens to start sending me pictures of people riding the bikes in these bike lanes. Because all I get is pictures of people riding the bikes in the main lanes...
"The genie's out of the bottle. Houstonians have seen the beginning of what the Bayou City's multimodal future could look like, and we're not going backwards."
Look how much has changed in just the last few weeks:
🚲 M-K-T Bridge reopened
🚲 Buffalo Bayou trail extended to Austin Street
🚲 White Oak-Memorial Park connector Phase 1 done
🚲 11th Street redesign proceeding to construction
🚲 and we're finally getting a bike lane sweeper!
Mayor Whitmire intends to tear out the recently-installed safety improvements on Houston Avenue.
(Yes, the same Mayor Whitmire who says his top priority is public safety.)
Join
@MarioforHouston
Sunday at 4PM to remind
@houmayor
that traffic safety is public safety.
"Great cities solve their problems," Mayor Whitmire said when he took office.
Pedestrians make up 1/3 of all traffic deaths in Houston, a city where it's often said that nobody walks.
That sounds like a problem that needs to be solved, not exacerbated.
New:
@HouPublicWorks
makes it official.
The Houston Avenue pedestrian safety improvements, installed in December, will be removed starting this month.
Background:
Austin City Council just eliminated parking minimums! We are the most populous city in the country to take this important step towards reforming our car-centric status quo.
This is a huge win. Builders are no longer beholden to arbitrary rules that enforce vehicle dependence!
INBOX:
@HoustonTX
was awarded a $552,160 planning grant from
@USDOT
for "Reconnecting Communities: Gulfton and Beyond," which will bring pedestrian, bike and transit infrastructure to Houston's most diverse and densely-populated neighborhood.
Bike racks here! Get your bike racks!
@BikeHouston
received a grant from
@GreenMtnEnergy
to help expand bike parking where it's needed most.
Got an idea for a local destination that could use a bike rack? Let us know!
It’s hard to understand the challenges pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders deal with if you don’t get out from behind the windshield once in a while — like Council Member
@salliealcorn
does on
#NoCarFriday
.
Update:
@KHOU
is no longer reporting that
@TxDPS
said "the 8-year-old boy was riding his bike in an area that isn't safe for pedestrians or people riding bikes."
"11th Street is not safe... and it definitely does not match the Heights' character. To that end I am announcing the 11th Street safety improvement project will move forward to construction," says Mayor
@SylvesterTurner
in a video released today.
The short Holman Street bike lane, which leads to the passage (colloquially known as "the hole in the wall") that connects the Montrose and Midtown street grids, is an important link in Houston's bike network.
If it's going to be shut down, there has to be a proper detour.
Great news: The long-shuttered MKT Bridge will open *this Saturday* — months ahead of schedule.
Tour de Houston riders will be among the first to ride over it, as the route has been adjusted to include the bridge.
Yes, you read that right. An elected official in Houston, Texas thinks we put too much "emphasis on cyclists to the detriment of those riding in vehicles."
What's the
#1
complaint we hear from people who bike in Houston?
The bikeways are full of debris!
That's why we're hitting the streets this weekend to clean 'em up!
Join us!
🧹 Sat. 12/16, 9 AM - Heights Blvd & Center St
🧹 Sun. 12/17, 9 AM - Cullen Blvd & Gulf Fwy (@ 7-11)
These things are more connected than you might think,
@AlexMealerTX
. Try crossing 11th west of Shepherd, where there are four general purpose lanes and no bike lanes. Then try crossing 11th east of Shepherd, where there are two general purpose lanes and bike lanes.
@bradsnead
@heightslife
@BikeHouston
@emmanume
Safe pedestrian crossings are not synonymous with dedicated bike lanes on major roadway arteries.
For example, increasing pedestrian safety at Nicholson and 11th (to support the MKT trail) is something I support (I frequently see pedestrians trying to cross 11th at that
The Buffalo Bayou Greenway, Austin Street bikeway, White Oak Bayou Greenway, and Harrisburg Hike & Bike Trail all end on Commerce Street.
Let's connect them.
It seems like
@PollardforHTX
is beyond his depth here. If you live in Council Member Pollard's district, give him a call and let him know why bike lanes are an important part of Houston's transportation infrastructure.
Speaking at the quarterly Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting,
@NealEhardt
of
@StopTxDOTi45
says "You have our support to take space away from cars so you can build bike lanes."
@KHOU
Why does
@TxDPS
say it's not safe for walking and biking?
Is this a trend? How many crashes have occurred in this intersection in the last few years?
What do the locals say? Is reckless driving a big concern in the neighborhood?
Mayor
@SylvesterTurner
tells Axios that he hopes the next administration will continue to build out the bike network.
"Quite frankly, the genie is already out of the bottle. The people are going to demand it, as they should."
There’s no crosswalk or curb ramp at Brays Bayou and the H-E-B on N MacGregor. But if you look close, you can see a bit of a goat path being worn in the grass toward the little gap in the curb.
The Kinder Houston Area Survey tracks what Houstonians want, and in every survey since 2007, 50% of us said we want “complete streets, reconfigured to accommodate not only motorized vehicles, but also bikers and pedestrians.”
Houston is deemphasizing its commitment to Vision Zero under new Mayor John Whitmire, which could reverse the modest progress the city has made in traffic safety and hinder its ability to receive federal grant funding for transportation projects.
Encouraging to hear
@houparksboard
say at the Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting that they're working to piece together property along Buffalo Bayou to connect Memorial Park and Buffalo Bayou Park.