WEST HOUSTON ASSOCIATION
820 Gessner Suite 190
Houston, Texas 77024
v 713.461.9378
f 713.461.3065
West Houston Association Issues
Transportation
Additional Issues:
Choose a specific transportation topic from the list at left of this page.
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Aviation/Westside Airport The West Houston Region plays host to several airports, the newest being the Houston Executive Airport just west of the City of Katy and north of Interstate 10. Click for more details on this privately funded project.
State Transportation System Requires Additional Resources to Reduce Urban Roadway Congestion Michael Stevens, chairman of the Governor's Business Council's Transportation Committee, has presented to the WHA Transportation Committee a description of the needs of the state transportation system and the funding required to maintain the system and grow it to reduce roadway congestion in Texas' urban centers. WHA has two reports: ISSUES UPDATE: CAN TEXAS URBAN TRANSPORTATION NEEDS BE MET (click to follow link) and the Governor's Business Council Transportation presentation (click on the following link to view the PowerPoint presentation) Business Council Presentation to West Houston Association
The Houston District of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is considering improvements in the US 290 corridor from IH 610 to FM 2920, a distance of approximately 38 miles (including the Hempstead Highway corridor and the connections to the IH 610 West Loop). The project will include expanded general-purpose lanes, a toll facility in the Hempstead right of way, and a reserve for advanced high-capacity transit (light rail/bus rapid transit).
Almost 1/2 of the total project is completed after only 3 years of construction. The full project will be completed December 2008. Click here for the current letting and completion schedule. Harris County and TxDOT have completed an historic agreement for the joint development of the project. As the region’s most significant project, has been accelerated with an early start and shortened construction schedule (see Katy Freeway)
Agencies are coordinating the development of arterials and traffic management systems in the Katy Corridor in advance of construction to help move traffic.
Sam Houston Parkway--Beltway 8 West The Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA), operator of Beltway 8, is engaged in construction of one additional lane in each direction from the Southwest Freeway (US 59 South) to Interstate 45 North. In addition, HCTRA is improving traffic flow for EZ Tags at each of the three toll booths along this section.
The Texas Transportation Commission has maintained an effort to modified "roadway access" rules. WHA has consistently expressed our concerns about adoption of such rules. The latest comments by WHA can be seen at this link. The current draft proposal by TxDOT is available at their website (Click here for a link) The belief is that TxDOT will delay considering rules for roadway access until a companion design manual is completed. The Association has reviewed the proposals and submitted comments to the Transportation Commission and area legislators asking that those proposals be modified to reflect the realities of developing in a large metropolitan area such as Houston and Dallas. Read the comments here.
Transit Plan 2025 Metro has released for comment its Transit 2025 Plan (click link for map) that will assess corridors throughout their service area for the need for high capacity transit (HCT). Metro and TxDOT have agreed upon an operating agreement allowing Metro significant access to the expanded managed-use lanes in the center of Interstate 10.
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