West Houston Association e INFO@westhouston.org V 713.461.9378 F 713.461.3065
Support for Westchase District's New Hike/Bike Trail
The West Houston Association expressed its support for the Westchase District's Library Loop Trail grant request from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
The trail will link the Terry Hershey trail on Buffalo Bayou at Beltway 8 and Art Storey Park on Brays Bayou. It will provide business and residents with an excellent quality of life addition. (Read Letter here)
WHA Supports Legislation
The Association has expressed its support for legislation in the Texas House and Senate (HB 2433, HB 2434, SB 1282, SB 1283)modifications that will allow more flexibility to the Gulf Coast Freight Rail District to implement commuter rail. A primary project would be commuter rail in the US 290 corridor.
Grand Parkway Segment E Teed Up by Harris County Commissioners Court for Design & Early Construction.
Commissioner Radack and Judge Emmett Show Leadership--Commissioners Approve Agreement with TxDOT
Harris County has authorized commencement of work on Segment E from US 290 to I-10. The Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club has filed to stop the project on the grounds of "arbitrary and capricious actions by a group of government agencies". Read the filing at this link as well as the WHA response. The West Houston Association, a longtime supporter of the development of the Grand Parkway Segment E, is gratified to see that once again Harris County Commissioner Steve Radack and Judge Ed Emmett have broken the log jam on Segment E and championed its design and construction as a Harris County initiative to add greater mobility for citizens in northwest and western Harris County.
The Commissioners approved on February 24, 2009 an advance funding agreement with TxDOT that would hold Harris County whole an buy them out if another entity is chosen to undertake the entire 185 mile Grand Parkway loop around Houston.
On February 26, 2009 the Texas Transportation Commission approved the agreement as well. In addition, it has been announced that Segment E would receive $196 million through TxDOT as part of the recently passed Stimulus package. These funds would be blended with toll revenue funds to build this project for Greater West Houston.
Harris County will vote to initiate design activities at their March 10, 2009 meeting. Construction could start this year or early 2010.
After years of environmental and design studies, this initiative of Harris County will kick start the Grand Parkway between Interstate 10 and US 290, a distance of approximately 15 miles.
Segment E will provide motorists traveling to and from major employment centers on Interstate 10 a greatly improved alternative to existing congested major thoroughfares and the highly congested US 290.
In addition, the Grand Parkway will be an urban planning instrument for Greater West Houston, providing quality access to major new residential and commercial developments designed to accommodate the significant growth expected in this area between now and 2035 and beyond.
Forecasts by the West Houston Association indicate that by 2050, Greater West Houston will experience a population growth of 1 million and an employment growth of 500,000.
Much of this new growth will center in the area around the new segment of the Grand Parkway, making the current initiative even more important to assure future sustainable quality development in Greater West Houston.
Current and future mobility solutions are critical for access to I-10's Energy Corridor with a current employment base of 73,000 expected to grow to 90,000 by 2025.
Alternatives such as State Highway 6 are currently congested and have no capacity improvements scheduled.
e INFO@westhouston.org V 713.461.9378 F 713.461.3065
820 Gessner Suite 1310, Houston, Texas 77024
