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Earlier this year, members of the West Houston Association’s Regional Mobility Committee sat down to discuss a stretch of roadway that has long been on the minds of many Houstonians: Hillcroft Avenue between Westheimer Road and IH 69. Anyone who has driven this corridor in the last ten years understands the need – it is pitted, uneven, and a challenge to navigate for cars, trucks, buses, and pedestrians. The committee agreed that Hillcroft had reached a point where improvements were not just desirable but necessary.
That conversation was more than just an acknowledgment of the need; it was the beginning of action. Committee members engaged with Houston City Council Member Sallie Alcorn’s office to explore what could be done.
Today, the City of Houston is partnering with METRO to address a significant portion of the corridor, kicking off asphalt overlay and stretching from Westheimer to Westpark. This is being done in synergy with the St. George Place Redevelopment Authority (TIRZ 1), which will be installing a hybrid-pedestrian beacon (a protected crossing for school children) at Wisdom High School. Further, the Southwest Houston Redevelopment Authority (TIRZ 20) is partnering with the City to reconstruct the stretch from Westpark Drive to IH-69, resulting in the rehabilitation of the entire stretch from Westheimer to IH-69.
Hillcroft is more than just a neighborhood street. It is a north–south connector linking major east–west thoroughfares such as Westheimer, Richmond, and Westpark. It carries not only local traffic but also transit riders and commercial deliveries. The street is flanked by schools, businesses, shopping centers, multifamily housing, and offices. It also lies within an area of Houston that has seen significant redevelopment pressure, which means that long–term demand on the corridor is only expected to increase.
When streets like Hillcroft fall into poor condition, the effects ripple outward. Drivers face higher maintenance costs for their vehicles. Transit buses are slowed, which affects schedules and reliability. Pedestrians find the corridor unsafe, which discourages multimodal use. The quality of a road is not just about asphalt, it is about safety, economic vitality, and quality of life.
That is why the WHA Regional Mobility Committee placed Hillcroft on its radar. As our members discussed earlier this year, prioritizing corridors like Hillcroft ensures that our region’s infrastructure continues to support the coming growth and that investments in transportation are made in established areas in West Houston, which require work to maintain a state of good repair.
The partnered TIRZ investments demonstrate that Hillcroft is already part of a broader vision for mobility and community development. While the City and METRO are focusing their attention on the stretch between Westpark and Westheimer, TIRZ 20 is reshaping the corridor further south. Taken together, these efforts show multiple agencies working in parallel to transform Hillcroft into a street that better serves residents, businesses, and commuters. This layered approach illustrates the strength of Houston’s public partnership model, where TIRZs, the City, and METRO each bring resources and action that complement one another and achieve more collectively than any single entity could accomplish alone.
The progress now being made along Hillcroft is a direct result of collaboration between the City of Houston and METRO. Both entities bring unique strengths to the table. The City is responsible for streets and right–of–way management, while METRO focuses on transit service and accessibility. For a corridor like Hillcroft, where both vehicle traffic and transit service are essential, a joint approach makes sense.
Council Member Sallie Alcorn, who has long been an advocate for infrastructure investment across the city, underscores this point. “When we work together across agencies, we can achieve far more than if we each act alone. Hillcroft is a corridor that touches residents, businesses, and transit riders every single day. By partnering with METRO, the City of Houston is improving safety, access, and mobility for thousands of Houstonians.”
For METRO, improving Hillcroft is also about reliability and access. The agency’s bus routes serve the corridor, and smoother, safer streets directly translate into better transit service. Tom Jasien, Interim President & CEO of METRO, explained the importance of this partnership by noting, “Our riders deserve dependable service, and that means we must look beyond the bus itself and consider the streets our buses travel on. Working alongside the City of Houston, we can make sure corridors like Hillcroft are functional for all users. This project demonstrates the power of partnerships in enhancing mobility across the region.”
Together, these efforts exemplify how local government and transit agencies can align goals to achieve meaningful improvements in Houston’s mobility network. Hillcroft is just one corridor, but the lessons from this project apply broadly across West Houston and the greater region. The area continues to experience rapid growth, placing pressure on existing infrastructure. Roads, transit systems, drainage, and utilities must keep pace if West Houston is to remain a competitive and desirable place to live and work.
The Hillcroft project highlights several important lessons. Collaboration multiplies impact. When the City of Houston and METRO align priorities, the result is greater than the sum of its parts, and this principle extends to work with flood control districts, utility providers, and regional planning organizations. Incremental progress is still progress. These efforts lay a foundation for future improvements throughout the region. Large projects often advance in phases, and early wins build momentum for what comes next. Above all, infrastructure underpins quality of life. Smooth, safe streets are not simply conveniences, they are essential for economic development, environmental sustainability, and community well–being.
The Hillcroft improvements are a step forward, but they are also a reminder of the ongoing work needed to sustain Houston’s infrastructure. WHA will continue fostering partnerships between the public and private sectors, encouraging the collaboration that drives mobility solutions across the region. From major highway projects to local street upgrades, the success of our region depends on collective effort.
Hillcroft’s transformation is not just about repaving a street, it is about demonstrating what happens when stakeholders come together and act collectively. The City of Houston, St. George Place Redevelopment Authority, Southwest Houston Redevelopment Authority, and METRO have shown how cross–agency collaboration can unlock progress. The private sector has demonstrated the value of advocacy. And the West Houston Association, through its Regional Mobility Committee, has shown how regional voices can help move local projects forward.
As the Greater West Houston region continues to grow, there will be no shortage of mobility challenges to address. But if the Hillcroft project is any indication, there is also no shortage of opportunity to create solutions by working together.
This piece was written by WHA Regional Mobility Committee Chair Jim Webb, CEO of The Goodman Corporation