TxDOT approves $345 million for pedestrian, bicycle infrastructure
HOUSTON - The Texas Department of Transportation has earmarked hundreds of millions of dollars, in federal funds, to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety, in the state. The $345 million comes from the federal infrastructure bill for projects to help people safely get to school, jobs, public transit, and other destinations.
The Houston area will get more than any other part of the state. There are a dozen spots, between The Woodlands and Angleton, worth almost $53 million. Cycling advocates say it's a welcome change from building more highways. "Cars and trucks aren't the only way to get around Houston," says BikeHouston executive director Joe Cutrufo, "People need alternatives, such as walking and biking, and this is the kind of infrastructure that makes that possible and safe."
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Rebuilding, and reimagining, a path along the West Loop, to connect Memorial Park to Post Oak Boulevard would divert pedestrians and cyclists away from busy traffic. It's the most expensive of the local allotment, at $18.4 million. It will include a path that goes under the freeway, along buffalo bayou, to connect east and west, and a dedicated bridge over the bayou.
There's an urgency to getting the work done. TXDOT says, in 2022, 830 pedestrians and 94 cyclists were killed, across the state. It represents a jump of nearly 30% in the last five years. In a press release, TXDOT commissioner Alvin New says, "These projects will help the state move closer toward the goal of zero deaths by giving people a place to walk and bike separate from traffic."
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Advocates say the need is immediate. "We've invested so much in an unbalanced transportation system, that moves cars and trucks only," says Cutrufo, "We need these investments to move people on bike and on foot, as well."
Local entities that pursued the 83 projects across the state must match the awards with a 20% buy-in, to proceed. Now that they've got the money, the next phase of starting the work will commence.
See the list of projects here.