Pearland Mobility Forum Meeting

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Public invited to share mobility ideas

By ROBERT STANTON

Houston Chronicle

Brazoria County residents will get a chance to share concerns about mobility and transportation issues at a special meeting Monday in Pearland.

The regional meeting is being organized by the Houston-Galveston Area Council and will take place at 6 p.m. at Westside Events Center, 2150 Country Place Parkway. It's one of several being held in the Greater Houston area.

"We'd like to do a dialogue and ask them about their concerns," said Stephanie Lee, public involvement coordinator at H-GAC. "It's looking at planning for the future and dealing with congestion now."

Updates to be given

H-GAC officials will update the public on transportation projects that are under way or are planned. They also plan to discuss subregional planning, or partnerships between local governments.

One topic to be discussed will be commuter rail, said Pat Waskowiak, program manager for planning and programming at H-GAC.

A study found that a line would be feasible along Texas 35, benefiting Brazoria County residents. Such a route likely would tie into Houston's Hillcroft Transit Center and connect there to other light rail destinations, Waskowiak said.

"If there appears to be public support, the next step would be to do specific studies on the specific corridors, looking at the details of where they would be located, the number of riders and other details," she said.

A Park & Ride facility in Pearland is also another top priority. The city of Pearland is pursuing a six-month pilot program with H-GAC that would provide 75 percent of the estimated $500,000 cost to run a transit facility for six months.

Pearland officials are talking to the Metropolitan Transit Authority about providing buses for the pilot program.

"Transit in general is an issue that we have been working with the city of Pearland for a while now," Waskowiak said. "The city is in conversation with Metro about some type of transit service. They are close to having some type of proposal of where it would be and how it would be operated."

Park & Ride funds sought

U.S. Rep. Nick Lampson, D-Stafford, a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, has requested $1.5 million for a Pearland Park & Ride facility as part of the House transportation budget.

If Lampson's efforts are successful, the funds would likely go toward building a permanent Park & Ride facility in the Texas 288 area.

The more people who attend the public meeting to share their views, the better the chances of seeing improvements in the area's transportation picture, Pearland City Councilman Kevin Cole said.

"Since a lot of money comes from the federal government, they really need public input to drive public policy," Cole said. "The more people that can get out and express their thoughts and opinions on transportation items, the better it will be. If they don't show up, H-GAC will focus dollars on folks (in other communities) who get out."

robert.stanton@chron.com