Montrose Boulevard Improvements

[004n063]

7 hours ago, dbigtex56 said:

I saw a bit of the presentation explaining the updates, and have the impression that bike lanes will be provided on streets that run parallel to Montrose (such as Stanford).

I would be surprised to see lanes on Stanford or other parallel side streets, but they're solid neighborhood bikeways as is. I'm more responding to the comment suggesting this would help connect Montrose to the Heights. That will require something big to get from Allen to north of I-10.

[Houston19514]

1 hour ago, 004n063 said:

I would be surprised to see lanes on Stanford or other parallel side streets, but they're solid neighborhood bikeways as is. I'm more responding to the comment suggesting this would help connect Montrose to the Heights. That will require something big to get from Allen to north of I-10.

aren't bike lanes being added to Shepherd/Durham?

[004n063]

1 hour ago, Houston19514 said:

aren't bike lanes being added to Shepherd/Durham?

Maybe at some points, but it hasn't looked like it so far. There is a good bike/ped bridge across the bayou there, but that only takes you to the southeast corner of Shepherd and Memorial, and that northbound merge lane there (and the intersection in general) would need significant protection to be comfortable.

Truthfully, though, the bayou itself isn't really the problem - it really just needs one more bridge at or just east of Waugh (and one at Allen's landing, fer chrissakes). The issue is that there are few safe pedestrian (and no pleasant) ped/bike bridges over Memorial, lots of gated superblocks in between Memorial and Washington, no bike-friendly intersections for crossing Washington (I think this is changing at Waugh, though? They're doing something there, anyway...), and basically only MKT for crossing I-10 and White Oak bayou. 

These are solvable problems, but those solutions will be expensive, either in money for new bridges, or in car space for protected bike lanes on existing bridges.

Should it be the top priority for the city? Maybe not. These are wealthy areas with high car-ownership rates and generally a lot of good intra-neighborhood walkability and bikeability, and there are definitely parts of the city (lookin at you, Hillcroft), where the need for safe bike infrastructure is far more desperate. 

But the area between the Buffalo and White Oak bayous is one of the main missing links in an otherwise contiguous inner ring of (almost shockingly, given the city's reputation) bikeable neighborhoods. Call me an optimist, but I really do believe that stitching Montrose and the Heights together (and thereby improving the bikeability of the neighborhoods between them) could have a transformative impact on October-April modeshare within a 2-3 mile radius of Downtown.

(I realize that that may sound like a lot of qualifiers, but progress is progress.)

Edited December 21, 2022 by 004n063

[Ross]

4 hours ago, Houston19514 said:

aren't bike lanes being added to Shepherd/Durham?

Bike lanes are in the plan for Durham and Shepherd North of 11th for sure. As are wider sidewalks. That has no effect on Montrose, though. 

[Houston19514]

FWIW, there is currently a very pleasant and safe pedestrian/bike bridge over Memorial just east of Montrose, with dedicated off-road bike lanes from Memorial to Memorial Court. The city's bike plan calls for dedicated on-street bike lanes on Montrose/Studemont from Memorial to White Oak.

[dbigtex56]

6 hours ago, Houston19514 said:

The city's bike plan calls for dedicated on-street bike lanes on Montrose/Studemont from Memorial to White Oak.

The Studemont bridge over White Oak bayou is such a source of frustration. What WERE they thinking? If they had made it a bit wider, it could have had sidewalks and bike paths. I guess those were not priorities when it was built. 
It's a real bottleneck. I wonder if it's feasible to retrofit another 15' or so to its width.

[004n063]

6 hours ago, Houston19514 said:

The city's bike plan calls for dedicated on-street bike lanes on Montrose/Studemont from Memorial to White Oak.

That will be a big difference maker.

[004n063]

On 12/21/2022 at 12:54 PM, Ross said:

Bike lanes are in the plan for Durham and Shepherd North of 11th for sure. As are wider sidewalks. That has no effect on Montrose, though. 

Recently saw the plan in the Memorial Heights TIRZ and you are correct. 6th to 610 will have separated bike paths. I was thrown because the parts of Shepherd and Durham that are currently under construction (59 to Westheimer and Dickson to I-10) will have much nicer sidewalks, but no dedicated bike facilities. That is an important (and fillable) gap, but the 6th-610 segment is huge. 

Edited January 8, 2023 by 004n063

[Texasota]

Dickson to Washington *is* getting bike lanes. Washington to I-10 is planned but (as I understand it) not finalized. 

[004n063]

5 hours ago, Texasota said:

Dickson to Washington *is* getting bike lanes. Washington to I-10 is planned but (as I understand it) not finalized. 

Well, I'd sure love to be wrong about this! Do you know what kind of lane? Based on what I've seen crossing at Blossom over the last few months, it looks like it would have to be on-street, because the sidewalk grade is not especially wide. The mockups for 6th to 610, on the other hand, show something that looks a lot more like a true fietspad (sidewalk level, but separated from pedestrian traffic as well - basically one-way versions of the Bagby cycle track).

Personally, I'm fine with on-street, as long as there is reasonable width and some kind of physical barrier. But a fietspad from Buffalo Bayou to 610 would sure be swell.

(Also, apologies to everyone who clicked this expecting updates on Montrose Blvd...)

 

 

[Texasota]

It's on street - originally planned as buffered but there will now be some physical separation. 4ff60f5de8b71a138a5fe4ee132e3657_Renderings.pdf (amazonaws.com)

[hindesky]

Attended the in person meeting about the Montrose Blvd improvements. It was a packed house took some pics of some of the boards but it quickly got crowded and didn't get all of them. They are available online at the Montrose TIRZ 27 website.

https://montrosehtx.org

 

District C council woman Abbie Kamin and the head of Montrose TIRZ 27.

 

[Ross]

40 minutes ago, hindesky said:

Attended the in person meeting about the Montrose Blvd improvements. It was a packed house took some pics of some of the boards but it quickly got crowded and didn't get all of them. They are available online at the Montrose TIRZ 27 website.

https://montrosehtx.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

District C council woman Abbie Kamin and the head of Montrose TIRZ 27.

 

 

The Bald Cypress doesn't look very bald.

According to denizens of Greater Heights Nextdoor that are opposed to the 11th Street Road Diet, that would be "The Evil Abby Kamin"

[j_cuevas713]

Did they talk about the construction timeline for the section from W Clay to 59? Seeing those renderings is making me anxious for the changes. I assume if they start on the second section in late 2024/ early 2025, we can expect completion by the World Cup.

Edited January 31, 2023 by j_cuevas713

[hindesky]

1 hour ago, j_cuevas713 said:

Did they talk about the construction timeline for the section from W Clay to 59? Seeing those renderings is making me anxious for the changes. I assume if they start on the second section in late 2024/ early 2025, we can expect completion by the World Cup.

No, they don't have the funding for it yet but they are actively pursuing grants for it according to one of the printed handouts given at the meeting.

[j_cuevas713]

16 hours ago, hindesky said:

No, they don't have the funding for it yet but they are actively pursuing grants for it according to one of the printed handouts given at the meeting.

😔 I just hope this doesn't turn in to another Westheimer situation. The proposed improvements would be incredible to see. I already can't get over the nice wide sidewalks here off Shepherd near my apartment. 

Edited February 1, 2023 by j_cuevas713

[hbg.50]

Montrose Boulevard project delayed after Whitmire pushes for revisions to key components of plan

Permitting for an overhaul of Montrose Boulevard, a project that has drawn ire from residents pushing to protect the roadway's oak trees, has been delayed at City Hall after Mayor John Whitmire’s staff asked project organizers to consider revising key details of the plan. 

Project funding for the Montrose redesign is set to come from the neighborhood Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, which receives property taxes directly for redevelopment, rather than using city funds. However, the TIRZ cannot move forward on roadwork without city permits. 
 

Whitmire has publicly questioned some of its key components, such as the planned tree removal and sidewalk expansion. 

His new senior adviser for planning Marlene Gafrick said she met with the TIRZ a week ago.

“I anticipate the project moving forward with some level of modifications,” Gafrick said, adding that her conversation with TIRZ leaders involved further potential changes to the plan including maintaining lane widths, sidewalk widths and preserving trees, and that they “briefly touched on milling and overlay versus a complete reconstruction.”

[Amlaham]

The sidewalks are legit soo narrow, you have to walk in a single file instead of side by side if you're walking with someone...... I cannot stand this roach mayor. Are we not paying thousands of dollars in taxes for these services? Our infrastructure is legit crumbling.... we can't seem to fix the traffic problem because we're told we just need more roads, the actual roads are pothole infested and falling apart, the side walks are abysmal, we have 3 nice parks in the entire city. Now the mayor wants to budget cut on an extra foot or 2 on wider side walks???? 

Edited April 17 by Amlaham

[__nevii]

27 minutes ago, Amlaham said:

The sidewalks are legit soo narrow, you have to walk in a single file instead of side by side if you're walking with someone...... I cannot stand this roach mayor. Are we not paying thousands of dollars in taxes for these services? Our infrastructure is legit crumbling.... we can't seem to fix the traffic problem because we're told we just need more roads, the actual roads are pothole infested and falling apart, the side walks are abysmal, we have 3 nice parks in the entire city. Now the mayor wants to budget cut on an extra foot or 2 on wider side walks???? 

The thing has TIRZ funding, sidewalks widened, drainage being improved... numerous wins. Even regarding "anti-car activism", no lanes are being removed.

What is wrong with this mayor?

[editor]

1 hour ago, Amlaham said:

The sidewalks are legit soo narrow, you have to walk in a single file instead of side by side if you're walking with someone...... I cannot stand this roach mayor. Are we not paying thousands of dollars in taxes for these services? Our infrastructure is legit crumbling.... we can't seem to fix the traffic problem because we're told we just need more roads, the actual roads are pothole infested and falling apart, the side walks are abysmal, we have 3 nice parks in the entire city. Now the mayor wants to budget cut on an extra foot or 2 on wider side walks???? 

The mayor's been legit in office for a legit few months.  I legit don't believe he's had enough time to legit replace all the roach sidewalks. 

How about we legit stick to the topic at hand, and leave the roach politics for the politics section.

[004n063]

1 hour ago, editor said:

The mayor's been legit in office for a legit few months.  I legit don't believe he's had enough time to legit replace all the roach sidewalks. 

How about we legit stick to the topic at hand, and leave the roach politics for the politics section.

Isn't the topic at hand the fact that the mayor is inserting himself into TIRZ plans to throw out a planned sidewalk improvement?

Edited April 18 by 004n063

[trymahjong]

T he federal $ for second phase went away-

I'm fairly sure the Mayor can't "reuse" the TIRZ $ for something else-

why exactly did the Mayor choose to side with saving compromised  60 year trees

( historic?) that are constantly v cut, root bound and never watered? 

[Amlaham]

.

Edited April 18 by Amlaham

[editor]

14 hours ago, 004n063 said:

Isn't the topic at hand the fact that the mayor is inserting himself into TIRZ plans to throw out a planned sidewalk improvement?

Probably.  It's my fault for not reading through the thread fully.  Someone complained about the post, and I made the mistake of replying to it on its own, instead of in context.  

The internet seems to have given a lot of people very thin skin.  I shouldn't have responded that way.

[hbg.50]

2 hours ago, trymahjong said:

T he federal $ for second phase went away-

I'm fairly sure the Mayor can't "reuse" the TIRZ $ for something else-

why exactly did the Mayor choose to side with saving compromised  60 year trees

( historic?) that are constantly v cut, root bound and never watered? 

This is the million dollar question.  What exactly is his motive?  My pure speculation is he feels the TIRZ 27 is going overboard in its project scope.  Does Montrose Boulevard really need new drainage?  Does it flood?

To answer your question on “re-use” it looks like City Council has to approve the TIRZ use of funds, so I’m certain Whitmire has plans for that money (even if it stays within the TIRZ).

There is commonality in all of these controversial projects around the city.  A minority of residents feel like their voices were not taken into account in the final project plan (Houston Ave., 11th Street, and now Montrose).   Whitmire sides with the “little guy” every time.  How many times has he said there are neighborhoods in the city without sidewalks (Denver Harbor) while neighborhoods with 3-ft sidewalks want to rip them up to put in 6-ft sidewalks (Heights, Washington, Montrose)?  He’s consistent.  

Remember UH’s superstar President Renu Khator wanted to mandate that all incoming freshman live on campus (to improve graduation rates).  Whitmire saw this as blocking accessibility to the underprivileged that UH serves and he killed the proposal.  To this day a lot of UH alums hate Whitmire for this.  Whitmire is oblivious to it.

[trymahjong]

I think Montrose /Neartown is Superneighborhood 24

i think it predates the label "Superneighborhood" 

I am getting the notion that Mayor Whitmire has fallen victim to the myth of Montrose-- what that preconceived notion is that Montrose has plenty of stuff of 🥵 doesn't need to improve upon any of its other stuff😡 so why bother approving any CIP projects. 
I don't mean to be naive nut there are streets that don't have usable side2als @nd places where there ar3 no sidewalks, plus the open ditch draining and th3 crater pot holes yadayada

when Harvey came through there was flooding--- surely my family wasn't the only one experiencing 5hat. I have se3n flooding at Fairview and Montrose, Montrose and Westheimer, Westheimer and Stanford...... those are own observations because that is our usual path to walk.....when I post that experience on other sites-- people yell at me "I'm Crazy" in all caps😣

Im really trying to post what I know.......

Here's my latest conundrum since May Whitmire took over ( my own first hand observation) 

when trying to raise awareness of a problem, I think is worthy for COH to take a look at:

long time knowledgeable COH department heads seem to have retired and been replaced with younger, enthusiastic but not very knowledgeable campaign supporters. Those nice young people cheerfully look me straight in the eye after pointed out they are the doorkeeper of that problem  I've described and explainer--- they cheerfully  acknowledge 

they will have to get back to me after that problem has been researched and questions on there side must be answered and solved.......... then....THEN

With great good humor.....invite me to speak in front of city council meetings as that is Mayor's favorite public discourse in these situations.

so I'm trasported back in time to when I had to go to city hall hours before (hopefully get parking space) to stand in line to sign up to speak so I might get to be number 21 or 22nd to speak and not number 56 or 57 to speak wait my time (hopefully get a seat so I don't have to stand the whole time) then I get my three ( sometimes only 1 minute) minutes, to explain, then reexplain, who I am and how COH can address this problem--- only (most times anyway) to have a newly elected COH person or newly appointed aide to Mayor over talk me pointing out I need to contact ( inserts name of the original person, I just established contact with) speak to that person instead of discussing at current council meeting.😩

so okay-- Mayor Whitmire likes to side with the little guy? I guess I know what my Tuesday will be folding into.😥

[trymahjong]

Wow so many typos- sometimes my rants affect my typing-- apologies.

 

 

but a few hours have calmed me a bit to understand that going to those silly council meetings might be my new best step forward-

sigh😶

[Triton]

They need to get this mayor to walk down the sidewalks of this road with a bunch of people and see just how narrow and broken the sidewalks are in spots. We need wider sidewalks here.

[trymahjong]

I have a 3 wheeled electric bike - one of the grandkids has tiny pedal bike  with train8ng wheels, but you can't forget the double wide stroller that usually comes along to sort of act as guard on the other side for pedal bike........if we all go side by side we take up more than 6 feet wide-- at 10 feet wide, there is possibility of someone else either going in our direction or the opposite direction can also use sidewalk.

This seems to be a hard concept for people to understand.

[Houston19514]

1 hour ago, trymahjong said:

I have a 3 wheeled electric bike - one of the grandkids has tiny pedal bike  with train8ng wheels, but you can't forget the double wide stroller that usually comes along to sort of act as guard on the other side for pedal bike........if we all go side by side we take up more than 6 feet wide-- at 10 feet wide, there is possibility of someone else either going in our direction or the opposite direction can also use sidewalk.

This seems to be a hard concept for people to understand.

Of course, you don't all need to go side-by-side. This seems to be a hard concept for people to understand.