Houston Texas freeway beautification

[C2H]

I think TXDOT and Houston has done alot of things to help the appeal of Houston freeways such as the Green Ribbon Project. Trees For Houston has been doing a few things as well. But my question is, is it doing any good? I am in Houston for the weekend visiting and i've ridden down many of the freeways and made me ask this question?

Who thought the weeds planted in the middle of 288 thought that would look good? They started off doing a good thing by planting the aspen trees in the middle but the weeds mess up the entire thing. I also noticed the same thing in the medians of Main Street going downtown, and off Lloyd Benson (U.S. 59) in Montrose. It makes it look bland and atrocious. Why do they keep doing this to Houston? Most other cities like off Dallas's North Central Expwy for example, i see nice shrubbery, bushes, and lush trees planted off the freeways. What's with the weed gimmick? Only in Houston!

Also the crappy palms that were planted off SE I-45 look like they're dying. And they don't appear to be hiding any of the blighted, crummy, icky businesses off the freeway. That's what the original intention was of planting them in the first place.

I notice Houston's freeways don't have that many noise reduction walls either. Only off Katy Freeway and West Loop. I- 45 makes me sick to my stomach. If they're not going to tear down any of those nasty looking businesses and run down dealerships, couldn't they at least build a small wall with some nice flowers surrounding it to hide some of the blight? It's very unviting. And the half-assed planting job they did on 288 makes Houston feel like a flowerstop or green house. I know this may come off as a rant thread and i'm sorry. But i love Houston and can't help but wonder why it can't do more to help itself. Things like this will help decide if Houston will become a world class destination city!

[bachanon]

Who thought the weeds planted in the middle of 288 thought that would look good? They started off doing a good thing by planting the aspen trees in the middle but the weeds mess up the entire thing. I also noticed the same thing in the medians of Main Street going downtown, and off Lloyd Benson (U.S. 59) in Montrose. It makes it look bland and atrocious. Why do they keep doing this to Houston? Most other cities like off Dallas's North Central Expwy for example, i see nice shrubbery, bushes, and lush trees planted off the freeways. What's with the weed gimmick? Only in Houston!

some of these projects are forestation projects. there will be no trimming or gardening. the weeds will die out when the trees are larger. it takes some patience, but the end result will be pleasing and cost less. it also allows for underbrush to grow creating great habitats for birds. our freeway system is too large to have perfectly trimmed bushes and annuals everywhere. it will take decades to realize the benefits of what's being done. also, decorative grasses (very expensive mind you) are growing in popularity because of the minimal care needed. some areas have these as well.

xeriscaping techniques may be in effect for these projects as well.

xeriscaping defined

[desirous]

Now if only they start planting trees between every freeway's mainlanes and feeders.

[Trae]

So is this going to make our freeways look like D.C.'s freeways.

[travelguy_73]

So is this going to make our freeways look like D.C.'s freeways.

Doubtful. In certain areas, the trees and vegetation have a fighting chance to actually mature and thrive. In others, they will probably be removed in 10 years when freeway expansion gobbles up that space. The area between the driving lanes on 288 probably has the best chance, the North Freeway probably the worst chance for survival.

Oh yeah, and DC doesn't have our billboard blight!

[houstonmacbro]

about a month before i moved from the west side (westheimer @ beltway 8) area, they had started planting trees in the median westheimer from (i think) around the carilion center out to about royal oaks country club (forge the street).

while i like the idea of creating a woodlands-esque look, it just doesn't work out there. first off, if you are turning, the trees create a horrible blindspot, and because there are really no car-length sized turning lanes where a person can 'wait' it seems that it would create a lot of potential wrecks.

however, because we are increasingly being consummed by concrete in this city, i think creating any 'greens' is a worthy idea, but needs to be thought out better.

also, i like the green space they created in 288 ... i really think that works.

[Ashikaga]

Now if only they start planting trees between every freeway's mainlanes and feeders.

If and when I come to Houston and I drive down the freeway, I want to see an occasional "Old Charter", "Cutty Sark", or some other kind of booze billboard. To me, those signs would really beautify the freeways.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

I gotta disagree with C2H...

I LOVE the look on SH 288. My personal tastes definitely run toward a wilder, natural look over a meticulously trimmed, English garden look.

I've never noticed any weeds, either. I like the green there...I hope it never goes away! I also would like to see the plantings extend south all the way to the South Loop.

[TheNiche]

Also the crappy palms that were planted off SE I-45 look like they're dying. And they don't appear to be hiding any of the blighted, crummy, icky businesses off the freeway. That's what the original intention was of planting them in the first place.

I notice Houston's freeways don't have that many noise reduction walls either. Only off Katy Freeway and West Loop. I- 45 makes me sick to my stomach. If they're not going to tear down any of those nasty looking businesses and run down dealerships, couldn't they at least build a small wall with some nice flowers surrounding it to hide some of the blight? It's very unviting. And the half-assed planting job they did on 288 makes Houston feel like a flowerstop or green house. I know this may come off as a rant thread and i'm sorry. But i love Houston and can't help but wonder why it can't do more to help itself. Things like this will help decide if Houston will become a world class destination city!

Whoever said anything about hiding businesses? You may think that they're blighted, crummy, and icky, but that seems to be just another way of saying that poor people shop there. Did it ever occur to you that real estate with low rents in high visibility areas are a good way to encourage entrepreneurship at every socioeconomic level?

I would propose to you that the latter half of the 20th century defined Houston's aesthetic by its freeway frontages. These commercial strips actually harbor some very interesting period architecture if you know where to look. To knock them down (by governmental action of all things) would be to turn your back upon Houston's true character in favor of some gimmicky ideal. Every "world class" city is defined by a palpable uniqueness. If you make us look like Dallas, D.C., or anybody else for the sake of looking like they do, you have only proven to them that they are the superior city. Imitation, after all, is the sincerest form of flattery...so why must we go so far out of our way to prove our own inferiority?

As MidtownCoog would aptly say: Houston, be yourself!

[RedScare]

One need only realize that all of those "blighted" businesses are owned by individuals, while all of those pretty shops in Sugarland and the Woodlands are owned by corporations to understand the value of the blight. I'll take the blighted entrepreneur over the minimum wage paying big box every day. I wonder which one contributes more to society?

BTW, I love the palms, as well as the "weeds", also known as "native grasses".

[Guest danax]

Whoever said anything about hiding businesses? You may think that they're blighted, crummy, and icky, but that seems to be just another way of saying that poor people shop there. Did it ever occur to you that real estate with low rents in high visibility areas are a good way to encourage entrepreneurship at every socioeconomic level?

I would propose to you that the latter half of the 20th century defined Houston's aesthetic by its freeway frontages. These commercial strips actually harbor some very interesting period architecture if you know where to look. To knock them down (by governmental action of all things) would be to turn your back upon Houston's true character in favor of some gimmicky ideal. Every "world class" city is defined by a palpable uniqueness. If you make us look like Dallas, D.C., or anybody else for the sake of looking like they do, you have only proven to them that they are the superior city. Imitation, after all, is the sincerest form of flattery...so why must we go so far out of our way to prove our own inferiority?

As MidtownCoog would aptly say: Houston, be yourself!

Heaven help us if we continue to knock down the cool old architecture around town but keep the crap lining the freeways and call it "period". Bad taste as our "world class" defining quality or "true character"? We don't need to knock it down, just hide it a little. I would like to see clumps of Bambusa Oldhamii (Giant Timber Bamboo) lining the 45 but if I were a business owner along there I would not be happy if that were to happen, as the clumps can reach 75 feet tall under ideal conditions. >

We've got to find some middle ground between entrepreneurship and feeder blight and some of the recent plantings are a semi-feeble attempt to do that.

[KinkaidAlum]

Amen, Danax.

While I am all for small businesses, trying to call strip malls and feeder roads "period" pieces that represent Houston is a big f'in stretch!

They represent developers, easy money, and unregulated growth. While those three things do/did represent Houston, it doesn't always have to be that way.

[Subdude]

Whoever said anything about hiding businesses? You may think that they're blighted, crummy, and icky, but that seems to be just another way of saying that poor people shop there. Did it ever occur to you that real estate with low rents in high visibility areas are a good way to encourage entrepreneurship at every socioeconomic level?

I would propose to you that the latter half of the 20th century defined Houston's aesthetic by its freeway frontages. These commercial strips actually harbor some very interesting period architecture if you know where to look. To knock them down (by governmental action of all things) would be to turn your back upon Houston's true character in favor of some gimmicky ideal. Every "world class" city is defined by a palpable uniqueness. If you make us look like Dallas, D.C., or anybody else for the sake of looking like they do, you have only proven to them that they are the superior city. Imitation, after all, is the sincerest form of flattery...so why must we go so far out of our way to prove our own inferiority?

There are occasional good examples of period architecture along the freeway frontage roads, but my Spidey sense is saying that historic and architectural preservation isn't the main goal here. I would hate to think that high-visibility blight somehow represents "Houston's true character," and therefore merits preservation. Where on earth did you come up with the presumption that trashy frontage roads are our "true character"? I would like to think we could aim a little higher than that, even if it does represent a "gimmicky ideal". "Gimmicky ideals" don't seem to be bad things to shoot for. The point isn't to make Houston look like other cities "for the sake of looking like they do", the point is to look better and be more attractive. I am just not following the logic here that not maintaining trashed-out freeway strips would somehow prove us inferior. Are you actually saying that blight proves our superiority? Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face! Couldn't we find some other way to be unique?

[jt16]

back to freeway reforestation. I think the median on Memorial drive through the park is a good example of the end result. At least that's what I think TXDot is going for.

[TheNiche]

There are occasional good examples of period architecture along the freeway frontage roads, but my Spidey sense is saying that historic and architectural preservation isn't the main goal here. I would hate to think that high-visibility blight somehow represents "Houston's true character," and therefore merits preservation. Where on earth did you come up with the presumption that trashy frontage roads are our "true character"? I would like to think we could aim a little higher than that, even if it does represent a "gimmicky ideal". "Gimmicky ideals" don't seem to be bad things to shoot for. The point isn't to make Houston look like other cities "for the sake of looking like they do", the point is to look better and be more attractive. I am just not following the logic here that not maintaining trashed-out freeway strips would somehow prove us inferior. Are you actually saying that blight proves our superiority? Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face! Couldn't we find some other way to be unique?

There were times in the not-so-distant past when Midtown, Washington Avenue, Clinton Drive, the East End, and many other areas in central Houston were considered "blighted". The buildings in these neighborhoods were a fair bit older than most of the "blighted" freeway frontages, so a lot of folks didn't much like the fact that they were demolished in the name of progress.

Many more buildings in these areas were demolished years ago, when buildings in those areas were still considered 'middle-aged' by most and cared for by few. And yet, we have threads here on HAIF that depict such lost commercial strips as Telephone Road...and we value those buildings that were lost in their 'middle age'...but value them only in hindsight.

That's why it bothers me when someone suggests that the government take action to knock down blighted 'middle-aged' buildings. To me, it is one thing if a private developer needs the land...the perpetual recycling of land through private means is in and of itself part of Houston's character...but to simply demolish it with the intent of making the land vacant? That is a waste of resources and of Houston's future architectural heritage. And, as per C2H's post, this was in the name of being more like other cities...

Today's "blight" is tomorrow's character.

[C2H]

And, as per C2H's post, this was in the name of being more like other cities...

Today's "blight" is tomorrow's character.

please don't put words in my mouth because i wasn't at all saying Houston should be like other cities. I was just using some cities as a comparitive example. I completely disagree with most of your viewpoints. Just because Houston is its own doesn't mean it has to settle for less. You should want better for your city than that!

[Houston19514]

I notice Houston's freeways don't have that many noise reduction walls either. Only off Katy Freeway and West Loop. I- 45 makes me sick to my stomach.

I'm a little confused by this. Are you saying the only noise reduction walls are at the intersection of Katy Freeway and the West Loop?

I agree I-45 is not too pretty, but my goodness you must have an easily upset stomach. ;-)

[C2H]

^^^i don't know why everyone is trying to call themselves getting offended. It's been talked about on this forum and public before on how some of Houston's freeways could stand to use a facelift. Yes, the only noise reduction walls that i've noticed are on West Katy Freeway and South Loop near Bellaire. Some areas of I-45 look junky and if they're not going to get rid of them, maybe build some noise reduction walls off the freeway to hide the crummy areas a little. Show off the areas that make Houston shine such as the Bayous, Parks, and Skylines.

[Houston19514]

^^^i don't know why everyone is trying to call themselves getting offended. It's been talked about on this forum and public before on how some of Houston's freeways could stand to use a facelift. Yes, the only noise reduction walls that i've noticed are on West Katy Freeway and South Loop near Bellaire. Some areas of I-45 look junky and if they're not going to get rid of them, maybe build some noise reduction walls off the freeway to hide the crummy areas a little. Show off the areas that make Houston shine such as the Bayous, Parks, and Skylines.

Lighten up. I did not try to call myself getting offended, whatever that means. I understood your point and in fact largely agreed with it vis a vis I-45 being ugly. Just having a little fun with your over-the-top "sick to my stomach" comment.

There are noise reduction walls along Southwest Freeway too.

[nmainguy]

There are noise reduction walls along Southwest Freeway too.

...and along the north side of the N. Loop from Guess to almost Yale.

Noise reduction walls are typically only for residential areas.

[C2H]

Lighten up. I did not try to call myself getting offended, whatever that means. I understood your point and in fact largely agreed with it vis a vis I-45 being ugly. Just having a little fun with your over-the-top "sick to my stomach" comment.

There are noise reduction walls along Southwest Freeway too.

Hey I'm lightened man. But i wasn't really talking to just you. But i guess the sick to my stomach comment was a little over the top to describe the freeway. It would have been a better description for the air in Pasadena!

[TAK]

..and along the north side of the N. Loop from Guess to almost Yale.

Noise reduction walls are typically only for residential areas.

AFFLUENT residential areas.

ie, N Loop from Guess to Yale = Garden Oaks. cross Yale (leave G.O.) and there are residences, but no wall.

[Ashikaga]

AFFLUENT residential areas.

ie, N Loop from Guess to Yale = Garden Oaks. cross Yale (leave G.O.) and there are residences, but no wall.

I was always under the impression that the city of Bellaire was affluent just like The Woodlands. But according to this story in the new issue (June 2006) of Texas Monthly magazine ("The Gangstas of Godwin Park", page 132), I might have been wrong all of this time. The article is about the murder of someone named Jonathan Finkelman.

[TheNiche]

^^^i don't know why everyone is trying to call themselves getting offended. It's been talked about on this forum and public before on how some of Houston's freeways could stand to use a facelift. Yes, the only noise reduction walls that i've noticed are on West Katy Freeway and South Loop near Bellaire. Some areas of I-45 look junky and if they're not going to get rid of them, maybe build some noise reduction walls off the freeway to hide the crummy areas a little. Show off the areas that make Houston shine such as the Bayous, Parks, and Skylines.

By the way, I'm all for putting up noise-reduction walls where residential areas of any income-level front freeways, but usually when blight is talked about in the context of I-45, folks are referring to the commercial properties. You mentioned a few yourself.

If you hide those, then the existing businesses fail and the improvements become nearly useless...a waste of a perfectly good natural incubator of poor entrepreneurs and of our future heritage.

[Subdude]

By the way, I'm all for putting up noise-reduction walls where residential areas of any income-level front freeways, but usually when blight is talked about in the context of I-45, folks are referring to the commercial properties. You mentioned a few yourself.

If you hide those, then the existing businesses fail and the improvements become nearly useless...a waste of a perfectly good natural incubator of poor entrepreneurs and of our future heritage.

I personally am a big fan of commercial/roadside architecture, but somehow calling it our "future heritage" seems a bit of a stretch, even for me. If we can't get rid of the feeders, then hiding ugly commercial strips behind noise-reduction walls seems a perfectly reasonable way to improve the look of our freeways. We don't have any legal or moral obligation to maintain visibility of commercial strips, any more than there is a civic obligation to maintain billboard visibility for the benefit of the advertisers. Don't forget that the community as a whole has an interest in maintaining attractive freeways. Can't poor entrepreneurs incubate elsewhere?

[Gary]

I'm very frustrated with the way we keep our freeways. I-10 from Downtown heading West to 610 is rediculous. They leave the grass uncut and do nothing with the tree/flower beds. Good night, this is one of the freeways that actually has good potential, especially seeing that it's what leads many visitors into our city.

I've also become quite irritated with my area in Katy (I-10 and 99). They built this pretty freeway (99) and have not done anything to the sides of the road. In fact they haven't cut the grass since they laid down the tiny bit of Bermuda (about 2 feet deep) that they did. As a result, we now have 6 foot tall corn stalks growing, and it looks like crap.

[RedScare]

Can't poor entrepreneurs incubate elsewhere?

By and large, they do. Freeway frontage is pretty expensive dirt. Poor entreprenuers don't locate there. Rich car dealers, rich furniture dealers, and rich corporate big box stores do. The only time a poor entreprenuer ends up next to a freeway is when the government takes all of the inexpensive land through a poor neighborhood, right up to the poor entreprenuer's property line. All of a sudden, he has freeway frontage. Then suburbanites who travel on the new freeway to their homes complain about the "blight" that has been exposed by the new freeway.

[Gary]

By and large, they do. Freeway frontage is pretty expensive dirt. Poor entreprenuers don't locate there. Rich car dealers, rich furniture dealers, and rich corporate big box stores do. The only time a poor entreprenuer ends up next to a freeway is when the government takes all of the inexpensive land through a poor neighborhood, right up to the poor entreprenuer's property line. All of a sudden, he has freeway frontage. Then suburbanites who travel on the new freeway to their homes complain about the "blight" that has been exposed by the new freeway.

Personally, I like the freeway setup now, and love how convenient it is. These big box stores serve a purpose. My big problem as I stated earlier, is the way they take care of the medians.

[bachanon]

the following story is old news; however, the project is ongoing and has been expanded. the fact that txdot is now allowing plantings in the median bodes well for other neighborhoods/developments/communities who want to upgrade and maintain the available greenspace along their freeway corridors. i'm posting the article as an example of how this can be accomplished.

TCID, additional entities launch aggressive beautification program

THE WOODLANDS, Texas (July 30, 2003) - The answer to a six-word question - "How can we dress this up?" - has evolved into a precedent-setting effort by a coalition of several public and private entities in South Montgomery County to beautify rights-of-way and other property adjacent to the expanded I-45 freeway.

Now in its third year, the program of planting native vegetation is designed to restore and augment the area's natural forest look as trees and shrubs mature along one of the state's busiest highway.

"Those of us involved from the beginning can already see a substantial difference," said Paul Mendes, city administrator for Oak Ridge North and "action officer" for the project.

The program's genesis can be traced to the question some two years ago by Frank W. Robinson, president of the Town Center Improvement District (TCID), the project's originator. As he surveyed progress on the I-45 expansion of 14 lanes, he asked, "How can we dress this up?"

The answers that emerged have involved participation by no fewer than eight organizations, installation of approximately 11,800 plants and an extensive irrigation system. Due to the program's immense success, TCID has published a comprehensive guide for other cities and towns, called, "Highway Beautification: A Step by Step Guide." Several cities and town have expressed interest and have visited the area to see the project.

"Our area is known for its naturally-forested beauty," Robinson said. "As the freeway expansion neared completion, we wanted to take steps to restore natural vegetation in the I-45 right-of-way plus other public and private property adjacent to the freeway. Most of all, we wanted visitors and local residents to experience the difference such an effort can make. This program is a reflection of the 'look' and 'feel' of our area."

The goal is a coordinated landscape beautification plan over a four-mile area. State law allowed the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to take part in beautification efforts, but required involvement of a municipality through which state funding could be channeled.

The City of Oak Ridge North stepped forward to become the local sponsor. In addition to Town Center Improvement District, Oak Ridge North and TxDOT, the list of participants has grown to include The Woodlands Operating Company, L.P., the City of Shenandoah, South Montgomery County Woodlands Chamber of Commerce, United States Congressman Kevin Brady's Office, Montgomery County Precincts 2 and 3, The Woodlands Community Association, and the South Montgomery County Municipal Utility District.

At the suggestion of Dana Cot

[TheNiche]

By and large, they do. Freeway frontage is pretty expensive dirt. Poor entreprenuers don't locate there. Rich car dealers, rich furniture dealers, and rich corporate big box stores do. The only time a poor entreprenuer ends up next to a freeway is when the government takes all of the inexpensive land through a poor neighborhood, right up to the poor entreprenuer's property line. All of a sudden, he has freeway frontage. Then suburbanites who travel on the new freeway to their homes complain about the "blight" that has been exposed by the new freeway.

I can think of quite a few large but run-down commercial strip centers, mostly inside Beltway 8, particularly along the Southwest, North, East, and Gulf Freeways, that cater to poor folks and that clearly aren't very high-margin operations, but that wouldn't be around if not for the visibility. The South Loop east of 288 also has its share.