Traffic Program Update

Thank you to everybody who took the time to submit comments to the city regarding the proposed Traffic Management plan. Upon review of all of the comments submitted to the City, Mr. Weatherford, Director of PWE, has determined that there is sufficient justification for the neighborhood to remain in the program. City engineers will draft a new modified plan based upon your comments and the City will invite all neighbors to a new public meeting once the plan is ready for public viewing. No timeline has been given for when that new meeting could occur.

Questions or comments? Contact WHCA Infrastructure, Phil Teague.

City of Houston Traffic Meeting June 13, 2016 – Video

Accident at Bayland and Morrison

An accident involving a car and motorcycle occurred at the intersection of Bayland and Morrison on Friday, May 20th around 8 PM. Both drivers were taken away by ambulance. The WHCA, through the Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan, has proposed a traffic circle for this precise intersection to encourage drivers in both directions to be more aware.

Photograph by Woodland Heights resident Cindy Wilson.

Traffic Management Meeting

The City is going to hold a Neighborhood Traffic Management Program meeting on February 3rd at 7 PM at the Hogg cafeteria. The City is going to outline the proposed traffic plan for the Woodland Heights, which includes speed cushions and neighborhood traffic circles on Watson, Bayland, Michaux, Beauchamp, Euclid and Pecore. We really need to have strong support for this plan so that the City will move forward with implementing the plan. The first stage of the implementation will involve the installation of temporary devices to gauge their effectiveness on the aforementioned streets, and confirm that traffic is not simply shifted to other streets in the neighborhood. Please make every effort to attend the meeting and ask your neighbors to attend as well.

METRO Buses on Bayland & Watson

UPDATE 1: Original post was missing the link to the METRO bus route petition. Now added.
UPDATE 2: Added link to petition in favor of keeping current METRO bus routes. Modified text to accommodate new link. Removed infographic.

As was discussed at our last General Meeting, METRO has decided to maintain the current bus route on Bayland and Watson. A large number of residents on Bayland (and elsewhere along the route in the neighborhood) have expressed their desire to have this route moved to the perimeter of the neighborhood. In prior meetings with METRO, some of those residents were left with the impression that METRO would do just that. However, METRO has now confirmed that its plan is to leave the route as it currently exists. So, those residents are starting a petition to bring to METRO before METRO finalizes its route decisions, which will be in early June.

Please review both petitions and make your voice heard.

Petition in favor of keeping current bus routes.
Petition in favor of changing bus routes.

URGENT: I-45 Expansion

Message from WHCA President

One of the most important issues facing our neighborhood right now is the possible expansion of I-45. TxDOT is accepting comments until May 31 regarding its new, proposed plan. The WHCA is supporting the positions outlined by neighborhood resident Jim Weston and his I-45 Coalition and will be providing comments to I-45 along those lines. I encourage all of our residents to do the same. Please visit the I-45 Coalition's website for more information, and please get your comments in by May 31.  Thank you.

Houston Metro to Revise Bus Route Without Input from Neighborhood

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (“Metro”) plans to revise the #40 bus route to include the entire segment of Watson St. between Pecore St. and Usener St. Metro has made this change with little to no input from Woodland Heights residents or the Woodland Heights Civic Association (the “WHCA”). The WHCA attended the March 2015 Metro board meeting to raise concerns with the Metro #40 bus route traversing up and down Watson St. Also, Metro had previously advised the WHCA that Metro would not place a bus route on streets with speed bumps—which Watson St. clearly has in place between Teetshorn and Usener. The revised #40 bus route may also interfere with the Woodland Heights neighborhood traffic management plan on Watson St. which is currently in the data gathering stage. Metro is sending a representative to attend the Woodland Heights general meeting on May 12th at 7 PM at Hogg Middle School. Please plan on attending the general meeting to address any concerns with Metro concerning the proposed revised #40 bus route.