HOUSTON — Work will start Saturday on a $28.8 million, two-year-long transformation of one of downtown Houston’s busiest streets.
Downtown Redevelopment Authority is behind the revamp of Bagby Street between Franklin Street and Clay Street. That stretch connects Houston’s theater district, city hall, main library and nine parks.
Starting Jan. 11, crews will begin narrowing Bagby Street from four to six lanes down to three to four lanes. That will make room for wider sidewalks, separated bike lanes, new lighting, 79 new trees, and other beatification elements.
The project will also update the street’s storm sewer system to meet current rules. That includes extra inlets officials hope will reduce ponding and considerably improve drainage.
Officials hope the changes will make the road safer and easier to travel for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.
“I think it’d be nice,” said Wolfgang Neukomm, who was riding his bike near City Hall around lunch hour Friday. “It’d be a nice beautification of the city in a way, and I’d like to see that.”
“It’d ease some people from the worries of getting hit or being hurt at all, so I think it’s a pretty good idea,” said Brandon Altman, who was riding bikes with Neukomm.
The Bagby Street protected bike lanes follow the city’s Bike Plan. The street reconstruction is also the type of infrastructure project city leaders hope will help attract young workers and businesses to Houston.
“(Biking infrastructure) is better than it was,” said Rance Scott, another cyclist. “I spent a lot of time in Holland and in Europe, and it’s totally different, but we’re getting better with the bike lanes.”
Some drivers shared concerns with KHOU 11 on Friday about longer travel times from the reduced lanes and loss of parking.
“It may be unnecessary, I’m thinking,” said James Milo, who works downtown.
Some theater district business owners and employees had also worried about traffic and access. After a study, developers concluded the new design could handle traffic during rush hour and special events.
“Average travel conditions are not adversely impacted by the reduction of lanes,” a project spokesperson wrote KHOU 11. “The level of service at future intersections is comparable to current conditions for the length of the corridor.”
That spokesperson told KHOU 11 the work will happen in phases, and Bagby won’t be entirely blocked until summer when work starts on the bridge over Buffalo Bayou.
DRA officials told KHOU 11 the only on-street parking on that particular stretch of Bagby is four to five metered spaces between Rusk and Capitol. Those spots will be permanently removed to make room for a “more gracious pedestrian entry plaza to the future LBJ Memorial at Little Tranquility Park.”
Street closures can be found here. DRA also sends out weekly lane closure emails each Thursday.
Construction should wrap up in December 2021. Downtown TIRZ dollars will cover all costs.
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