The United States Department of Transportation recently announced the City of Houston will receive $28.79 million in federal funding through the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program for the Bissonnet Corridor Safe Streets Project.
The funding will support a seven-mile rehabilitation of Bissonnet Street from South Dairy Ashford Road to Hillcroft Avenue. The project directly supports the city of Houston’s Vision Zero Action Plan and will address one of the highest priority corridors on Houston’s High Injury Network.
The Bissonnet Corridor currently has high-risk roadway features that create unsafe conditions for commuters. It has a kill or serious injury (KSI) rating of 22 per year and more than 18 per mile and accounts for the highest number of deadly crashes and the second-highest number of serious injury crashes across all city-owned streets.
Houston Public Works will redesign the street with Federal Highway Administration safety countermeasures for people walking, biking, riding transit, or driving. The redesign will feature:
- Reconfigurations to street lanes
- Sidewalks
- Protected bike lanes
- Dedicated turn lanes, including safety improvements for curbs and turns
- Roundabouts
- Enhanced crosswalks, rapid flash beacons, pedestrian refuge islands, and pedestrian hybrid beacons
“The Bissonnet Corridor travels directly through the underserved communities of Alief-Westwood, Gulfton, and Braeburn, disproportionately impacting people of color and families of low income,” said Houston Mayor, Sylvester Turner. “I thank the United States Department of Transportation for committing to this project and helping us eliminate some of the biggest factors to fatalities and providing transportation equity across Houston.”
Along with thanking USDOT, Mayor Turner praised Congressman Al Green (D-9) for his work to secure federal funding for the City’s safety and mobility project.
“It has been a privilege and an honor to work with Mayor Turner to secure over $28 million to improve the safety of the Bissonnet corridor within my congressional district. Mayor Turner’s commitment to redesigning this road to lower the injuries and fatalities that take place along it each year further demonstrates how he continues to be a good steward of our tax dollars,” Congressman Al Green said. “On behalf of the constituents of the Ninth Congressional District of Texas and all persons who transit Bissonnet on a daily basis, I thank the U.S. Department of Transportation for the funds and positive response to my request. This further evidences how collaboration between our congressional office and the City of Houston can be effective at making our streets more secure for all.”
The City of Houston thanks the following elected officials, community partners, and stakeholders for their support:
- Texas State Sen. Borris L. Miles (TX-District 13)
- Texas State Representative Dr. Alma A. Allen (TX-131)
- Texas State Representative Gene Wu (TX-District 137)
- Texas State Representative Shawn Thierry (TX-District 146)
- Texas State Representative Hubert Vo (TX-District 149)
- Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis (Precinct One)
- Councilmember Abbie Kamin, District C
- Councilmember Tiffany Thomas, District F
- Councilmember Edward Pollard, District J
- Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO)
- International Management District
- Southwest Management District
- LINK Houston
- Houston-Galveston Area Council
For details about the project, please visit www.houstontx.gov.
Source: City of Houston
