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East End leaders, residents urge council to preserve Polk Street access amid GRB expansion plans
Summary
Residents and community organizations urged council to resist proposals that would abandon Polk Street or remove exit connectivity during the George R. Brown expansion, saying closures would harm East End businesses, commuters and neighborhood access.
Houston — Community leaders and longtime East End residents told Houston City Council on July 8 that planned changes around the George R. Brown Convention Center could sever critical east–west links and leave neighborhoods disconnected from downtown destinations.
Speakers—including former council member Robert Gallegos, urban‑planning professionals and People for Polk advocates—faulted Houston First Corporation’s early traffic analysis and urged a collaborative, transparent planning process that preserves Polk Street access or delivers equivalent mitigations for commuters and local businesses.
Why this matters: Polk Street is used by commuters to access downtown venues, including the Toyota Center, Discovery Green and the GRB. Speakers warned that removing feeder exits and closing Polk could shift traffic to smaller streets, reduce downtown access and imperil East End small businesses.
What was said - Ian Lobachek, an East End resident and former city civil‑engineering staffer, said the $2 billion GRB expansion is being advanced too quickly and that closing Polk without integrated mitigation risks isolating neighborhoods and redistributing traffic onto inadequate streets. - Robert Gallegos, a former council member and East End community activist, said he met with TxDOT previously and was told Polk would not be closed; he urged the council to require more deliberate approaches and community‑centered alternatives. - People for Polk and other activists said Houston First’s traffic study lacked critical analysis of east–west connectivity and urged council members to oppose street abandonment unless clear mobility and neighborhood protections are demonstrated.
Council and process notes - Several speakers asked that TxDOT and Houston First provide fuller data and for the city to convene an open, multi‑stakeholder review before any decisions to abandon rights‑of‑way are made. - People for Polk proposed alternatives that preserve exits while allowing GRB expansion, and suggested the city require a comprehensive traffic and accessibility plan before approving any abandonment ordinances.
Ending: The record shows sustained, organized opposition from East End stakeholders. Council members who heard the comments asked city staff and Houston First representatives to provide clearer analyses and to consult neighborhood groups before any final votes on abandonment or easement changes.
