East End residents urge pause on Polk Street closure; council member promises continued outreach

Residents of Houston's East End told the City Council on Tuesday that a proposed closure of Polk Street will worsen traffic and safety problems unless the city conducts a comprehensive traffic study and commits to mitigation work.

Why it matters: Polk Street is a major arterial for southeastern approaches to downtown. Closing it without adequate alternatives, residents said, would reroute vehicles onto streets the speakers called inadequate for the added volume and could create safety and congestion problems across multiple neighborhoods.

Lindsey Williams, president of Super Neighborhoods 64 and 88, addressed council in person and warned that the city's suggested alternative route, Leland Street, has not been shown capable of carrying the extra traffic: "Before considering closing Polk Street, we need a comprehensive traffic study examining the real world impact on our entire vehicle circulation system," she said. Williams said the closure decision "has been rushed without adequate consideration of its far reaching traffic implications." She also noted special-event traffic from Astros, Dynamo and Rockets games and ongoing train blockages.

Council member Joaquin Martinez said he has been meeting with residents and stakeholders and that additional public meetings are planned; he said he supports long-term investments such as East-West connections and grade separation in the East End but acknowledged those projects will take years.

The transcript shows no formal vote on the Polk Street plan during this meeting; Martinez announced a town-hall-style meeting and encouraged residents to attend upcoming sessions on the issue.

Ending: Residents asked the city to slow the process, produce traffic analyses and improve public communication before any closure is finalized. Council members pledged continued outreach and to press TxDOT and other agencies for coordination on near- and longer-term fixes.