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Advocate warns council cuts to bike projects and Metro plan will cost lives
Summary
A local faith leader and transit advocate told council that postponing Metro Next and removing or rerouting bike lanes will harm safety and public health, urging the city to restore sustainable‑transport investments.
A Houston faith leader and transportation advocate told the city council on May 13 that decisions to postpone parts of the Metro Next program and to remove or reroute bicycle lanes will worsen traffic safety and public health outcomes.
Dr. Colin Balson, speaking during public comment, framed sustainable transit and bicycle infrastructure as public‑health and climate measures that "save the lives of Houston citizens today" by cutting greenhouse gases, reducing congestion and increasing physical activity. He criticized recent decisions to "severely postpone" Metro Next elements and to remove a bike lane on Austin Street, saying such moves would "cost lives now and in the future." "I might call such decisions embracing a politics of death," Balson said.
Balson said his congregation’s board passed a statement supporting expanded sustainable transportation options and that city leaders should consider the long‑term mortality and health costs of deferring projects. He urged council members to review the research the congregation submitted and to consider restoring bicycle and transit investments.
Council members did not take formal action on the comment but acknowledged receipt and said they would review submitted materials with staff.
