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East Downtown residents urge pause on Polk Street abandonment until traffic and safety impacts are studied
Summary
Residents and neighborhood advocates told the council the Polk Street abandonment and related traffic changes will route unsafe traffic into residential corridors and urged a traffic study prior to any abandonment approval.
East Downtown residents and neighborhood groups urged the Houston City Council on April 15 to delay any decision to abandon Polk Street until the city completes traffic and safety studies and clarifies how traffic will be rerouted into nearby streets.
Rebecca Lundstroth, an East Downtown resident, said Polk Street abandonment would push more traffic to Leland and Bell and that the current intersections and sidewalks lack bike lanes and adequate pedestrian infrastructure. She told councilmembers that a road abandonment application typically does not require a traffic study and asked the city to commission one so impacts on pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders can be properly evaluated. "We must have a plan in place for how East End residents are to access downtown safely for the next 10 to 20 years," Lundstroth said.
Roy Hirsch, an East End resident, added that the conservative time estimate for construction of alternatives is about 15 months and urged the council to vote no on Polk Street abandonment until a firm plan and grade‑crossing analysis are available.
Council staff said they expected further responses from Houston First and would schedule additional briefings; no abandonment vote or formal action was recorded at the April 15 meeting.
