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Residents and cyclists protest removal of protected bike lanes on Austin Street and call to keep Eleventh Street safety changes
Summary
Multiple speakers at the April 15 Houston City Council meeting urged the city not to remove protected bike‑lane infrastructure on Austin Street and asked that Eleventh Street safety improvements remain in place, citing safety for pedestrians, children and bike commuters.
Residents, bike commuters and neighborhood groups told the Houston City Council on April 15 they are concerned about recent and proposed removals of protected bike infrastructure on Austin Street and uncertainty over the Eleventh Street safety redesign.
Radu Tudos of the Boulevard Oaks Civic Association said the physical protection for bike lanes on Austin Street and Heights Boulevard has been removed without public input and that the change reduces safety for people who commute by bike. "Simple paint on a bike lane or a street crossing is not protection," Tudos said, urging the council to "reconsider the removal of the traffic safety infrastructure that protects all Houstonians."
Midtown resident Sam Wagner said Austin Street had been his regular, protected route across Midtown and downtown. He described the lane as a "guarantee" of arriving safely and said the city's proposed compromises remove the protections that made the corridor safe for parents, joggers and mobility‑device users.
Several speakers also addressed Eleventh Street in the Heights, where community volunteers organized a signatory letter from local businesses asking the city to keep recent safety improvements. Amanda Flores, a volunteer with A Tale of 2 Bridges and the Eleventh Street Festival, presented a list of businesses and community organizations that supported retaining the current configuration and invited councilmembers to walk the corridor with residents.
Allie Warrenberger, a Heights resident and mother, told councilmembers the changes have made the street safer for families and said removing them would be "a waste of taxpayer money, and a reduction in livability in the neighborhood."
Councilmember Castillo said a community meeting is scheduled for April 26 to hear residents' views and that she would canvass businesses that cannot attend. No vote or formal city action on the specific infrastructure changes was recorded at the meeting; speakers asked for clarity and for the city to honor public engagement before making permanent changes.
