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Residents and officials press for East–West access as GRB expansion proceeds
Summary
Residents, neighborhood groups and council members raised traffic, transit and safety concerns about plans tied to an expansion of the George R. Brown convention center that would abandon sections of Polk Street; councilmembers and staff said they will continue engagement and study alternatives including two‑way Leland and grade separations.
Supporters and opponents of the proposed Georgia R. Brown (GRB) expansion pressed City Council on March 20 over plans that would abandon portions of Polk Street in the downtown convention district and reroute traffic to nearby streets.
The dispute centers on access from Houston’s east side: residents and business owners said closing Polk and moving traffic to Leland Street would worsen already constrained east–west connections and create safety and transit problems for commuters, students and emergency response.
“ We support the economic opportunity of an expanded GRB and admire the renderings. We simply want access to the Convention District downtown and beyond,” said Amy Erickson, an Easton resident who represented a neighborhood group at the meeting. Erickson and others told council they fear a two‑way Leland will be inadequate because Leland crosses an at‑grade railroad and already experiences frequent blockages.
Nut graf: The city and Houston First, the nonprofit…
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