The city of Houston, Texas is investing in bike infrastructure. The bike plan for Houston includes 1,800 miles of safe trails and protected lanes, although less than 400 miles have been completed. This is still an improvement for a city largely focused on car infrastructure.
According to The Houston Chronicle, there are considerably more bike lanes in Houston now than a decade ago. “What exactly has happened, however, is hard to pinpoint," said Joe Cutrufo, executive director of BikeHouston.
Houston has been outpaced by other cities in creating on-street bicycle lanes, often finding itself at the bottom of “bike friendliness” lists. It remains unclear how Houston will rank in the coming years with investments by the Harris County Precinct One Commissioner on local streets.
Houston City Hall is also committing to expanded bike lanes along certain routes, as well as new trails along various bayous developed by the Houston Parks Board and area management districts.
The city is focused on improving bike safety after the number of pedestrians and cyclists killed in Harris County last year doubled when compared to the total from 2016. New green lanes along Waugh, Commonwealth, Gray and Austin feature large concrete curbs that are much harder for cars and trucks to scale, increasing the sense of safety for Houston residents.
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Sources: The Houston Chronicle, Planetizen
