The Houston Chronicle published a story Thursday with an apt quote in the title: “Just kill me now.” That from a man who lives in Spring and be subjected to the largest freeway overhaul in Houston history for nearly 20 years…assuming he survives. Whatever we have seen in construction to area roadways, we ain’t seen nothing yet.
The project, which will rebuild the entire freeway from downtown north to the Beltway is expected to cost $9.7 billion (it will definitely be more) and be completely finished in 2042 (it will definitely be after that). This is a plan that has been in the works for years as the city and TxDOT tries to expand roadways to meet population growth and prepare for disaster evacuations. Of course, if the projections of water levels rising in the next 75 years are correct, people will need their submarines to travel along I-45, but that’s for a different story.
Many, including a very vocal opposition, have complained about the plans saying they are just putting a band aid on the problem and ignoring other options like public transportation, commuter rail and even biking. On this, we will certainly agree, but there does come a point where you have to wonder if any of that makes sense in a city like Houston.
This is one single freeway artery being rebuilt going north and south. How would commuter rail to George Bush Intercontinental Airport or The Woodlands solve the problems for someone traveling from Katy into downtown or from Missouri City? More bike paths aren’t going to get commuters in Pearland to suddenly starting cycling to work in the Energy Corridor or Texas Medical Center, no matter how much we might like it.
And the projections on the costs of rail, if we were to have a coherent network (good luck) throughout the region makes the $9.7 billion and 20-year timeline for this freeway project look like pocket change spent over a long weekend.
Still, the incredible lack of vision by a city that has been complaining about its own city planners’ lack of vision for virtually as long as Houston has existed makes us wonder: Are they complaining for real or for show? If the planning was really that bad, why not bite the bullet and do something about it?
Well, of course, because that would be messy, literally and, especially, politically. No one has the strength or will to shepherd it through and, quite frankly, few are young enough to see it to its fruition anyway.
That is also completely ignoring that fact that many communities in and around Houston who would have to buy in to any plan want no part of anything on tracks or spoked wheels. For them, the more cars the better. They can just call into local radio shows and spend time complaining about traffic while doing nothing to advocate for really fixing it.
And we didn’t even bother to address the havoc this will cause in and around downtown or the people and businesses displaced by this expansion. That’s just a little cherry on top of this poo sundae.
The reality is that we are stuck with the city how it is and all we can do is dream of a utopian future with no traffic when we all just teleport from place to place like on Star Trek. Until that time, strap yourselves in and, if you live on the north side, download a LOT of audio books. You’re going to be in the car for a while.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
