Posters

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Texas Transportation Commissioner Laura Ryan responded to Mayor Turner, making no commitment to change anything before TxDOT releases the Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision.

The City of Houston's NHHIP Facilitation Group presented their analysis and recommended Vision C. This design alternative will keep I-45 within its existing right-of-way as much as possible.

Mayor Sylvester Turner sent a letter to TxDOT with a new vision for the NHHIP, including 10 pages of specific requests, covering all 3 segments.

Several elected representatives endorsed Vision C for segments 1 & 2. The letter was signed by Rep. Jackson Lee, Rep. Eastman, Senator Alvarado, Rep. Morales, Comm. Garcia, CM Alcorn, CM Cisneros, CM Davis, CM Gallegos, CM Kamin, CM Plummer, and CM Robinson.

County Judge Lina Hidalgo echoed Turner's vision and asked TxDOT to delay their Final Environmental Impact Statement.

Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis asked TxDOT to delay their Final Environmental Impact Statement.

"As part of a multi-agency collaboration, including the City of Houston, the County and METRO, my office is working to evaluate proposed alternatives to TxDOT’s recent plans. These plans will address our region’s transportation goals and the feedback of those directly affected by the NHHIP expansion. This effort will be in vain if TxDOT does not take into account the effects of COVID-19 on our ability to evaluate the project and proposed alternatives within the current expected timeline."

TxDOT released their Community Impacts Assessment in two parts:

• 2019-12-16 TxDOT Draft Community Impacts Assessment v2 (large PDF hosted by TxDOT)
• 2019-12-19 TxDOT Draft Cumulative Impacts Technical Report (large PDF hosted by TxDOT)

Councilmember Karla Cisneros sent a letter in response:

"As it currently stands, the negatives of the NHHIP outweigh the positives for residents and property owners in District H." See more, including videos on District H's I-45 page.

Councilmember Letitia Plummer sent a letter in response:

"The NHHIP is a statement of values and an investment in a particular vision for the future of Houston—a future that, in my opinion, is antagonistic to the vision we at the City are working to create."

Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia sent a letter in response:

"[Give] the region the option to start building the infrastructure needed to incentivize multi-modal transportation, rather than continuing dependency on single occupancy vehicles."

The Citizens' Transportation Coalition (CTC) sent a letter in response:

"We do not see that mitigation of community impacts is impossible for Segments 1 and 2, but it will be costly... Our conclusion is that Segment 3 should not be built at this time."

The Houston Parks Board (HPB) sent a letter in response:

"With TxDOT’s continuing failure to recognize relevant impacts to parks and open space under NEPA and Section 4(f) of the Federal Transportation Law, Houston Parks Board continues to have serious concerns about the proposed plans for NHHIP and the integrity of the process."

The White Oak Bayou Association (WOBA) sent a letter in response:

"We are concerned about a number of potentially significant cumulative environmental impacts associated with this project, which we believe are not being adequately addressed in the Environmental Impact Statement process in accordance with Federal regulations cited therein"

Finally, Air Alliance Houston (AAH) with 12 other signatory organizations has sent a letter in response:

"Rather than using this project or the environmental impact statement process to right past wrongs or provide for infrastructure in line with that requested in various Livable Center studies or other community focused plans, TxDOT has concluded that the selected alternative is the only alternative and has begun investing dollars into mitigation.

"NEPA is not meant to simply be a report—but a study to influence and provide guidance to decisionmakers prior to them making the decision. These reports demonstrate that TxDOT has failed in meeting NEPA’s mandate to propose alternatives with less impacts for decision makers to consider."