Near Northside: Safe Streets, Safe Communities

REPORT : Feb. 26, 2020 TRANSPORTATION | URBAN PLANNING

Houston sidewalk in Near Northside

Photo by Gelila Haile

This report is the second in a series aimed to aid efforts to improve street safety in Houston. The first report (Safe Streets, Safe Communities) is linked below.

This report documents the presence and conditions of biking and pedestrian infrastructure in the Near Northside. Community volunteers, students from the University of Houston and Kinder Institute for Urban Research staff conducted several walk audits to assess the availability and conditions of the community’s sidewalks, bikeways and other street elements such as road lighting and building conditions.

The audits revealed safety for users on Houston’s streets is a crisis. Nationally, the number of pedestrian deaths increased by 35% from 2008 to 2017. According to TxDOT, in 2018 alone, there were 693 pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities in Texas.

This report — the second in a series — aims to help improve the street safety in the Houston region one neighborhood at a time. The first, "Safe Streets, Safe Communities: Walking and Biking Infrastructure in Gulfton," was conducted in the summer and fall of 2018. 

Photo: Gelila Haile

RELATED RESEARCH
Girl walks in Gulfton
Safe Streets, Safe Communities: Walking and Biking Infrastructure in Gulfton
Mar. 20, 2019

During the summer and fall of 2018, an audit was done on the Gulfton area's streets and sidewalks and these are the results.

TRANSPORTATION | URBAN PLANNING
RELATED URBAN EDGE
Gufton intersection with crosswalk
In Dense Gulfton, Walkability, Safety Improvements Needed
RESEARCH :  Jun. 7, 2018

Walking the streets of Houston's densest neighborhood reveals a lack of adequate infrastructure and serious safety hazards.

URBAN PLANNING
RELATED URBAN EDGE
A muddy patch of grass interrupts the sidewalk in Gulfton as a bicyclist navigates onward
Kinder Institute reports prompt Houston officials and nonprofits to fund improvements for Gulfton sidewalks
RESEARCH :  Apr. 25, 2019

The team effort pairs city, advocates and community leaders to conquer Gulfton's street safety troubles.

TRANSPORTATION | URBAN PLANNING
RELATED RESEARCH
Man riding bike along rough, muddy sidewalk
Planning From Inside Out: Using Community Responses to Address Transportation, Infrastructure and Safety Concerns
Sep. 27, 2018

This report provides a more in-depth understanding of critical transportation safety issues, highlights key issues and can be used to prioritize street safety improvements.

TRANSPORTATION | URBAN PLANNING
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