The Houston Metropolis Council is making use of for a state grant to construct a pedestrian bridge close to Reynolds Center College that will enhance pupil security and visitors circulation in Houston’s Fifth Ward.
If accredited, the proposed McReynolds Center College Protected Passage Bridge Challenge would obtain over $4.65 million in funding from the Texas Division of Transportation (TxDOT) underneath its Transportation Options (TA) Set-Apart Program.
The bridge is designed to create a grade-separated pedestrian crossing over the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) tracks, offering college students with a direct and safe route to highschool.
At the moment, college students should navigate busy intersections and lively freight strains, posing a big security danger. Final December, a Milby Excessive College pupil, Sergio Rodriguez, was killed by a practice whereas strolling to highschool. The proposed infrastructure would assist remove that hazard, giving households peace of thoughts.
The challenge, which spans Districts B and H, represented by Councilmembers Tarsha Jackson and Mario Castillo, respectively, is a collaborative effort in partnership with the UPRR.
Whereas UPPR will lead and fund the design section of the bridge, Harris County Precinct 2, led by Commissioner Adrian Garcia, will contribute 60% of the estimated native funding match. The Metropolis of Houston will probably be answerable for the rest of the match and any challenge value overruns.
In keeping with metropolis paperwork, the entire estimated value of the bridge is $5.8 million. Of that, the town is requesting $4.65 million from the state. The native match requirement is about $1.16 million, with the town contributing roughly $465,000 and Harris County Precinct 2 contributing just below $700,000.
Castillo mentioned the initiative started earlier than the Milby HS incident.
“Considered one of my first city halls final yr, we had been in Denver Harbor, and this was a difficulty that was introduced up from the neighborhood,” Castillo mentioned. “The practice that will stall subsequent to (McReynolds) and block the entry for teenagers to get to and from faculty. Some cases of children crawling underneath the practice to get to and from faculty. And the neighborhood was very involved that sooner or later a baby was going to get damage, doubtlessly killed.”
If TxDOT awards the grant, Houston Public Works will carry the proposal again to Metropolis Council for last approval and appropriation of the native match. An interlocal settlement between the town and Harris County will even be created to outline cost-sharing tasks and building plans.
The grant software underscores Houston’s broader efforts to enhance pedestrian infrastructure and pupil security, particularly in traditionally underserved areas. The Metropolis’s software reaffirms its eligibility to take part within the TA program and authorizes Houston Public Works to behave on the Metropolis’s behalf all through the grant course of.
