Worth keeping in mind, the cost of expanding I-45 is more than just dollars.
The I-45 project’s toll on local property owners would be unprecedented for TxDOT in Houston, potentially relocating hundreds of families and businesses. Estimated to cost at least $7 billion, the project will rebuild I-45 from downtown Houston north to Beltway 8, and change how it connects with other downtown freeways.
That means rebuilding — by removing — pieces of Fifth Ward, the Northside, Acres Homes and Aldine. Spots south of North Main where third-generation Latino residents help neighbors work on cars in their driveway. Or Tidwell, which bustles with activity as the commercial center and is the only place within walking distance of her apartment where Shondrae McBride, 26, can get her nails done, pick up marinated carne asada and drop off her husband’s cell phone for repair across from a Pho restaurant.
“Not everybody has a car to get around,” McBride said.
Removing some of those businesses, she said, would “add hours” to her typical errands.
The latest estimates show the rebuild would impact — the catchword for any structure or dwelling directly touched by the changing road boundary — 158 houses, 433 apartments or condos, 486 public housing units, 340 businesses, five churches and two schools. The Houston Police Department would need to relocate its south central police station and the Mexican Consulate in the Museum District, adjacent to I-69, will move to a Westchase-area location.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has called the project “transformative” but also called on TxDOT to revise the designs north of downtown to impact fewer homes and businesses while remaining on track to start construction downtown in a matter of months. Work is slated to begin north of Interstate 10 by 2024.
When the work actually begins will depend on decisions made this year and next that some, including Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, worry will displace a historic number of people before getting a full public review despite more than 15 years of planning. Hidalgo and others have called on TxDOT to delay final decisions, which could push back the start of construction for months as more public meetings are planned.
“Given the impacts of the COVID-19 disaster, this delay would give the county and its residents more time to engage with and offer feedback,” Hidalgo wrote in May.
TxDOT officials have said they welcome the city and county’s input, with state Transportation Commissioner Laura Ryan, of Houston, saying the goal is a project that “will work, for the most part, for as many people as possible.”
That still leaves the question of how many people will have to get out of the way.
There’s an illustration in the story that shows what the effects would be for the project as now planned. The city’s alternative would do a lot to mitigate that. The best thing you can do is take advantage of every opportunity to let your elected officials know what you do and don’t want to happen. I know there’s a lot going on, but stuff like this doesn’t go away when there’s too much to pay attention to.
“let your elected officials know”, that’s funny, what needs to happen is a class action lawsuit declaring some type of disparate impact. Take a note from those fighting the Dallas- Houston rail and get ready for some legal action. The drawback is how many residents can afford that type of legal fight? While people protest statues, others’ homes are being taken from them, what is really important?
Answer: The integrity and just character of our country is most important.
Without that who gives a damn about everything else.
Whatever, take the statues, take the names off the schools, change the names of the streets, heck change the names of the states, then go ask one of these people who were displaced how they feel about getting their home taken from then when many cannot afford another. Sounds to me the “integrity and just character” isn’t worth crap with or without the statues if history repeats itself and the Nation never learns. These people displaced should recieve a stake in the toll road system which provides for them continued housing, possibly based on the square footage taken, there’s an idea that has integrity.