Tag Archives: downtown

Council votes to close Polk Street

Posted on October 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Welp. The City Council voted Wednesday to close Polk Street for the $2 billion expansion of the George R. Brown Convention Center — an early step in a 15-year plan Houston First says will “redefine” downtown, and critics say will … Continue reading →

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The city screws with the Main Street light rail line

Posted on September 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

All done in silence, no notice and no transparency. Light rail passengers are facing longer delays while taking Metro’s Red Line route through downtown after the city adjusted the timing of traffic lights. Local officials have not responded to questions … Continue reading →

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Three perspectives on scooters

Posted on August 13, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron editorial board calls for regulation over a ban. We’re feeling a bit of whiplash. For a city that has for decades been desperate to get people out of their cars and into central neighborhoods, our leaders seem all … Continue reading →

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Council to consider scooter ban

Posted on July 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not a fan. Houston may soon join a growing number of major U.S. cities that have banned electric scooters, citing increasing safety risks to pedestrians and riders. A proposal to prohibit electric scooter use in downtown, Midtown, and East … Continue reading →

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Houston First does its own Polk Street study

Posted on July 7, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Everything will be fine, don’t worry about it. As Houston residents continue to push for Polk Street to remain open through the planned $2 billion George R. Brown Convention Center expansion, Houston First has released a traffic study it says … Continue reading →

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Wisk gives a virtual demo

Posted on June 8, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I’d want to see the real thing, but I suppose that wasn’t practical under the circumstances. Saemi Poelma eagerly posed for a photo Tuesday inside a model autonomous air taxi, impressed by the possibility of a new way of traveling … Continue reading →

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Who’s really using Polk Street?

Posted on May 7, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

The people who would be most affected by a proposed street closure are trying to quantify the effect of said closure. Armed with clipboards, pencils and determination, a group of volunteers gathered early Wednesday morning at intersections around the George … Continue reading →

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Microtransit comes to the Heights

Posted on April 17, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Whoopie. Houston transit officials on Monday said on-demand microtransit would expand to provide rides in the Heights. Metro, with the city of Houston and Evolve Houston, expanded the Community Connector service, which has been serving downtown Houston, Second Ward and … Continue reading →

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Another name emerges as a possible Houston hockey team owner

Posted on April 8, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

New player alert. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has said the league has received interest from multiple prospective owners about a Houston hockey franchise. On Thursday, the identity of at least another interested party became public. ESPN reported that Houston billionaire … Continue reading →

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The Polk Street connection

Posted on March 16, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Closing off streets is a tough thing to do. On Feb. 1, signs went up announcing the city’s plan to abandon Polk Street between St. Emanuel and Hamilton streets. The closure is part of Houston First Corporation’s $2 billion overhaul … Continue reading →

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The GRB gets bigger

Posted on March 10, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Houston First head Michael Heckman on Thursday unveiled plans for a $2 billion overhaul of the George R. Brown Convention Center, a project they said would “transform” the city’s downtown and east side while … Continue reading →

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Turning office space into coliving space

Posted on March 1, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Definitely worth considering. Nationwide, commercial vacancies are becoming increasingly noteworthy as the gulf between residential rental rates and stagnant wages widens. Low-income earners, folks making between $20,000 and $30,000 annually (typically minimum wage employees, students and seniors living on Social … Continue reading →

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Expanding Metro’s micro-transit

Posted on December 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Okay fine, but show me the numbers. Metro will expand on-demand rides of its micro-transit to include services in Second Ward, Third Ward and downtown Houston through a partnership with the city of Houston and Evolve Houston. The expansion comes after … Continue reading →

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Where to go to hail a flying taxi

Posted on December 8, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

To the vertiport, of course. Wisk Aero, an Advanced Air Mobility company and Boeing subsidiary aiming to bring self-flying air taxis to Southeast Texas by the end of the decade, has designed its potential initial routes for its service. A … Continue reading →

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The I-45 project is officially underway

Posted on December 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Brace yourselves. Houston drivers are facing more than a dozen years of work on freeways in and around the central business district — at a cost that could come close to or exceed $6 billion. All that work, however, will … Continue reading →

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Of course the I-45 project will cost more than expected

Posted on September 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Same as it ever was. The first major road work set for downtown Houston related to the $11.2 billion-plus rebuild of the freeway core and Interstate 45 remains on track for next year, but at a cost of $80 million … Continue reading →

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On burying a freeway and building a park over it

Posted on August 12, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Noting this for the record. As a high-stakes project to sink I-35 through downtown Austin kicks into gear this summer, city officials and the University of Texas are looking to Dallas for a possible glimpse of the future. The vision: … Continue reading →

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Brace yourselves for the 2028 RNC in Houston

Posted on July 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Just a reminder, this is looming in our future. Houston isn’t taking any chances. As host of the next Republican National Convention in 2028, the city has dispatched teams to Milwaukee this week to get a handle on how to … Continue reading →

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Food Not Bombs lawsuit may proceed

Posted on June 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Do I hear a settlement offer? Anyone? A lawsuit filed by Food Not Bombs against the city of Houston will proceed after a federal judge rejected the city’s effort to dismiss the case. Since March 2023, FNB volunteers have received … Continue reading →

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Not just Fertitta wants a hockey team here

Posted on May 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Do tell. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has company when it comes to bringing a pro hockey franchise to Houston. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed Tuesday that the league has received interest from other parties about a team in Houston. “Tilman … Continue reading →

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You say “de-REY-cho”, I say “de-REH-cho”

Posted on May 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

If only we could have called the whole thing off. A heat dome in Mexico contributed to Houston’s rare derecho event on May 16, when deadly and destructive winds whipped Southeast Texas, leaving eight dead and much of the nation’s … Continue reading →

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A longer look at why we don’t have hockey in Houston

Posted on May 12, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Some fascinating stuff here. “I think it’s surprising that if you look at the growth of the NHL and you see that Atlanta and Houston aren’t represented, that is sort of shocking given the size of those markets,” said Neil … Continue reading →

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Parking meter extended hours proposal withdrawn

Posted on April 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Probably dead, though I suppose it could come back. Proposals to make it easier to extend parking meter enforcement hours and install speed cushions did not advance at Houston’s inaugural Proposition A committee meeting Tuesday, after both failed to meet … Continue reading →

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Amtrak pushes for Texas Central

Posted on April 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I like the sound of that. Booming demand, Texas’s rapidly expanding population and growing political will have converged to create the right environment to move high-speed rail ahead, Amtrak leadership said Tuesday. Andy Byford, Amtrak’s senior vice president of high-speed … Continue reading →

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Fertitta still interested in an NHL team

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Also possibly a WNBA team. For the second time in more than a month, Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has stated his interest in bringing an NHL team to Houston. Fertitta, in an interview Wednesday on CNBC’s “Power Lunch,” was asked … Continue reading →

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Parking meter extension proposal sent to Prop A committee

Posted on April 12, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We sure do live in a different world now. City Council voted on Wednesday to send a proposal extending parking meter enforcement times to committee following a clash between council members who introduced the agenda item and those who expressed … Continue reading →

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Extending parking meter hours downtown

Posted on April 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’m okay with this. Houston City Council will vote to extend the time residents will have to pay city parking meters on Wednesday. The current ordinance requires drivers who park in metered spots to pay between 7 a.m. and 6 … Continue reading →

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Are we talking hockey in Houston again?

Posted on February 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It appears we are. Billionaire restaurateur and casino magnate Tilman Fertitta sees a professional hockey team as the next building block for the downtown Houston economy. The owner of the National Basketball Association’s Houston Rockets and the Golden Nugget casino … Continue reading →

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Food Not Bombs gets temporary ticketing reprieve

Posted on February 16, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Pending a ruling from the judge, so this could be very temporary or it could be for the duration of the lawsuit. A U.S. District Court judge on Wednesday ordered Houston to temporarily stop enforcing a law that requires city … Continue reading →

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Food Not Bombs sues the city again

Posted on February 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how it goes. Food Not Bombs, a group of volunteers who serve meals outside Houston Public Library’s downtown branch, filed suit Tuesday against the city, alleging that a food-sharing ordinance is unconstitutional. The suit claims that the city’s … Continue reading →

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Converting empty downtown office space into residences

Posted on June 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Something to think about. Across the country, office-to-housing conversions are being pursued as a potential lifeline for struggling downtown business districts that emptied out during the coronavirus pandemic and may never fully recover. The conversion push is marked by an emphasis on affordability. Multiple … Continue reading →

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Some dough for downtown

Posted on May 22, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It would be nice. With just days left in this year’s regular session of the Texas Legislature, Houston-area lawmakers are fighting for a measure that would likely provide several billion dollars to expand the George R. Brown Convention Center and … Continue reading →

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How much downtown parking do we need?

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know the answer to that, but this is how much we have. Downtown Houston dedicates more than a quarter of its land to parking spaces, surpassing the percentages in most major U.S. cities, a new report shows. A photo from … Continue reading →

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B-Cycle hits the brakes

Posted on April 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Unfortunate. Hopes for a much-needed infusion of cash from a new partnership with Metro have yet to be fulfilled, leading Houston Bike Share to warn users that prices will increase and the number of available stations will shrink, starting May 1. The nonprofit … Continue reading →

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