Transportation

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Getting to and from work, school, and around your community should never put your safety at risk.

Cyclists, pedestrians, bus riders, and drivers alike deserve to have access to safe and reliable mobility.

Historically, not every community has had the investments to have reliable transportation options that are both safe and good for the planet. That is why the Office of Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis’s investments in transportation and mobility around our county focuses on communities that most need improvements to their transportation infrastructure.

In the past several years, it has become apparent that many Harris County streets are dangerous for non-drivers – pedestrians and, in particular, bicyclists. While transportation improvements have focused on roadwork for several decades, we’ve pushed to make major improvements in sidewalks, bike lanes, bike paths, and intersections to ensure non-drivers are safe when they use our streets.

The Office of Commissioner Ellis has expanded our high comfort, on-street bicycle network to 9.4 miles, which tripled the size of the network in just one year. We have re-paved more than 20 miles of park trails for pedestrians and people on bikes to enjoy. We have instituted cycling programs at local community centers to educate constituents of all ages and abilities about the fundamentals of cycling and bike safety. And we have helped to expand the network of bike sharing in Houston by adding 13 new stations, primarily at college campuses and in underserved neighborhoods in our precinct so that more residents can enjoy cycling.

We’ve also made major pushes to improve pedestrian safety measures, including reconstructing streets around two of our universities – Texas Southern University and the University of Houston – to improve safety and mobility for students, staff, and visitors to those campuses and the surrounding neighborhood. We’ve constructed wider sidewalks, better lighting, and other features to improve use by pedestrians and people on bikes.

Our efforts are paying off thanks to the strong partnerships and coalitions we’ve built, including working with the City of Houston and area universities to leverage resources so we can make our tax dollars go further. As our county grows, it’s important we make sure all of our services keep up – including transportation alternatives – so that we can have safe and strong communities in every part of Harris County.

Learn about Harris County's Vision Zero Action Plan to eliminate traffic fatalities and traffic-related injuries.