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In the late 1960s, Texas built a single interchange for 1-69 and I-10 through the heart of Houston's Fifth Ward that destroyed 686 homes, 101 businesses, 11 churches, five schools and two hospitals. Other communities of color paid a disproportionate price for highway infrastructure, though white neighborhoods have been affected as well. This type of disregard for existing communities is why new laws required extensive review before projects with federal funding could move forward. And it's why in 2020, this editorial board supported the demand by activists and local leaders that the Texas Department of Transportation revise its plans for rebuilding and expanding I-45.
What's come of the lawsuits and negotiations that paused, and then allowed I-45 to move forward? Though the first phase of construction is expected to break ground this year, it's still too early to tell if TxDOT has made good on its promises. After four years, our call is the same: vigilance. Advocates and local leaders must keep up the pressure to make sure transit, neighborhood streets, housing and businesses are not just spared but improved whenever possible.
In the defense of TxDOT, our regional planning authority --- the Houston-Galveston Area Council --- has long asked for the I-45 project and supported the state's plans. The lack of representation that's proportional to population had something to do with that. Representatives of outlying communities can easily outvote those from Houston and Harris County. We're happy to share, though, that it looks like that could change after Houston voters passed a proposition that required the city to threaten leaving the council unless it gets more say.
And as always send your thoughts to viewpoints@houstonchronicle.com.
- The Editorial Board
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Photo by: Kirk Sides, Staff Photographer
By Houston Chronicle Editorial Board
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