BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – For as long as medians have been in place along Texas Avenue, some Bryan residents have been searching for a way to get rid of them. Now, a petition drive led by resident Denise Fries is down to its final day.
“There are a lot of people who this has impacted negatively, and while we have tried to keep this very positive, we’re not in a situation we’re trying to figure out who did what, when, or why,” Fries said. “They’re here. That’s all we know about, and we don’t want them here.”
The medians were installed between 2024 and 2025 and drew immediate pushback from some neighbors who say the changes have made everyday travel more difficult. Residents have also raised concerns about emergency response access.
Fries said flooding has become an issue during heavy rain.
“When it rains very hard, we’re seeing flooding now because the water cannot get to the other side of the road to reach the drains,” she said. “And unfortunately, we’re seeing a lot of U-turn crashes at certain intersections, at certain stretches of the road.”
The petition, created earlier this year, still needs roughly 100 in-person signatures. Friday is the last day to sign.
“The city needs to spend resources to figure out which ones are good and can stay and which ones have caused a problem,” Fries said. “And all we’re saying is please listen to your voters.”
After the petitions are turned in, the city will verify whether the signatures are from residents within Bryan city limits. If enough valid signatures are confirmed, the issue could be placed on the August City Council docket. Council would then decide whether to send it to voters in the November election.
Fries said moving the issue to a ballot measure would ensure broader community input.
“Sometimes it looks like just a few volunteers, a few people who are passionate about a topic are the same people that they keep hearing from,” she said. “By having it as a ballot initiative, by having it as a petition, we’re able to let the voters tell the representatives what we feel about this topic.”
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