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<\/p>\nResidents want to reopen a long-buried underpass linking East Downtown and Second Ward, but a nearby shelter’s planned expansion could complicate the project.<\/p>\n
HOUSTON \u2014 Residents and the East End Management District are working to reopen a long-buried underpass between St. Charles Street and Preston Street, saying the project would reconnect Houston’s East Downtown and Second Ward for pedestrians and bicyclists.<\/p>\n
Supporters say the effort now faces uncertainty after a nearby homeless shelter applied to acquire the property where the underpass is located as part of a potential expansion.<\/p>\n
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The underpass, which has been buried beneath dirt for decades, once connected St. Charles Street and Preston Street. Community members now hope to restore it as a dedicated walking and biking route between the two neighborhoods.<\/p>\n
East End Management District Director of External Affairs Ricky Cardenas said the underpass has been out of use for years as transportation priorities changed.<\/p>\n
“It was an abandoned underpass in the 1990s. It was once used for rail traffic after the World Wars, designed around vehicles,” Cardenas said.<\/p>\n
Cardenas said community members have responded enthusiastically to the proposal, which supporters believe would improve access to jobs, businesses and major entertainment venues.<\/p>\n
“The people I spoke to are excited. Another opportunity to connect. Jobs and businesses, Dynamo and Astros playing,” he said.<\/p>\n
Residents backing the project say reopening the underpass would make it easier and safer to travel through the area without relying on a vehicle.<\/p>\n
Downtown Super Neighborhood President Mitchell Walker said creating better connections for pedestrians and cyclists should be an easy decision.<\/p>\n
“The idea of getting there easy on bike and foot should be a no-brainer,” Walker said.<\/p>\n
The project’s future became less certain after the East End Management District learned that the homeless shelter adjacent to the underpass had applied to acquire the property where the underpass is located. Last month, Houston City Council approved the property transfer, potentially clearing the way for the shelter to expand. The shelter’s opening has already generated controversy in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n
Walker said the latest development has been frustrating for residents focused on improving neighborhood connectivity.<\/p>\n
“It does feel like we are getting multiple gut punches with connectivity,” he said.<\/p>\n
Even so, supporters believe there may still be a path forward if all parties can work together.<\/p>\n
Cardenas said preserving access to the underpass will depend on how much of the property is ultimately used.<\/p>\n
“If they take the entire plot of land, there is nowhere for us to go. But if we can partner with all the necessary parties, they’ve got the rec center, and we have room for the underpass to empty out underneath,” Cardenas said.<\/p>\n
Supporters also argue that reopening the underpass could reduce illegal dumping, provide Second Ward residents with a safer route to Daikin Park and Shell Energy Stadium, and help reduce traffic congestion by encouraging more people to walk or bike.<\/p>\n
Cardenas said the project could also help ease congestion during major events.<\/p>\n
“Opportunity to relieve that congestion, avoid the traffic nightmare and the parking,” he said.<\/p>\n
The East End Management District said it is applying for a grant to fund a feasibility study for the project.<\/p>\n
KHOU 11 reached out to the mayor’s office and the office of Council Member Joaquin Martinez for comment on the proposal and the shelter’s planned expansion but had not received a response as of publication.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Residents want to reopen a long-buried underpass linking East Downtown and Second Ward, but a nearby shelter’s planned…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":390236,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[56,58,57],"class_list":["post-390235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-houston","tag-houston-headlines","tag-houston-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/390235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=390235"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/390235\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/390236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=390235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=390235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=390235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}