Strong Partnerships Deliver Major Pedestrian and Road Improvements in North Houston

The North Houston District continuously collaborates with other organizations to improve and enhance the area for those who work, live, and operate businesses here. This endeavor includes making the area safer and more connected by collectively improving sidewalks and pedestrian access to existing public transit options.

Each of our partner organizations plays a crucial part in creating impactful change in the District. This is obvious in the ongoing transformation of the intersection at Greens Road and Greenspoint Drive in the District’s northeast quadrant, where multiple overlapping projects from various entities will create a seamless and all-encompassing improvement for local pedestrians.

“I’m pleased by the partnerships we’ve developed through these projects. Precinct 2, METRO Houston, TIRZ 11—no single entity can do it all, but we can each complete a piece of the puzzle. Working closely with our partners enhances overall safety and accessibility outcomes in the North Houston District,” explains Fiederlein, adding, “We are excited to work on such transformational projects with partners who support our objectives.”

Projects Overview

Here are summaries of the completed, ongoing, and upcoming sidewalk, pedestrian, and roadway improvement projects happening in the North Houston District:

Airline Drive: Upgraded sidewalks on Airline Drive were completed in collaboration between North Houston District and Harris County Precinct 2. Status: Completed.

METRO BOOST 56: Improved pedestrian infrastructure, including safer crossings, improved curbs and ramps, and updated bus shelters with lighting along multiple corridors, including Aldine Bender, Airline Drive, Greens Road, and Imperial Valley. Status: In progress.

H-GAC Transportation Policy Council Grant sidewalk project: North Houston District project to improve the sidewalk network in the northeast quadrant and add high-visibility crosswalks. Status: Pending, construction expected to begin in 2026.

Greens Road: N. Houston Redevelopment Corporation’s project to improve bus stops and pedestrian infrastructure on Greens Road from Ella Boulevard to Greenspoint Drive Status: Pending.

West Road: A North Houston District project to rebuild the roadway and improve sidewalks and pedestrian amenities is partially funded by a Houston-Galveston Area Council engineering design grant. The status is pending HGAC approval for funding in 2025.

Rankin Road: Harris County will reconstruct Rankin Road from East Hardy to I-45. The status is design in 2026 and construction in 2027.

A group of construction workers kneel and smooth out wet concrete on a sidewalk segment, with orange cones and a vehicle in the background.
Workers use tools to dig and prepare the ground for new sidewalk sections, with orange cones marking the construction area along the street.
A smooth concrete sidewalk along Airline Drive with adjacent parked cars and a clean brick border, showcasing accessibility improvements.
A triangular section of freshly laid concrete near a signal pole and utility box, enhancing walkability and safety at the intersection.

The METRO Transit Center at Greenspoint Drive and Greens Road is a major hub for local bus routes. Planned improvements from METRO’s BOOST 56 project and the N. Houston Redevelopment Corporation’s project on Greens Road dovetail nicely with the North Houston District’s recently completed Airline Drive project with Precinct and the District’s upcoming H-GAC-funded sidewalk project. 

The positive changes to these roadways is the perfect example of multiple entities working together in tandem to improve local pedestrian infrastructure for the District’s transit-dependent and commuter populations. 

“Each of these pedestrian improvement projects aims to bring our sidewalk systems and infrastructure in the area up to standard, with a heavy emphasis on increasing safety. We need to make it safe for people to walk to utilize transit, visit parks, and shop or eat at local establishments,” says Robert Fiederlein, Vice President of Planning and Infrastructure at North Houston District.

Sidewalk Talk: Why Pedestrian Improvements Matter

Sidewalk and pedestrian improvements heavily impact the quality of life for those who live and work in the District as many are public transit-dependent. For this reason, evaluating and addressing the community’s needs have been a high priority for the past decade. 

In 2016, the District commissioned a Sidewalk Inventory & Funding Strategy report to get a complete picture of the state of sidewalk networks throughout the area. Using observations and recommendations from this report along with a 2020 Liveable Center’s Study, Fiederlein and the North Houston District created a plan to improve and complete the sidewalk network, including repairing or replacing sections of cracked or narrow sidewalk, and adding sidewalks in some areas where there were none at all.

Partnerships Create Powerful Change

For the North Houston District, strong partnerships are crucial. The organization does not generate enough revenue to complete such large-scale capital improvement projects on its own. Like many management districts, the North Houston District aims to leverage its dollars through grants and partnerships with modest match requirements. This enables the District to move the needle on major projects that benefit residents and businesses in the area. 

“Lots of people in the area don’t own cars and rely on buses for transportation. People have to get from their apartment or home using the sidewalks, every single day. Making sure these sidewalks are continuous and up to par is a must,” Fiederlein highlights.

A sidewalk curves alongside a road, lined with orange traffic barriers and a chain-link fence on the right. A white barricade sits in the foreground.

Please stay tuned for updates.

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