The North Houston District has commissioned a traffic study to examine changing usage patterns and will consider pedestrians, vehicle-users, public transit users, as well as truck routes for major distributors operating in the area. The study will ultimately benefit constituents by helping to address user conflicts as well as infrastructure impacts caused by large trucks, with the goal of developing preferred routes for trucks to optimize travel logistics throughout the District.

“The last traffic study completed in the North Houston District was in 2003. It primarily focused on commuters in cars. But, now the issue is goods in trucks. We are working to deconflict truck routes from pedestrians and other motorists,” says Robert Fiederlein, North Houston District’s VP of Planning and Infrastructure.

The traffic study will engage major stakeholders with logistics and distribution footprints in the District, including Fed Ex, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, Amazon, and other large warehouse operators.  Once complete, the study will be shared with key partner organizations in the area, including Texas Department of Transportation, Harris County Toll Road Authority, and METRO Houston to help guide infrastructure planning in the area. AECOM has been selected to complete the study.

Where Logistics & Distribution Intersect

Once dominated by office and retail, North Houston’s commercial real estate dynamics have shifted significantly, with warehouse and industrial space now leading growth in the area and cementing North Houston’s rise as a logistics and distribution hub.

However, the transition has brought infrastructure issues to the forefront as pedestrians, public transit, motorists and trucks all converge on area roadways. For example, one recurring issue is that road designs do not always fit with the turn radius of the largest trucks, causing them to drive over the curb, destroying it and surrounding sidewalks.

“We have already addressed this specific issue at the intersection of Greenspoint Drive and Benmar by increasing the corner turning radius and moving the curbs back more from the roadway,” Fiederlein says.

Adjusting to the Changing Landscape of the North Houston District

With the District’s primary business focus shifting from office to logistics and warehousing, the traffic study will gather information on routing, traffic flow issues, and safety concerns relating to the mass transit, motorists, trucks, cyclists and pedestrians sharing the roads in North Houston.

Upcoming redevelopment to build more warehouses will add to the changing traffic composition from commuter vehicles to a greater percentage of large trucks and other delivery vehicles.

“The North Houston District aims to complete this District-wide traffic and mobility study to improve safety and traffic flow for all system users in our area,” Fiederlein shares. “One goal of this study is to reduce crashes and give trucks a safer space to operate with designated truck corridors.”

Actionable Data Will Guide Future Projects

The traffic study will take 12 months total to complete. AECOM will conduct extensive data collection and meet with stakeholders, ultimately making recommendations on low-hanging improvements that can be completed quickly along with major changes projected as far out as 2050.

North Houston District will use this study to advocate for the area. “There’s no single other government organization that looks at our area with the same level of detail as the North Houston District does. We’re bringing everybody to one table to be sure all projects are aligned, from small side streets to major thoroughfares,” Fiederlein emphasizes. He mentions that future infrastructure projects in the District will work to complement the Interstate 45 expansion taking place from downtown Houston to Beltway 8.

The proposed traffic study will be useful in guiding projects in the North Houston District, and help to reevaluate the area’s infrastructure in light of the transition from an office-driven local economy to a logistics and distribution powerhouse. “We hope the study will be a resource to other stakeholders working in our area, so that they have access to that level of granular data,” says Fiederlein.