1. What is this site? It is a collection of links and maps that provide the public with information about current and future street construction downtown. The site is updated anytime new information is available . It is linked to other sites that also provide valuable data about street conditions downtown. For example, TxDOT's "Current Accidents" page gives a list of any and all reported accidents throughout the city.

2.Who do I call if ...?
a.If the problem is noise and you believe that the noise is above the noise ordinance then HPD asks that you call 713-308-8000. This number should only be used for noise complaints. Calling this number will allow a rapid response by an officer with a noise meter to hopefully arrive while the noise is occurring.
b.If the problem is that a lane or street is closed that you do not believe should be closed, a water or sewer utility is not in service, a sidewalk or crosswalk is not useable, or other issue caused by a contractor is occurring or condition exists then call 311. The 311 operators have information to call the responsible parties to have the issue investigated.
c.If the problem is a natural gas emergency call RE/Entex at 713-659-2111.
d.If the problem is your electrical service call RE/HL&P at 713-207-2222.

3.Who is the correct contact person for complaints and issues that need to be addressed in the following agencies?
a.The City of Houston - Call 311 or visit www.cityofhouston.gov.

b.Metro - For construction related issues in downtown visit www.ridemetro.org.

c.The Houston Downtown Management District - For construction related issues involving the Cotswold project that is currently working on Preston call Tom Davis at 713-650-3022 or visit www.downtowndistrict.org or www.DowntownStreets.com.

4.Who can I call with questions and concerns?
a.At Metro - visit www.ridemetro.org
b.At The Downtown District for Cotswold Construction or construction in the convention center area with the convention center, arena, or hotel call Tom Davis at 713-650-3022. Email to tom@DowntownDistrict.org
c.At The Downtown District for trash and other non-construction related issues call Chuck Jackson or Scott Finke at 713-223-2003. Email operations@downtowndistrict.org
d.At the City of Houston call 311.

5. Why is work proceeding on so many streets at once? Two important reasons have to do with money and time. One is that much of the work is federally funded and those funds must be used by a certain date. With the extensive need for repair of the downtown streets and infrastructure we need the federal funds to help bear the cost. A second reason is that if less work were done at the same time then construction would be underway for a much longer time. If one street at a time were rebuilt then downtown would be dealing with street reconstruction for over 20 years.

6. Why aren't signal lights timed to speed up traffic? The City is constantly at work maintaining the lights. They are requiring the installation of new solid-state signal controllers in all areas of new construction downtown. Until that work is complete, other controllers replaced and the wiring connecting them has been made more dependable we will have traffic lights that occasionally are out of sequence. Some traffic signals at intersections that are not heavily traveled are not connected to the system and therefore will not be sequenced to allow traffic to flow with few stops. If you notice a consistent problem contact the Public Works Department with The City of Houston and report the exact location and nature of the problem.

7. Who is paying for all this construction? Downtown street construction is being funded by a number of agencies and companies from the public and the private sectors. Metro is funding the Transit Streets Project at a cost of $177 million. It is rebuilding 20 midtown and downtown streets. Meanwhile, the City of Houston has contracted with the Houston Downtown Management District to contract with and manage the designers and contractors for the Cotswold Project, a $62 million re-do of a 90-block area in north downtown. The City, separate from Cotswold, is extending a large storm sewer under Austin Street from Capitol to Buffalo Bayou. That $8 million project will restore Austin Street to the Cotswold standards and appearance. Thirty-four fiber optic companies are laying conduits under city streets at their own expense. The City is expanding the George R. Brown Convention Center and building the Convention Center Hotel. Across the street the Sports Authority and the Rockets/Comets are building a new multi-purpose area.

8. Can the City of Houston provide more police officers to direct traffic downtown? The Houston Police Department, Metro, TxDOT and the Cotswold projects currently have officers assigned to many crucial intersections downtown during morning and evening rush hours to speed the flow of traffic. As always there are budgetary constraints. The officers are located where they can do the most good and hence may be relocated to meet special conditions as the construction zones move.

9. What are the different roles of the uniformed police officers that I see near or in the construction area? a.HPD on-duty officers are assigned tasks by HPD that includes all the functions of the police department including direction traffic at intersections. You cannot distinguish an on-duty officer from an off-duty officer that is working a second job except to observe what the officer is doing or where they are stationed. b.Metro on-duty officers are assigned to Metro's construction projects to assist with traffic flow in peak flow hours. This is coordinated with the HPD and in some cases is required by the permit issued by the City for the lane or street closures. c.HPD off-duty officers, and officers from other police departments employed by: 1)Private garages - The officer is hired typically by the property manager to assist vehicles entering or exiting the garage. HPD expects the officer to manage the vehicle movement to not interfere with the traffic on the street. 2)Contractor - The officer is to assist access to the work site and is supposed to assist with traffic flow in general. - Each contractor hires off-duty officers to perform the tasks as required by each contract and the contracts between each agency differ. The primary task is to direct traffic around the construction site and in particular to assist construction equipment in moving into and out of the construction zone. One of the agencies includes requirements for an officer to be assigned to intersections during peak flow periods to assist HPD with the traffic flow around the work.

10. Why will the officer not let the light change to green/red and what is the City doing to help us? To keep the major arteries moving during rush hour HPD is manually controlling the traffic signals with an officer at critical intersections. The officers are coordinated through a central command post. They are, in a coordinated effort, providing a long-duration green light rather than the shorter cycles. A larger volume of vehicles can move out of town when there is not as much stop and starting. One of the streets where this has been done for many months is on Travis during the evening rush. The City and HPD are continually working to optimize this procedure to move the maximum traffic while minimizing the impact to pedestrians and east-west travelers. Please understand that the officer you see standing at the switch box at the corner is waiting for a radio command to switch the lights. We owe the HPD and the City our thanks for dedicating the hours and attention to this in order that we are not left to the unrelenting programming of an electronic device that cannot recognize the rapidly changing traffic patterns due to the many public and private events plus the construction that is underway.

11. Why was the street removed and nothing happened for weeks? This normally occurs on one of Metro's Transit Street projects due to the need for extensive private utility relocations that are required. Metro's method of accomplishing those relocations is to have the street contractor remove the old street and replace or relocate and public utilities (water, sewer or storm sewer piping) and then leave the area for the private utility companies to relocate their ducts or lines. Those private utilities include Southwestern Bell, HL&P, Entex and often one or more of the over twenty-three communications companies. In some blocks there may be little private utlites to work on and in others there is a lot. Sequencing them into and out of the half of the street with no pavement takes time and between there work there is nothing occurring. As a side bar to this issue, Metro is installing a new feature in the street that you will notice in the bus lanes on the streets where the street work is completed such as Louisiana, St. Joseph Parkway and San Jacinto. Notice the narrow grey grating in the bus lane. That grating is over a storm water collection trench that extends the full length of the block and prevents water from ponding at the curb and being splashed on pedestrians (like those waiting for buses) by passing vehicles. Installation of that trench drain causes additional utlity relocations due to it's depth and length. That additional relocation further extends the time that the right-hand half of the street is under construction.

12. I know the City issues permits for many things but which ones affect us? a.The Right of Way Occupancy Permit grants the contractor the privilege of closing lanes or streets in locations where a need has been justified. The permits include the hours and the day that the lane(s) or street may be closed. Often in downtown it requires a uniformed peace officer to assist with traffic. The permit must be available on site for inspection. b.What is the new ordinance that was passed to control street construction? The Street Cut Permit is an additional permit required of non-public projects that allows the bearer to cut the pavement in a specific location for a specific purpose. This permit is backed by a new ordinance that defines the responsibilities of the contractor and the company that hired the contractor to install or maintain private underground facilities in the right-of-way. The contractor must have a sign at the site that provides contact information and other pertinent data. c.There is a new ordinance for a permits that are being considered, the Street Obstruction Ordinance, regulating temporary closure, was issued in December 2002. As approved by City Council it gives strength to many of the policies that Public Works has in effect today to control the degree and manner of lane and street closures. Click Here to learn more. d.A Building Permit provides for a contractor to build what is on drawings approved by the City. It does not grant the right to be in the right of way nor close lanes. A dumpster for a building project cannot occupy a lane without a current Right of Way Occupancy Permit.

13. I have been told that a permit can waive some things like the noise ordinance. Is that true and what do the permits NOT do? A permit CANNOT waive any ordinance such as the noise ordinance. If there is a noise problem and someone at a construction site tells you the contractor has a permit that overrides the noise ordinance then you should call HPD at 713-308-8000. Provide HPD any information you can and send any info about the officer to the City of Houston. It is also very helpful to note the company name on the trucks, equipment or hardhats so the managing agency can address the misrepresentation or misunderstanding of the permit with the responsible company.

14.Who issues permits? Different groups in the City's Department of Public Works and Engineering issue permits. The Traffic Management Branch issues the permit that allows for lane or street closures. Any requests for lane or street closures during peak traffic times from Monday to Friday are reviewed and approved by the Mayor's office in conjunction with the Traffic Management Branch and other agencies.

15.Who is responsible for trash collection in Downtown? - Since the City of Houston terminated trash pick up in downtown in 1987, it might appear to the average citizen that there is no organized/coordinated method to collect and remove trash from downtown. In fact, there are a number of entities engaged in this effort. a. The City of Houston is responsible for "tipping" (empting) the 290 city-owned trash receptacles in downtown, Monday thru Friday. b.The Downtown District operates (since 1993) the Bagged Curbside Trash Program designed to address the needs of the small businesses. A monthly fee is paid, distinctive blue bags are purchased as needed and sealed bags of trash are then placed curbside where they are collected twice a day. This program operates Monday thru Sunday. c.Metro is responsible for tipping receptacles and removing trash at all bus stops located in downtown Monday thru Saturday. e.Additionally the District has taken on the daily task of removing litter from construction sites on Main Street Monday thru Sunday. f.The City of Houston performs street sweeping early mornings, Monday thru Friday and after all major parades.

16. Has any street been finished? Click here to see a map that shows the streets as a solid line that have are scheduled to be complete by 2005. Several of the projects are in their final stages and there may be construction work in the sidewalk area such as pavers, landscaping, fountains or bus stops that are still being added. The vehicle lanes and sidewalks are open.

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WRITE TO US: info@downtownstreets.com