Summary
Ordinance amending Chapter 33 of the City of Houston Code of Ordinances to authorize the Planning and Development Department to establish a Citywide Truck Route Plan with the aim of effectively managing freight movement, enhancing roadway safety, and improving the quality of life in Houston by guiding commercial vehicles to travel on the designated truck routes.
Background
The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) estimates that freight tonnage in the Houston metropolitan area will grow by 60% from 2015 to 2040. The growing freight activities have created a series of challenges. Cut through truck traffic in residential neighborhoods have created traffic safety hazards, roadway damage, noise pollution, and poor air quality in many of our neighborhoods. As the freight movement in the city and the region continue to grow, the through truck traffic has also become a prevailing issue for neighborhoods, especially those in close proximity to the port and the major industry areas.
The proposed enabling ordinance will authorize the Planning and Development Department to establish a Citywide Truck Route Plan by creating objective criteria to designate certain Houston roadways as Truck Routes. The plan will address freight movement on city roadways, improve multi-modal safety, maintain infrastructure in state of good repair, and enhance quality of life for neighborhoods and all users of the road.
The Planning and Development Department collected input and ideas from concerned residents and stakeholders through three public meetings, two stakeholder meetings, community survey, trucking industry survey, online truck hotspot mapping tool, and neighborhood tours. In addition, two interdepartmental meetings and two interagency meetings were conducted to inform and engage representatives from other city departments and partner agencies in the formulation of the plan. Planning staff presented the proposed ordinance to the Planning Commission on October 19, 2023 and will present to the Transportation, Technology, and Infrastructure Committee on November 9, 2023.
The Planning and Development Department recommends City Council adopt the ordinance and authorize the establishment of a citywide truck route plan.
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Margaret Wallace Brown, AICP, CNU-A
Director
Planning and Development Department