Houston’s thin-skinned Mayor can let no negative news story go unchallenged (however rare those negative stories may be).
To that end, here is a letter to the Chronicle from our part-time* mayor:
Rivercrest Drive is a residential road more narrow than current standards, built like an upside-down U with an entrance and exit on Westheimer. The street was developed when the area was “in the country” and public entities later built a thoroughfare, Briar Forest Drive, parallel to San Felipe, cutting right through the east and west segments of Rivercrest. Other thoroughfares running north and south were built to each side of Rivercrest, to protect neighborhoods from cut-through traffic. As West Houston was transformed from prairie to suburb, a limited number of drivers each day — about 100 during rush hours — chose to cut through this neighborhood rather than using the thoroughfares. Residents of Rivercrest sued the city and prevailed in court. That suit was mediated, but the city rejected the recommendation of the mediator to, essentially, close the street because of public objections from other residents. Instead, at an open Council session on May 28, 2008, after an extensive public discussion with many citizens living on Rivercrest and in adjacent neighborhoods, we instructed the Department of Public Works to institute traffic calming measures on Rivercrest that would discourage cut-through traffic while allowing complete public access. The Department of Public Works has also developed alternatives to the standard “speed bumps” which may be used in narrow residential streets where cut-through traffic becomes a particular safety problem. It was clear from the discussion at the public meetings that many residents of Rivercrest believed their street was unsafe unless it was closed to through traffic. It was also clear that some nearby residents objected to any measure taken to reduce cut-through traffic on Rivercrest, although not a single citizen stated that they needed to cut through this neighborhood in order to get someplace. All of these citizens were sincere, and we do not question their motives.
The history of Rivercrest is fairly unusual. It would have been simpler if measures to reduce cut-through traffic were implemented when Briar Forest Drive was built, although there was much less traffic than exists today. The Department of Public Works implemented the “one-way” exit solution after a decision was announced in open public session following input from both the residents and adjacent neighborhoods. The balance between mobility and reducing cut-through traffic may not have been perfect, but it was not done in the “back room” or a result of some kind of corruption.
– Mayor Bill White
Does he REALLY want to go there?
Because all of the relevant Rivercrest traffic documentation can be obtained (and published) by area watchdogs fairly easily. However, chances are good that the contenders for the U.S. Senate seat that has not yet come open have probably already requested those documents now that Mayor White’s crack communications staff has highlighted them with this letter. Doh!
BLOGVERSATION: Houston Politics.
* We use the term “part-time” since he is openly running for a U.S. Senate seat that still hasn’t actually opened at this point.
