City closing streets to encourage exercise, exploration

By Dug Begley and Mike Morris

March 5, 2014 | Updated: March 5, 2014 8:30pm

Three busy Houston streets will shut down to vehicular traffic on selected Sunday afternoons in an effort to see if car-bound residents will walk, bike and explore each block rather than simply drive through.

The program, called Open Streets, originated in Bogota, Colombia, more than 30 years ago and has been spreading fast across the United States in the past decade. The idea is to close streets to cars and open them to cyclists, skateboarders and pedestrians - anybody using their own brawn to move. So, no horses.

"You can bring your jump rope and you can bring your Hula Hoop," said Regina Garcia, president of Bike Houston.

The pilot program announced Wednesday will begin April 6, when 2.5 miles of two connected streets, White Oak and Quitman, will be closed to automotive traffic between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. In May, a mile-long stretch of Westheimer in the Montrose area will be closed to vehicles. Two miles of Washington Avenue ending at Market Square Park downtown will be closed in June.

Officials said the project would encourage residents to exercise and explore Houston's neighborhoods.

"It is a way to acquaint ourselves with what is around those streets in a way we don't normally experience it going by car," Mayor Annise Parker said.

In St. Louis, where the street closings have been popular, the city found nearly three-quarters of attendees spent money along the route.

Other cities experienced similar success, sometimes after slow starts. Monica Garza, who coordinates San Antonio's similar "Síclovía" program, said any initial skepticism has long been overcome.

"There were businesses along the current route who were hesitant about road closures and also just the general residents in the area thinking they may not be able to get out of their neighborhood, but that has changed pretty significantly," said Garza, of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio. "After five events, you can see the bigger impact it's making. People are engaging more actively."

A University of Texas Health Science Center study following a Síclovía event last year showed 53 percent of respondents changed their physical activity level after attending, and 57 percent said they would have been inactive the day of the event had they not attended.

Supporters said Houston residents can experience the city in a new way.
"A street like Washington, it has great life," said Raj Mankad, editor of the Rice Design Alliance magazine, Cite. Mankad circulated a petition last year urging the city to consider street closings like the ones proposed. The petition drew more than 1,000 signatures.

City Councilwoman Ellen Cohen. whose District C will host one of the closings, said constituents have asked her whether Houston might join other cities in sponsoring such an event.

Exercise is one benefit, Cohen said, but "I think this is more to foster a sense of community because the people that are going to be walking on the streets are going to be the people that, for the most part, live around there."

Councilman Ed Gonzalez, whose District H will host two of the events, said Houstonians are eager to turn off the autopilot they switch on behind the wheel.

"We've become so dependent on the vehicle that when we explore other possibilities, it really is an eye-opener," Gonzalez said.

Closing city streets, even in car-crazed Houston, isn't a novel idea. Streets often close for community runs and festivals.

Officials said the costs of paying workers to close the streets and police officers for extra patrols will be low, and will be paid out of community grants.

The three routes were chosen so officials can assess the popularity and any problems caused by the street closing, Houston sustainability director Laura Spanjian said. The closed streets border residential areas and have businesses along the way.

Spanjian said police and public works officials will work to provide access for businesses along the routes.

Many businesses pushed for the closings, hoping to generate interest in the neighborhood around them, said Travis Adair, owner of Lucky's, a bar along the White Oak closure route who worked with the city on the plan.

Though cars will be off-limits in the parking lot of his bar, Adair said he's planning to have plenty of bike racks and other attractions to draw customers, including possibly a band.

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