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Westchase District is about a 30 minute drive west of downtown Houston. It has become an active business center in recent years and that brings a lot of traffic to intersections like Westheimer and Wilcrest, streets that were originally built for a smaller population.
Irma Sanchez, Westchase’s vice president of Projects, says one big problem they had was that the median openings on Wilcrest didn't line up with the driveways of local businesses.
"We were able to identify where those conflict points took place and we were able to coordinate with the property owners to better align the median openings," explained Sanchez.
To fix the situation, the district spent about $1 million to create new median openings and turn lanes along several blocks of Wilcrest.
Sanchez says simply putting things in a straight line has helped a lot. "We've received some pretty good feedback from not only some of those office employees who brought this issue to our attention, but people getting out of these retail destinations. They're able to get out to the roadway in a more efficient manner."
To further enhance mobility in Westchase District, Sanchez says they are also working to develop their off-road trail network, to give people other options for travel.
A #bike repair station has been installed on the Westchase District trail system just south of Harwin. It includes all the tools necessary to perform basic bike repairs and maintenance. Hang your bike from the hanger arms to allow the wheels to spend freely while making repairs. pic.twitter.com/xQTGyAH34X
— Westchase District (@westchasehou) November 14, 2018
Our new seasonal flowers have been installed at intersections throughout Westchase District. pic.twitter.com/6EqlL29564
— Westchase District (@westchasehou) November 21, 2018