Earlier this month, Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt joined U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee in conversation with local community leaders and residents, elected officials, and advocates around the North Houston Highway Improvement Project, which will resume upon the signing of a Voluntary Resolution Agreement (VRA) earlier this month by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The enforceable agreement required TxDOT to commit to significant project improvements and clear timelines, enforced by FHWA.
(FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt joins advocates, federal and local elected officials, and TxDOT leadership for a press conference to highlight the NHHIP VRA)
The agreement comes on the heels of a comprehensive FHWA investigation of four complaints under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Following a full day of conversations with Houston residents, a pastor, an elementary school principal, and local elected officials, Congresswoman Jackson Lee brought the community together for a press conference.
Key quotes:
Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt:
“I thank TxDOT for negotiating in good faith to reach a VRA that includes many important project enhancements and binds many of the important considerations from both the city and county into an enforceable document that makes accountability a priority.”
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee:
“I am delighted that Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt accepted my invitation to come to Houston, Texas, regarding the North Houston Highway Improvement Project (NHHIP). It was important that Administrator Bhatt announced the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) official public statement of the Voluntary Resolution Agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDot) to Houstonians. The announcement’s importance is showed by the involvement of the FHWA, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Biden Administration in ensuring the implementation of this Voluntary Resolution Agreement. In all the discussions with community leaders and local government officials, they emphasized the importance of enforcement of this agreement with TxDot. In our discussions with local government officials and community leaders, it was clear that Administrator Bhatt and the FHWA would be part of the enforcement and continued implementation of the commitments made in the Voluntary Resolution Agreement. The Biden Administration has been committed to equity in large transportation projects and the fair treatment of communities impacted by these projects. This agreement will help our community’s concerns about added air pollution, preserving housing, parks, schools, and historic trails, and ensuring a better quality of life for all residents impacted by this construction. This important visit included having the Administrator travel with me to visit several sites including housing, a school, and a church impacted by the NHHIP project. This agreement can be a unique and singular example of ensuring that all of those vulnerable communities and developments around this project will be protected. I look forward to continuing to work with the Administration on these important issues. Thank you, Administrator Bhatt.”
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner:
“I appreciate the work of the Federal Highway Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation on this agreement. It embodies Secretary Buttigieg’s principles about building something that connects and does not divide communities and addresses some of the past inequities.”
Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis:
“We have come a long way. The Biden Administration, in my judgement, has done more for equity than any administration in recent years. In fact, by the time it’s over with, the first two years of that term will likely rival what LBJ [Lyndon Baines Johnson] did with The Great Society.”
LINK Executive Director Gabe Cazares:
“We are grateful for the leadership of the Congresswoman who has been a tremendous advocate in this fight, as well as for the work the Federal Highway Administration has done with the Voluntary Resolution Agreement. The agreement is not perfect. We did not get all that we wanted but we did get some tangible timelines that TxDOT will have to comply with and the community will be monitoring.”
Houston Housing Authority President and CEO David A. Northern, Sr.:
“I want to thank everybody here because this is important, this is about community. We serve the most vulnerable clients. We serve young people. And our great political leaders, our congresswoman, and our president allow us to fight harder and have this agreement come to fruition.”
The $9 billion NHHIP will ultimately reconstruct I-45 North between Houston’s downtown and the North Sam Houston Tollway to bring the roadway up to federal safety standards and enhance mobility. It will also improve storm water drainage and evacuation routes.
(Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt display the signed VRA)
The $9 billion NHHIP will ultimately reconstruct I-45 North between Houston’s downtown and the North Sam Houston Tollway to bring the roadway up to federal safety standards and enhance mobility. It will also improve storm water drainage and evacuation routes.
The agreement with TxDOT secures a number of enforceable commitments on the part of TxDOT to make significant improvements to the project in the following areas:
- Resources for Residents with Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
- Footprint Reduction
- Displacements, Relocations, Housing, and Other Community Impacts
- Flood Mitigation
- Parks, Open Space, Trails, and Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities
- Consulting with Metro and the City of Houston to incorporate transit and bike and pedestrian facilities on four structural caps
- Access to Schools During Construction
- Air Quality Mitigation
For NHHIP project facts and highlights, visit https://www.txdot.gov/nhhip.