Rail~Volu)on  Conference  2015  Ac)ve  Transporta)on  for  Equitable  Outcomes  

Gwendolyn  Fedrick,  M.S.  W.,  M.P.A.  Neighborhood  Recovery  Community  Development  Corpora)on  

OST/South  Union  GO  Neighborhood  

Our  Community

OST/SOUTH  UNION Popula'on:  23,950  

African American:

83%

Median  Household  Income:  $27,785  

34%  of  all  residents  are  obese  

Hispanic: 16%

60%  of  residents  take  cars  to  community  

parks  

White: 1% 60%  walk  at  least  10  

minutes  a  day  

Community  Engagement

We  envision  an  engaged  and  informed  community  working  together  to  transform  Southeast  Houston  into  a  healthy,  vibrant,  safe  and  economically  stable  community,  a  place  that  nurtures  and  supports  us  throughout  our  

lives.  v  2011  University  of  Houston  Na)onal  

Endowment  for  the  Arts    grant    v  2012  Civic  clubs,  residents  and  stakeholders  

began  Southeast  Houston  Transforma)on  Alliance  (SEHTA)  2012  

v  2013    OST/South  Union  receives  GO  Neighborhoods  designa)on  by  Houston  Local  Ini)a)ves  Support  Corpora)on  (LISC)  

v  Over  300  residents,  stakeholders,  elected  officials,  partners,  allies  and  key  community  leaders  par)cipated  in  the  strategic  planning  process.  

   

LISC  GO  Neighborhoods

v     Local  Unique  to  our  community    

v     Ini'a'ves  Ideas  and  projects  based  on  crea)vity  and  resourcefulness  of  our  community  

v     Support    Funding,  training,  and  coaching  

v     “Coopera'on”    Partnering  and  teamwork  to  make      dreams  reality  

Strollin’  &  Rollin’  Mission:    To  improve  the  health  of  the  OST/South  Union  community  by  biking,  walking,  and  using  

public  transportaKon  while  connecKng  community  desKnaKons.  

v     Major  Partner:    Na)onal  Park  Service  Rivers,  Trails  &  Conserva)on  Assistance  v     Projects  

Ø  Bike  ride  connec)ng  three  community  parks  Ø  5-­‐week  Summer  Bike  Safety  Program  for  96  youth  in  conjunc)on  with  YMCA  Ø  Ac)ve  Tuesday  bike  rides  Ø  Community  Surveys  Ø Mobility  Study  Ø  Neighborhood  Greenways  Master  Plan  

Community  Engagement  through  InformaKon  Gathering

GO  Team  Survey  

• Street    and  sidewalk  condi)ons  ($0)  

• Volunteers  rode  bikes  and  documented  neighborhood  streets  

Rice  University  Houston  Ac'on  Research  Team  

• 4  students  (in  one  semester)  created  survey  and  map  of  des)na)ons  

• Met  face-­‐to-­‐face  with  residents  at  transit  stops,  civic  club  mee)ngs,  etc.    

• $10,000  In-­‐kind  

Na'onal  Park  Service    Technical    Assistance  

•  Biking  desirability  

•  In  person  and  on-­‐line  

•  >$50,000  In-­‐kind  

Sankofa  Research  Ins'tute  

•  Community-­‐Based  Par)cipatory  

•  Travel  paderns  and  issues  

•   $10,000  by  University  of  Houston  and  The  Dawn  Project    

GO  Team    Street  Condi)ons  Survey  

Fragmented,  cracked  and  buckled  streets  and  sidewalks  

55%  of  the  streets  do  not  have  sidewalks  

Residents  are  forced  to  share  the  streets  with  cyclists  and  motorized  vehicles  where    sidewalks  do  not  exist  

Crosswalks  and  signage  are  lacking,  even  near  schools  

Less  than  10%  of  230  street  segments  surveyed  had  any  form  of  biking  designa)ons  

Alterna)ve  Mobility  Survey  

Used  maps  to  ask  residents  about  their  mobility  paderns—car,  walk,  bike,  METRO  

Asked  for  recommenda)ons  of  travel  paderns  and  improvements  of  street  segments  

Rice  University  Center  for  Civic  Leadership    Houston  Ac)on  Research  Team  

Na'onal  Park  Service  Rivers,  Trails  &  Conserva'on  Technical    Assistance    

Supports  community-­‐led  natural  resource  conserva)on  and  outdoor  recrea)on  

Project  Goal:  Develop  a  signed  network  of  bike  routes  and  pathways  that  connect  key  community  and  recrea)on  des)na)ons  in  inner  southeast  Houston.    

NPS  Role:    Help  the  Strollin’  &  Rollin’  GO  Team  with  organiza)onal  development,  stakeholder  engagement,  and  data  collec)on  in  order  to  develop  preferred  biking  and  walking  routes  through  the  neighborhood.    

Sankofa  Research  Ins'tute    Community-­‐Based  Par'cipatory  Research  

Community-­‐based  par'cipatory  research  (CBPR):    community  members,  organiza)onal  representa)ves,  and  researchers  engaged  in  all  aspects  of  the  research  process  to  contribute  exper)se  and  share  decision  making  and  ownership.  

Aim  was  to  increase  knowledge  and  understanding  of  walking  and  biking  and  to  integrate  interven)on,  policy,  and  social  change  to  improve  community’s  health  and  quality  of  life.  

Incen)ves  for  par)cipa)ng  ($5  gij    cards)  

Community  members  were  trained  and  paid  to  collect  and  interpret  the  data.  

Mobility  Report

Comprehensive  look  at  how  residents  get  around  

Iden)fies  barriers  to  mobility  

Recommends  ac)ons  to  alleviate  barriers  and  increase  residents’  op)mal  level  of  health  

Stakeholder  Engagement

v  Two  Partners’  Mee)ngs    v  Elected  Officials  

v  State  Senator  Rodney  Ellis  v  State  Representa)ve  Garnet  

Coleman  v  District  D  City  Council  Member  

Dwight  Boykins  

v  Houston  Southeast  Management  District  v  FTA  grantee  v  Transporta)on  and  Mobility  

Commidee  v  Houston  Bike  Plan  presenta)on  venue  

Guiding  Principles

Respond  to  ways  that  residents  currently  get  around  as  well  as  how  they  would  like  to  get  around  in  the  future  

Tackle  the  barriers  that  keep  residents  from  engaging  in  ac)ve  transporta)on  and  recrea)on  

Connect  all  OST/South  Union  residents  to  key  des)na)ons,  both  inside  and  outside  the  neighborhood  

Provide  realis'c  opportuni'es  for  improving  neighborhood  mobility,  both  immediately  and  over  )me  

Master  Plan

Shared  our  Mobility  Report  and  Master  Plan  with  City  of  Houston  Bike  Plan  task  force  

Our  strategy:      Neighborhood  Greenways  

Neighborhood  Greenways  IniKaKve    

EASY,  SAFE  STREET  CROSSING  

Slow-­‐Moving  Local  Traffic  

Phased-­‐In  Over  Time  

QUIET,  LOW-­‐TRAFFIC  STREETS  

EASY-­‐TO-­‐FOLLOW  ROUTES  

Why  Neighborhood  Greenways  in  

Southeast  Houston?

2010  Health  of  Houston  Survey  

reported  an  obesity  rate  

of  34%  

76%  of  children  (6-­‐17  years  old)  get  less  than  recommended  physical  ac)vity  (60  minutes,  

seven  days/week)  

Connec)vity  

Encourage  u)liza)on  of  new  bus  

network  and  new  METRO  Rail  line  

Inspire  residents  to  become  physically  ac)ve  

Moving  Forward>>ImplementaKon  Strategies

v  Based  on  community  priori)es,  planned  road  improvements  and/or  future  funding  sources  and  partnerships  

>    Houston  Southeast  Management  District—FTA  grantee  

>    $1.2  million  earmarked  in  2009  by  Congresswoman  Sheila  Jackson  Lee  for  bikeways  and  access  to  transit  (new  METRO  light  rail  line)  

>    $266,000  match  needed  in  cash  

Focus  ini)al  efforts  on  route  signage  and  

improving  key  intersec)ons  

Build  out  4-­‐5  routes  to  meet  the  needs  and  demands  of  the  

neighborhood  

Add  routes  to  provide  more  convenient  connec)ons  to  

community  ameni)es  

Next  Steps

Community-­‐based  

educa'on  on  Neighborhood  Greenways  ini'a've  

Advocate  for  infrastructure  improvements  throughout  the  neighborhood  

Programming  to  create  an  

intergenera'onal  culture  of  walking  and  

biking  

Seek  funding  sources  for  the  $266,000  FTA  cash  match