a little brake

Houston sees first week without traffic spike since reopening

Houston has seen a gradual rebound in traffic, but now that growth is starting to level off.

Photo by DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images

Over the last few weeks, Houston traffic has gradually picked up, but now, the trend is flattening.

Since the beginning of May, with businesses reopening, the city has seen a gradual rebound in traffic, but now that growth is starting to level off.

CultureMap news partner, ABC 13, crunched the numbers with Houston Transtar. This is a similar breakdown to one done in April, where Houston Transtar measured the number of cars using a radar site at I-10/Katy Freeway and Voss. Compared to this time last year, the number of cars passing through this location in a 24-hour period was down approximately 50 percent, due to COVID-19 closures.

Here are the numbers from Houston Transtar:

Week of May 16: Traffic 18.8 percent lower than the same week last year
Week of May 23: Traffic down 18.1 percent compared to the same week of last year
Week of May 30: Traffic 13.5 percent lower than the same week last year
Week of June 6: 14 percent percent drop year over year, a move in the opposite direction

Essentially, traffic is still down compared to regular summertime patterns, but the city is no longer seeing much growth week over week.

Experts predict we won't see another jump in traffic until school gets back in session and people return to the workplace in large numbers.

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For more on this story, including video, visit our content partner, ABC13.

traffic trends transportation

no more trips to Colorado

Bill to legalize marijuana in Texas filed by Dallas Democrat

Photo courtesy of Texas Original

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Texas Rep. Jessica González (D-Dallas) has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistent and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

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