Sunday Streets HTX Returns
Look Houston, no cars! Popular Sunday Streets HTX program returns this fall
After a successful run this summer, the Sunday Streets HTX program is back to help Houstonians get outdoors and get moving.
What began as a three-month pilot initiative back in April as part of Mayor Annise Parker's Go Healthy Houston program is starting up again next month. The program, which opens up city streets to pedestrians and cyclists on the first Sunday of each month, is intended to promote a healthy lifestyle among Houstonians.
On Sunday, Oct. 12, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., a route through the Heights, from 19th Street to Shepherd, will be closed off to cars, allowing area residents to take over the road on foot or bicycle.
The event will shift on Nov. 2 to an area of the Third Ward/Museum Park, from Dowling/Elgin to West Alabama to Almeda/Arbor. And on Dec. 7, an area in the East End/Fifth Ward (from Navigation/Jenson to York Clinton) will be close to vehicular traffic for the Sunday Streets festivities,
According to a post from the group's Twitter account, the date was moved from Oct. 5, so not to conflict with the Houston Heights Association bike rally.
It's official! 10/12: Heights, 11/2: Third Ward/Museum Pk, 12/7: East End/Fifth Ward! Come out and play in the streets of Houston 12-4pm!
— Sunday Streets HTX (@SundayStreetHTX) September 18, 2014@BikeTexas 10/12! We didn't want to conflict with HHA Bike Rally on the 5th. Looks like Bike October in the Heights! @houheightsnews
— Sunday Streets HTX (@SundayStreetHTX) September 18, 2014During the first three months of the program, which started back in April, the program featured partial closures of Westheimer, White Oak Drive and Washington Avenue. Pedestrians, cyclists, skateboarders and Rollerbladers took over the streets in droves, taking advantage of the unique opportunity car-free streets provided.
The initiative is part of the Open Streets Project, a global program started more than 30 years ago. It's currently estimated that there are at least 200 large-scale Open Streets initiatives worldwide and approximately 90 in the United States, with cities like San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles participating in the program.