by Barry Goodman

The Main Street corridor represents the most diverse and economically important corridor in the entire Houston-Galveston region. Major institutions such as the Texas Medical Center, Rice University, University of Houston, Museum District venues, Houston Community College and downtown’s vibrant employment/ civic area are linked by this corridor. Creating a great Main Street whose many activities are served by a light rail system is an attractive opportunity for the city to create mixed use transit-oriented development, which results in economic revitalization, better community linkages and environmental benefits.

Photo courtesy Houston Metro

The legislation from which Houston Metro was created provides one of the strongest transit development tools in the nation. Metro has the authority to purchase or condemn property within 1,500 feet of any rail station. This authority is matched on the federal level by the Federal Transit Administration, which provides funding to support acquisition or condemnation of property and mixed-use development by transit authorities around the country. Unfortunately, Houston Metro has not taken advantage of this opportunity to develop areas around station sites and create community linkages, both of which are vital to the success of the Main Street rail line. Historically, Houston Metro has been reluctant to utilize its land assembly powers, perhaps fearing that such an approach would bring about negative reaction from the community and business sectors.

During the early stages of Metro’s Main Street rail development, along with the efforts of the Main Street Coalition, Inc. to revitalize the corridor, several economic development studies indicated the significant potential for transit-oriented development around Metro’s light rail stations. Using its legislative abilities and the 1,500 foot standard of development potential around rail stations, Metro would have the ability to redevelop about 3.5 million square feet of land around the five most commercially oriented rail stations. This type of development initiative by Metro would represent a substantial return on the taxpayer’s current investment in the Main Street rail line. However, for Metro and the community to realize these gains the city must exercise powers it has been unwilling to exercise during the course of growth and development in Houston.

Maximum transit-oriented development would require incentives for developers and strong land use controls or zoning around stations, to ensure high density development and the type of land use appropriate. The city has long been reluctant to utilize strong land use controls throughout most of its history and recent growth periods. It now seems appropriate for Houston to take the lead from other large cities that have developed rail systems with strong land-use controls, and reap the resulting benefits. More important, however, are the long-term environmental and social benefits that can be gained from transit oriented development through the reduction of vehicle miles traveled on our highways, reduced energy consumption, reduced pollution and increased transit riders. This translates into better quality of life which Houstonians, in increasing numbers, are beginning to demand.

It is time that Houston matures into a city focused on its future viability, providing taxpayers the “best bang for the buck” possible on large capital investments. Accordingly, Houston Metro and the City of Houston have the ability to create great transit-oriented development and community linkages around Metro’s developing Main Street light rail line. Whether these tools are utilized or not depends on strong leadership, the existence of which still remains a question mark for Houston’s future.