The City of Houston, in partnership with the Main Street Coalition, is guiding the Main Street Corridor Revitalization Project. The process is an innovative multi-stage,

Holcombe Blvd. and Main Street

multi-faceted program to create a signature corridor for Houston along the 7.5 mile stretch of Main Street between Downtown and Loop 610 South.

The framework for this effort is the Main Street Corridor Master Plan. The revitalization effort seeks to transform this central city corridor into a vibrant transit/pedestrian-oriented area, bringing about significant change in present development and transportation patterns.

The Main Street Corridor encompasses several districts, including the Texas Medical Center. The project area is located in the southern part of the Texas Medical Center. The project is being undertaken through a public/private partnership including the Main Street Coalition, South Main Center, Texas Medical Center, Texas Medical Center Transportation Management Organization, Metro, property owners and the City of Houston. Phase I is being funded by a Federal Highway Administration (FWHA) Transportation and Community Systems Preservation (TCSP) grant.

At present, the project area is automobile-oriented, with many curb cuts, a lack of clearly defined pedestrian areas, two major four-way intersections within 650 feet of each other in the center of the project area, and several transit activities (bus lanes, bus stops and a light rail line). As a result, navigating the area is confusing for both pedestrian and motorists alike.

The goals of the project are:

• Create a safer, more human-scaled space, an attractive pedestrian / transit friendly environment;

• Establish a clear separation between pedestrian and automobile movements;

• improve access to transit;

• Create an entree into the Medical Center area of the Main Street Corridor, building on the City of Houston’s tradition of street trees and landscaped esplanades and incorporating water features at a scale compatible with Wortham Park; and

• Strengthen the identity of the District through a vocabulary of design motifs, materials and colors for surrounding-area streetscape that can be implemented within the project area.

Contacts

• City of Houston Planning and Development Department,
  611 Walker, 6th Floor 77002, 713.837.7763 (phone), 713.837.7996 (fax)