Settegast/East Houston Pilot Update
The Settegast/East Houston Super Neighborhood 49/50 was selected as the pilot area for the Truck Route Study. Through various community engagements and documented planning efforts, SN 49/50 expressed a desire to reduce truck traffic, air pollutants, noise pollution, damage to local street surfaces and to improve the safety of roadway users. The Planning Department (P&D) staff has continued to meet with civic groups to better understand their requests and respond to their concerns.
During the pilot, Houston Public Works (HPW) will install Truck Route signage to help direct large vehicles to more appropriate travel lanes andContinue reading
Settegast/East Houston Pilot Update
The Settegast/East Houston Super Neighborhood 49/50 was selected as the pilot area for the Truck Route Study. Through various community engagements and documented planning efforts, SN 49/50 expressed a desire to reduce truck traffic, air pollutants, noise pollution, damage to local street surfaces and to improve the safety of roadway users. The Planning Department (P&D) staff has continued to meet with civic groups to better understand their requests and respond to their concerns.
During the pilot, Houston Public Works (HPW) will install Truck Route signage to help direct large vehicles to more appropriate travel lanes and away from neighborhood streets. Data will be measured over a 90-day minimum period in order to analyze the effectiveness of, and to possibly make adjustments to, sign placement. Community input is key during the study period thus, comments can be made in the online survey, at a public meeting or to department staff (see Get Involved below). P&D is scheduled to present at an August Quality of Life City Council meeting (date TBA).
Purpose and Past Engagement
Houston is one of the busiest port cities in the United States and has a thriving logistics and transportation industry. The city's strategic location and excellent connectivity to major highways, railroads, and airports make it an ideal hub for freight movement. The Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC) estimates that freight tonnage in the Houston metropolitan area will grow by 60% from 2015 to 2040, driven by population growth, economic development, and increasing trade volumes.
The Citywide Truck Route Plan Study was initiated by PDD in January, 2023. The Planning and Development Department collected input and ideas from concerned residents and stakeholders through three public meetings, two stakeholder meetings, community survey, trucking industry survey, online truck hotspot mapping tool, and neighborhood tours. In addition, two interdepartmental meetings and two interagency meetings were conducted to inform and engage representatives from other city departments and partner agencies in the formulation of the plan. Planning staff presented the proposed ordinance to the Planning Commission on October 19, 2023.
On November 29, 2023, Houston City Council approved an amendment to Chapter 33 of the City Code of Ordinances to authorize the Planning and Development Department (PDD) to establish a Citywide Truck Route Plan with the aim of effectively managing freight movement, enhancing roadway safety, and improving the quality of life in Houston by guiding commercial vehicles to travel on the designated truck routes.
The overall plan framework provides a coordinated approach to placing No Through Trucks and Truck Route signs in and around neighborhoods. Based on the public engagement findings and local condition analysis in the study, staff will provide an objective approach to address truck routes. Our target is to have a recommendation on in 2024.
Goals of the study: - increase safety for people walking, biking, and driving in Houston
- improve the quality of life by reducing noise and air quality impacts to the residential neighborhoods
- minimize roadway maintenance costs for roadways not designed for through truck traffic
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Review the links below to see the presentation slides, ordinance and the recommendation report.
Truck Route Plan Ordinance
Presentation to Planning Commission Oct. 19
Truck Route Plan Recommendation Report
Truck Route Plan FAQs
Get Involved
We need your input to develop an effective Citywide Truck Route Plan throughout the process.
You can participate by:
1. Identifying truck related hot spots on the map tool to share your comments/ suggestions;
2. Attending one of the upcoming public meetings;
3. Completing the Citywide Truck Plan Survey;
3. Visiting this project page to get project updates.
To learn more about the project findings, please visit:
Peer City Best Practices Summary Report and
City of Houston Truck Route Study Local Condition Analysis
Truck Route Pilot Area Map
Settegast & East Houston Neighborhood
