Truck Route Neighborhood Study

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 (PD) 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) installed Truck Route signage to help direct large vehicles to more appropriate travel lanes and awayContinue reading

Settegast/East Houston Pilot Update

During the pilot, Houston Public Works (HPW) installed Truck Route signage to help direct large vehicles to more appropriate travel lanes and away from neighborhood streets. Data will be measured to analyze the effectiveness of, and to possibly make adjustments to sign placement. Community input was key during the study period.

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 Study was initiated by the Planning & Development Department in January, 2023. The 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 to establish a Truck Route Pilot 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 the pilot area.

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

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 Recommendation Report

Truck Route FAQs

Get Involved

We need your input to develop an effective Truck Route Neighborhood Study throughout the process.

You can participate by:

1. Identifying truck related hot spots on the map tool to share your comments/ suggestions;

2. 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