Many of you signed the Save Montrose Live Oaks petition because you care about protecting our historic tree canopy.  Last summer many of you came out again to protect against the same threat to the trees on West Alabama. Unfortunately, the trees are now being threatened again by a wave of misinformation that is spreading through advocacy groups like Friends of the Boulevard and is now being repeated by the Houston Chronicle and even by some elected officials.

A recent Chronicle editorial incorrectly claims that “the community” wants the Montrose TIRZ to return to the earlier West Alabama design which took lanes down to 9 feet and to install bike lanes - a move that would require removal of trees on either one or both sides of the street. It is simply not true that this is what "the community' wants. 

Last summer, the Montrose TIRZ conducted a public engagement process that included widespread neighborhood notification via door hangers, a public design workshop and a formal comment period.

During that process, 60% of the feedback submitted by residents supported the revised design, largely because it preserves the mature trees along West Alabama and avoids drastic lane reductions that could worsen traffic congestion.  THIS IS WHAT "THE COMMUNITY" WANTS!

The community’s concerns have been consistent:

• Protect the historic live oak trees
• Avoid creating traffic bottlenecks on a major east–west corridor
• Prevent overflow traffic from cutting through nearby residential streets

The narrative that the neighborhood is demanding the original design is simply not supported by the public input that was actually collected and is posted on the TIRZ website.

There are several other key facts being left out of the current discussion:

1. The original design did not include two bike lanes.
It would have created only a single bike lane in one direction, which provides little practical connectivity.

2. The bike lane would not connect to anything.
West Alabama on the other side of Shepherd and beyond the Spur will have no bike lanes and no lane narrowing, meaning the proposed segment would essentially be a short bike lane to nowhere. 

3. The revised plan improves safety in multiple ways.
The current design includes new protected crossings, better lighting, improved pavement, and other safety enhancements that benefit pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists alike.

4. This is about good road design — not politics.
Whether you agree or disagree with various city decisions, the practical question is simple: Does it make sense to narrow traffic lanes and insert a one-way bike lane into one short section of a major thoroughfare that carries heavy traffic through Montrose?

Experience elsewhere in Houston suggests caution. On streets like 11th Street in the Heights, traffic slowdowns have pushed drivers onto neighborhood streets as shortcuts. Residents in Montrose have made clear they do not want the same outcome for West Alabama.

We Need Your Voice on Monday!

Monday, March 16, 6:30pm at the Havens Center @St Stephens Episcopal on W Alabama.

We need supporters of the tree-preserving design to show up in force, either in person or via Zoom and sign up to speak.

Register to attend by Zoom:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/qea9jns6Sk6t5ZY6wV8-pQ

You don’t need to give a long speech. Even a short statement makes a difference. For example:

“I stand with the more than 60% of community members who supported the revised plan because it protects our historic trees and maintains safe traffic flow on West Alabama. I urge the TIRZ to keep the current design and not return to the original plan.”

The opposition is organized and vocal. If supporters of the trees stay silent, it can create the false impression that the community has changed its mind.

We cannot let misinformation undo the progress that has already been made.

If you care about protecting our mature trees, please plan to attend the March 16 TIRZ meeting and speak up.

Together, we can make sure the community’s voice — and our trees — are protected.