Early Voting for the District C City Council Seat runs April 29 - May 12.  Election day is Saturday May 15.  Polling locations

One issue that’s especially important to many of us is how Houston handles street redesign — particularly the balance between safety, mobility, and preserving our tree canopy.  We’ve seen proposals like Montrose Boulevard and West Alabama that originally would have removed large numbers of mature trees along major corridors.  That's why we joined up with over 8000 neighbors to push back -  because we believe we can have safer streets without losing what makes our neighborhoods livable and shaded.Let's be clear:  Joe Panzarella wanted all the Montrose trees along the side of the street cut down to add 10' bike lanes.  He wanted the medians narrowed, even though that would have jeopardized all the gorgeous old oaks there, too.  He showed up at TIRZ meetings to fight AGAINST the compromise plan that ultimately saved the trees.  No matter what he says now, this is what he DID.  Actions speak louder than words.  

While we agree with the goal of improving bike safety,  adding more concrete to already hot, heavily trafficked streets is not the best nor most practical solution for Houston.

There are ways to expand safe biking — like routing through shaded neighborhood streets and making thoughtful, context-sensitive improvements — without dramatically reshaping major corridors in ways that don’t fit how our city actually functions.

For many of us, this comes down to judgment and experience. Joe has less than 5 years of professional job experience and no experience working in city government.  He grew up in the Woodlands and moved to Europe for several years  or grad school and post-grad travel before returning to Houston and moving into District C just 2 years ago.  He is hoping to launch his political career with this position. 

By contrast, Nick Hellyar has worked on staff for two city council members and a state representative.  He understands how infrastructure decisions get made, including the tradeoffs involved.  Nick has served on the board of Bike Houston but unlike Joe, he is a more rational, balanced advocate for safer streets and better bike infrastructure.  We feel more confident in his ability to push for solutions that are both practical and responsive to the community.  He attended Lanier, Lamar and the University of Houston.  He knows our community. He knows how to get things done at city hall. 

District C has some complex challenges. It matters to have someone ready to step in and be effective on day one.

It is very worrisome to learn what Joe envisions for Houston.  He has been quoted (in Houstonia magazine, April 2026) as saying he thinks of Houston as a "blank canvas" that should be redesigned and developed to more closely resemble Amsterdam.  His vision of encouraging more dense, high-rise housing and restricting traffic lanes as a way to encourage everyone to give up their cars and start biking where they need to go just doesn't fit the reality of how Houston operates. Houston is 3x the population and 8x the size of Amsterdam.  We don't have the extensive public transportation network of Amsterdam, where car-free living in a very small city is more feasible.  

But perhaps the biggest difference is that we don't have Amsterdam's climate.  Houston is HOT.  We NEED our tree canopy!  We will be more likely to reduce our dependence on cars if there are tree-lined sidewalks and shady Metro bus stops than by having our trees cut down for 10' wide concrete bike lanes. 

If you’re in District C, please take a few minutes to vote for NICK.