Action needed! W Alabama trees at risk AGAIN!
The people who originally advocated for a plan that would have removed all of the side street trees on West Alabama in order to install bike lanes and very sidewalks are at it again!
We need every person who values the beautiful shade trees that line West Alabama to participate in the Monday, August 3 TIRZ project review. Also please email your views to the TIRZ at info@montrosehtx.org NOW to be included in their public commentary review period. See details below about how to register and where to find more info.
The current plan keeps the existing two traffic lanes and center turn lane - narrowing each of the lanes by about a foot, improving and adding light controlled crosswalks for safety and installing new sidewalks on both sides of the street - while protecting almost all of the mature trees. But the bike lane lobby and Joe Panzella, who was recently elected district C council person, are claiming that his victory is evidence that all Montrose residence want the old TIRZ plan to be brought back, which would have decimated the W Alabama trees in order to put in bike lanes. They have appeared recently at City Council and are making a hard push to try to stop this plan and go back to the original plan which would take down all the trees. Take a look at the picture included with this petition update -these are among the trees they would like to see come down. It is almost shocking to imagine Montrose without our beautiful street trees, but if Panzarella and his bike lane zealot supporters get their way, we are all going to get to see what that looks like real soon.
I feel the need to state, once again, we have nothing against cyclists and bike lanes. Many of our group are avid cyclists, but we know that bike networks can be better designed to travel through less populated neighborhood streets and to not require the devastation of our shade canopy in Montrose.
We must take ACTION to protect the trees again! When I drive down Montrose now and see the lovely live oaks shading the sidewalks, I know that the effort it took to save them was worth it. Now we need to do it again for West Alabama’s beautiful oaks.
TIRZ Meeting Info
Monday, August 3, 2026 6:30 p.m.
Link to register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_G30SO0U9TnW-xL0GUs2zkQ
Schedule of Events
6:15 – Waiting room opens
6:30 - 7:10 p.m. – Presentation
7:10 - 7:55 p.m. – Q&A Session
7:55– 8:00 p.m. – Closing Comments
The August 3rd presentation and the roadway schematic are available on the West Alabama Project Page of the TIRZ website: https://montrosehtx.org/projects/w-alabama-improvement-project/
A comment/question form is also available on the site. Questions received by Thursday, July 30 will be sent for response at the Open House as time allows. The comment period will extend to two weeks after the Open House closing on Monday, August 17.