A great project is under attack.

The Shepherd Durham Project was intended to tackle the high crash rates, limited pedestrian access, flooding, and congestion along Shepherd Durham. Not only does it bring continuous pedestrian and bicycle pathways, new street lighting, and tree-lined streets, but it also includes upgrades to stormwater infrastructure and aging water and wastewater pipes.

Now halfway done, and fully funded both with city dollars and substantial federal dollars, the Mayor has paused the project, with the intent to kill it. This is bad for our city and would lead to us losing tons of federal dollars coming to stimulate our local economy. We must signal our opposition. Learn more about the project here and the current status of it, here.

What can you do?

You need to email your elected officials about how important it is that Shepherd Durham be immediately resumed and be kept with its current design.

These elected officials include the Mayor, the City Council Member for your district, and the five At-Large City Council Members. If you don’t know which district you live in, use this link.

When writing your email, make it as personalized as you can.

Sample email.

To: District “X” @houstontx.gov, AtLarge1@houstontx.gov, AtLarge2@houstontx.gov, AtLarge3@houstontx.gov, AtLarge4@houstontx.gov, AtLarge5@houstontx.gov, Mayor@houstontx.gov

Subject: Shepherd Durham Project

Hello,

As a resident of District X, I wish to express my strong belief that the Shepherd Durham project must be immediately continued with its current design. The project has a good design that will provide a safer, more walkable, and less prone to flooding street. Delaying the project for design changes will needlessly slow down a good project, wasting time and resources. Also, the change that is seemingly currently being proposed (i.e., making more room for cars and less room for pedestrians) would be an unquestionably awful decision. It is incredibly important that with each and every project, we make it safe and more comfortable to walk in this city; stripping essential sidewalk space would be a move in the wrong direction.

Furthermore, design changes could imperil federal dollars, which are badly needed given the current fiscal state of our city.

For these reasons and more, I ask you immediately resume the Shepherd Durham.

Your constituent,

NAME