Greenroads Project

Bagby Street is a major collector that connects downtown Houston to southbound US 59, and it supports an energetic mixed-use business and pedestrian life. The Bagby Street Greenroads Project effectively balances the needs of automobiles and pedestrians by providing a roadway that incorporates traffic-calming measures to slow traffic speeds and reduce ambient road noise levels. Street crossing distances were reduced by 45 percent, making it safer for pedestrians, while ensuring the vehicle level of service remained at acceptable levels.

In addition, the Bagby Street Greenroads Project incorporates innovative LID techniques in an urban setting and several other environmentally-sustainable elements. Rain gardens, which capture 35 percent of rainwater for secondary use, provide water quality treatment of storm water runoff, reduce total runoff volume, and decrease potable water demands for irrigation. The use of specialized fly ash concrete in the pavement reconstruction prevents 300 tons of CO2 from entering the air. Also, beneath the street surface are newly stabilized materials, which will help the project last much longer and reduce long term maintenance needs, saving critical taxpayer dollars. All of these sustainable features help make the first Greenroads Project in the State of Texas unique.