The developer’s engineers predict a drastic increase in average daily traffic traversing the bridge once the new feeder roads and Walmart development opens. Traffic for the Orr development, on the east side of Yale, will generate even more congestion.These factors were not considered when establishing the most recent bridge ratings and the City has not performed any studies that factor in newly projected impacts.

http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/heights-news/article/Cohen-to-explore-options-for-aging-bridge-3438826.php

There are only 10 other open, permanent bridges in Texas with a sufficiency rating of 7 or less, and there is no other bridge in Texas with lower sufficiency and Inventory ratings, and higher average daily traffic.  Of all the State bridges with comparable average traffic to this bridge, this bridge has less than half the Inventory rating of the next-worst bridge. In fact, if this Bridge’s Inventory rating were to drop from 3.3 metric tons to 3.0 metric tons, under the rules it must become a priority 1 bridge for funding to even remain open. .3 Metric tons is about the weight of just two NFL offensive lineman or 660 pounds. Instead of structural rehabilitation, the City is reimbursing Ainbinder to apply cosmetics to a bridge that likely needs total replacement. Is this a good use of public funds or a boondoggle?

View Leader article here

LEGAL UPDATE

Dear Friends:

It’s been almost two years since we learned of the Washington Heights Development Project coming into our neighborhood. We have learned many things about our City, our elected officials and how business is conducted in Houston. We have also learned this project was conceived and now being constructed without what, in our opinion, is sufficient concern for safety. Through RUDH’s efforts, we raised issues related to the safety of the Yale Street Bridge. We now know the Texas Department of Transportation has confirmed our suspicions that the bridge in its current state is unsafe for all commercial heavy truck traffic. Unfortunately, the City of Houston has maintained the position that there is no money available to make the necessary repairs to the Yale Street Bridge and is allowing the development to go forward despite the lack of heavy commercial truck access from the Yale Street Bridge.

As you know, late last Fall, RUDH filed a lawsuit in against both the City and the developer of the Washington Heights Development. We are asking the Court to stop the City from reimbursing the developer six million of our tax dollars for public infrastructure improvements that we allege the developer should have paid for out of its own pocket. That’s money that can be used to repair the Yale Street bridge and keep 18-wheeler traffic from re-routing to Heights Boulevard. After we filed the lawsuit, both the City and the developer tried to have the case dismissed, claiming that a community organization could not challenge the 380 agreement with the developer. Fortunately, our legal team prevailed and the judge allowed the case to move forward.

The fight we have taken on with the City will be difficult. Construction of the project is well underway.  But our resolve has not diminished. This is still our neighborhood and the way of life here in the Heights deserves to be protected in every way possible. As we head toward a trial date to have our issues litigated, we need your help now more than ever. Litigation is expensive. Your financial support is important and I hope we can count on you today!

Sincerely,

RUDH

Rob Task, President

Eileen C. Reed, Colton Candler, Jeff Jackson, Directors

DONATE and help the Heights set a precedent. Use public funds for public good.

RUDH is small team of local volunteers; we’re professionals and parents who believe in building sustainable, vibrant, healthy urban neighborhoods for Houston’s residents. WITH YOUR SUPPORT we can continue to invest our time and energy to set the course for the future!

DON’T DELAY, please donate whatever you can! http://rudh.org/donations

or write a check to RUDH, PO Box 7834 Houston, Tx 77270

Share this information with friends and colleagues!

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MEMBERSHIP

You are receiving this email because you are a RUDH member. Please encourage your friends and neighbors to join RUDH and donate to set standards that grow sustainable, healthy urban neighborhoods! http://rudh.org/join

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SOCIAL MEDIA

Visit http://www.facebook.com/#!/StopHeightsWalMart follow us on Twitter at @StopHtsWalmart and read and share the lawsuit, the economic impact study and other media and work materials at http://www.StopHeightsWalmart.org.

Ainbinder’s crews continue to skirt rules and regulations. Tearing up one side of a residential street and leaving a 4′ wide lane for residents to navigate – a lane width so small that first responder vehicles could not access residences in an emergency. Parking and abandoning construction vehicles in the 4′ wide lane and blocking all residential access. Breaking water lines and cutting off water to residents for days. No flaggers, no temporary “no parking” signage and NO PERMITS. That’s right, folks, NO PERMITS! City’s response? They used their “discretion” and made an unsupported, unjustified decision not to fine Ainbinder’s construction crews, which directly contradicts the city’s ordinance for no permits. Additionally, after being notified of the missing permits the city failed to identify basic violations, such as no “no-parking” signs and no flaggers.

Looks like monitoring, documenting and reporting Yale St. bridge AND construction company abuses is once again the public’s job. IF THE CITY WON’T issue legally appropriate fines for improper practices, perhaps they should hand that responsibility over to the public as well.

Previous load ratings were estimated for a bridge that had “no plans on record”. At that time, the State rated the sufficiency rating of the bridge at 55.6 out of 100.
After obtaining the bridge plans from the City, the State was able to review actual construction documents and has rated the bridge’s sufficiency rating at 7 out of 100.
Does this feel safe to you? The City continues to ignore requests to perform a structural study that calculates projected new traffic impacts.

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