Commissioner Lesley Briones Seeks to Re-Envision Westpark Tollway
Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones announced a study to re-envision the Westpark Tollway, from the Beltway 8 west to the Harris County-Fort Bend County line to help keep pace with growth in the fastest growing region in Texas, expand economic opportunities, and improve quality of life for residents.
Receiving unanimous support from Commissioners Court, the County will move forward with a search for qualified engineering firms to lead the study which will explore potential options to increase mobility capacity and transportation solutions.
Community input will be central to the study, as will exploring best practices in urban design to create more vibrant, accessible, equitable connections between communities on both sides of the Tollway. Potential options may include adding public art, increasing lighting, and maximizing parking and Tollway Plaza spaces to make access to the Tollway safer.
“We have an incredible opportunity to re-envision the Westpark Tollway—expanding transportation options to support economic growth while also improving the quality of life for our residents,” said Commissioner Briones. “We must build with the future in mind and ensure our work is sustainable, strategic, and sensible—while always keeping community engagement central. By partnering with METRO, HCTRA, and the City of Houston, we are seeking the most effective way to leverage resources to better serve the community.”
Completed in 2005, Westpark Tollway runs for approximately 22 miles from the Uptown District in the Galleria area to Fulshear in northwest Fort Bend County and serves four major employment centers in Precinct 4. An average of more than 25,000 vehicles use the Westpark Tollway every day, registering an average of 180,000 transactions a day and nearly 5 million trips per month.
“The future of Houston’s mobility is safe, multimodal, and equitable,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. “Working together with Harris County Precinct 4, HCTRA, and METRO, a re-envisioned Westpark Tollway can reflect that vision, ultimately creating great places supported by great transportation.”
“METRO has a long history of partnerships to help improve mobility. We thank Commissioner Briones for leading this latest effort, and we believe these partnerships to re-imagine the Westpark Corridor will expand travel options for our growing region,” said METRO Chair Sanjay Ramabhadran. 
"Fort Bend County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States. Its population has been rapidly increasing due to its economic viability and expansion, which has led to a need to improve auto mobility for both its residents and those who commute to the greater Houston area," said Fort Bend County Judge, KP George. “I wholeheartedly support Commissioner Briones' leadership and efforts to work with HCTRA, Metro, and the City of Houston to re-envisioning the Westpark Tollway.”
Commissioner Briones’ vision for improving infrastructure in Precinct 4 is one that focuses on real life impacts for working families.
About Harris County Precinct 4
Precinct 4 is one of four precincts located in Harris County, Texas and boasts a population of more than 1.2 million people. Precinct 4 maintains 1,423 miles of roads and nearly 4 miles of bridges, eight community centers with more than 700,000 visitors annually, and 54 parks, with 13,455 acres of greenspace. For more information about Harris County Precinct 4, please visit hcp4.net.
Source: Harris County Precinct 4
