METRO Buses on Bayland & Watson

UPDATE 1: Original post was missing the link to the METRO bus route petition. Now added.
UPDATE 2: Added link to petition in favor of keeping current METRO bus routes. Modified text to accommodate new link. Removed infographic.

As was discussed at our last General Meeting, METRO has decided to maintain the current bus route on Bayland and Watson. A large number of residents on Bayland (and elsewhere along the route in the neighborhood) have expressed their desire to have this route moved to the perimeter of the neighborhood. In prior meetings with METRO, some of those residents were left with the impression that METRO would do just that. However, METRO has now confirmed that its plan is to leave the route as it currently exists. So, those residents are starting a petition to bring to METRO before METRO finalizes its route decisions, which will be in early June.

Please review both petitions and make your voice heard.

Petition in favor of keeping current bus routes.
Petition in favor of changing bus routes.

URGENT: I-45 Expansion

Message from WHCA President

One of the most important issues facing our neighborhood right now is the possible expansion of I-45. TxDOT is accepting comments until May 31 regarding its new, proposed plan. The WHCA is supporting the positions outlined by neighborhood resident Jim Weston and his I-45 Coalition and will be providing comments to I-45 along those lines. I encourage all of our residents to do the same. Please visit the I-45 Coalition's website for more information, and please get your comments in by May 31.  Thank you.

Constable Patrol Updates

Subscriptions

We are at 418 subscribers, which is a bit above where we were at this time last year. Including our reserve, at this level of participation we can continue with two patrols through at least March 2017 – possibly longer. To sustain two patrols indefinitely, we need to get long-term participation at or above 465. As has always been the case, we will continue to add subscribers throughout the year so we may get there yet. We continue to consider other ways to reach out and increase participation. If you haven’t joined, please consider doing so. If you are already a member, please don’t hesitate to talk up the program with neighbors who aren’t members.

Activity Report

With two 40 hour shifts, we have a significant law enforcement presence in our neighborhood. Our deputies drive to our neighborhood from home, and essentially spend their 40-hour shift in our neighborhood, generally leaving only when called to respond to a specific incident elsewhere. That works both ways, as we often have deputies from the Heights and Garden Oaks contracts responding to calls in our neighborhood. Here are some stats on April Constable Patrol activity in Woodland Heights:

• Responded to: 13 house alarms, 5 calls about solicitors, 1 stranded motor vehicle, 22 reports of suspicious people, 21 reports of suspicious vehicles, 1 welfare check
• 50 traffic stops (speeding in school zones is a problem – our Constables have radar!); investigated 5 traffic hazards (mostly on Watson)
• 1 criminal mischief, 1 disturbance loud noise, 1 disturbance other, 2 drug possession
• Approximately 218 times they stopped to investigate something unusual or suspicious; 88 stops in our parks – predominately along White Oak, and 130 throughout the neighborhood
• 58 times they stopped and talked to folks in the neighborhood not in relation to any particular call or problem, more in the nature of meet and greet.

Crime Statistics

• March
• April

• March
• April

If you can't see the bar graph above view it here http://www.woodland-heights.org/news/2015/5/30/constable-patrol-updates

Explanation

Numbers reflect total area covered by police beat #2A30 which includes Houston Heights, North Norhill/Proctor Plaza, Sunset Heights, and more. In April the most thefts occurred in streets (parked cars) and restaurant parking lots. There was only one theft from a residence. All three burglaries were of residences. Because the city takes several months to post this data cumulatively for an entire month, to stay more current we go in and extract this data manually, on a weekly basis. We're still perfecting our capture methodology and hope to offer meaningful comparisons of the data in the coming months.

Fourth of July Parade & Party

The Woodland Heights Civic Association will be organizing and sponsoring the annual Fourth of July Parade at the Norhill Esplanade beginning at 9 AM on July 4th. We will have kids activities, events, snow cones and the kids parade around the esplanade. Please make sure and bring your child’s toy car, scooter, wagon or bike for the parade. We will be handing out prizes for most creative, best decorated and most patriotic. Please contact William Getschow if you would like to help with organizing, set up or cleanup or if you have any ideas for the event. The Woodland Heights Civic Association Membership dues go toward sponsoring events like this so please don’t forget to sign up for your membership if you have not already signed up.

Meeting Recap — Friends of Woodland Park, METRO, WHCA Updates

Thanks to all who came to last night’s WHCA General Meeting. For those of you who couldn’t make it, here’s a brief recap: 
 
- We updated the neighborhood on the WHCA’s efforts to fund two Constable shifts. We have fully funded one shift, but are still approximately 75 subscribers shy of being able to fully fund the second shift without dipping into our reserve account. It's never too late to subscribe.
 
- The Friends of Woodland Park did a wonderful presentation to update the neighborhood on the beautification efforts in Woodland Park. They also unveiled a model of a beautiful new sculpture installation called Firefly Field by Houston artist and fourth generation Heights resident, Dylan Conner. Approval from the City of Houston is pending with a fundraising campaign to follow. Visit the FWP website for more details, and please support this great organization. 
 
- We heard reports from METRO regarding the bus route on Bayland and Woodland. More details coming in another post.
                                                                                                                                                                                          
- We also received updates from the offices of Representative Alvarado and Council Member Gonzales. 
 
- Finally, we reminded the neighborhood that we’re now transitioning away from a paper newsletter to an e-newsletter. If you haven’t already signed up to receive the e-newsletter, please do so at our website.
 
Thanks again to those who came out.  We’ll see you in July!
 
Tim McConn
President, WHCA