Texas lawmakers are considering a bill that would prevent cities from narrowing roadways to create wider sidewalks or protected lanes for bicyclists and buses. Authored by Houston state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, the bill aims to stop counties and cities from implementing “vehicle bans, street closures, or congestion pricing.”

Critics argue that the bill could halt projects across the state that local leaders say are necessary to reduce traffic congestion and promote safety, especially as pedestrian deaths have risen in recent years. Bettencourt, however, emphasized that his intention was to preemptively prohibit any city from imposing a fine on any form of transportation, in response to New York City’s congestion pricing program, which charges drivers a toll to enter Manhattan and directs that money to transit.

Jay Blazek Crossley, the executive director of Farm&City, a statewide sustainability nonprofit that has campaigned to end traffic deaths, called the bill “an extraordinary, radical shift,” stating that he doesn’t believe the state should ban safe pedestrian places.

The issue of space allocation for cars in cities has become highly politicized. Last year, the Texas Republican Party platform opposed “anti-car measures” that threatened “freedom to travel.” Democrats, meanwhile, have prioritized expanding transit systems to combat climate change.

Some lawmakers expressed concern that the bill’s wording was too vague and could have unintended consequences, such as prohibiting cities from banning scooters from sidewalks or preventing the removal of existing bike lanes. State Sen. Robert Nichols, a Jacksonville Republican, questioned whether the bill would achieve its intended goals, and Bettencourt said he was open to revisions. The bill was left pending in committee.

Differing Views on Roadway Usage

During a hearing, Austin resident Susan Spataro testified in support of the measure, criticizing recent efforts by the City of Austin to build protected bike lanes and eliminate parking requirements, arguing that walking and biking were not reasonable transportation modes for the average citizen. State Sen. Molly Cook, a Houston Democrat, countered that walking and biking predate cars and questioned whether car-centered infrastructure was itself a form of social engineering.

State Intervention in Roadway Projects

This wouldn’t be the first time the state has intervened in city road projects. In 2017, San Antonio voters approved a plan to narrow a stretch of Broadway Boulevard and use the extra space for a protected bike lane and a wider sidewalk. In 2022, the Texas Transportation Commission stopped the project, stating it conflicted with Gov. Greg Abbott’s mandate to reduce traffic congestion. Lawmakers have also targeted transit systems in Dallas and Austin, filing legislation that would impact their funding.

Research shows that narrowing roads and adding bike lanes can improve safety for all road users. Since 2018, 1,800 Houstonians have been killed in vehicle-related incidents, nearly a third of whom were pedestrians. Former Mayor Sylvester Turner joined Vision Zero, a commitment to end traffic deaths, and redesigned dozens of streets, adding protected bike lanes and expanding transit service. When Mayor John Whitmire took office in 2024, he reversed many of those changes, criticizing “anti-car activists” in the previous administration.

Austin’s Congress Avenue Project

During the hearing, Bettencourt criticized a City of Austin plan to close part of Congress Avenue to cars and build a pedestrian plaza. The city has since revised the plan to keep Congress Avenue open to cars. Crossley of Farm&City noted that Austin’s project was meant to complement a state project on the same street, which closed Congress Avenue to cars for three blocks north of the Capitol and created a pedestrian promenade.