Agenda Item Wording:
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Council presentation for the Houston community connectivity project - Receive a presentation for the Houston community connectivity project along the W. Houston Avenue corridor, between N. Mooney Boulevard and N. Willis Street, as well as the surrounding local streets, and consider approval of the proposed design option.
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Deadline for Action: 5/13/2026
Submitting Department: Community Development
Prepared by:
Rudy Lopez, Associate Engineer, Rudy.Lopez@visalia.gov, 713-4270
Rebecca Keenan, Senior Civil Engineer, Rebecca.Keenan@visalia.gov, 713-4541
Chris Crawford, City Engineer, chris.crawford@visalia.gov, 713-4331
Jason Huckleberry, Engineering and Building Department Director, Jason.Huckleberry@visalia.gov, 713-4495
Department Recommendation: Staff recommends that the City Council receive the presentation and approve Staff's recommended design which includes the removal of all on-street parking along the north side of W. Houston Ave., from N. Mooney Blvd to N. Willis St., and replacement with a Class II bike lane. Additionally, the number of parking stalls on the south side of the Houston corridor will be limited and strategically placed to allocate 120 feet of dedicated emergency vehicle parking space and include setbacks from intersections to accommodate large city vehicle turning movements. The on-street parking stalls on the south side will be positioned away from the curb to protect a Class IV bike lane.
Summary:
In response to community concerns regarding pedestrian and bicyclist safety, the City of Visalia applied for and secured $2.3M in Active Transportation Program (ATP) grant funding to make improvements along the W. Houston Avenue corridor, between N. Mooney Boulevard and N. Willis Street, as well as the surrounding local streets.
The preliminary layout prepared by Peters Engineering was presented at a public outreach meeting on January 22, 2026. There were around 22 people from the public that attend...
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