All Access

All-Access Weekly Digest

Standard

Houston

Houston Alerts

Alert

blue

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Houston.

Axios Houston

A picture of the Houston skyline with the letters IAH

Axios Houston Thought Bubble

Thought Bubble

Houston Members

Membership

Cruise is testing autonomous vehicles without safety drivers in Houston ahead of a planned expansion into commercial nighttime service by the end of the year. 

Driving the news: A spokesperson for the autonomous vehicle company confirmed to Axios Tuesday it is offering driverless ride-hailing service to employees and their friends and family, one of the final steps in its testing process before full commercial service.

The company had not previously publicly announced this driver-free phase of testing. 

Why it matters: Like other cities with driverless Cruise vehicles, including Austin, Houston is already seeing traffic issues arise as a result.

For example: Several unoccupied Cruise vehicles disrupted traffic when they stopped at the Montrose Boulevard and Hawthorne Street intersection around 8pm Tuesday after a traffic light malfunctioned.

Houston police responded to the scene and directed traffic around the cars.

A witness told Axios that officers on the scene tried tapping on the Cruise car's window to get it to move, to no avail.

Three driverless Cruise cars sit at a Montrose intersection blocking traffic

A handful of Cruise's driverless cars blocked traffic in Montrose on Tuesday. Photo: Courtesy of Alex Spike

What they're saying: "Our vehicles were stopped at an intersection where the lights were not cycling and showed all red," a Cruise spokesperson told Axios in a statement.

"While some vehicles took a little time to safely navigate the intersection, all vehicles were able to clear the intersection autonomously. Safety is embedded in everything we do, and our vehicles are designed to adhere to traffic signals and follow rules of the road."

Catch up quick: The company already offers driverless taxi services in several cities, including Austin, Phoenix and San Francisco.

Earlier this year it named Houston as one of more than a dozen cities for testing with drivers behind the wheel.

"I don't think this is much compared to the recent Austin incidents," Simon Newton, a neighbor who witnessed Tuesday's Montrose incident, tells Axios. "But not a good start."

In Austin, residents and first responders have reported a Cruise car rolling into a building, as well as vehicles bumping into parked cars and causing traffic delays.

State of play: Cruise isn't the only autonomous vehicle company operating in Houston.

Nuro, which specializes in deliveries, is testing driverless operations in select neighborhoods.

Trucking company Kodiak is operating autonomous big rigs between Dallas and Houston.

Of note: Jesse Bounds, director of the Mayor's Office of Innovation, tells Axios he isn't aware of complaints or questions from the community about Cruise operations.

He said the city is setting up a process to track 311 and 911 calls about autonomous vehicles.

Plus, officials plan to create a working group representing various departments to stay on top of autonomous vehicle-related incidents similar to one in Austin, he added.

Between the lines: Houston police don't yet have a framework for interacting with Cruise cars when they malfunction, are involved in a crash or violate the rules of the road, Houston Police Department spokesperson Victor Senties tells Axios.

"We're still trying to gather information and guidance on how we would be enforcing those types of laws," he says.

Context: A 2017 Texas law preempts local regulation of autonomous vehicles, which has made the state fertile ground for companies' expansion.

State law requires companies to follow registration requirements, equip the vehicles with a video recording system and immediately notify authorities of a crash.

Carnegie Mellon associate professor Phil Koopman, an expert in AV safety, told Axios' Joann Muller that "cities need to have a plan for enforcing traffic laws when there is no driver."

Flashback: Mayor Sylvester Turner's administration has welcomed autonomous vehicle operators provided they "adhere to rigorous safety standards and comply with all applicable rules of the road," Bounds told Axios earlier this month.

"The [mayor's] administration recognizes the potential of this pioneering technology to reduce traffic congestion, enhance public safety, mitigate transportation-related emissions and decrease transportation expenses."

Be smart: Those interested in taking rides with Cruise should join an ever-growing waitlist.

💭 Thought bubble from Axios transportation correspondent Joann Muller: "While the number of self-driving robotaxis on the road remains quite small, these fleets are naturally operating under increased scrutiny, so every incident, no matter how small, will get a lot of attention until they can prove they are at least as safe as a human driver."

Editor's note: This article has been corrected to reflect the Cruise news was confirmed on Tuesday, not Wednesday.

Scoop: Driverless Cruise cars are already on Houston streets

The company had not previously publicly announced this phase of testing.

A driverless Cruise car sits in traffic on Austin Street in downtown Houston on Friday. Photo: Jay R. Jordan/Axios

Transportation

Cruise is testing <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="autonomous vehicles" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/29/cities-testing-self-driving-driverless-taxis-robotaxi-waymo" data-vars-content-id="0e41ee88-70f0-4963-a3fa-0c03f49df253" data-vars-headline="Scoop: Driverless Cruise cars are already on Houston streets" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/29/cities-testing-self-driving-driverless-taxis-robotaxi-waymo" target="_self">autonomous vehicles</a> without safety drivers in Houston ahead of a planned expansion into commercial nighttime service by the end of the year. Driving the news: A spokesperson for the autonomous vehicle company confirmed to Axios Tuesday it is offering driverless ride-hailing service to employees and their friends and family, one of the final steps in its testing process before full commercial service.

News

Transit

Three Houston brewers medaled at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver last weekend.

Why it matters: This is the premier U.S. beer contest, and the competition for the best brews has gotten stiff.

Who won: Saint Arnold Brewing won two gold medals: one for its Elissa IPA in the English ale category and another for its Fancy Lawnmower in the golden or blonde ale category.

True Anomaly Brewing won gold in the contemporary American-style lager category for its Scout beer and silver for its Sea of Waves sour.

Karbach Brewing also won gold for its nonalcoholic Free and Easy Belgian-Style White.

Flashback: Saint Arnold, Karbach and Holler Brewing took home awards at the World Beer Cup competition earlier this year, known as the "Olympics of beer."

Saint Arnold, True Anomaly, Karbach win Great American Beer Festival medals

Workers at True Anomaly Brewing hold a flag while celebrating their win at the Great American Beer Festival

True Anomaly Brewing of Houston accepts a Great American Beer Festival medal at the awards ceremony Saturday in Denver. Photo: John Frank/Axios

Beer

Three Houston brewers medaled at the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Great American Beer Festival" data-vars-click-url="https://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/the-competition/2023-winners/" data-vars-content-id="21607de7-0b4b-4ed7-a11d-ce2a593d6c3c" data-vars-headline="Saint Arnold, True Anomaly, Karbach win Great American Beer Festival medals" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/the-competition/2023-winners/" target="_blank">Great American Beer Festival</a> in Denver last weekend.Why it matters: This is the premier U.S. beer contest, and the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="competition for the best brews has gotten stiff" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2022/09/30/texas-craft-beer-production-increasing-after-2020" data-vars-content-id="21607de7-0b4b-4ed7-a11d-ce2a593d6c3c" data-vars-headline="Saint Arnold, True Anomaly, Karbach win Great American Beer Festival medals" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2022/09/30/texas-craft-beer-production-increasing-after-2020" target="_self">competition for the best brews has gotten stiff</a>.

Food and Drink

Houston BCycle is back from the dead — for now.

Why it matters: Houston Bike Share, the nonprofit that runs the citywide bike share system, is in dire financial straits and recently threatened to close its remaining stations within two months without intervention.

Driving the news: The City of Houston is giving BCycle one more lifeline before the service ends and is replaced with a new bike share network from the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County.

City Council voted Wednesday to give Houston Bike Share upward of $540,000 to keep BCycle afloat until Metro's network comes online within the next six months.

Mayor Sylvester Turner said during Wednesday's City Council meeting that the funds will keep BCycle going for a year and will help provide a smooth transition for users from BCycle to Metro's system.

Yes, but: District A Councilwoman Amy Peck, District G Councilwoman Mary Nan Huffman, and at-large Councilmen Mike Knox and Michael Kubosh voted no.

"In my view, we're investing in a failing corporation," Knox said during the meeting.

Details: BCycle operates 150 stations across Houston, mostly in the Inner Loop, but many have closed due to the nonprofit's financial woes.

The funding will help BCycle keep about 60 stations open with hopes of reopening some that have already shuttered.

Meanwhile, the Metro board will vote Thursday on a contract with PBSC Urban Solutions, an international bike-sharing company, to build and operate its 20 initial transit-adjacent bike share stations.

The new program is expected to expand in the coming years.

Houston City Council approves new BCycle lifeline

The service is back from the dead — for now.

Several bright red bicycles sit at a BCycle station in downtown Houston 

BCycle has been in Houston since 2012. Photo: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

Houston BCycle is back from the dead — for now.Why it matters: Houston Bike Share, the nonprofit that runs the citywide bike share system, is in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="dire financial straits" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2023/09/19/houston-bcycle-bike-share" data-vars-content-id="4dab68f9-4e88-458c-9549-c2a43895c6b5" data-vars-headline="Houston City Council approves new BCycle lifeline" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2023/09/19/houston-bcycle-bike-share" target="_self">dire financial straits</a> and recently threatened to close its remaining stations within two months without intervention.

The BeyHive was buzzing with Beyoncé back in her hometown this weekend.

What's happening: Before her double shows, Beyoncé Knowles made a surprise appearance in Midtown on Friday morning to celebrate the Knowles-Rowland House, a housing complex for the homeless expected to reopen in 2024.

The $10.5 million project will provide permanent housing for 31 people, per Houston Public Media. It will also feature services for residents like transportation, mental and physical health and job assistance.

Context: Beyoncé and fellow Destiny's Child singer Kelly Rowland previously helped fund the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, which opened in 1999 but later sustained hurricane and fire damage.

It's on the campus of St. John's Church — where the Knowles and Rowland families have long been congregants, per HPM. 

Harris County is funding a majority of the renovation with $7.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act money, while the Houston-based Bread of Life, which Beyoncé and her mother Tina Knowles have supported, covers the rest.

What they're saying: "She's a busy lady," Monique Williams, director of partnerships and development for Bread of Life, told HPM.

"For her to pause and just kind of return home and to be in this space with us and to hear again what more will be done and to see her legacy, I think it was wonderful for everyone."

At the first of two shows on Saturday, Beyoncé and fellow Houstonian Megan Thee Stallion performed Grammy-winning "Savage Remix" live together for the first time.

The intrigue: Megan's surprise appearance had been rumored after she pulled out of a New York City festival where she had been slotted to perform this weekend.

Meanwhile, the City of Houston, Houston First Corp. and Central Houston hosted a "Hou Run the World" official Beyoncé celebration with a local band, fireworks and a Beyoncé-themed drone show.

Beyoncé stops by the Knowles-Rowland House for the homeless

Megan Thee Stallion also made a surprise appearance at the shows

Scene from the city's tribute drone show to Beyoncé. Photo: Shafaq Patel/Axios

The BeyHive was buzzing with Beyoncé back in her hometown this weekend.What&#x27;s happening: Before her double shows, Beyoncé Knowles made a surprise appearance in Midtown on Friday morning to celebrate the Knowles-Rowland House, a housing complex for the homeless expected to reopen in 2024.

Culture

Houston's mayoral candidates are offering a range of visions for how best to improve the Bayou City's streets.

Driving the news: Nine of 14 candidates spoke at a forum on the topic organized by nonprofit LINK Houston on Saturday. 

They discussed outgoing Mayor Sylvester Turner's "paradigm shift" to prioritize the city's multimodal transportation options through enhancing bikeways and improving pedestrian access.

Of note: The campaign staff of frontrunner candidate Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Houston) said her congressional duties prevented her from attending.

What we're watching: How the winning candidate's transportation policies align with their promises. 

John Whitmire, a Democratic state senator, said the city ought to prioritize redesigns and add crosswalks where they make the most sense with community input.

Whitmire recalled a past attempt to get a crosswalk installed at Blossom and Westcott streets near Memorial Park, telling city officials "someone will get killed" at the intersection. He said he was frustrated by the city's answer that it couldn't afford it.

"Those are the kind of neighborhood quality-of-life issues that are not big-ticket items that people here this morning could get together and solve."

Lee Kaplan, an attorney, said the city and its partners like Metro should collect more data before redesigning streets.

"That's why we have this black eye where we're redesigning a street in the Heights that we … spent a lot of money on design, and now we're spending $150,000 to reverse that," Kaplan said.

Gilbert Garcia, the former chair of Metro, said he would encourage city planners to design streets as if they were in their own neighborhood.

"I think there needs to be a whole different mindset and a very strong tone at the top that says it's no longer business as usual," Garcia said.

"We have to be much more responsive to the citizens, and we've got to always put ourselves in their shoes, and that will lead us to the right answer."

Robert Gallegos, a City Council member, said he would focus on gathering more community input on building out the Houston Bike Plan, which calls for 1,800 miles of bike lanes.

"We need to work with public works to make sure that they do follow that [bike plan] map," Gallegos said.

"But to do that, we also have to go back and have more community input," he said, so neighborhoods can express "what they want to see on their streets."

Robin Williams, a police officer, said Houston should strive to compete with New York, Los Angeles and Chicago for the best multimodal city in the country.

"We definitely can," Williams said. "So, when it comes down to bikers and walkers, a strip painted on concrete that's so thin just won't do."

Julian Martinez, a used car dealer, said the onus is on drivers to have more sympathy for those traversing Houston outside a car.

"We are human," Martinez said. "We do love each other. If someone is on the sidewalk walking, let them go. Slow down. One second isn't about to kill you."

Jack Christie, a former city councilman, touted his work with former Mayor Annise Parker on the city's complete streets initiative, as well as his push for the city to help homeowners fund sidewalk construction.

"With any new developments we require them to pay for sidewalks," Christie said.

"I asked City Council, please [for] the individual homeowners, at least give them the materials and the cement at cost to where we can make a livable city with sidewalks."

M.J. Khan, another former city councilman, said Houston should both plan for the future and invest in sidewalks and bike lanes in the short-term.

"Not only do we have to look at how we are doing it today, but the world is changing," Khan said. "Technology is coming. In 30, 50, 100 years, it will be a totally different landscape as far as transportation is concerned."

David Lowy, the self-proclaimed "fun" candidate who wore a circus ringleader costume to the forum, said more people should use 3-1-1 and that the city needs to pay for sidewalks.

"The city doesn't want to pay to replace all the sidewalks, but you can't expect homeowners to foot that bill," Lowy said. "We need to replace all the sidewalks."

Houston mayoral candidates compare street improvement visions

Nine of 14 candidates spoke at a forum Saturday.

Nearly 200 people listen to Houston mayoral candidates 

LINK Houston hosted the forum Saturday. Photo: Jay R. Jordan/Axios

Houston&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="mayoral candidates" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2023/08/23/mayoral-candidates-november-election-houston" data-vars-content-id="af6c4715-df74-488c-81ce-264b89dc6932" data-vars-headline="Houston mayoral candidates compare street improvement visions" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2023/08/23/mayoral-candidates-november-election-houston" target="_self">mayoral candidates</a> are offering a range of visions for how best to improve the Bayou City&#x27;s streets.Driving the news: Nine of 14 candidates spoke at a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="forum" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/LINKHouston/videos/348621337517556" data-vars-content-id="af6c4715-df74-488c-81ce-264b89dc6932" data-vars-headline="Houston mayoral candidates compare street improvement visions" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/LINKHouston/videos/348621337517556" target="_blank">forum</a> on the topic organized by nonprofit LINK Houston on Saturday.

Jay R. Jordan

Featured stories

Houston City Council approves new BCycle lifeline

Scoop: Driverless Cruise cars are already on Houston streets

Saint Arnold, True Anomaly, Karbach win Great American Beer Festival medals

Houston mayoral candidates compare street improvement visions

Beyoncé stops by the Knowles-Rowland House for the homeless