The Houston City Council is applying for a state grant to build a pedestrian bridge near Reynolds Middle School that would improve student safety and traffic flow in Houston’s Fifth Ward.
If approved, the proposed McReynolds Middle School Safe Passage Bridge Project would receive over $4.65 million in funding from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) under its Transportation Alternatives (TA) Set-Aside Program.
The bridge is designed to create a grade-separated pedestrian crossing over the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) tracks, providing students with a direct and secure route to school.
Currently, students must navigate busy intersections and active freight lines, posing a significant safety risk. Last December, a Milby High School student, Sergio Rodriguez, was killed by a train while walking to school. The proposed infrastructure would help eliminate that danger, giving families peace of mind.
The project, which spans Districts B and H, represented by Councilmembers Tarsha Jackson and Mario Castillo, respectively, is a collaborative effort in partnership with the UPRR.
While UPPR will lead and fund the design phase of the bridge, Harris County Precinct 2, led by Commissioner Adrian Garcia, will contribute 60% of the estimated local funding match. The City of Houston will be responsible for the remainder of the match and any project cost overruns.
According to city documents, the total estimated cost of the bridge is $5.8 million. Of that, the city is requesting $4.65 million from the state. The local match requirement is about $1.16 million, with the city contributing approximately $465,000 and Harris County Precinct 2 contributing just under $700,000.
Castillo said the initiative began before the Milby HS incident.
“One of my first town halls last year, we were in Denver Harbor, and this was an issue that was brought up from the community,” Castillo said. “The train that would stall next to (McReynolds) and block the access for kids to get to and from school. Some instances of kids crawling under the train to get to and from school. And the community was very concerned that at some point a child was going to get hurt, potentially killed.”
If TxDOT awards the grant, Houston Public Works will bring the proposal back to City Council for final approval and appropriation of the local match. An interlocal agreement between the city and Harris County will also be created to define cost-sharing responsibilities and construction plans.
The grant application underscores Houston’s broader efforts to improve pedestrian infrastructure and student safety, especially in historically underserved areas. The City’s application reaffirms its eligibility to participate in the TA program and authorizes Houston Public Works to act on the City’s behalf throughout the grant process.
