Online survey lets Aldine residents, businesses, groups help set priorities for regional improvements
By Felicia Griffin
Harris County is seeking diverse public input for the Aldine Region Comprehensive Study (ARCS), a project that focuses on consolidating several community improvement recommendations and plans that have been developed over the past 20 years to create a prioritized list of infrastructure projects for Harris County to implement.
The project website — https://htx-arcs.com – features a survey that lets respondents review and prioritize the draft goals for the study. Accessible in English and Spanish, the survey will be available on the website through the end of February.
The ARCS project area consists of the Airline Improvement, East Aldine, and North Houston management districts. Although the study is being led by Harris County, recommendations will also be included for parts of the study area that are within the City of Houston.
During the first series of public meetings in late January, which were conducted virtually via Zoom in late January, the team of county engineers and consultants leading the study project presented a detailed overview of their analysis of existing conditions in Aldine. Citizens who attended the meetings shared their perspectives on living and working in Aldine and offered several ideas for improving local transportation networks, affordable housing, parks, culture and economic development, safety, public health, and the region’s overall quality of life. Instant polls during the meetings also enabled attendees to rank recommended goals for the study in real time.
All public meetings and surveys for the ARCS project are conducted in English and Spanish. The project website — https:// htx-arcs.com – is accessible in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese. In addition to colorful visuals that highlight many iconic Aldine landmarks, the website features detailed information such as schedules and registration links for upcoming public meetings (to be conducted in English and Spanish – dates pending), video recordings of past public meetings, links to the survey, as well as maps, a timeline of the study’s phases, and contact information for key members of the ARCS project team.
With input gathered from the meetings and the survey, the ARCS team is expected to come up with comprehensive recommendations for projects, programs, and policies for citizens to review and weigh in during another round of public meetings this spring.
The final report and implementation plan are targeted for completion this summer, and it will be submitted to the Harris County Commissioners’ Court for a possible vote of approval.