Grand Parkway (Belt) (The Woodlands: how much, zoning, shopping mall)

[CoreCore]

How much do you think this will help traffic flow particularly to the Woodlands from IAH?

[curbur]

Originally Posted by CoreCore

How much do you think this will help traffic flow particularly to the Woodlands from IAH?

It could help alleviate some traffic off of the beltway and provide some more direct routes for people, however given it's 2 lanes on each side and going through dense residential or soon to be dense residential areas, it's certainly going to have its own traffic woes come rush hour time. I think the key point with adding new freeways is that it does help provide more direct routes and allow for more cars to be on houston freeways at any given time in general, but what it typically does not do is alleviate traffic significantly. With no zoning, many more residential areas will pop up outside the grand parkway once it's fully completed, which will negate any traffic improvement that you'd otherwyse expect.

[Prey521]

Yep, the I59 (Eastex) section of the GP, which is opening in a few months, has quite a few communities and business centers/shopping malls popping up around it.

[LocalPlanner]

You mentioned the trip between The Woodlands and IAH specifically. I don't see the GP having any much of any impact on that route, which is north-south. Maybe some folks in the western parts of The Woodlands might take one of the thoroughfares south to the GP, then going east to the Hardy Toll Road?