BRYAN, Texas (KRHD) — Texas Avenue median removal heads to November ballot after years of community pushback
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After years of blocked turns, disrupted routes and a petition with more than 2,800 signatures, the question of whether to remove the medians along Texas Avenue will go before voters on Nov. 3.
Bryan City Council approved sending the issue to the ballot at its Aug. 11 meeting. But even if the measure passes, city officials say the process will not be quick.
"That doesn't mean that the medians get ripped out tomorrow. It means that a court would potentially have to come in and decide whether or not the city of Bryan has the authority to, to make that call," Nicole Lamb, Bryan Strategic Communications, said.
Texas Avenue is a state road, meaning any changes would have to go through TxDOT. That adds another layer to the process — though advocates say early signs from the agency are encouraging.
"The good news is that our group met with TxDOT the day after it passed with the city of Bryan, and they have expressed no opposition to having Bryan remove the medians," Denise Fries, BCS Medians Survey Group, said.
Fries also raised concerns about emergency response access along the corridor.
"It is not fair. It's not reasonable to expect first responders to be able to make U-turns on these roads," Fries said.
At least one resident said the ballot measure is long overdue. Lee Cross described how the medians changed something as simple as a trip to a fast food restaurant.
"If I'm being honest, I'm really happy that it's going to the ballot. I don't think they should have ever been installed. That's just my opinion. And something personally that has affected me is I used to be able to go to Sonic on Texas Avenue. I would turn right, left, and then right again into Sonic. 3 turns. Now if I want to go to Sonic. I got to take 7 turns. I got to hit 3 different stoplights," Cross said.
Fries said the community now needs to make its voice heard at the polls.
"Now we need the rest of our friends in the city of Bryan to vote to make it patently clear to all of the entities involved that this is what we want. Then they need to make it happen," Fries said.
The median removal question will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot. The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 5.
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