More than a year after an anonymous urbanist installed a pair of bandit stop signs at a Museum District intersection, the city of Houston finished the job.
Why it matters: The move shows a willingness by Mayor John Whitmire’s administration to install pedestrian safety infrastructure despite past policy decisions that favor commuters.
Driving the news: The city in early December installed new stop signs on Binz and Chenevert streets, making the intersection a four-way stop.
- Previously, it was a two-way stop with traffic along Binz Street flowing unencumbered.
Context: The intersection is frequented by residents walking to Hermann Park and customers of the adjacent Parc Binz I and II developments, who previously had to dodge 30+ mph traffic to cross four lanes of Binz Street.
- The developments even hired an off-duty Houston police officer to stop drivers and usher pedestrians across the street each time they needed to cross.
Flashback: In June 2024, after nearby residents and business owners’ concerns to the city about the intersection went unanswered, an unknown person installed counterfeit stop signs at the intersection. The signs were in place for a few days before the city removed them.
- A city spokesperson told Axios in 2024 that the intersection did not meet the requirements for a four-way stop.
Yes, but: Whitmire’s spokesperson Mary Benton now tells Axios that the intersection was re-evaluated by Houston Public Works in 2025 after a “constituent request” for a four-way stop that was ultimately approved…