On Monday Sept. 8, Covering Katy News published an Op Ed in support of building Highway 36A. It was written and submitted by Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers and can be read here. This op-ed was submitted by a Hempstead resident as a counter-argument to the points made by Commissioner Meyers. The owner of Covering Katy News is employed by the Precinct 3 Commissioner's Office. However, editorial decisions for Covering Katy News are made independently and separate from any county employment. As this post demonstrates, we are committed to balanced coverage and providing a platform for diverse viewpoints on issues affecting our community.
By Linda Alves
This Friday is the deadline to comment on the proposed Highway 36A project. Supporters claim it's critical for safety, traffic relief, and economic growth. The truth is, 36A would damage our communities while failing to deliver on its promises.
Not a Real Evacuation Route
We already have proven evacuation corridors in I-10, Highway 36, and Spur 10. Upgrading these existing routes is faster, cheaper, and more effective than bulldozing farmland for a new highway. Calling 36A an evacuation route is misleading**—**it doesn't connect coastal populations to inland destinations. Worse, it invites more development in flood-prone areas, putting more people in harm's way.
Traffic Will Get Worse, Not Better
We've seen this before. The Katy Freeway was expanded at enormous cost, yet traffic congestion quickly returned. Building more highways only induces more traffic. 36A won't ease commutes**—**it will just encourage longer drives and more trucks. Smart improvements to Highway 36 and Spur 10 would deliver real benefits without destroying rural land.
Freight at the Expense of Families
Port Freeport's growth is being used as justification for 36A. But freight already moves on existing roads. Expanding current corridors can support commerce without taking farms and family land. A new highway primarily benefits developers and freight companies**—**while taxpayers pay for the damage.
A Pattern We've Seen Before
This push for 36A follows the same playbook we're now fighting in Waller County with the proposed TexasLand USA theme park: big promises of jobs, growth, and "transformational" projects**—**but in reality, it's farmland loss, traffic nightmares, and communities left carrying the burden. Texas laws often tilt toward developers, but citizens can push back by shining light on the risks, demanding better alternatives, and refusing to rubber-stamp speculative projects.
The Better Solution
36A is not about safety or prosperity. It is about sprawl. Families should not lose their land so that developers and freight interests can profit. The smarter path is clear: fix the roads we already have—Highway 36, Spur 10, I-10, and 290—instead of carving a destructive new corridor through rural Texas.
I urge TxDOT and local leaders to reject the 36A proposal. Residents can make their voices heard by emailing HOU-PIOwebmail@txdot.gov and referencing CSJ: 0912-00-544 before the Friday deadline.
Today it's Needville. Tomorrow it's Hempstead. Together, we can stop 36A before it tears through us all.