ABSTRACT
The Washington Avenue Corridor in Houston began to become an entertainment district around 2005. The four-mile corridor runs east-west, sits right outside of downtown, and is surrounded by residential neighborhoods to the north and south, including the historic Old Sixth Ward. Between 2000 and 2010, the population in the corridor increased by 47 percent, significantly outpacing growth in the rest of the city. In the case of the Washington corridor, most of the existing bars and nightclubs had little or no off-street parking. Thus far, the advisory committee has approved expenditures for the Washington Parking Benefit District to sponsor bike racks that were installed in 2016. The bike racks serve two goals: promotion of an alternative method of transportation as well as raising public awareness of the Washington Parking Benefit District. Although parking occupancy was below the original projections, the parking benefit district pilot is considered a success.
