Houstonians Cite Rising Traffic Problems, Kinder Survey Finds
Stephen Klineberg
HOUSTON – (By Michelle Leigh Smith for Realty News Report) – Traffic congestion is now viewed as the top problem facing Houston, according to the annual Kinder Houston Area Survey conducted by the Kinder Institute at Rice University.
Each year, researchers from the Kinder Institute interview more than 46,000 Houston-area residents about their life experiences, attitudes, and beliefs.
The city’s shifting priorities appear in the open-ended question that begins each survey: “What would you say is the biggest problem facing people in Houston today?” Since 2015, traffic congestion has been identified by pluralities of respondents as the biggest problem—28 percent, 29 percent, 24 percent, and 25 percent in prior years. This year that share rose to 36 percent. Crime followed at 15 percent, and concern about the economy fell to 11 percent from 16 percent in 2018.
The survey also highlights increasing concern about concentrated poverty and its effects on children’s opportunities for success.
Despite a generally positive view of job prospects, the survey found that 39 percent of respondents said they could not come up with $400 in an emergency, a figure close to the national average reported by the Federal Reserve. In Houston—the home of the world’s largest medical center—25 percent of respondents reported lacking health insurance. Additionally, 31 percent reported household incomes under $37,500, 35 percent experienced trouble paying for housing, and 33 percent had difficulty affording groceries.
The study examined 28 school districts and tracked a cohort of students: of the 74,396 students who were enrolled in eighth grade in 2006, only 75 percent graduated high school.
“One in four did not graduate,” said Dr. Stephen Klineberg, founder of the Rice Kinder Institute for Urban Research.
The survey’s findings were presented and discussed at a luncheon held at the Marriott Marquis in downtown Houston.
“This recognition of the importance of education may help explain changing opinions about funding for public schools,” Klineberg added. Last year, 56 percent of respondents said public schools needed more funding. In 1994, 54 percent believed schools had enough money to provide a good education. In 2018, fewer than half—42 percent—said schools had sufficient funds, if used wisely, to deliver quality education.
A notable award was presented at the Kinder luncheon.
Jeffrey C. Hines
Jeffrey C. Hines, president and CEO of Hines, received the Stephen Klineberg Award for his lasting positive impact on Houston. He accepted the honor as a tribute to his father, Gerald Hines, who founded the company in a one-room office in 1957. Today, Hines operates in 214 cities across 24 countries and has 13 projects underway in Houston totaling 5.2 million square feet.
“Houston is one of the hottest markets because of its diversity—something we see in very few other fast-growing cities,” Jeffrey Hines said.
Hines also described how the tenant mix in downtown office towers has evolved. When the firm developed One Shell Plaza in 1971 and Pennzoil Place in 1975, tenants were predominantly oil and gas companies. At Hines’ newer 609 Main building, only six percent of tenants are from the oil and gas industry, reflecting a broader shift in Houston’s economy.
