OCTOBER 2025

Fall is in the air! View this month's What’s Happening at H-GAC as we share a few fun fall facts (including Texas’ surprising pumpkin power!) and highlight upcoming October events across the region.

Catch up on regional H-GAC events and explore ways you can get involved!

👉 h-gac.com/calendar

Don’t forget to subscribe to our videos, follow us on social media,

and stay connected for more regional updates!

Help Improve Campus Travel —

Take the University Travel Survey Today!

Every campus morning looks different — rushing to catch the bus, weaving through bike lanes, circling for a parking spot, or walking across campus. That’s why the Houston-Galveston Area Council, your campus, and the ETC Institute want to hear from YOU.

👉 Look for surveyors in blue vests on campus this fall and share your story.

📅 The Major Universities Travel Survey runs September through the end of October

2025.

💡 Your feedback will help improve transit, parking, bike access, and campus travel—

making it safer and smoother for everyone.

Be part of the change. Take the survey today: h-gac.com/surveys.

Biketober has arrived! Join H-GAC's Commute Solutions program for a month-long cycling celebration for fun, health, and transportation across the greater Houston region.

Swap the traffic for two wheels and enjoy the city from a fresh perspective! Whether you're a seasoned commuter or just dusting off your cruiser, there's an event for you. Ride with friends, explore new routes, and soak in the energy of the cycling community: 


• Twilight Treats Ride - Join the Energy Corridor Cycling Club for an evening of fun while riding around with family and friends on Friday, Oct. 17.

• Houston Bike Fest - Mark your calendars for Saturday, Oct. 25, and enjoy a free community celebration of cycling at Saint Arnold Brewing.

• Ion District Bike Ride - Pedal with us on Wednesday, Oct. 29, for a short, relaxed community ride through the Ion and Midtown areas. Bring your bike, your friends, and your sense of adventure!

This is your opportunity to discover new routes, support local causes, or simply relish in the joy of riding with friends.

Improving the air we breathe doesn’t have to be complicated or costly. Through the Clean Air, Healthy Communities initiative, H-GAC is sharing simple, practical ways to support healthier communities, a stronger economy, and a better quality of life across our region.

Examples include planting more trees to help cool neighborhoods, expanding transportation options, and making buildings more energy efficient — all steps that can save money while improving air quality. H-GAC’s Regional Strategy Opportunity Menus provide local governments with a range of solutions they can tailor to their community’s needs.

Now we want to hear from you! What changes do you think would make the biggest difference in the Houston-Galveston region? Visit engage.h-gac.com/clean-air to explore the ideas and share your input. Together, we can create a cleaner, healthier future for everyone.

Click here to learn about H-GAC's Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program.

H-GAC and five partner organizations have launched the Texas Water Careers website to inspire current and future workers to explore rewarding careers in the water and wastewater industries.

With one in three operators nearing retirement and fewer new workers entering the field, this partnership aims to connect people to jobs, elevate the perception of utility careers, and create clear pathways for success.

Learn more and explore the website today!

Partners include the Texas American Water Works Association, Water Environment Association of Texas, Association of Water Board Directors – Texas, Texas Rural Water Association, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.



The beta version of H-GAC’s Water Resources Information Map is now live!

This interactive tool supports regional water quality planning by helping stakeholders explore, visualize, and understand data — empowering local action to improve water quality.

Explore the new site and provide feedback to Jenny Oakley.

 

H-GAC’s updated  Bringing Back Main Street: A Guide to Downtown Revitalization for Local Governments is now available online. Originally published in 2015 and refreshed in 2025, the guide outlines strategies for creating vibrant downtowns and highlights success stories from small cities across Texas.

For generations, small towns have been cultural and economic anchors for rural areas. While shifting demographics and economies pose challenges, many communities continue to thrive through thoughtful revitalization efforts.

The guide recommends steps such as creating a community-based vision, fostering walkability, promoting diverse uses, and ensuring safety.

Explore the full guide to learn how your community can bring its Main Street back to life.

H-GAC is accepting applications for approximately $950,000 in solid waste grant funding for eligible projects across the 13-county region. These funds, provided through our partnership with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, come from tipping fees collected at landfills statewide and are awarded through a competitive grant process.

This is the only call for projects planned for the current two-year cycle. Grants will begin in either March or September 2026, and all work must be completed by May 2027.

The application period is now open and will close at 12 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 14.

H-GAC hosted a webinar on how to complete the grant application on September 16. View a recording of the webinar.

For more information or to be added to the solid waste grant email list, contact Erin Livingston.

Additional Funding Available:

Broadband/Connectivity


Texas Middle Mile Program

• Total Funding: $200 million
• Awards Up To: $50 million
• Deadline: Nov. 20

Apply at: https://comptroller.texas.gov/programs/broadband/funding/middle-mile/

Housing

Multifamily Housing Loan Guarantees in

• Rural Areas (USDA)
• Funding Type: Loan
• Deadline: Rolling

Apply at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/multifamily-housing-programs/multifamily-housing-loan-guarantees#overview

Streets as Places & Destination Stations (Community Placemaking Grants)

• Total Funding: $300,000
• Awards Up To: $100,000
• Deadline: Oct. 13

Apply at: https://www.pps.org/community-placemaking-grants

Community Development Block Grant Public Facilities and Infrastructure (Harris County)

• Total Funding: $7,500,000
• Deadline: Oct. 31

Apply at: https://hcd.harriscountytx.gov/Bids-and-Public-Notices/open-bids

Community Block Grant Disaster Recovery Hurricane Beryl and Houston Derecho (Harris County)

• Total Funding: $13,695,700
• Deadline: Oct. 31

Apply at: https://hcd.harriscountytx.gov/Bids-and-Public-Notices/open-bids

OCT 14

Join us Tuesday, Oct. 14, for the Bringing Back Main Street Roundtable and 10th Anniversary Celebration at H-GAC’s second-floor conference rooms.

Networking & Check-in: 9:30 a.m.

Program: 10 a.m. – noon

Registration is encouraged but not required.

Topics include:

• A Brief History of the H-GAC Bringing Back Main Street Initiative and the updated Downtown Revitalization Guide – Andrea Tantillo, H-GAC
• An Update from Historic Downtown Rosenberg – Kaylee Manville & Tanya Kveton, city of Rosenberg
• Trends and Tools for Downtowns – Patty Swords, Langford Community Management Services
• Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design – TBA
• Participants will also engage in an activity celebrating the best elements of their own downtowns and a roundtable discussion.

For more information, contact  Andrea Tantillo.

OCT 24

OCT 28

Make plans to attend the Bacteria Implementation Group Fall Meeting from 1 to 3 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 28, at H-GAC’s second-floor conference rooms or by Zoom.

Light refreshments will be served.

Register to attend online or in person.

For details, contact Steven Johnston.

NOV 18

City and school district representatives – Join peers from across the region for H-GAC’s combined caucus meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, at The Briar Club (1605 Timmons Ln, Houston). Network, share ideas, and elect your board representatives and alternates.

Schedule: 6:30 p.m. – Cash Bar | 7:00 p.m. – Dinner | 8:00 p.m. – Business & Elections

Cost: $65 per person (includes dinner)

Complimentary valet and self-parking provided

Registration required.

DEC 12

Save the date! Fall Planning Workshop (Online)

Join us from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Friday, Dec. 12, on Zoom for the H-GAC Annual Planning Workshop: “DIY Urban Planning – Empowering Public Spaces Through Community-Led Projects.”

This year’s event explores how communities can redesign urban spaces through small-scale, do-it-yourself projects that make a big impact — from transforming vacant lots and parks to improving accessibility and pedestrian spaces.

Participants will learn actionable steps to spark community change and foster collaboration.

Registration is required.

For more than 16 years, H-GAC’s free annual workshop has provided practical tools, real-world examples, and planning best practices for local governments, community leaders, planners, city staff, nonprofits, and students.

For more information, contact Amanda Ashcroft.

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