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FIFA World Cup brought millions of trips to the Houston-Galveston region this summer. Tell us how the event affected your commute or your organization’s travel plans.
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Your feedback will help shape transportation planning and commute strategies for future major events.
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Commuters and employers: Share your experience and help drive what’s next.
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Parks and Natural Areas Awards Applications Open Sept. 1
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H-GAC’s annual Parks and Natural Areas Awards program will begin accepting applications Sept. 1. The awards recognize outstanding projects and programs that serve as models for parks and natural areas across the region.
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Awards are presented in five categories:
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| • | Planning and Policy Tools
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| • | On-the-Ground Small, up to $250,000
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| • | On-the-Ground Medium, $250,000 to $1 million
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| • | On-the-Ground Large, over $1 million
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The application deadline is noon Wednesday, Sept. 30. Applications will be accepted through an online portal. An application guide and FAQ are available to help applicants prepare.
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There is no funding associated with the awards program. H-GAC is also seeking volunteers to review applications and recommend winners. Winners will be notified in December and recognized in early 2027.
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For more information or to volunteer as a judge, contact Andrea Tantillo.
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Celebrate Regional Water Innovation at the 2026 WISE Awards
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H-GAC will recognize the 2026 WISE Award winners and showcase innovative projects and programs protecting and improving water resources across the Houston-Galveston region.
| 9-10 a.m. | Sept. 29
H-GAC, 2nd Floor Conference Rooms BC
3555 Timmons Ln., Houston, TX
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Join us to celebrate this year’s honorees and learn how their projects and programs are making a difference for the region’s water resources.
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Registration is requested, but not required.
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Learn more about the WISE Awards.
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Ride Transit Free Every Friday in September
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Looking for an easy way to save money and help improve air quality? Free Fare Fridays returns this September, offering free bus rides every Friday on participating routes across the Texas Gulf Coast region.
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This year’s program expands to include Brazoria and Galveston counties through a partnership with Gulf Coast Transit District, allowing more residents to try transit and discover new ways to get around.
| Where to Ride Free
| Free rides are available every Friday in September on participating routes from:
| | • | Gulf Coast Transit District
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| | | | • | The Woodlands Township Transit
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| | • | Conroe Connection Transit
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Choosing transit instead of driving alone can help reduce vehicle emissions that contribute to ground-level ozone. Free Fare Fridays also gives residents a chance to try transit, explore available services, and find options that work for their daily trips.
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Ready to ride? Visit yourcommutesolution.org/breathe for participating routes, schedules, and program details.
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More Ways to Help Clear the Air
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You can also help reduce emissions by carpooling or vanpooling, avoiding unnecessary idling, keeping your vehicle maintained, fueling up in the evening, and combining trips when possible.
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Make your Friday commute a little easier on your wallet and the air. Try transit this September.
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Storm Debris Response Resources Help Communities Prepare
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H-GAC offers customizable public information messages and templates to help local governments and other partners communicate with residents before, during, and after debris-generating events such as hurricanes, floods, and wildfires.
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Resources include graphics and messages in English, Chinese, Spanish, and Vietnamese, along with debris separation flyers, videos, news release templates, call center guidance, and other outreach tools.
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Explore H-GAC’s Disaster Debris Cleanup and Management Resources and prepare your community before the next event.
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Free Benefits Counseling Available Throughout the Year
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Medicare and benefits questions don’t have to wait for open enrollment. H-GAC’s Area Agency on Aging provides free Monthly Benefits Check-Up Days year-round to help older adults, caregivers, and Medicare-eligible individuals navigate available programs and services.
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| | | | Certified benefits counselors provide one-on-one assistance with:
| | | | | • | Aging-related programs and services
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Join the Conversation on Regional Water Quality
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The Bacteria Implementation Group will hold its fall meeting to discuss ongoing efforts to improve water quality and reduce bacteria in area waterways.
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1-3 p.m. | Oct. 27
H-GAC, 2nd Floor Conference Rooms ABC and on Zoom
3555 Timmons Ln., Houston, TX
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Register for in-person attendance; registration is required for online attendance.
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Register to attend online.
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Be Prepared: Navigating FEMA’s Public Assistance Program
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When disaster strikes, communities need to be ready to respond quickly and recover efficiently. FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) Program provides supplemental federal disaster assistance to state, territorial, tribal, and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations following presidentially declared disasters.
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Since 2008, communities across the H-GAC region have received more than $383 million through the program following disasters ranging from Hurricane Ike and COVID-19 to Hurricane Beryl.
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PA funding can support:
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| • | Emergency protective measures
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Successfully navigating the PA Program requires preparation, thorough documentation, procurement compliance, and close attention to deadlines. With accelerated timelines and increased scrutiny, having the right procedures in place before a disaster occurs can help communities avoid common pitfalls and maximize eligible cost recovery.
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H-GAC offers resources to help communities prepare, including a Disaster Debris Management Best Practices Manual and Checklist and additional disaster debris cleanup and management resources.
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Child Care Support Helps Working Families
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Reliable childcare is an important part of a strong workforce. The Gulf Coast Workforce Board invests approximately $370 million each year in childcare scholarships, helping income-eligible working parents and students across the 13-county region access care while they work, attend school, or complete job training.
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These scholarships can also help employers retain workers and maintain a reliable workforce.
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Need help with childcare? Call 713-334-5980, text 346-249-7700, or visit Workforce Solutions Childcare Financial Assistance.
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Employers: Help Build the Next Generation Workforce
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Employers can learn how to connect young adults ages 16 to 24 with subsidized work-based learning, internships, and direct-hire opportunities through Hire Gulf Coast Youth.
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10 a.m.-2 p.m. | Sept. 2
BakerRipley Community Center
720 Fairmont Pkwy., Pasadena, TX
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Transportation Project Sponsors: Explore New Planning Opportunities
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H-GAC is opening two calls for transportation planning requests this fall. Eligible local governments and transportation partners can apply for assistance with subregional planning and freight grade separation studies.
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Subregional Planning Requests
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The Call for Subregional Planning Requests opens Sept. 1 and runs through Oct. 19. Sponsors can request assistance with plans and studies focused on local transportation needs, connectivity, mobility, and multimodal transportation options.
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A virtual pre-submittal conference for Subregional Planning Requests will be held from 1-3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, to provide information about the application process and answer questions.
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Learn more about Subregional Planning and the Call for Requests
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Advance Freight Grade Separation Projects
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The Call for Freight Grade Separation Projects opens Sept. 14 and runs through Oct. 9. This opportunity supports planning-level feasibility studies for projects that could improve safety and efficiency at highway-rail crossings and help communities advance potential grade separation projects.
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A virtual pre-submittal conference for Advance Grade Separation Projects will be held from 1-3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, to provide information about the application process and answer questions.
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Learn more about Freight Planning and Grade Separation
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Review the requirements and deadlines now to prepare your project for submission.
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From Planning to Action: See Regional Progress and Join the Conversation
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Across the Houston-Galveston region, organizations are taking action to improve air quality and reduce emissions. Local governments, businesses, schools, nonprofits, and community partners are putting projects and strategies into practice that support cleaner air and healthier communities. Many of these efforts align with implementation opportunities identified in H-GAC's Regional Clean Air Action Plan.
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A big part of taking action is making a public commitment to cleaner air and a more sustainable future. For example, Port Houston has established a goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, providing a long-term framework for reducing emissions across its operations.
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Visit the Clean Air, Healthy Communities website to learn about implementation opportunities and see examples of clean air actions underway across the region.
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From Planning to Action
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Join us Oct. 8 for the 2026 Air Quality Summit. This year's theme, From Planning to Action, will highlight successful projects, innovative partnerships, and practical strategies for putting clean air plans into practice.
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Explore these resources to learn more and get involved:
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Whether your organization is planning its next project or already implementing clean air strategies, these resources can help turn plans into action.
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Ready to see what’s ahead at the 2026 Air Quality Summit?
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The future of cleaner air starts with action! The 2026 Air Quality Summit brings together regional leaders, experts, businesses, community organizations, researchers, and residents to turn ideas and strategies into real-world solutions. Join us for a day of collaboration, innovation, and action focused on cleaner air and healthier communities across the Houston-Galveston region.
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Build Purposeful Leadership Skills for Public Service
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Strong leadership can make a meaningful difference in how government organizations serve their communities. H-GAC’s 2026 Leading with Purpose Workshop is designed for public servants who want to strengthen their leadership skills, make principled decisions, and drive meaningful change in their workplaces and communities.
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The workshop will provide participants with practical opportunities to develop their leadership abilities and explore how purposeful leadership can strengthen organizations and improve outcomes for the communities they serve.
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8 a.m.-4 p.m. | Sept. 22
H-GAC, 2nd Floor Conference Rooms ABC
3555 Timmons Ln., Houston TX
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Registration is now open and closes Sept. 15.
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Register for the Leading with Purpose Workshop
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Explore What’s Next for Regional Parks and Natural Areas
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The next Parks and Natural Areas Roundtable will feature an update from the city of Kemah on its award-winning parks projects, along with a presentation from Texas Children in Nature. Participants also will have an opportunity to share upcoming events, successes, and challenges during the roundtable discussion.
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1:30-3:30 p.m. | Sept. 8
H-GAC, 2nd Floor Conference Rooms BC
3555 Timmons Ln., Houston, TX
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Registration is requested.
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What’s at Stake for the Future of Land Use and Transportation
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| | The final session of H-GAC’s three-part Livable Centers Roundtable and Workshop Series, Annual Land Use/Transportation Workshop: Expert Takes on What’s at Stake, will bring together experts to discuss practices that support long-term adaptability.
| Speakers include Ruben Garza of Strong Towns Houston, Edward Pettitt II of Friends of Columbia Tap, Natalye Appel of Natalye Appel + Associates Architects, and Andrew Kaldis of Kaldis Development Interests.
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9 a.m.-12 p.m. | Sept. 17
H-GAC, 2nd Floor Conference Rooms ABC
3555 Timmons Ln., Houston, TX
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Networking and check-in begin at 9 a.m., with the program starting at 9:30 a.m.
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Free Program Connects Residents with Skilled Trades
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A free three-week Apprenticeship Readiness Program/Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (ARP/MC3) can help residents prepare for careers in 14 construction and building trades.
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Supported by the Gulf Coast Workforce Board, the program includes construction safety, hands-on tool training, OSHA 10 certification, and math preparation. Graduates can connect with registered apprenticeship programs and paid on-the-job training opportunities. The program has a 98 percent pass rate on apprenticeship entrance exams.
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Track Gulf Coast Employment Trends
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Labor market data can help communities, employers, and economic development professionals understand where jobs are growing and where workers are needed.
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Workforce Solutions Gulf Coast provides monthly data on employment trends across the region, including recent growth in professional and business services, trade, transportation and utilities, manufacturing, and construction.
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Explore the latest Gulf Coast labor market reports.
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See How Tomball Transformed Its Downtown
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The next Bringing Back Main Street Roundtable will showcase how Tomball’s downtown has grown and developed over the past decade and highlight the role collaboration has played in its success.
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The event also marks a return to Tomball, where H-GAC hosted its first Bringing Back Main Street roundtable in October 2015.
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10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Oct. 27
Tomball Community Center
221 Market Street, Tomball, TX
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Networking and check-in begin at 9:30 a.m. Registration will open soon.
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Learn more about Bringing Back Main Street.
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