Houston's Main Street Goes Permanent: Outdoor Dining and Traffic Closures

Houston city council members have voted unanimously to permanently close down traffic on seven blocks of Main Street in downtown Houston to extend the "More Space: Main Street" program that allowed restaurants and bars to maintain outdoor seating space between Commerce Street and Rusk Street. The program has enabled participating businesses to add a total of 45 tables and 154 seats on outdoor patios so far, according to Houston's Chief Transportation Planner David Fields. The goal is to eventually expand the concept to other local businesses and commercial strips citywide.