Growth Spurt

This Texas city is poised to become nation's third largest by 2025

A report from Reuters indicates that Houston is expected to surpass Chicago as the nation's third largest city.

Photo by Jim Olive/Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau

With strong ties to the energy industry, low taxes, a strong international leaning, and a robust job market, Houston is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. We knew that already but did anyone realize that because of that prosperity H-Town is poised to move up the ranks of the nation's biggest cities in terms of population?

According to a new report from Reuters, Houston is expected to grow in population to the point that the city will surpass Chicago, becoming the third largest city in the nation within the next eight to 10 years.

By 2025, Houston is projected to have a population of between 2.54 million and 2.7 million, while Chicago's population, which has been declining for years, will be only 2.5 million. This is according to data collected from the health departments in Texas and Michigan. Mega-cities New York and Los Angeles are still solidly placed at Nos. 1 and 2 for population, respectively.

An interesting view of the city's profile is offered in the article: "Apart from domestic migration, about one in five Houstonians is foreign born and more than 90 languages are spoken in the city."

Reuters notes that the proportion of residents giving positive ratings to overall relations among the city's racial and ethnic groups has increased in all major ethnic communities, according to an annual survey conducted by the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University.

In fact, between 2014 and 2015, these ratings improved for Anglos from 53 to 56 percent, were stable among blacks at 37 and 36 percent, and showed significant growth from 35 to 46 percent for Hispanics.

Additionally, according to the survey, the proportion of Houston-area residents who would like to see the U.S. admit more or the same number of immigrants in the next decade as were admitted in the last decade grew from 54 percent in 2009 to 72 percent in 2015.

"We have that international mindset that the rest of the United States never saw," Mayor Annise Parker told Reuters.

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Texas races to the bottom in new list of best states for cyclists

Photo by Justin Wallace on Unsplash

If you've ridden your bicycle in Austin, you already know how true this is.

In what will come as no surprise to cyclists around Austin, the state of Texas is not a good place for bicycle riding. According to a new report of the "Most Cycling-Friendly States in the U.S.," Texas comes in at No. 47 — meaning that only three other states are worse.

The report, from Philadelphia personal injury law firm KaplunMarx, examines all 50 states based on six metrics: Air quality index, the number of cyclist deaths per one million residents, bike routes per square mile, local government actions supporting cycling, federal funding for cycling projects, and bicycle laws.

Texas musters a mere 31 points out of 100 for its "cycling friendly score."

The most cycling-friendly state in the U.S.: Minnesota, which earned 84 points to claim the title.

According to the report's findings, there have been 15 local government actions per capita in Texas that integrate pedestrians and cyclists in transportation projects. Texas' has a 41 air quality index value, and there are approximately 1.2 bike routes per 1,000 square miles in the state.

On cyclist deaths, Texas does a little better, with three cyclist deaths per one million residents in Texas — about nine percent lower than the national average.

According to KaplunMarx founding partner Ted Kaplun, there is an average of 857 cyclist fatalities in the U.S. every year. He adds that every measure or community effort to improve cyclist-friendliness is beneficial for all Americans.

"It's crucial for all states to continually assess and enhance their cycling provisions, learning from both high-ranking peers and their own experiences," he says.

Top-ranking Minnesota has only one cyclist death per one million state residents. It also has about 27.2 bike routes per 1,000 square miles.

After Minnesota, the remaining top five best states for cyclists are Massachusetts (No. 2), Rhode Island (No. 3), Washington (No. 4), and Iowa (No. 5).

At the bottom of the list are Nevada (No. 48), Arizona (No. 49), and Utah (No. 50) — all of which performed far worse than Texas to be declared the three least cycling-friendly states.

The entire country still has areas for improvement when it comes to creating a safer environment for cyclists, regardless of where each state landed on the list, according to Kaplun.

"With over 53 million Americans riding bicycles regularly, the importance of cycling-friendly infrastructure and safety measures cannot be overstated," said Kaplun in the report. "This isn't just about rankings – it's about enhancing the quality of life, promoting sustainable transportation, and most crucially, saving lives."

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