Senior leader in Public Works resigns
One of Houston Public Works senior leaders, cheered for her efforts to revamp city streets in an effort to make them safer and smoother, reached the end of a major road Monday.
Veronica O. Davis resigned as the head of transportation and drainage operations, effective immediately. Davis declined to comment further. On social media, she said she was proud of securing important federal funding for many local projects and improving efficiency within the department.
“As I look back on what we accomplished over the last three years, I cannot help but sit back and smile,” she wrote on X.
Public Works Director Carol Haddock praised Davis in a statement, but neither Davis nor city officials would elaborate on the reason for the resignation, which is among a handful of staff changes in recent days as Mayor John Whitmire has settled into office.
Public Works spokeswoman Katelynn Burns said Davis “was not asked to resign.”
The departure was met with dismay by many people inside and outside City Hall, with some crediting Davis for following through on efforts to increase safety and reduce car dependence in Houston.
District F Council Member Tiffany Thomas called the resignation a “big loss” for the city, while others said it was likely to set back further efforts to add bike lanes and sidewalks in some neighborhoods.
Conversely, for those who questioned many of the current and planned projects, the departure could mean a shift away from reducing vehicle lanes. During his successful mayoral campaign, Whitmire was critical of efforts, which he said removed vehicle lanes where residents voiced concerns.
“You have to listen to the residents,” he said during a September forum, citing the need for Houston to address city neighborhoods equally.
“You have Denver Harbor talking about getting their first sidewalk and you have the Heights tearing up a perfectly good three-foot sidewalk to put in an eight-foot sidewalk … We cannot continue to have the haves and the have-nots.”
Davis, meanwhile, wrote the book on inclusive transportation and how to rethink streets for resident’s needs. She came to Houston three years ago, already well known among transportation researchers for work in helping cities adapt to more transit and biking opportunities in aging, car-centric neighborhoods. At that time, officials cheered her hiring as the city focused on its goal to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities. Davis also steered projects that widened sidewalks and added bike lanes in locations where safer connections were needed.
The projects, while sometimes controversial with residents, won increasing federal investment, including $28.8 million to make Bissonnet safer for pedestrians and $21 million to rehab Telephone Road.
Asked Monday if any upcoming projects were on hold as officials adjust away from street rebuilds planned during Turner’s tenure, Burns said a “briefing of all projects is being given to the administration prior to City Council action, or before moving to the next phase of the project.”
Those supportive of the changes said Davis’ resignation would be felt.
It “sets us back decades,” wrote Kevin Strickland, president of the Greater Heights Super Neighborhood Council. “Instead of slowing down Veronica’s work, we should accelerate it.”