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Construction Management Graduate Student Helps Improve METRO Shared Use Path Network
By

mjones4 [at] central.uh.edu (Marilyn Jones) (713) 743-5630

Kalvin Williams, construction management graduate student in the College of Technology, pauses to reflect on the project after completion.
Kalvin Williams, construction management graduate student in the College of Technology, pauses to reflect on the project after completion.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO), is implementing shared use paths, bike lanes, bike parking and bike repair stations so that people of all ages and abilities can safely and conveniently access public transportation in the Greater Houston area. METRO’s goal is to ensure that safe, comfortable and convenient access is available to its rail stations and bus stops. Likewise, the City of Houston is expanding its network of bicycle infrastructure with new bike trails, bike lanes, parking and a growing bike sharing program. The cooperative efforts of METRO and the City of Houston are enhancing pedestrian and bicycle connections in neighborhoods to deliver first class transit service.

Kalvin Williams, is a construction management graduate student at the University of Houston College of Technology is involved in the effort. A veteran of the United States Army, Williams earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Currently, he works at METRO as a project manager.

Following are highlights of a discussion with him about the project that runs just minutes from the University of Houston, along Wheeler Avenue. It starts just before Martin Luther King Blvd. and ends past Sampson Street.

  1. What made you decide to pursue a master’s degree at UH?
    I was impressed with the curriculum for the construction management master’s degree program. Also, I am a native Houstonian and admire the growth at the University of Houston.
  2. When did the project start and end?
    The project began December 2018 and was completed by October 2019.
  3. How are you involved in the METRO Shared Use Path network?
    The goal of METRO’s Wheeler Avenue Shared Use Path Project was to provide universal access by providing a bicycle and pedestrian facility to increase the opportunity for transit use near the University of Houston. As project manager, I oversaw the design, construction and coordination of this project. Some of the challenges we have overcome include coordinating the construction between semesters so that University of Houston students had access while meeting the UH facility management requirements.
  4. Explain where you are in your career and how this degree will help you reach your goals.
    I have more than 20 years of experience in civil design, construction and management. My goal is to obtain career growth and advancement with this degree. I aspire to be an entrepreneur in the future.