$7.4M in Grants to Improve Mobility, Safety

$7.4M in Grants to Improve Mobility, Safety

August 21, 2026

GALVESTON, Texas (Aug. 21, 2026) – With a boost of $7.4 million in grant funding, the Port of Galveston is investing more than $8.5 million in six new projects to continue improving vehicle and pedestrian mobility and safety in and around the port. The port will supplement state and federal funds with almost $1.1 million in matching funds from operational reserves.

Over the next two years, the port will install pedestrian safety improvements, a traffic signal at 33rd Street and Harborside Drive, and new wayfinding signage at the port to help keep cruise traffic moving during peak times. 

The grants also will fund major studies and design plans to improve access to the port’s cruise and cargo areas, as well as improvements to safely and efficiently connect the port with Historic Downtown Galveston and surrounding areas.

Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO, said, “This funding represents a major investment in the future of the Port of Galveston and the community we serve. We are grateful to our state and federal elected officials, transportation department staffs, and our dedicated port team for their leadership and collaboration in securing this critical funding. This funding will help strengthen our infrastructure, improve efficiency, and position the port for continued growth.”

Below is a summary of the six grants:

• TxDOT Seaport Connectivity Grant – $1.2 million for wayfinding signage project totaling $1.6 million at the port to improve cruise traffic flow
• H-GAC Surface Transportation Block Grant – $540,000 for a traffic signal at 33rd Street and Harborside Drive through an interlocal agreement with the city of Galveston
• TxDOT Transportation Alternatives Grant – $2.3 million, for pedestrian mobility and safety improvements in and around the port
• DOT Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability & Equity (RAISE) Grant – $408,000 for a multimodal mobility study to configure the port’s west cargo area for improved traffic flow and pedestrian safety
• H-GAC Surface Transportation Block Grant – $2.25 million to study the feasibility of a flyover between Interstate 45 and the west end of the port
• H-GAC Surface Transportation Block Grant – $750,000 to study feasibility of connecting the flyover to the internal roadway in the west end of the port

In addition to the six grant-funded projects, the port is currently conducting a $380,000 mobility study to better connect the port and the downtown area as the port continues to grow. Consultants are verifying existing traffic conditions, evaluating increased demand and offering mitigation solutions.

The port is also funding an engineering study to refurbish and reopen the elevated walkway at 25th Street and Harborside Drive to safely connect downtown Galveston with the port at Cruise Terminal 25. The multi-million-dollar project will be funded with grants, including a $3.9 million TxDOT grant and port operational reserves. 

Of the six new projects, a $2.3 million Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) grant is the largest. The $2.8 million project includes construction of sidewalks and other pedestrian safety features in busy areas around Harborside Drive. The improvements were identified in the port’s federally funded Safe Streets and Roads for All Comprehensive Safety Action Plan.

Two Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) grants totaling $3 million will fund feasibility studies for a flyover to connect Interstate 45 directly with the port and for connecting the port’s internal roadway to the flyover road system.

A $408,000 U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) grant will fund a study to identify traffic calming features, sidewalks, wayfinding, and bike lanes to separate cargo traffic from the traveling public while enhancing port operations.

Rees said, “This funding continues and expands the port’s work to understand and improve traffic and pedestrian movements. We’ve already invested millions of dollars in studies and infrastructure improvements to benefit port users and the community.  

“These grants will build on work already underway or completed to help us better manage traffic and connect with downtown Galveston for the benefit of businesses, visitors and residents. We also expect this work to complement and address some of the results of our current mobility study.”

About the Port of Galveston

Located at the entrance to Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel, the Port of Galveston has been a thriving maritime commercial center since 1825. Just 45 minutes from open seas, the 840-acre port has infrastructure and assets to serve growing cruise, cargo, commercial and shipbuilding businesses. 

The port is the fourth-ranked cruise home port in the U.S. with four cruise terminals. In 2026 the port forecasts 446 sailings and 3.9 million passenger movements, a new record for the port. 

The port also leases and maintains a wide range of cargo facilities on the deep-water Galveston Harbor, which is ranked among the top 40 busiest U.S. cargo waterways. The Galveston Wharves is a self-sustaining city entity whose mission is to generate and reinvest port revenues to benefit the Galveston community with economic growth, jobs and sales tax revenues. www.portofgalveston.com