City of Bryan Shares Information About Charter Amendments & Evaluates Potential Changes to Texas Avenue Medians

City of Bryan leadership, staff and City Council understand the medians along Texas Avenue have changed daily routes and access to homes and businesses. These medians have been part of a project to improve road safety. In particular, raised medians are commonly used because they may help reduce dangerous crashes.

Community feedback is carefully reviewed and taken seriously by city leadership. For example, in January of this year, City Council supported removing a section of median and adding a traffic signal at the Brookside/Garden Acres intersection on Texas Avenue, in coordination with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), which manages the road.

City staff is actively working with TxDOT to better understand concerns and explore solutions that balance safety with accessibility and quality of life. Engineers are currently evaluating potential changes at additional locations along Texas Avenue, and this work is ongoing.

The City of Bryan recognizes this complex issue has real impacts on daily life. While long-term safety for the entire community will always remain a priority, the city is committed to listening, engaging and working toward solutions that reflect the needs of Bryan residents.

Charter Amendment Election

The City of Bryan confirms a petition calling for a charter amendment election about the Texas Avenue medians was filed with the City Secretary’s Office. The citizen-initiated petition has a sufficient number of valid signatures for the proposed charter amendment to be placed on the November 2026 election ballot.

In advance of the election, the City of Bryan is sharing important information about the purpose of city charters and the legal concern the proposed amendment could cause if approved during the election.

Key Facts About City Charters:

• A city charter is the fundamental governing document of a city, like a local constitution. 
• It establishes the city and defines its function, setting out the authority and powers of the city, structure of the government, and process by which the government exercises its authority. 
• The city charter cannot conflict with state or federal constitutions and laws, or direct the actions of the state or federal government.
• City operations and financial decisions are not included in charters. Instead, city ordinances are used to regulate budgets, administrative matters, safety and specific public conduct.

While the City of Bryan hears the frustrations of residents and always strives to honor voter decisions, Texas Avenue is controlled by the state government, through TxDOT. Since municipalities cannot legally direct the state government, the City of Bryan may not have the authority to regulate what is suggested in the proposed charter amendment.

If the amendment passes in the November election, it may be necessary for a court to evaluate the proposed amendment to determine whether it is valid and if the city has the authority to enforce it. The city and taxpayers will take on the expenses associated with holding the election as well as any court costs.