Local officials are putting one of the main streets to the University of Houston athletic facilities on a road diet, in the hopes that cutting down room for cars on Cullen Boulevard is better for campus and commuter life.

Harris County, Houston and UH are contributing to the project along Cullen from Interstate 45 to North MacGregor, narrowing the street to one lane in each direction south of Holman with a continual center turn lane. Along with drainage improvements that come from widening pipes below the street, crews will add 12-foot shared-use paths on each side of the street for pedestrians and bicyclists.

“I think this makes it a really walkable street,” Harris County Precinct One Commissioner Rodney Ellis said.

The total cost of the project, built in two phases, will be more than $22 million. Final details on when work will start and finish and exact costs will come after a contractor is chosen for the project and work can begin, officials said.

Work on Cullen follows other so-called road diets in the area where the space for vehicles is reduced to make room for pedestrians, bicyclists and others. In dense places where walking is more common, such as around the university campuses, more space for walkers is easy to justify. Traffic counts for Cullen south of Holman also showed it could be a one-lane street with a shared turn lane.

“Why build over-sized infrastructure when it is not needed,” said Amar Mohite, director of planning and infrastructure for Ellis’ county office.

Cullen, along with Cleburne near the Texas Southern University campus, are being reformed with $15 million each from Ellis’ office, part of a partnership with city and university officials to address issues with safer access to cycling paths and flooding woes.

“In a lot of ways, Third Ward, which I consider this part of, was overlooked,” Ellis said of previous efforts to upgrade streets and drainage.

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Along with Ellis’ commitment, Houston will fund $4 million and the university will contribute $3.5 million, officials said.

“These kinds of projects are difficult to put together,” UH Chancellor Renu Khator said, noting it is among the most significant projects undertaken cooperatively with local governments.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner credited Ellis with spurring many of the needed improvements with his $30 million offering.

“But for their investment this project would not be taking place,” Turner said.

Cooperating on Cullen, however, requires some complex coordination. The street must be open at all times because of the bustling campus around it. During high-traffic activities, notably sporting events, work will wait or grind to a halt to handle the surge in travelers to football and basketball games.

When the project is completed, Ellis said he expects the street to be a showpiece for the campus, setting it apart,

“You will think when you’re going down Cullen Boulevard that you are in a park,” Ellis said.

Students, busily moving around the campus, had less lofty aims. Many said an end to the large puddles that can collect for days would be welcome, along with wider sidewalks and more room for cyclists.

“We don’t need all the space for cars,” Henry Wallings said, acknowledging the streets can jam as students flood out of the garages.

Day-to-day, many students said their needs were simpler.

“I just want to cross the street without waiting two minutes after I press the button,” Marco Gehlot said.

dug.begley@chron.com