If it is true that “a picture is worth a thousand words,” then these pictures are worth thousands of miles. 

A collection of images coordinated by the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) presents “pictures” for travelers to enjoy. “The Art of Transportation” chronicles four decades of transportation planning by the H-GAC’s Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), and can be seen in a display in the Terminal E arrivals area at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. 

The display — featuring 60 photographs and informational panels — includes images of freeways, toll roads, bridges, ports, airports and transit projects that impact the movement of people and goods throughout the greater Houston region. 

The exhibit features a mix of projects in progress — often aerials of construction projects — with the final products in use. 

The exhibit was coordinated by H-GAC with collaboration of local governments and regional stakeholder agencies. Photographs on display come from sources like the Houston Airport System, The Port of Freeport, Harris County Toll Road Authority, METRO and TxDOT, among others. 

The collection was first unveiled in February 2014 at Two Allen Center in downtown Houston. During a celebration at that event, Transportation Director Alan Clark pointed out both the importance and impact of the ongoing transportation projects in the Houston area. “These milestones were an important step in maintaining a vital, diverse economy, improving safety and mobility,” he said. 

H-GAC has been the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the eight-county region since February 1974 when it was designated as the forum for coordination of local investments in regionally significant transportation projects. The Houston-Galveston metropolitan region includes Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery and Waller Counties. 

To see examples and learn more about the exhibit, click here