Guest commentary: Galveston’s future depends on planning for people, not just ships

The Port of Galveston’s new draft master plan makes one thing painfully clear: we’re betting the farm on cruise ships.

Sixty-four percent of the port’s current revenue comes from the cruise business and associated parking.

That’s not a diversified economy. That’s a single point of failure.

And how do we plan to “grow?”

By building more cruise terminals and stacking thousands of new parking spaces on valuable waterfront land.

No city-wide transportation plan. No strategy for what happens when thousands of extra vehicles spill onto Harborside Drive, Broadway and neighborhood streets.

Just more concrete for more cars to wait for more ships.

Before we add even one more berth, we need an off-port mobility plan — period.

Not an afterthought, not a box to check. A real plan, built by the port, city, county, and Texas Department of Transportation together.

We must have a plan that deals with peak-embark/disembark gridlock, adds transit shuttles, improves bike and pedestrian connections and makes it easier to get around without a car.

Growth without mobility planning is just congestion with a ribbon-cutting.

To be fair, the port deserves credit for its market analysis on cargo, Pelican Island development and commercial opportunities.

The master plan clearly acknowledges there is room for growth in those areas, and that pursuing them could diversify our economic base. We should take that seriously.

A truly resilient port invests in multiple markets, not just one. Diversification needs to be more than a talking point — it should be a top priority.

Other cities have figured this out. San Diego turned its cruise waterfront into a place people actually want to spend time — parks, promenades, cultural spaces.

Tampa’s Water Street is a thriving district of hotels, restaurants, housing and green space next to the port.

Baltimore is reimagining Harborplace to serve residents first, visitors second. They’re not just boarding people onto ships – they’re building destinations.

The highest and best use of Galveston’s waterfront isn’t measured by how much parking revenue the port can squeeze out of cruise passengers.

It’s about creating a connected, accessible, and inviting place that works for the people who live here year-round. Build that, and the economic benefits will follow naturally.

The port is holding an open house from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday at Cruise Terminal 28.

If you care about the future of our city, show up. Tell them Galveston deserves more than a giant parking garage with a boat at the end of it.

Tell them we want a vibrant waterfront that belongs to all of us — not just the visitors passing through.

Because if we keep planning only for ships, we’ll wake up one day and realize we’ve lost the city in the process.