Memorial Park Master Plan

[themidtownguy 1]

Does anyone know exactly how long the memorial park track is?

[jpcampbell 1]

Does anyone know exactly how long the memorial park track is?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's like 2.9 miles for a single loop, but there are markers to let you know where the 3mi point is and almost every point in between.

jpc

[kjb434 40]

Yeah, its 3 miles.

[themidtownguy 1]

3 miles or 5K?

[ToolMan 7]

5K is 3.1 miles.

[kjb434 40]

It could very well be 5k, but the markers say 1, 2, 3. Maybe they know that 5k and long distance runners would know that 3 miles is close to 5k and they can use that for running.

I dn't always use Memorial Park because when I can go it is when everyone else is there and it gets a little crowded. I've started using White Oak Bayou from 11th street heading north and then back. That trail goes on forever past I-610.

[SpaceAge 33]

A link to the City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department list of trail lengths:

Houston Parks and Recreation Depthttp://www.houstontx.gov/parks/parktrail-boundaries.html

This link lists other area trails:

Houston Parks and Recreation Bayou Trails

[SpringShadows 30]

What's happening at Memorial Park? Looks like there is going to be a new pedestrian bridge going in just as you enter the walking trail?

[cottonmather0 2]

They are indeed building a new bridge to connect the jogging trail to the south side of the park. There are going to be new parking lots (which is sorely needed), new trails, and a "running center" built over there to try and alleviate some of the awful congestion around the jogging loop and tennis courts. I can't wait for it to be finished, personally.

[KinkaidAlum 2916]

Parking is sorely needed but I hate the idea of losing more of the natural woods on the South side of Memorial Drive for a surface lot and even more trails. I wish we'd spend the money and do it right by burying the parking underneath the playing fields similar to Discovery Green or even the Boston Common (parking is under the tennis courts/softball fields).

[SpringShadows 30]

Cool thanks for the info. Memorial park is long due for an upgrade. I saw a jogger almost get killed by a stray hubcap the other day. They need to put a nice fence up against memorial.

[KinkaidAlum 2916]

Cool thanks for the info. Memorial park is long due for an upgrade. I saw a jogger almost get killed by a stray hubcap the other day. They need to put a nice fence up against memorial.

I skip running the Memorial side. I tend to start at one light and run the U and then turn back. Gives me a nice 4 mile jog. Plus, I get to miss the HUGE incline hill

[houstonartstudent 33]

http://www.memorialparkconservancy.org/ind...?menuitemid=229

here's pictures of what it's supposed to look like....should be pretty cool

[kylejack 888]

One problem I see with this is its going to put the cyclists and joggers in conflict. There has been a nice truce in Memorial Park with the joggers on the dirt trail on the North side of Memorial and the cyclists on the paved trail on the South side, and on Picnic Circle. I had always thought this was largely because jogging on dirt is more low-impact for a jogger than paving, and because paving is better for a bicycle.

[OkieEric 674]

Looks like it could get pretty interesting when a train comes through

[20thStDad 260]

One problem I see with this is its going to put the cyclists and joggers in conflict. There has been a nice truce in Memorial Park with the joggers on the dirt trail on the North side of Memorial and the cyclists on the paved trail on the South side, and on Picnic Circle. I had always thought this was largely because jogging on dirt is more low-impact for a jogger than paving, and because paving is better for a bicycle.

I agree that the current separation is practical and working well. I guess they just want to make it more "one park" and give walkers/joggers access to the hardly-ever-full parking lots on the south side. Lots of people park there already and just walk across at the light, this will just make it safer.

[plumber2 239]

Parking is sorely needed but I hate the idea of losing more of the natural woods on the South side of Memorial Drive for a surface lot and even more trails. I wish we'd spend the money and do it right by burying the parking underneath the playing fields similar to Discovery Green or even the Boston Common (parking is under the tennis courts/softball fields).

It doesn't appear that they are adding any new parking.

[mumbles 0]

One problem I see with this is its going to put the cyclists and joggers in conflict. There has been a nice truce in Memorial Park with the joggers on the dirt trail on the North side of Memorial and the cyclists on the paved trail on the South side, and on Picnic Circle. I had always thought this was largely because jogging on dirt is more low-impact for a jogger than paving, and because paving is better for a bicycle.

Dirt is much better for bicycles! Where is the challenge in riding a bike on smooth pavement? That is just plain boring. If I couldn't ride my bike on dirt trails, I wouldn't ride it at all.

[Highway6 394]

Dirt is much better for bicycles! Where is the challenge in riding a bike on smooth pavement? That is just plain boring. If I couldn't ride my bike on dirt trails, I wouldn't ride it at all.

For dirt bikes and hybrids.. yes. For road bikes, not so much.

You find riding a bike on gravel or dirt to be challenging ?

[LTAWACS 182]

some kind of like tolerance bridge or whatnot.

[TheNiche 939]

some kind of like tolerance bridge or whatnot.

Nope. That's further down the bayou, near Montrose Blvd.

[LTAWACS 182]

Nope. That's further down the bayou, near Montrose Blvd.

At this point it's all the same thing.

[20thStDad 260]

Bayou City Art Festival. There's another thread, I am too lazy to locate and link it.

[TheNiche 939]

At this point it's all the same thing.

Oh, well then (referencing your sig) Houston is the same as Dallas and Atlanta--so quit yer bitchin'.

[Pumapayam 161]

Oh, well then (referencing your sig) Houston is the same as Dallas and Atlanta--so quit yer bitchin'.

Love it!

[KinkaidAlum 2916]

I really wish they'd get the Bayou City Arts Festival out of Memorial Park. It's a terrible location for such a big event. There's no parking and only two ways into and out of the park.

I went jogging this afternoon and the park was getting trashed.

I really hated seeing people have such total disregard for the park (parking on lawns/fields, not putting their trash in the trashcans, smoking and walking 6 abreast on the trail, etc...).

[crunchtastic 351]

I really wish they'd get the Bayou City Arts Festival out of Memorial Park. It's a terrible location for such a big event. There's no parking and only two ways into and out of the park.

The park location sucks for this event. A woman I work with is on the board of a number of arts groups including the festival. According to her, they are trying to have both the spring and fall events downtown but it's .... complicated. My partner and I have friends who fly in to show at the festivals, and everyone we talk with, visitors, artists, patrons, dislike the Memorial Park venue. I think it's just a matter of time.

[musicman 193]

39 news just said this was the 2nd highest turnout there ever.

[roadrunner 45]

Hermann Park would be a nice spot.

[KinkaidAlum 2916]

or, THE DISCOVERY GREEN.

Ample parking and I am sure the downtown restaurants, the Pavilions, and even the hotels would love to have the spillover business.

I am not kidding you when I tell you that it took me 37 minutes to run around the park but almost one full hour to get out of the park when I was finished jogging. The traffic was terrible. I feel sorry for anyone who had a golf or tennis game lined up as I saw one guy carrying his clubs from the corner of the park near the railroad tracks!

Memorial Park is a terrible venue for this festival. That said, it was nice to see so many people walking and enjoying the day (people were walking from Wescott, from the West Loop, from all over the park, etc...)

[Arivechi 4]

or, THE DISCOVERY GREEN.

Ample parking and I am sure the downtown restaurants, the Pavilions, and even the hotels would love to have the spillover business.

I am not kidding you when I tell you that it took me 37 minutes to run around the park but almost one full hour to get out of the park when I was finished jogging. The traffic was terrible. I feel sorry for anyone who had a golf or tennis game lined up as I saw one guy carrying his clubs from the corner of the park near the railroad tracks!

Memorial Park is a terrible venue for this festival. That said, it was nice to see so many people walking and enjoying the day (people were walking from Wescott, from the West Loop, from all over the park, etc...)

I attended the BCAF last weekend and thought the park was a PERFECT place for it. I have been to the one in Downtown twice - it's ok but very urban feeling. I loved having all the booths essentially in a big circle so you didn't even have to plan a path through the event. The art seemed to be even more highlighted when it was surrounded by trees instead of being towered over by downtown skyrises.

Attendees shouldn't have been trying to park at Memorial since there were free shuttles from off-site locations. We parked at the NW mall and hopped on a bus right to the ticket booth. It was simple and fast. no driving around for a far-away spot that was taking away from other non-BCAF-park-patrons' parking options.

just my 2 cents.

[KatieDidIt 7]

Cool thanks for the info. Memorial park is long due for an upgrade. I saw a jogger almost get killed by a stray hubcap the other day. They need to put a nice fence up against memorial.

Jeez, I just got back from San Fransico and if you think Memorial is bad, you should see Highway One, The PCH. One false move and you're dead. No gaurd rails, no shoulder....just a loooooooong way down. A flying "hub cap" (do they exist anymore?) is nothing.

[sifuwong 5]

I hadn't been to Memorial Park in a while, but noticed a segment on channel 11 news last night about it. It sure looked very very crowded...i mean damn...how many people are out there? Looks like i'll be avoiding going there.

[Robert W. Boyd 4]

I really wish they'd get the Bayou City Arts Festival out of Memorial Park. It's a terrible location for such a big event. There's no parking and only two ways into and out of the park.

I went jogging this afternoon and the park was getting trashed.

I really hated seeing people have such total disregard for the park (parking on lawns/fields, not putting their trash in the trashcans, smoking and walking 6 abreast on the trail, etc...).

I went to the festival and didn't notice people parking on the grass and generally saw a bunch of well-behaved arts-n-crafts browsers. I assume (but don't know for sure) that most of the attendees came by the free shuttle buses provided. One from Northwest mall (I took that one) and one from downtown somewhere.

Sorry we spoiled your jog.

Edited April 5, 2010 by Robert W. Boyd

[skwatra 457]

so what's going on with this new bridge?

[ricco67 484]

so what's going on with this new bridge?

If you're referring to the one by the railroad tracks on the west side of the tracks, it's already been built. Looks purty.

[skwatra 457]

Wow, I totally didn't realize that. I need to get out a little further west when I go out there...

[lockmat 2392]

I don't know if this topic has been brought up already, after all this is not breaking news. But every time I drive by or through it, I can't help but be in awe at how many trees have died and at how awful it looks. The restoration process is going to take 20-30 years at least. I'll be an old man by the time it returns to its old form.

Does anyone know what their plan is and when they will start replanting trees? This is going to take a huge philanthropic endeavor.

I'm assuming they all died from the drought or was there a disease as well?

While driving by yesterday it looks like the mulch they put in the medians was wood chips. Are they from the dead trees?

Edited March 16, 2013 by lockmat

[Houston19514 5143]

http://memorialparkconservancy.org/default.aspx?menuitemid=250&menugroup=Home+New

[SkylineView 1421]

Couldn't agree more.  The volume of trees removed is staggering... and ongoing (the view from 610 is starting to look pretty horrendous as the dead-wood is dragged out).  A 'replant Memorial Park' campaign started last year, and you can see the baby trees around the loop.  I read somewhere that volunteers have planted thousands of trees in Memorial, but It's a drop in the bucket and will take 30 years to get the canopy back to what it was.  Stupid drought.

 

Link to the Memorial Park conservancy website:  http://www.memorialparkconservancy.org/

(Side note, the rodeo gave them $250,000 which is pretty great)

 

I love that park.  

[kennyc05 384]

I don't think it looks that bad!

[livincinco 578]

I don't think it looks that bad!

It looks bad if you compare it to what it was before, but you're right, it's still pretty great as urban parks go.

[lockmat 2392]

Really? It looks like a nuke landed there

[kennyc05 384]

Lol 

[livincinco 578]

I grew up in L.A. Memorial Park still has more mature trees than any park there.

[lockmat 2392]

True. I guess it would look a lot better if they removed all signs of dead trees

[fatesdisastr 542]

Could be good getting out there and putting in a few volunteer hours with some of the organizations around town.

[Pleak 149]

Give them a couple of years.   Remember,  it's basically a giant construction zone right now.    Being worked on my mainly non-profits.      Won't have the same expediency as if say Hines was in there directing construction and waiting on the payoff at the finish.

 

It WILL look a lot diffent than the old overgrown jungle of invasive species that it was.   It will be much more open  (and usable - nice bonus) and healthy and in five years barring more droughts of a lifetime - it should look pretty good.      It will have a mix of the surviving old large trees and a lot of new young trees that will mature over time.

[ToryGattis 205]

Give them a couple of years.   Remember,  it's basically a giant construction zone right now.    Being worked on my mainly non-profits.      Won't have the same expediency as if say Hines was in there directing construction and waiting on the payoff at the finish.

 

It WILL look a lot diffent than the old overgrown jungle of invasive species that it was.   It will be much more open  (and usable - nice bonus) and healthy and in five years barring more droughts of a lifetime - it should look pretty good.      It will have a mix of the surviving old large trees and a lot of new young trees that will mature over time.

 

The Mayor mentioned that it hadn't been quite managed right over the last few decades, and not only had invasive species, but also had way too many trees planted at the same time and the same age, so they were all vulnerable simultaneously.  Evidently they have a much smarter management plan in place now and it should do much better over the next few years.

[M0J0 0]

Parts of it are worst than others.  North of memorial drive it is really bad.  I walked some of the mountain bike trailers a few weeks ago.  It is pretty healthy there.  Probably due to how close it is to the bayou.  It looks very bad in some parts.  Especially, when driving down memorial.  We are having a drought right now.  It has not rained in weeks. 

Parts of it are worst than others.  North of memorial drive it is really bad.  I walked some of the mountain bike trailers a few weeks ago.  It is pretty healthy there.  Probably due to how close it is to the bayou.  It looks very bad in some parts.  Especially, when driving down memorial.  We are having a drought right now.  It has not rained in weeks.