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Buffalo Bayou Master Plan


houstonfella

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this topic should be merfged with teh exissting Bufalo Bayou thread. I think that it would he good if they put cement at bottom of the bayou near downtown and THat way they could die the water blue and maKe it look more apealing. With tHe bayou having mud at the bottom like it is now, the wtaer will stay brown. THey could drain the wateer and lay the cement and fill back up and it would apear more cleanner. :)

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this topic should be merfged with teh exissting Bufalo Bayou thread. I think that it would he good if they put cement at bottom of the bayou near downtown and THat way they could die the water blue and maKe it look more apealing. With tHe bayou having mud at the bottom like it is now, the wtaer will stay brown. THey could drain the wateer and lay the cement and fill back up and it would apear more cleanner. :)

Can they dye the water? Often? Interesting, but I don't think that would work. However, the green water has been real nice. A huge rain and it is muddy again. :angry2:

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  • 2 years later...
Yay! Mayor's office unveils plan for new bayou bridge at Montrose.

Didn't reallize there was a Memorial Heights TIRZ. New high-rise, new bridge, cool!

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6145342.html

I ride those trails all the time and frankly I don't see how this is all that necessary. There's a turn-around that puts you back on the other side of the trails at Shepherd, and its not as if its difficult to cross at Montrose, Waugh, or Sabine. It seems like there are some much better things that this could be spent on, like for example the unfinished bike/pedestrian bridge on MacGregor (Columbia Tap Rails-to-Trail project).

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Oh, I forgot to report that the bridge will have multiple landing points (I think three). It will take the route of the old train tracks that used to go to the grain silo.

Could you provide some more information on what you mean by that? I have no idea where the grain silo or rails were. Is this just barely east of Montrose?

Also whatever happened to the Asian community center or somesuch that was going to be built around here?

Edited by kylejack
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Built with public and private funds, the "Tolerance Bridge" will connect trails around Allen Parkway with those on the other side of the bayou on Memorial Drive near Montrose Boulevard.

The "Tolerance Bridge" ?! WTF is that?! :blink:

And where are the pics?

Edited by Zippy
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Could you provide some more information on what you mean by that? I have no idea where the grain silo or rails were. Is this just barely east of Montrose?

Also whatever happened to the Asian community center or somesuch that was going to be built around here?

The Rice/Grain thing was approximately where the 25 story building is, so I think the rail bridge over Buffalo was east of Montrose. I think there is still some evidence of the remaining pilings, but I'm not sure.

Multiple landing points means that you'll be able to get on/off north of Memorial, south of Memorial/north of Buffalo and north of Allen Pkwy/south of Buffalo.

I think the Asian Center was maybe in the eastside TIRZ.

Edited by rsb320
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I ride those trails all the time and frankly I don't see how this is all that necessary. There's a turn-around that puts you back on the other side of the trails at Shepherd, and its not as if its difficult to cross at Montrose, Waugh, or Sabine. It seems like there are some much better things that this could be spent on, like for example the unfinished bike/pedestrian bridge on MacGregor (Columbia Tap Rails-to-Trail project).

Given that the Memorial Heights TIRZ funds can only be used to enhance the area within the Memorial Heights TIRZ, bridges at MacGregor would seem to be an illegal use of TIRZ funds.

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I ride those trails all the time and frankly I don't see how this is all that necessary. There's a turn-around that puts you back on the other side of the trails at Shepherd, and its not as if its difficult to cross at Montrose, Waugh, or Sabine. It seems like there are some much better things that this could be spent on, like for example the unfinished bike/pedestrian bridge on MacGregor (Columbia Tap Rails-to-Trail project).

Actually, I use the trails often, and IMO one of the two big shortcomings are that there isn't access to Montrose at all from the north side of the Bayou.

The other shortcoming is that trails need to be paved with concrete and raised a little off the ground and with adequate drainage, so that they don't get covered with as thick a layer of silt after any minor flood event.

I can see the need for a pedestrian bridge, and it'll be just that much more as Memorial Heights continues to densify. All those apartments in that area will be made more appealing given better access to parks. In contrast, once you get south of Braes Bayou along Columbia Tap, there's basically a few medical facilities, a little bit of low-density single-family housing, and then lots of warehouses beyond that, before joining up with an active segment of the rail line. And the nearest apartments in that area are already only across the road from Hermann Park.

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I ride those trails all the time and frankly I don't see how this is all that necessary. There's a turn-around that puts you back on the other side of the trails at Shepherd, and its not as if its difficult to cross at Montrose, Waugh, or Sabine. ridge on MacGregor (Columbia Tap Rails-to-Trail project).

I've ran the trails along the bayou and I definitely think there is a need for more crossing points. There is a huge stretch from Sabine to Waugh where you can't get from the north bank to the south bank (there is no access at Montrose/Studemont)...

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Actually, I use the trails often, and IMO one of the two big shortcomings are that there isn't access to Montrose at all from the north side of the Bayou.

The other shortcoming is that trails need to be paved with concrete and raised a little off the ground and with adequate drainage, so that they don't get covered with as thick a layer of silt after any minor flood event.

I can see the need for a pedestrian bridge, and it'll be just that much more as Memorial Heights continues to densify. All those apartments in that area will be made more appealing given better access to parks. In contrast, once you get south of Braes Bayou along Columbia Tap, there's basically a few medical facilities, a little bit of low-density single-family housing, and then lots of warehouses beyond that, before joining up with an active segment of the rail line. And the nearest apartments in that area are already only across the road from Hermann Park.

IMO, raising and repaving the trails should be a priority. A lot of work has been put into the trails near downtown, and the landscaping there is really impressive. But as you go west of the skate park on the north side or the parking lot on the south side, the trail breaks up frequently and the landscaping is a mess. Not that landscaping should be the priority, but the trail itself is begging for a makeover.

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I love it. The bridge is necessary for those of us north of the bayou, and the arch centers the downtown skyscrapers right in the middle of the view. I think it makes for a very photographic sight. Two thumbs up from me.

You could look at it as centering the skyline (from a very particular angle) or you could look at it as detracting from the juxtaposition of the steel, concrete and glass against the natural riparian setting.

I agree that there needs to be a pedestrian bridge here, but I'm not sure that this is the one I want. I'd almost prefer something remincient of the old railroad bridge, perhaps with steel trusses. I also like the more graceful pedestrian bridges along the Sabine-to-Bagby Trail.

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You could look at it as centering the skyline (from a very particular angle) or you could look at it as detracting from the juxtaposition of the steel, concrete and glass against the natural riparian setting.

I agree that there needs to be a pedestrian bridge here, but I'm not sure that this is the one I want. I'd almost prefer something remincient of the old railroad bridge, perhaps with steel trusses. I also like the more graceful pedestrian bridges along the Sabine-to-Bagby Trail.

I've got a couple of cool photos of the old railroad trestle and the old silos in the background, late 80s/early 90s. Will try to dig them up. Agree that yes, a ped bridge is needed. Sick of sucking exhaust to cross on barely two-abreast curbs at Waugh and Montrose.

Not so sure on the design. Part of me prefers a more natural style, but part of me is succumbing to this shiny, lights all over downtown Disco Green bling thing.

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They actually went over a "project under wraps" in this vicinity during a lecture a few weeks back. Something involving prefabricated elements and the like. I guess this may be it. Looks pretty cool.

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Prior to the release of this design, I had wondered if there was a possible way to have the bridge also extend over Allen Parkway. However, it would likely be logistically more difficult, as it would have to be raised to clear Allen Parkway. Under this thought, the bridge would have 4 landings--and would extend entirely across both Allen Parkway and Memorial. Not gonna happen though...

I wish there was some better way to cross Montrose to get to the parks and to Memorial Heights / Washington than currently exists. A small pedestrian bridge near Montrose would do the trick... ;)

Edited by uhlaw09
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