Memorial Park to Buffalo Bayou Park Bike Connection

[EaDo Lou]

Good news for those of us who like to ride to Memorial Park. The path will run along Buffalo Bayou.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/houston/2023/09/06/461609/houstons-memorial-and-buffalo-bayou-parks-to-be-connected-by-forthcoming-trail/

[j.33]

Map showing all of the projects part of the Pct 4 grant: 2023 Call for Projects - Harris County Precinct 4 (hcp4.net)

 

Video Press Conference here with Houston Parks Board speaking about the project: 

 

[strickn]

Gee whiz, I didn't even have to wish for more wishes before the pavement genie gave me a freebie!

[hbg.50]

On 9/6/2023 at 9:29 PM, EaDo Lou said:

Good news for those of us who like to ride to Memorial Park. The path will run along Buffalo Bayou.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/houston/2023/09/06/461609/houstons-memorial-and-buffalo-bayou-parks-to-be-connected-by-forthcoming-trail/

No graphics of the new trail?

[EaDo Lou]

12 hours ago, steve1363 said:

No graphics of the new trail?

I haven't seen any graphics yet. If gaining the necessary right of ways was no challenge, the best path would be like shown by the blue line. This is probably not possible because it takes it straight through the backyard of some homes.

 

More likely, the path will be something like shown by the pink or red lines below. I am assuming Wescott to Blossom would be optimal, although perhaps Wescott to Memorial is an option as well. I am just speculating.

 

[hbg.50]

Looks like the entry point desired is Memorial Drive…

Quote

White said the vision is to extend the existing Buffalo Bayou Park trail to the west, keeping it along the bayou as long as possible before navigating it to Memorial Drive to the north. The road feeds into Memorial Park.

In any case, this is exciting!

[sapo2367]

Here's my guess -- I have a feeling Brenners on the Bayou will try to avoid having the trail run between the restaurant and the bayou

[strickn]

There would be a lot of stops and slowdowns for bicyclists and runners alike due to all the side streets and median curb cuts allowing left turns onto the side streets that occur on that stretch of parkwayized Memorial, but I agree it's the most feasible route option.

... A lot of screeching halts or collision events could yet be averted by making an undulating HOV flyover for joggers, cyclists and hill walkers down the alignment of the parkway's median islands instead.

This would require a frequently elevated approach, though the project need not look like linear overpass columns being inserted in the median.  A more attractive and artful approach could take inspiration from the arcs of a stone skipped on the bayou surface nearby, and consist of filigreed metal supports (not pilings but additively manufactured 3D printed formations perhaps?) that arch from median island to median island with walkway "hills" slowly rising and falling on top for the walkers and joggers and other strollers to enjoy 

Edited September 8, 2023 by strickn

[004n063]

3 hours ago, strickn said:

There would be a lot of stops and slowdowns for bicyclists and runners alike due to all the side streets and median curb cuts allowing left turns onto the side streets that occur on that stretch of parkwayized Memorial, but I agree it's the most feasible route option.

... A lot of screeching halts or collision events could yet be averted by making an undulating HOV flyover for joggers, cyclists and hill walkers down the alignment of the parkway's median islands instead.

This would require a frequently elevated approach, though the project need not look like linear overpass columns being inserted in the median.  A more attractive and artful approach could take inspiration from the arcs of a stone skipped on the bayou surface nearby, and consist of filigreed metal supports (not pilings but additively manufactured 3D printed formations perhaps?) that arch from median island to median island with walkway "hills" slowly rising and falling on top for the walkers and joggers and other strollers to enjoy 

Couldn't you just widen the sidewalk and keep it "elevated" to curb level across all intersections? Continuous sidewalks, continuous bike paths.

[strickn]

Would be a lot cheaper, true

[strickn]

A lot more hassle to use at certain times of day and especially night, however, so would probably get less use

And this is supposed to be a signature route between the two non-Hermann and non-Disco Green signature urban parks

[004n063]

9 hours ago, strickn said:

A lot more hassle to use at certain times of day and especially night, however, so would probably get less use

And this is supposed to be a signature route between the two non-Hermann and non-Disco Green signature urban parks

I get that. And I'm not complaining. But there are a lot of destinations along Memorial, including both parks. The street itself is not at all safe for biking, and the sidewalk isn't much better.

Personally, I think both are justified. A straightline route along Memorial from Downtown to Uptown would be very useful.

[wilcal]

On 9/8/2023 at 12:55 PM, sapo2367 said:

Here's my guess -- I have a feeling Brenners on the Bayou will try to avoid having the trail run between the restaurant and the bayou

FWIW, they acquired this piece I circled in purple.

[hbg.50]

13 minutes ago, wilcal said:

FWIW, they acquired this piece I circled in purple.

Who acquired?  Brenner’s?

[talltexan83]

I've heard that Bayou Bend/Hogg Sanctuary would like to be a part of the project.  It makes sense as they could see a nice influx of visitors arriving on bike.

So if the path can reach those sites arriving from the east, then the last portion of the path before Memorial Park would have to involve ROCC.  Obviously, there would be some challenges there, but maybe a fixed skyover (just using the banks on the ROCC as anchors could work).  That's my dream at least.  Given the potential here I hope the planners are thinking big.  Being able to avoid Memorial Dr all together would make this one of the coolest rides in the city.

[sapo2367]

2 hours ago, talltexan83 said:

I've heard that Bayou Bend/Hogg Sanctuary would like to be a part of the project.  It makes sense as they could see a nice influx of visitors arriving on bike.

So if the path can reach those sites arriving from the east, then the last portion of the path before Memorial Park would have to involve ROCC.  Obviously, there would be some challenges there, but maybe a fixed skyover (just using the banks on the ROCC as anchors could work).  That's my dream at least.  Given the potential here I hope the planners are thinking big.  Being able to avoid Memorial Dr all together would make this one of the coolest rides in the city.

Love the idea of an elevated bikeway over the bayou banks to get to Memorial Park -- would be a super cool feature and would in itself draw people to the trail. I also hope that the Bayou Bend is included on the trail. My dream would be to see that bridge across the bayou opened to regular bike/walk traffic and have the trail connect down into River Oaks. Ofc this won't happen b/c too many wealthy people would have to deal with the scourge of bicycles and walkers outside of their houses (the horror!).

[august948]

5 hours ago, talltexan83 said:

I've heard that Bayou Bend/Hogg Sanctuary would like to be a part of the project.  It makes sense as they could see a nice influx of visitors arriving on bike.

So if the path can reach those sites arriving from the east, then the last portion of the path before Memorial Park would have to involve ROCC.  Obviously, there would be some challenges there, but maybe a fixed skyover (just using the banks on the ROCC as anchors could work).  That's my dream at least.  Given the potential here I hope the planners are thinking big.  Being able to avoid Memorial Dr all together would make this one of the coolest rides in the city.

What would make it even cooler is to connect all this to Terry Hershey.  Katy to Downtown ride anyone?

[samagon]

5 hours ago, talltexan83 said:

I've heard that Bayou Bend/Hogg Sanctuary would like to be a part of the project.  It makes sense as they could see a nice influx of visitors arriving on bike.

So if the path can reach those sites arriving from the east, then the last portion of the path before Memorial Park would have to involve ROCC.  Obviously, there would be some challenges there, but maybe a fixed skyover (just using the banks on the ROCC as anchors could work).  That's my dream at least.  Given the potential here I hope the planners are thinking big.  Being able to avoid Memorial Dr all together would make this one of the coolest rides in the city.

if that's the case, the they don't even need to worry about Brenners, just jog over the bayou to get to the Hogg side, follow that till you get to the pedestrian bridge that's part of the Hogg grounds, jog back over, and follow the bank the rest of the way to Memorial park, or to get into the neighborhood street that gets you into Memorial park...

 

as an aside, I hope they don't replace the current pedestrian bridge over the bayou to Hogg land, I love bouncing on that thing :)

[hbg.50]

15 minutes ago, samagon said:

if that's the case, the they don't even need to worry about Brenners, just jog over the bayou to get to the Hogg side, follow that till you get to the pedestrian bridge that's part of the Hogg grounds, jog back over, and follow the bank the rest of the way to Memorial park, or to get into the neighborhood street that gets you into Memorial park...

 

as an aside, I hope they don't replace the current pedestrian bridge over the bayou to Hogg land, I love bouncing on that thing :)

Hogg land is not free.  You have to be a MFAH member or pay the entrance fee.  I seriously doubt the MFAH will do anything to lessen the historic value of the grounds.

[august948]

2 hours ago, steve1363 said:

Hogg land is not free.  You have to be a MFAH member or pay the entrance fee.  I seriously doubt the MFAH will do anything to lessen the historic value of the grounds.

They might be able to make a case if you create a completely separated bikeway, bridges and all.  If the new path featured views of the grounds it might stimulate more paying visits considering how many people will be riding by each day.

Plus the virtue signaling, which orgs like MFAH just eat up.

Edited September 15, 2023 by august948

[wilcal]

On 9/14/2023 at 3:28 PM, steve1363 said:

Who acquired?  Brenner’s?

Houston Parks Board

[wilcal]

7 hours ago, samagon said:

if that's the case, the they don't even need to worry about Brenners, just jog over the bayou to get to the Hogg side, follow that till you get to the pedestrian bridge that's part of the Hogg grounds, jog back over, and follow the bank the rest of the way to Memorial park, or to get into the neighborhood street that gets you into Memorial park...

 

as an aside, I hope they don't replace the current pedestrian bridge over the bayou to Hogg land, I love bouncing on that thing :)

I feel like your yellow line might be the actual solution here.

City of Houston already owns this entire piece and I've circled in red publically dedicated right-of-way.

The dead end of that street just goes into the trees right now. I marked a guesstimate on the where the city land runs. 

[samagon]

On 9/15/2023 at 2:34 PM, steve1363 said:

Hogg land is not free.  You have to be a MFAH member or pay the entrance fee.  I seriously doubt the MFAH will do anything to lessen the historic value of the grounds.

very true, I recall at one point there was a discussion of a boardwalk like bridge structure to connect Memorial park and BB park, it was probably some architecture student's project that was published. not a bad idea, and perhaps for the portion of path that would be on the south bank, that could all be elevated/boardwalk so that it is separated enough.

Edited September 18, 2023 by samagon