Here’s something nice and simple and good, because we could use that.
The White Oak Bayou Greenway and MKT Trail will soon be connected.
The city announced Thursday that the two trails will be linked by a 850-foot connection, which was described as “one of the last critical pieces needed” for the trail systems.
Councilmember Abbie Kamin said the project creates safe access and greater connectivity between two popular trails in her district, according to a news release. Carol Haddock, Houston public works director, said the connection is “progress toward creating a safer and equitable transportation network for all users.”
The new MKT Spur will branch off from the MKT trail north of White Oak Bayou toward the east, connecting it to the White Oak Bayou Trail, which currently dead ends under Studemont.
There’s a similar story in CultureMap. Construction should begin “in the fall” and be done in early 2022, which I had noted in this post about the repairs to the MKT Bridge. This is all right in my neighborhood and it makes me happy, but a whole lot of people use these trails.
For purposes of illustration, this is the endpoint of the White Oak trail:
There’s a branch-off right before there that takes you into Stude Park. When this is extended, it will continue on along this part of the bayou:
That’s a view from the Studewood overpass. You can see the MKT Bridge up ahead in the distance. Here’s another view, from the Studewood side of the MKT Bridge:
The continuation of the trail would be on the far side of the bayou in this picture, going either over or around that little culvert there. It would end up on the other side of the MKT Bridge:
I assume they’ll do something to ease the downward slope, to minimize the odds of someone losing control and ending up in the bayou. From there, you cross the bridge and can access the rest of the bayou trail, from the access to it on the other side.
Interestingly, there are a couple of trail maps around where I took those pictures that show “before” and “after” versions of the trails. This is from the “trail detour” map on the south end of the MKT Bridge:
Note the disconnect in the trail from Stude Park to the bridge. Now here’s what you see on the trail map at the new parking lot on Studewood, just south of I-10 where the trail crosses over Studewood and approaches the MKT Bridge:
There’s your map of the near future. It took me a minute to realize what this meant and where the extension would meet up with the existing trail – at first, I thought it meant somewhere on the far side of the bridge, and I spent a little too much time trying to figure out where that might be. But you can see the whole thing in these pictures above. And in a few months, you’ll be able to traverse it. I’ll do an updated photo set when it’s all open. Gail Delaughter has a few photos of her own on Twitter.
36 days and counting………
Let’s hope that it will be done in a “few months.” The bridge that caught on fire last year is still not done, to my knowledge. As I pointed out, my city councilman, Mrs. Kamin, rides around in a gas burning UV.
I don’t know why the delay in the TIRZ doing the remodel of Shepherd and Durham. Last night, at about 22:27, I went to the second of the daily car smashes on Shepherd/Durham. This one was Durham, cross street W. 15th. The cops and fire brigade stand around with their teeth in their mouth and their elbows in the middle of their arms. The tow truckers block the entire street as they cast lots for the job. I told the cop to stop asking the drivers and just leave them there. The cars had expired stickers, and this could have been prevented if the police impounded the expired cars on the road. I call in expired cars all the time, and the police don’t respond. I have asked for my own citation book so that I can fine the cars, but I never received it. Therefore, please join me in requesting Chief Finner’s resignation and repayment of his salary to the taxpayers. He has failed to keep us safe. Of course, YOU think that wearing a piece of paper on our face is going to keep us safe.
Also, the hospitals should not be treating the car smash injuries. This is preventable. It is the same as refusing to treat preventable COVID cases because the people are not vaccinated. The doctors should refuse to treat any preventable illness or injury, for cojnsistency’s sake.
I agree! This connection is useless without fixing the MKT Bridge which is still not repaired after over a year. I don’t care what was reported – I have seen zero progress of the bridge being fixed. Kuff lives in the area so I am sure he’d have photos if anything actually was going on.
Once again, “Downtown Abbie” is out of touch with what is going on in district C.