Harris County Precinct 4 kickstarts connection between Memorial Park and Buffalo Bayou Park, other projects
By Sofia Gonzalez, Houston Business Journal
Harris County Precinct 4 is investing millions of dollars into sustainable infrastructure projects — including one that will connect two of the city’s most popular green spaces.
An $8.1 million investment from Precinct 4 will help kickstart the long-awaited connection between Buffalo Bayou Park and Memorial Park. During a Sept. 6 press conference, Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones said this money is intended to help the project get started and cross the finish line.
The Buffalo Bayou Greenway Connector’s total project investment so far is $13.5 million, according to Precinct 4. Work has been quietly moving on the plan for the project, but now it can really move forward, creating a safe connection between the two parks, Beth White, president and CEO of Houston Parks Board, said during the press conference.
Houston Public Media reported that the nonprofit has already invested $5.4 million for the project’s land acquisition, work along the bayou and design. The investment is part of the larger Bayou Greenways Initiative, a $220 million public-private partnership that seeks to connect 150 miles of trails and 3,000 acres of green space.
Overall, $170 million is being invested in Precinct 4 for a total of 32 projects — 26 of which are in areas with medium- to high-socioeconomic vulnerability indexes. Briones said $88 million is being invested through her precinct’s Places 4 People initiative. Meanwhile, the remaining investments — $82 million — come from partner funding.
White said the creation of an interconnected network of trails builds a more resilient Houston and Harris County, and these partnerships are essential to help meet the growing demand for green spaces while the region continues to see rapid urbanization. Now more than ever is the time to fill key gaps so everyone has access to quality green space, regardless of their neighborhood, White said.
“Together we are connecting places to people and people to places,” Briones said during the press conference. “We are connecting communities, and together we are building for the future to keep this region as competitive as possible.”
White said the investments will also help three community parks that are currently under construction — Tanglewilde, Braeburn Glen and Briarbend — aligning with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner’s “50/50” Park Partners program, a coalition of public and private partners including the Houston Parks Board.
The funds will also help move forward the design of a 4-mile trail that is intended to connect Brays Bayou Greenway to Keegan Bayou through the Alief neighborhood. In total, the investment includes 14 trail connection projects and eight Brays Bayou undercrossings, the county said.
In the Energy Corridor, $9 million will be used for the Park Row-North Dairy Ashford Multi-Modal Connectivity Project, Elijah Williams, executive director of the Energy Corridor, said during the press conference. That project includes critical transportation improvements for intersections that are listed as a High Injury Network, he said.
The project will provide interconnected side paths spanning almost 4 miles starting at State Highway 6, continuing east down Park Row, hitting Eldridge Parkway then continuing down North Dairy Ashford to Memorial Drive. He said it will also open the door for significant projects going eastward toward White Oak Bayou.
The 32 overall projects include a total of eight street intersection and sidewalk projects, according to Precinct 4.
Meanwhile, upward of $6 million in investments will go toward enhancing 200 of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County’s bus shelters. Theses will benefit the community right away, Sanjay Ramabhadran, chair of Metro Houston, said during the press conference. A possible next step includes solar pod fans at the shelters to help keep Houstonians cool in the summer. A prototype is currently in the works, he said.
Ramabhadran said this is just the beginning, and he looks forward to building on the partnership with Precinct 4.
“Places 4 People is an example of how county government can collaborate with local organizations to achieve more for our residents,” Briones said. “By pooling our resources and expertise, we will drive dozens of innovative projects across the finish line.”
More information on the projects and initiative can be found here.
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