White Oak Bayou Bike Bypass Impasse

WHITE OAK BAYOU BIKE BYPASS IMPASSE What’s preventing the Houston Parks Board from connecting the end of the MKT Bike Trail in Timbergrove Manor with the White Oak Bayou Trail to create a continuous 14-mile route, and giving Oak Forest residents a path to stroll or roll all the way Downtown? Well, there are these 5 tracts of land in “a key section” in the 3/4-mile gap between Lawrence Park and T.C. Jester Park, project manager Trent Rondo tells Greg Densmore: “. . . of the five property owners tied to those tracts, four were working with the Parks Board while the fifth ‘was being a little feisty’ and was not yet ready to negotiate.” [The Leader, via Swamplot commenter KS; previously on Swamplot]

7 Comment

  • I hope they can get that done. But what has happened to the rest of the trail on White Oak from Studde Park to where the MKT Trail crosses the bayou (Spring Street and I45)?

  • Some more detail about what’s needed from the property owners, and what’s being offered to make it happen would be nice.
    .
    I’d let them slice a trail right through one of my buildings if it gave me a free pass from the Prius Patrol for one year :)

  • Come on #5 all your neighbors are doing it..

  • what do i get??
    whats in it for me me me me
    do i get a free pass from the city ???????
    NO you get a great bike and walking trail in your own neighborhood.

    what you should get is jackhole award.
    and red tagged red tagged red tagged….

  • From articles on this blog as well as comments, I understand that the homeowners in this case own everything up to the middle of the bayou. My spouse says that may be true, but because of eminent domain, the city or whatever governing body controls this issue could come in and build the bikepath with or without the homeowners permission. Somehow, I’ve missed the finer points of why exactly the city can’t or won’t do this. Would it be easier if the bayou was a “navigable” body of water?

    Can anyone clarify this? Thanks in advance.

  • Eminent domain requires a court hearing, bad publicity, lots of trouble, etc. Better to convince the land owners to cooperate, if possible.

  • @chris, maybe I don’t want the walking and bike trail running in my back yard, where I sit out and watch the birds over the bayou, and have a peaceful conversation with family and friends. Maybe I don’t want a bunch of obnoxious bike riders shouting “get out of my way!” as they try to avoid running over the kid on the bike as they pass the back of my house.

    At least,t hat’s what I would say if my house was one of those affected by the plan.