On Monday, my Dad and I had a frustrating experience exploring Houston's bike paths. We chose to try the Buffalo Bayou path starting at Detering and heading downtown. It is an unfinished patchwork quilt with short sections of brand new concrete path breaking up a treacherous, ancient, and disappearing asphalt trail. To keep things interesting, several dead ends result in back tracking and bayou crossing. And then there is that section that goes under freeways with broken glass and questionable loiterers.
It reminds me of the importance of a good, well maintained recreational pathway system. If the pathways are good, people will be using them and the city comes to life. In many areas of Houston people are not seen outside of their homes and cars. In Calgary, people roam the city on the pathway system and this is part of what makes Calgary a great community. There are people in Houston working hard to connect the dots on these patchy trails and this will make them useful and bring a new energy to the city.
I already see this energy in Memorial Park. Today I found a second example of where this is working in Houston - Buffalo Bayou Hike and Bike trail from Beltway 8 to Terry Hershey Park (and on to the office at Westlake Park). If I can find a safe route from Memorial Park to Beltway 8, biking to work will become an option. That will have to be a project for January weekends.
Here's the last section of the ride:
It reminds me of the importance of a good, well maintained recreational pathway system. If the pathways are good, people will be using them and the city comes to life. In many areas of Houston people are not seen outside of their homes and cars. In Calgary, people roam the city on the pathway system and this is part of what makes Calgary a great community. There are people in Houston working hard to connect the dots on these patchy trails and this will make them useful and bring a new energy to the city.
I already see this energy in Memorial Park. Today I found a second example of where this is working in Houston - Buffalo Bayou Hike and Bike trail from Beltway 8 to Terry Hershey Park (and on to the office at Westlake Park). If I can find a safe route from Memorial Park to Beltway 8, biking to work will become an option. That will have to be a project for January weekends.
Here's the last section of the ride:
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