As Houston sees a renaissance of its urban green space, work has just been completed on two major bayous, as part of the Bayou Greenways 2020 project.
Greens Bayou and Sims Bayou have been rejuvenated as part of Bayou Greenways, a public-private partnership between the nonprofit Houston Parks Board, the City of Houston, and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department. The initiative is implemented in collaboration with the Harris County Flood Control District, which manages the county’s bayous and creeks for drainage and flood risk reduction, according to a press release.
Greens Bayou Greenway
In January, construction began on a new .48-mile segment of Greens Bayou Greenway to connect Thomas Bell Foster Park to Normandy Street. The new linear park includes the addition of a 10-foot wide concrete multi-use trail and access to nearly 14 acres of green space along Greens Bayou Drive, according to a press release.
New features include a renovated kayak launch improving access to Greens Bayou and a mid-block crossing on Normandy Street with flashing beacons, and pedestrian crosswalk signage and striping. Additional improvements include new seating areas, signage, trash cans and recycling bins.
Sims Bayou Greenway
In August 2019, construction began on a new park and trailhead along Sims Bayou Greenway at the northeast corner of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Airport Boulevard. The trailhead was built on land purchased by Houston Parks Board, and funding for design and construction was secured through a partnership with the Gulfgate Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 8.
Improvements to green space and surrounding intersections include a small parking lot with solar lighting, seating areas, picnic tables, signage, trash cans and recycling bins, and widened pacer crosswalks and gateways to improve connectivity to Sims Bayou Greenways and the surrounding neighborhood.
“Completion of this quality-of-life amenity is another example of TIRZ 8 and its partners working collaboratively for the public good,” board chairman M.E. “Sonny” Garza said. “Investing local tax dollars at the neighborhood level shows how the TIRZ model is supposed to work and helping to expand Bayou Greenways is icing on the cake.”
The scenic Greens Bayou Greenway.
