However, the department is also in the process of planning out more than 10 miles of pedestrian sidewalks, trails and bridges that will enable residents to walk all the way to the Texas Medical Center without having to cross busy streets.
The full story
The first set of projects created a 4.4-mile system that runs from Loop 610 to South Gessner Road and provided a 1-mile, 10-foot-wide hike-and-bike trail, seven new underpasses and replaced an existing asphalt trail.
“It’s amazing when you think about what this is going to add to the community,” said Beth White, former CEO of the Houston Parks Board. “It’s not a lot of miles in the grand scheme of things, but getting those bridge underpasses in there is a game changer in terms of safety and experience for people who use the trail."
Trent Rondot, conservation and maintenance director for the Houston Parks Board, said the new undercrossings will keep residents from crossing streets like South Rice Avenue, Hillcroft Avenue and Braeswood Boulevard, as well as four other streets.
“That’s seven streets that people don’t have to worry about crossing,” he said. “And it actually ties in really well with other projects that we’re doing downstream towards the [Texas] Med Center to create even more trails and underpasses.”
Looking ahead, HPB officials are currently out to bid on a project that will create a new lower shelf trail from South Rice Avenue to Stella Link Road that will include a pedestrian bridge over Willow Waterhole Bayou and eventually connect to the Texas Medical Center.
Another project is also expected to link from that future trail to one further downstream from Buffalo Bayou Speedway to connect to Hermann Park.
Rondot said the ultimate goal is to create a continuous trail system that people will be able to use all the way from Gessner Road to the Texas Medical Center and nearby Hermann Park. The project scope includes about 10 miles of new trails and underpasses, he said.
“It’s amazing the connectivity this is going to bring to the neighborhoods and give people expanded options for getting around,” White said. “And then the other really wonderful thing to celebrate is that we’re going to maintain them. The community can be assured that the quality and standard of care are not going to change.”
The majority of projects along Brays Bayou that were not completed in 2025 are slated to start construction in 2026 or 2027.
Project funding
Funding for the projects along Brays Bayou is shared between HPB, Harris County Precinct 4 and the city of Houston. However, while Houston has a large share of private investments in parks, it lags behind other cities in public investment.
As of 2025, the per capita spending was only $127 per resident, with 70% coming from private investments, according to a study by the Trust for Public Land.
White and Rondot said they hope that all the projects will help enhance Houston’s connectivity and walkability since Houston only has a walkability score of 47, according to Walk Score, which analyzes walking routes to nearby amenities based on distance. For comparison, larger cities in the nation, such as New York City, San Francisco and Chicago, have walkability scores in the 80s and 90s.
Meyerland resident Rumi Bautista said getting around by car shouldn’t be the city’s only form of transportation. For example, he uses the trails along Brays Bayou to take his two children to daycare in the Texas Medical Center.
“The better the network gets, the more people will be willing to use it,” he said. “And not to mention, a big part of the redevelopment was also the flood management, and I know Houston can get behind that. I am really happy to have the [Brays] Bayou Greenway Trail in our community.”
Looking ahead
The Houston Parks Board is aiming to complete $25 million worth of trails and pedestrian bridges by 2030—a goal that includes connecting the Brays Bayou to other existing bayous in Houston, including Buffalo Bayou and Sims Bayou.
One way the organization aims to continue to add to the city's bayous and green spaces is through the Parks Board's five-year strategic plan, which focuses on four core priorities:
- Enhance, expand and connect the Bayou Greenways system
- Invest equitably in neighborhood parks
- Create or improve larger regional parks as destinations for Houston residents
- Ensure sustainable support for parks and Houston Parks Board
Bellaire - Meyerland - West University | January 2026
