The full story
Pat Walsh died in 2018 after serving as Houston's Planning and Development Department Director for four years from 2014-18. During his tenure, Walsh led the adoption of the city's first general plan known as Plan Houston and was responsible for the first update made in 2017 to the Houston Bike Plan in almost 25 years, according to the city's planning and development department.
In August 2023, community members and bicycle enthusiasts advocated to designate 9 miles of existing and future streets, paths and bike plans from Loop 610 north of the Heights to Loop 610 south of NRG Park as the Pat Walsh Bikeway.
However, city officials suggested a shortened version of the original proposal that instead included naming an existing 0.8-mile high-comfort bikeway on Woodhead Street from Vassar Street to Westheimer Road.
The bikeway creates a designated bicycle connection to the commercial corridors of Westheimer Road, West Alabama Street and Richmond Avenue.
According to Let's Talk Houston, the segment is almost completely within Montrose and passes the neighborhood where Walsh lived in at the time of passing and where his family currently resides.
Looking ahead
The public comment period on the proposed naming closed Sept. 8.
The Bicycle Advisory Committee will vote on advancing the new proposal Oct. 23. The committee did approve the original project suggestion in 2023.
If approved by the committee, the proposal will go to Houston City Council for a final vote.
