New trail to provide connection and access to green space from Buffalo Speedway to Scott Street
Houston Parks Board is pleased to share that construction has begun on a new 5.26-mile segment of Sims Bayou Greenway from Buffalo Speedway to Scott Street. This is the longest Bayou Greenway construction project to date at close to six miles.
The new segment will pick up where the existing Sims Bayou Greenway leaves off at Scott Street. From there, the trail will head west along the bayou’s north side to Margaret Jenkins Park where it will connect into the park as well as the neighborhood to the west. The trail then continues along the north side before going under Highway 288 and connecting to the Houston Sports Park.
From the Houston Sports Park, the greenway will continue along the north side, connecting to West Orem Drive before heading under Almeda Road and the Union Pacific Railroad. West of Almeda Road, the greenway will progress until it reaches Townwood Park, with connections into the park, and finally Buffalo Speedway. From here, the greenway will connect into an existing Sims Bayou Greenway segment at Buffalo Speedway, which continues west to Southwest Houston, before ultimately ending at Hillcroft Avenue.
Notable new features of the segment include:
- Neighborhood connections at Fairland Drive, Brisbane Street, Kirby Drive, West Orem Drive, Buffalo Speedway, and Scott Street
- Trail connections into Margaret Jenkins Park, Houston Sports Park and Townwood Park
- Improvements to Margaret Jenkins Park, including a landscaped connection into the park’s walking trail and signage
- A new hike-and-bike pedestrian bridge connecting the Sugar Valley Neighborhood west of Margaret Jenkins Park with the park which will provide the neighborhood with safe pedestrian and bicycle access
- Improvements to Townwood Park, including landscaped connections from the parking lot and the park’s walking trails to the Sims Bayou Greenway, seating, planting and signage
- A 10-foot wide concrete trail
- Planting of native trees and meadows
- Interpretive and directional signage
- Seating areas
- Trash cans and recycling containers
Sims Bayou Greenway will also sit along 30-acres of undeveloped meadow, which Houston Parks Board purchased in 2017. The Houston Parks Board intends to preserve this natural area to complement the future Sims Bayou Greenway and provide an opportunity for people to connect with nature.
Construction work is estimated to conclude in 15 months. During construction, the public should not enter areas surrounded by orange caution fencing.
Following construction, Houston Parks Board will continue ongoing maintenance of Sims Bayou Greenway, which includes weekly trash pickup, bi-weekly mowing of grass along the trail, upkeep of the trail and amenities, and any necessary flood cleanup.
Sims Bayou Greenway is one of nine bayous being transformed as part of Bayou Greenways 2020, 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 close collaboration with the Harris County Flood Control District, which manages the county’s bayous and creeks for drainage and flood risk reduction. Bayou Greenways 2020 will transform 3,000 acres of underutilized land along nine major waterways and create a 150-mile network of connected parks and trails along Houston’s major waterways.
Thanks to Kinder Foundation’s visionary leadership and transformational gift, as well as the extraordinary generosity of the Hildebrand Foundation, Houston Endowment, The Brown Foundation Inc. and many other Houstonians, Houston Parks Board has surpassed its goal of assembling more than $225 million to invest in Bayou Greenways. The fundraising journey began in 2012 when Houston voters resoundingly approved a bond to provide $100 million in funds to the Bayou Greenways 2020 initiative. Houston Parks Board has since more than matched this number through a $125 million capital campaign.