On Monday afternoon, officials from the City of Houston, Harris County, and University of Houston joined Houston Parks Board and Houston BCycle to celebrate a ribbon cutting for the Brays Bayou Greenway Bridge. In conjunction with the bridge ribbon cutting, Houston BCycle recognized its 100th bike share station located in MacGregor Park which opened in October 2019. To date, the organization has 109 bike share stations across Houston.

As part of Bayou Greenways 2020, the new Brays Bayou Greenway Bridge serves as an important connection between the University of Houston and the future home of the UH College of Medicine as well as MacGregor Park. Running parallel to Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and the METRO Rail Purple Line, the pedestrian/bike bridge is an essential link in the 36.98-mile Brays Bayou Greenway.

“The Brays Bayou Greenway Bridge is significant because it is an essential connector in the Brays Bayou Greenway trail system. In addition to benefitting University of Houston, this bridge is also a new link for the Third Ward community,” said Beth White, President and CEO of Houston Parks Board. “Individuals and families can use the trails to commute to work, walk to school, or just for fun.”

“Bayou Greenways 2020 is about more than just recreation; it’s about bringing Houstonians together,” said City of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. “Communities are strengthened through partnerships like this. Not only do we have a beautiful bridge connecting neighborhoods, like the Third Ward Complete Community, but we have a great way to explore the trails through BCycle’s bike share stations.”

MacGregor Park is the site of Houston BCycle’s 100th bike share station, providing a new link to nearby locations within the Third Ward neighborhood, Hermann Park, Texas Medical Center, Museum District, and on the University of Houston and Texas Southern University campuses. Funding for the 100th station comes from the office of Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, who provided the local match needed to utilize a federal grant to expand the bike share system.

“The new station at MacGregor Park is a fantastic addition to our growing bike share network, especially as we look to expand beyond Third Ward and into the OST/South Union area,” said Beth Martin, Executive Director of Houston Bike Share, the nonprofit operator of the Houston BCycle program. “We’re proud of the growth and success of the program since the initial 3-station, 18-bike launch in 2012, and our organization is committed to increasing access to bike share, reaching more underserved areas, and enabling more Houstonians to explore their communities in a healthy and sustainable way.”

A Federal Highway Administration grant is helping fund the Houston BCycle expansion project, a $4.7 million effort to add a total of 97 stations and 767 bikes to the city’s bike share network. The Houston Planning and Development Department oversees the project with Houston Bike Share, a local 501(c)3 nonprofit tasked with operating and expanding the bike share program for the City. The Houston Parks and Recreation Department approves all bike share stations in parks.

“The 100th BCycle station is a major milestone for the city’s bike share program and we are thrilled to celebrate it along with the Brays Bayou Greenway Bridge,” said Sharon Moses-Burnside, Transportation Planning Division Manager for Houston Planning and Development Department. “Both of these projects add even more connectivity to Houston’s growing bike-ped network.”

Land acquisition, design, and construction of the Brays Bayou Greenway Bridge project cost $3.3 million. Engineering firm Halff Associates along with SWA designed the project. Texas Department of Transportation led the construction effort and was provided funding through the Houston-Galveston Area Council. Altus was the general contractor. The University of Houston provided the easement for the bridge.

“The completion of the Brays Bayou Greenway Bridge and the addition of the BCycle station at MacGregor Park will provide access and amenities that will make a difference in this neighborhood,” said Steve Wright, Director Houston Parks and Recreation Department. “We are thankful to all the partners who have joined together to make both projects possible.”

Brays Bayou Greenway is 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, and 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.

In 2012, thanks in part to the “Parks By You!” campaign, Houston voters overwhelmingly approved a bond proposal that set aside $100 million for Bayou Greenways 2020. Houston Parks Board is raising an additional $120 million and is managing acquisition, design and construction of the Bayou Greenways. More than $110 million has been raised to date, including a historic $50 million donation from