Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones and the Houston Parks Board (HPB) have launched construction on new trails and amenities along the Brays Bayou Greenway near Meyerland. Over the next three years, HPB will complete three interconnected projects to enhance trail connectivity, improve safety, and create new public spaces. The $6.6 million investment, funded by $3.8 million from Precinct 4’s Places 4 People initiative and $2.8 million from HPB, will add 4.4 miles of new or upgraded trails and seven new pedestrian and bicycle underpasses.

A key feature of the project is the Captain Gary L. Herod Memorial Plaza, honoring the Texas National Guard pilot who sacrificed his life in 1961 to avoid crashing into residential areas. Located near Mullins Drive, the plaza will include landscaping, lighting, benches, and commemorative signage. Precinct 4 and community donations, led by Brays Bayou Association President Charles Goforth, funded the tribute.

The projects include:

• A one-mile, 10-foot-wide trail on the north side of Brays Bayou between Chimney Rock and Hillcroft, connecting to the Atwell Pedestrian Bridge.
• Four new underpasses and lower-shelf trails on the south side of Brays Bayou at S Rice Avenue, Chimney Rock Road, Hillcroft Avenue, and N/S Braeswood Boulevard.
• A 10-foot-wide concrete trail replacing an 8-foot asphalt path between Fondren and Braeburn Glen, with three new underpasses at Fondren Road, Braes Bayou Drive, and Bissonnet Street.
• An ADA-accessible connection to the METRO bus stop at Mullins Drive.

“These new trails do more than connect neighborhoods—they connect people to each other, nature, and recreation,” said Commissioner Briones. “With safer paths and enhanced accessibility, this project ensures families and residents of all ages can enjoy Brays Bayou Greenway. The Captain Herod Memorial Plaza will honor a true hero and his sacrifice for our community.”

HPB will continue its Conservation and Maintenance Program to ensure the greenway remains clean and accessible. Once complete, the improvements will contribute to a fully connected 34-mile Brays Bayou Greenway, stretching from Archbishop Fiorenza Park in west Houston to the Ship Channel in the east.

HPB is overseeing construction, with B&D Contractors, Inc. as the construction firm and LJA Engineering managing the first trail segment.