Utility Corridor Project

7/30/2019 Utility Corridor Project

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Utility Corridor ProjectAUGUST 2013

SWA Group

1245 West 18th Street

Houston, TX 77008

713-868-1676

In 2013, the Texas legislature passed a bill which limits Centerpoints liability or

public use o its rights-o-way. Thanks to the leadership o State Representative

Jim Murphy, State Senator Rodney Ellis the bill passed with broad, bipartisan sup-

port.

As o Summer 2013, CenterPoint and the City o Houston began negotiations or

an agreement whereby Houston's citizens will be able to utilize paths and green-

ways along CenterPoint's rights-o-way.

The project outlined herein is meant to help acilitate that discussion. The pro-

posed project is a visioning exercise only and not a frm plan. Many details have

yet to be considered. The creation o this project has been a collaboration o SWA

Group, Memorial Park Conservancy, the Morgan Group, and Michael Skelly.


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The Utility Corridor Project proposes to create a valuable pedestrian and bicycle-

friendly trail along the utility easement running through Memorial Park. This trail

would connect Houstons largest green space with areas south of Buffalo Bayou and

would become a vital addition to Houstons north-south urban trails, linking resi-

dential, commercial and public park destinations.

The Project will provide dynamic new venues for bicyclists, athletes, nature enthusi-

asts and casual recreationalists while also stimulating economic activity in the trails

adjacent urban areas. This, along with the roughly 300 miles of pathways proposed

by the Bayou Greenways Initiative, will help elevate Houston to one of the top qual-

ity of place cities in the nation.

This document presents precedent projects where similar trails have proved suc-

cessful as well as a beginning vision for a possible phase 1 which leverages desirable

destinations and creates important green passageway.

THE UTILITY CORRIDOR PROJECT


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URBAN TRAIL PRECEDENT: KATY TRAIL, DALLAS


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URBAN TRAIL PRECEDENT : METROPOLITAN BRANCH TRAIL, D.C.


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URBAN TRAIL PRECEDENT : MIDTOWN GREENWAY TRAIL, MINNEAPOLIS


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URBAN TRAIL PRECEDENT : LA RIVER, LOS ANGELES


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BIGIDEA

The Utility Corridor Project will con-

nect Memorial Park - Houstons larg-est green space - with the greater city

fabric by significantly contributing to

a network of pedestrian and bicycle

friendly urban trails. The project will

afford a dynamic new venue for bikers,

athletes, nature enthusiasts and casual

recreationalists while also stimulating

economic activity in the trails adjacent

urban areas.

UTILITY CORRIDOR

CORRIDOR OF INTEREST

PHASE 1 ON AND OFF STREET BIKE WAYS

North

Phase 1 begins by building upon thesuccess of urban trails like those along

Buffalo Bayou, connecting the existing

east-west greenway system to a new

north-south trail that includes Memo-

rial Park. This new trail will add a public

component to a strip of land dedicated

to urban infrastructure. There are three

vibrant and distinct spaces in Phase 1:

an Urban Connection, a Linear Park,

and a Nature Bridge.


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URBAN PLAZA

MULTI-MODAL

RECREATION

INTER-CONNECTED

GREEN RESOURCE

COMMUNITY

DESTINATION

ADVENTURE

TREKKING

URBAN PRAIRIE

ACTIVE

CITY LIFE

u rban co nn ec tio n lin ea r pa rk n ature br id ge

W

ES

THEIM

ER

SAN

FELIPE

M

EM

ORIALPARK

.35 MILES / 1,830 FEET .55MILES / 2,881 FEET .23 MILES / 1,220 FEET

WHAT CAN THIS CORRIDOR BECOME?CORRIDOR TYPOLOGIES - PHASE 1

UTILITY CORRIDOR

North


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I use the corridor to

bike to MemorialPark!


take walks and run

errands!


go shopping and

get to work!

We use the corridor

to go on family

outings!

TRAIL SCENARIOS WHO USES THE CORRIDOR?

North

San Felipe

Westheimer

P o t e n t i a l U

t i l t

y C o r r i d o r T r a i l

Urban trails serve a di-versity of public needs.They are an amenity toany neighborhood andprovide a more appeal-ing passageway to des-tinations than busy city

streets.


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WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS?TYPICAL SECTIONS

0 10 25 50

0 10 25 50

URBAN CONNECTION - SECTION A-A

LINEAR PARK - SECTION B-B

+ 15TRAIL

HCFCDROW

HCFCD

ROW

RAILROADROW

PARKING

+ 30 TRAIL RAILROAD

ROW

E. BRIAR HOLLOW LN

WESTH

EIMER

SECTION A-A SECTION B-B

SANFELIP

E

MEMORIA

L

PAR

K


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URBAN CONNECTION - WESTHEIMER TO SAN FELIPE

HOW DO YOU WANT TO USE THE UTILITY CORRIDOR?

EXISTING CONDITION


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LINEAR PARK - SAN FELIPE TO MEMORIAL PARK

LINEAR PARKS THROUGH HOUSTON.

EXISTING CONDITION


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NATURE BRIDGE - MEMORIAL PARK

PATHWAY TO NATURE

EXISTING CONDITION

Documents

Utility Corridor Project