Why isn’t Memorial Park easier to get to by bike?

HOUSTON – Question: Why isn’t Memorial Park easier to get to by bike?

Reply: You can definitely get to Memorial Park by bike, but you need a little courage if you’re a cyclist. BicycleHouston says it can be a little tricky to get to Memorial Park by bike from most parts of Houston. One example: from Bayou Greenways, which is popular with cyclists but requires careful planning and a healthy dose of courage.

Joe Cutrufo with BicycleHouston says what needs to be changed. Riding a bike to the park does not require courage.

A local non-profit organization has mapped out two ways to get there:

• For beginners:

  • Go on a picnic in Memorial Park

  • Park and bike select at the station, then head to the hiking and biking trail.

  • The Bayou Wilds Purple Trail is an “easy” trail that takes you straight to the Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff prairies.

• For advanced crew:

  • Start with Elanor Tinsley

  • Bike up the buffalo Bayou to Shepherd Drive where the trail ends.

  • Merge onto Memorial Drive next to traffic, then continue onto Memorial Park Picnic Loop.

The Memorial Park Conservancy is already working on fixing this. It just takes time and, of course, funding. If you want to see changes sooner rather than later, you can sign the petition assembled by BikeHouston.