Mason Park bridge on track despite $1.4M financial hurdle
A price tag more than $1 million higher than expected is unlikely to sink a planned pedestrian and bicycle bridge in Mason Park, which officials have lined up to support as a critical link to give East side Houstonians the same trail access those in other parts of the city enjoy.
The bridge, long-sought by officials in Magnolia Park and Lawndale between Wayside and Broadway, was initially expected to cost $4.5 million. When bids were opened in June, however, companies predicted the job would be much more expensive than officials estimated in November 2012 when the project was finalized. As a result, the bridge’s cost jumped by $1.4 million to $5.9 million, based on cost inflation and increases in the price of steel.
Rather than redesign the project, which could delay construction or deviate from the plans approved by the neighborhoods, city officials including District I Councilman Robert Gallegos have urged city parks department officials and the
Houston Parks Board — a nonprofit that supports local green spaces — to bridge the funding gap with local transportation agencies.
Because the bridge is partially paid for by federal funds, about half the cost overrun can be covered by additional federal money controlled by the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s transportation policy council. A committee that advises the transportation council on Wednesday approved using the additional federal money. The transportation council is scheduled to consider the additional money at its Oct. 28 meeting.
Local officials, however, have to come up with another $700,000, too, raising the local contribution to $1.6 million.
‘A signature effort’
Politically, the bridge enjoys enormous support from local elected officials, many of whom sent letters to the Houston-Galveston council to approve the additional money.
“Area residents have been requesting this bridge for many years,” wrote State Rep. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston. “Currently, there are no pedestrian/bicycle bridges crossing Brays Bayou within a radius of 5 miles.”
As Houston has embarked on expanding bicycle offerings, some areas have seen major improvements, while others have waited for trails to come their way.
“The project represents a signature effort in the East End to unite underserved communities,” Gallegos wrote in a letter to members of the transportation council. “The bridge will also serve as an important link in the Bayou Greenways 2020 project, an initiative to transform more than 3,000 acres of land along Houston’s major waterways into linear parks.”
In some cases, such as Mason Park, stitching the bayou trails into an uninterrupted bike highway network can be easily seen but far more complex to solve.
Safety for everyone
Separated by Brays Bayou, the park is a popular gathering spot in the East End neighborhoods, but divided when it comes to safe pedestrian and bicycle crossings. Trails along the north side of the bayou do not connect to the south side. The nearest streets, 75th Street and Broadway, are potentially perilous crossings for cyclists and pedestrians because of narrow sidewalks obstructed by safety railings and light posts.
“It’s not safe for children,” said Paul Woodworth, as he finished a recreational run in Mason Park on Tuesday.
In car-centric Houston, cycling advocates have said safety for everyone — children on their way to school, recreational cyclists and those without cars who commute by bike — relies on high-quality trails or on-street facilities, such as separated bike lanes. Houston is poised to update its bike master plan later this year, which calls for 668 miles of off-street bike trails, along with more than 1,100 miles of on-street lanes.
Officials said the increased cost of the Mason Park bridge is not an indication they need to scale back those plans to make them more affordable.
“On some of these projects, from time to time you’ll have cost overruns,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said. “I don’t think that’s going to slow down anything.”