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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!
I use the corridor to
take walks and run
errands!
I use the corridor to
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