$500 million project would create transit corridor, improve Memorial Park

Transit and trees - things that make urban areas move quickly and look pretty - are the centerpieces of a $500 million project that would remake the Uptown area and reinvigorate Memorial Park.

Mayor Annise Parker and other officials announced a plan Thursday that would fund construction of a mass transit corridor on Post Oak Boulevard and kick start much-needed reforestation efforts at one of the city's signature parks.

"We're coming together around a really unique opportunity and a unique proposition to link what's happening in the Galleria area and what's happening in one of Houston's most beloved parks," Parker said.

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The transit project calls for redesigning and widening Post Oak and connecting two bus-only lanes in the median of the street with transit centers north and south of the bustling commercial and residential district.

Metro buses on a dedicated road would deliver train-like service with central stations and boarding platforms for commuters. For drivers, the six lanes of automobile traffic currently in place would remain.

$556 million

Rapid bus transit with dedicated lanes have not been used in Texas, but have been successful elsewhere. Cleveland's Health Line, which uses dedicated lanes and city streets, and a similar system in Los Angeles reached ridership estimates ahead of schedule.

The estimated cost of the local park and transit projects is $556 million over a 25-year period. Funding would come from property taxes generated as a result of incremental growth in property values within the Uptown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 16, which encompasses the Galleria and surrounding area.

The project is dependent on City Council extending the boundaries of the Uptown zone. The 1,503 acres of Memorial Park would be annexed into the TIRZ 16, as it's known. There will be a public hearing on the plan on April 24.

If progress continues as expected, buses could start running in late 2017. And it won't be soon enough for some in Uptown.

"With office, residential and retail markets flourishing in Uptown, the area needs a substantial transit improvement plan to serve its growing needs," said John Breeding, president for Uptown Houston, a development organization. "And it's clear that as Uptown prospers and grows, Memorial Park would play an important role in providing an enhanced quality-of-life and ultimately connecting Uptown Houston to Buffalo Bayou Park and Downtown Houston."

A favorite among joggers, Memorial Park also features tennis courts, playing fields and six miles of mountain and recreational bike trails, which Parker dubbed the "front porch" of Uptown Houston.

'Crown jewels'

The plan to enhance the park would first involve removing dead trees, bushes and invasive plants that compete with trees for water and sunlight, said Shellye Arnold, executive director for Memorial Park Conservancy. Erosion control and the re-establishment of native grasslands would follow.

Up to 15,000 seedlings and trees have already been planted since January.

"Memorial Park is one of the crown jewels in the Houston parks system," Parker said. "With the assistance of the Uptown TIRZ, we can repair the devastation left by the drought and return the park to its former beauty for generations to come. We also have an opportunity to improve mobility in the heavily congested Uptown area. This is a visionary plan to meet two important community needs."