Harris County Commissioners Court approved a $1.33 million design agreement on Thursday, Aug. 6, for a 3.5-mile shared-use trail that will connect the Cypress Creek and Spring Creek greenways through the heart of Spring.
The vote was unanimous.
The trail will run from Cypress Creek Park at Timber Lane south through Forest Drive, Bradbury Drive, Cypresswood Drive, the Hardy Toll Road corridor and Aldine Westfield Road, ending at Pundt Park on Spring Creek. The route includes 1.65 miles of dedicated trail, 1.87 miles of sidepath, three trailheads, three major road crossings and two minor ones.
Under the joint participation agreement signed by County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston Parks Board President and CEO Justin Schultz, Precinct 3 will contribute up to $665,000 from bond funds. The Houston Parks Board will match that amount dollar-for-dollar. If design costs exceed the contract total, the Parks Board picks up the overage.
The Houston Parks Board is responsible for engineering, preparing bid-ready plans, obtaining permits and acquiring rights-of-way, which it must convey to the county within 90 days of each acquisition. Precinct 3's initial payment of $515,000 is due within 30 days of invoice, with the remainder paid as easements are secured.
The project is designed to improve pedestrian and bicycle access to area parks, Twin Creeks Middle School and surrounding neighborhoods, according to Community Impact, which first reported the approval.
Precinct 3 said in a statement issued Aug. 12 that the connector trail puts the precinct's Parks and Trails Master Plan into action. The June 2023 master plan was developed as Precinct 3's population of 1.2 million residents is projected to double by 2045. The precinct operates the county's largest park system, with 73 parks spanning more than 8,600 acres. The Cypress and Spring Creek greenways alone account for more than 40% of that land.
Community surveys conducted during the master plan process found that trail development was the top-requested recreational improvement across all four Precinct 3 service areas, including Spring.
The trail also aligns with the HCTRA Tollways to Trailways initiative, a countywide plan outlining 236 miles of active transportation projects connecting communities to parks, schools and transit.
What's next
The Houston Parks Board and Precinct 3 will hold a public meeting in September where residents can review the trail design, speak with the engineering team and provide feedback. The event will include free dinner, refreshments and children's activities. A specific date and location had not been announced as of Wednesday, Aug. 12.
Residents who want updates can contact the Precinct 3 project office at 4603 Spring Cypress Road in Spring or email [email protected].
