The Build 50 Challenge

The Build 50 Challenge is a campaign developed by BikeHouston and issued to the City of Houston, Harris County, Metro, Houston Parks Board, and others to build 50 miles of on and off street bikeways in 12 months. They have asked civic associations to encourage residents to contact our city council person and tell them you want to see some of those miles in our neighborhood.

The Build 50 Challenge comes straight from the Houston Bike Plan. The Bike Plan identifies 380 miles of streets that are considered “short-term opportunities.” According to the bike plan, short-term opportunities are relatively low cost projects that can be implemented by simply restriping the roadway to include high comfort bikeways.

These fifty miles are funded through a variety of public funding streams. Most of the off-street trails are funded by the Houston Parks Board through the Bayou Greenways 2020 bond issue, on-street bike lanes in Precinct 1 will be funded with the $10 million dollar commitment from County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, and remaining on-street facilities will be funded through the City of Houston’s allocated $1.1 million for the Houston Bike Plan. Last year, the City did not use the $1 million allocated for it! The City has twelve months to use the $10 million from Commissioner Ellis, or the money will be re-allocated.

The Cherryhurst Civic Association has requested a safer north-south connection between Buffalo Bayou Park and Rice University/Medical Center, such as improving the bike lanes on Waugh and Commonwealth, Dunlavy or Woodhead, as well as better markings on our neighborhood bikeway of Fairview Street. If you bike to work or for pleasure, please let our city council person know what routes would be important to you!