Residents fear proposed bike path will lead to crime
Some Southeast residents are fighting current plans for a bike path along an old railroad right of way in their neighborhood:
Along a stretch of MacGregor, just east of Highway 288, state highway officials want to build a new bike path.
It would run through an old railroad right of way, across an old railroad bridge, then through an industrial area leading back toward the park.
Civic activists suggest another path running alongside the bayou is much more practical.
The problem is a lot of people who live in the community just don't want the a bike path. It would run very close to homes in the neighborhood. Many worry the bike path would also become a pathway for criminals to come into this area.
"Crime has been an issue," Lloyd said. "Ever since this fence was put up, crime has pretty much dropped to zero because there was access through this bridge. And they were able to get into the homes and into the school area. And it was just pretty unsafe."
The proposed bike path would also cut straight through a lot owned by the city which a nearby homeowner has converted into a natural habitat; complete with private security and surveillance cameras.
"There was very little, if any, community input into this," Houston City Councilwoman Ada Edwards said. "It was like, 'We're doing this for y'all. Be happy. And we're gonna move on."
Mayor Bill White is now taking another look at the future of the path and the property.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/12/05 09:26 PM | Print |
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