FWP Board/TXDoT Meeting on April 17th

Members of the FWP Board and Advisors met with the following TXDoT officials on the morning of April 17th, 2024, with the format including an extensive walk around the park grounds.

  • Stephen Hrncir - NHHIP Lead

  • Grady Mapes - Transportation Engineer

  • Eliza Paul - District Engineer

  • Danny Perez - Public Affairs

FWP Attendees included Mary Goldsby (Birding Director/Organizer), Kelli Fereday (President), Pat Rutledge (Treasurer), Beth Fischer (VP), and Taylor Chapman (Bayou Director and Board Member).

The Friends of Woodland Park shared the following requests for TXDoT as they relate to the expansion of I-45 within and impacting Woodland Park.

  • Trail Access: Create a pedestrian bridge across the bayou that will allow walkers access to the north and south sides of the bayou.  Currently, the trail is located on top of the outflow culvert.  FWP requests that a bridge be constructed in this area to connect the existing trail across the bayou and allow for the completion of the park’s trail loop. Additionally, FWP would like TXDOT to aid in the creation of the “Hollywood Trail” connecting Woodland Park and Moody Park thru funding or actual construction in partnership with HPB.

  • Hydrology:  According to HPARD natural resource division, erosion of the bayou banks is the number one threat to the Woodland Nature Reserve.  TXDOT must ensure that water flow is slowed prior to entering the park so that it does not exceed current water flow rates.

  • Sound: The EIS mischaracterized the NAC Category of the Woodland Park Trails as Category C (Active sport areas, amphitheatres, auditoriums, campgrounds, cemeteries, day care centers, hospitals, libraries, medical facilities, parks, picnic areas, places of worship, playgrounds, public meeting rooms, public or non-profit institutional structures, radio studios, recording studios, recreation areas, sites, schools, television studios, trails, and trail crossings.) - the same as the ball park.  

The trails are part of the Nature Preserve per CoH ordinance and have had over 180 bird sightings, so should be categorized as “A” (Lands on which serenity and quiet are of extraordinary significance and serve an important public need and where the preservation of those qualities is essential if the area is to continue to serve its intended purpose.)  

Request: Recategorize these as “A” and provide an attractive sound wall that will decrease the amount of noise to less than 57 dB(A) that park patrons will encounter when walking the trail in this area and throughout the park.

  • Visual/Sound: Plant additional trees along the eastern border of Woodland Park.  These trees should be a variety that will capture some of the air (dust) pollution from the freeway.  We would like trees to be used in conjunction with a sound wall or barrier.  The addition of these types of trees in this area will be a more attractive and natural sound buffer in this part of the park.

  • Water Access: Provide connectivity along the Little White Oak Bayou waterway for canoes, paddle boards, etc., through the proposed culvert north to Moody Park and downstream to Buffalo Bayou.

  • Trash: Provide a trash abatement system or device that would be installed upstream of Woodland Park to minimize the amount of trash that accumulates in Woodland Park from upstream sources.  TXDoT should also provide for the maintenance and upkeep of this system or device.