Dispute over Sims Bayou wall at Texas 288 will cause major traffic for weeks, lawsuit pending

Dug Begley | www.houstonchronicle.com

A failing wall is messing up traffic along Texas 288 and will do so for weeks more, as crews repair and buttress bridge supports where the freeway and tollway cross Sims Bayou, as officials sort out who is at fault.

At issue is the failure of an abutment and wall on the northbound side of the bayou, leading to concerns about the supports to the road bridges. The repair requires removing some of the roadway, and reinforcing the supports, requiring lane closures, said Raynese Edwards, spokeswoman for Blueridge Transportation Group, the private firm that manages both the tollway and maintenance along Texas 288. …

… While the work is affecting traffic from now until the end of the year, the problem dates to last year, when the wall problems were first identified following work along the bayou. The parks board and Blueridge agreed in 2021 to let parks officials build a bike trail along Sims beneath Texas 288. The parks board then hired Missouri City-based Millis Development and Construction to build the path along the bayou, which is controlled by the Harris County Flood Control Authority. Work was underway by early 2022.

In a lawsuit Blueridge filed last in September 2022, the company claims during the trail construction, crews removed concrete and steel reinforcements that acted as a breakwater for the bayou. That removal, officials claim, led to a failure of the retaining wall beneath the roadway. …

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— H-GAC (@HouGalvAreaCog) October 18, 2023

Trick or Treat Halloween Bike Ride

drippingspringsmountainbiketeam.com

Thursday, October 26th 7:30 pm Belterra Rec Center Parking Lot A very casual, all ages and ability ride is is planned for the evening of Thursday, October 26th. Meet at 7:00pm at the Belterra Rec Center parking lot. Lights and Halloween decorations/costumes are encouraged. This is a no drop, casual group ride through the subdivision. Please plan on riding with your children or designating another parent, this is not a drop and run event.

Bicyclist killed in Gray County after failing to yield right of way to car

by Matthew Watkins | abc7amarillo.com

GRAY COUNTY, Texas (KVII) — A bicyclist was hit by by a car and killed on County Road E in Gray County.

The accident happened at about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, about a half-mile east of Pampa.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Donald Mundell, 53, of Pampa failed to yield the right of way when he turned left from County Road 9 onto CR E.

He rode into the path of a 1998 Lincoln Executive.

The driver said the sun was in her eyes and she couldn’t see the bike that suddenly pulled out in front of her.

Mundell was pronounced dead at the scene.

He was not wearing a helmet, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Bicycling boomed in Houston during the pandemic, but will it last? Here’s what the data show

Ryan Nickerson | www.houstonchronicle.com

Dora Caballero always considered riding a bike in Houston a dangerous activity.

But it wasn’t until after the COVID-19 pandemic when the lifelong Houstonian saw people rushing out to purchase bicycles, and her husband participating in group bike rides, that she figured she would buy her first bike this summer.

“It’s getting a little bit safer,” Caballero said. “I’ve definitely gotten more comfortable and know what to look for now, but I am still not letting my guard down.”

Caballero isn’t the only one who decided to take up bike riding after seeing the surge of new bike riders during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, there was a boom of new bike riders across the country — and data suggest renewed …

Cyclists pedal this weekend to protect, preserve Galveston Bay

By Galveston Bay Foundation | baytownsun.com

Bike Around the Bay and Bike Around the Island are endurance bicycle rides geared for raising critical funds to help improve the resiliency and health of Galveston Bay, the largest estuary on the Texas Gulf Coast.

These rides give the cyclist a perfect opportunity to create special memories with fellow cyclists and accomplish an endurance ride – while enjoying the beautiful scenery offered by the communities around Galveston Bay.

Riders can participate in the full Bike Around the Bay on Oct. 21 and Oct. 22. This is a two-day, …