Larry and his wife Yael live in Robindell, just west of Hillcroft and north of Braeswood.
Their 11-year-old grandson Milan, who lives in LA, is spending time with them for a few days. I caught up with them near the beginning of their 1.5-mile trek to the Meyerland Minyan Synagogue, located at 9002 Chimney Rock, adjacent to Fioza Coffee. As we walked together along the trail, Larry shared stories about why they appreciate the newly constructed, 10-foot-wide concrete trail on the north side of the Brays Bayou Greenway, between Hillcroft and Chimney Rock. Stated simply “It’s the best.”

Larry and Yael are both in their seventies. Larry walks in the range of 15,000 to 20,000 steps daily. This number is boosted by the routine of walking to services at the synagogue morning and evening, 7 days a week. (Yael is a very fast walker. She set a pace we couldn’t match.) Prior to this new trail becoming available, they often walked on broken sidewalks, which created a tripping hazard, particularly in the low light of their evening walk home. Now, instead of carefully picking their way along the sidewalk, or even on the uneven footpathnear the bayou, they enjoy a much more pleasant and safe journey. Larry and his family provide us with a great example of why investments in the Brays Bayou Greenway, as well as off-road connected paths and safe crossings, make a big difference in the lives of so many of our area residents.

Thanks to Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones and her team, for making this new trail possible through the Places 4 People initiative. Also hats off to the Houston Parks Board for their leadership in getting the trail completed.

by Kay July 8, 2025

On a windy day in late February, we met J.C. sitting at the N. Braeswood and Chimney Rock bus stop, with his bicycle ready to load on the bus front carrier. He told me that in his early fifties, he made the decision to sell his car, and to rely on his bicycle and Houston busses to move around the city. That afternoon the wind was howling, so J.C. decided to use the bus to complete the final leg of his trip to his Stella Link destination.

J.C. says that his commitment to active transportation makes life much more affordable. The bicycle keeps him active and is good for his health. He appreciates the improved Brays Bayou Greenway and the Rabbi Karff Bridge that takes him to a crossing just east of Stella Link. we discussed the NTTSW request for improvements at that crossing to grab the attention of drivers when a cyclist or pedestrian is trying to cross N. Braeswood. He agrees that those improvements are needed.

J.C. thank for sharing your inspirational story. Hope to see you out on the trail.

We met Derrick this morning along the Fondren Diversion Trail between S Braeswood and Willowbend, as he performed his duties on Lesley Briones’ Harris County Precinct 4 team. Derrick is a Groundskeeper, working with a crew headquartered out of Bayland Park.  Although they are assigned the care of multiple area parks, Derrick explained that he is working on the Fondren Diversion Trail at least 2 times a week, picking up trash and monitoring maintenance issues.  They also mow and edge at least monthly, but twice monthly in the summer. This can be challenging, given that dozens of middle schoolers are using the trail on their walk to and from Fondren Middle School.  But this morning, everything looked great. 

Derrick, with his friendly and personable manner, is a very good ambassador for Precinct 4.

He grew up in Southwest Houston and his kids go to area schools.  He clearly takes pride in making our parks safe and well-maintained places for his community.