Mayor Turner commits to trails, bayous

Mayor Sylvester Turner speaks at the Greens Bayou Annual Meeting

NORTHEAST HOUSTON – The Greens Bayou Corridor Coalition held their Annual meeting last Thursday, at the Hyatt Regency hotel. Several hundred persons attended, and the keynote speaker was Houston mayor Sylvester Turner.

Turner delighted the audience, with a quick wit and banter about his first 90 days in office.

He emphasized that he had been raised in the North Houston neighborhood of Acres Homes, and considered himself a native of the North Side, where he still lives, he said.

Indeed, a park and major league baseball facility on Victory Drive are named for Turner.

In reviewing the state of his term in office so far, he mentioned that flooding is still a major problem in many parts of the city, including Greens Bayou and Halls Bayou. He is working with Harris County to improve this problem, he said.

He lauded Greens Bayou CC for their efforts to open the bayous for recreation and appreciation of nature, and noted that June 4th will see a major Regatta.

Turner had been at a ribbon cutting earlier in the day for a new bike trail in downtown, and tied this in with remarks about developing bike corridors throughout the city, and how Houston would benefit from more choices in their modes of transportation. He also said that the North Houston area should be proud of the NW/Greenspoint Skate Park, a world class facility for skateboarders, that is being expanded with a BMX park beside it, and Dylan Park for handicapped.

He said that I-10 has the distinction of being the widest freeway in the world, with 26 lanes, but that it doesn’t solve the mobility problems of Houston.

Turner spoke about the success his “pothole” program has had, filling 14,000 potholes in the first 90 days of his term. He noted that it was a collaboration with the county.

After this, GBCC presented a number of Awards.