Route Description 2020 Ramble

Route Description 2020 BikeHouston Moonlight Ramble

Thank you for supporting BikeHouston’s work to make Houston safer for people on bicycles by participating in this year’s Moonlight Ramble. For 49 years, Houston cyclists have gotten together under the full moon in October for a group bike ride. Over the years the ride has expanded to include a pre-ride get together with music, costume contest and bike decoration contest. Besides having fun, we are raising awareness of bike safety and the need to make Houston streets safer for everyone.

This year we didn’t feel it would be safe to gather 1,000 people into one spot, and it didn’t seem practical to do the ride in staged groups. So, we opted to spread the ride over a two-week period so small groups of friends and family can ride together while maintaining safe health practices to guard against the novel coronavirus. We’ve put together two routes; a short one for families along the White Oak and Buffalo Bayous, and a long route for experienced riders that includes some surface streets.

Because the event stretches over two weeks, it is not practical for us to provide ride leaders and corner marshals like we normally do. We hope you will find the routes easy to follow, but, as always, there are few tricky turns. There are detailed turn by turn directions on the following pages. The map, cue sheet and GPS guidance are available on line at: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34325791 . We encourage you to load the route into your bike computer or phone.

Short Route Summary 1. Start at Stude Park 2. Ride Southeast on White Oak Bayou to University of Houston Downtown 3. Ride West on Buffalo Bayou to Jackson Hill St. (there is ongoing construction along the bayou so there are detours at Carruth and Rosemont bridges) 4. Cross to south side of Buffalo Bayou and ride back to Stude Park

The long route is the same, with an addition north through The Heights to White Oak Bayou, on to 34th St., then returning to the park on Ella, 23rd, Nicholson St., and MKT trail to White Oak Blvd and back to the park.

We have included a list of landmarks along the route. Hopefully you’ll find a few spots you haven’t noticed before. Be sure to post your favorite photos and tag them #Ramble2020.

2 Short Route and First Half of Long Route

Start and Finish

White Oak Bayou Trail White Oak Bayou Trail

Cross Bayou at Cross Bayou at Jackson Hill St. Carruth Bridge North side trail Cross Bayou at Bridge closed for repair Carruth Bridge Buffalo Bayou Trail

3 Long Route, Second Half

34th St. Ella Blvd Ella Heavy Traffic Traffic Heavy

23rd St. Nicholson

White Oak Bayou Trail St.

/ Heights Trail Heights /

White Oak Dr. M MKT Trail KT Trail

4 Safety Notes: The long route includes sections of surface streets that can have fast traffic. Do not ride this route if you are not competent to ride in traffic. The traffic along Ella Blvd. is particularly heavy.

Be careful of cross traffic on MKT and Heights trails. Cross traffic does not stop at some of the intersections.

There will not be route marking for this ride other than the existing trail and street markings. Please be sure you are competent to ride this route without a ride leader.

White Oak and Buffalo Bayou trails are shared paths. Please respect other trail users. Slow down when passing walkers and give them 3’ clearance. Call out or use a bell when passing. Do not pull into oncoming cyclists when passing.

Buffalo Bayou has concrete shared paths and asphalt walking paths. Bicycles are not allowed on the asphalt walking paths. Please respect the walkers.

There is ongoing repair work to the Buffalo Bayou Trail. Some last-minute detours may be required.

Bayou Greenway Trails are open from dawn to dusk. These rides are recommended for daylight hours.

Mileages are measured from online data and verified during test rides. Your measured distance may vary. The route uses landmarks to mark course changes to make way finding easier.

There are port-a-potties in the parking lot of the Stude Park Baseball Field.

Turn by Turn Directions

Distance Direction Landmark Description 0 mi. Start Start the ride in front of the community center Facing the building, there is a path that leads to the right and winds building in Stude Park. There is convenient parking down the hill towards the bayou. there. 0.1 mi. Left Intersection with White Oak Bayou Greenway Trail Turn left onto the bayou trail and ride towards downtown. 0.2 mi “Houston” sculpture Stay on the White Oak Bayou Greenway Trail until you reach University of Houston Downtown 0.7 mi Slight Stay right to stay on the concrete trail right 1.2 mi. Box culvert on left 1.8 mi. View of Downtown skyline 2.34 mi. Snoopy Mural on right 2.4 mi. Left Turn left onto Buffalo Bayou Hike and Bike Trail Follow the signs to Buffalo Bayou Trail 2.5 mi. Allen’s landing on left Stay on the north side of the Buffalo Bayou Trail until you reach the Carruth Pedestrian Bridge 4.2 mi. Sharp Carruth Pedestrian Bridge, Houston Police Turn left onto the bridge and cross to the south side of Buffalo left Department Memorial Bayou 4.3 mi. Left Police Department Memorial At the end of the bridge, turn left to follow the path 4.4 mi Right Fork in trail at Memorial Drive At Memorial Drive, the trail forks. Stay to the right and head up the hill towards Allen Parkway. If you go the wrong way, you will be headed back towards downtown 4.6 mi Sharp T-intersection with Allen Parkway Turn right to head west on the shared path, parallel to Allen right Parkway 4.7 mi. “Spindle” sculpture by Henry Moore Continue West to the Rosemont Pedestrian Bridge 5.2 mi. Sharp Rosemont Bridge Turn left up the hill to the Rosemont Bridge left 5.25 mi. “Tolerance” statues by Jaume Plensa 5.3 mi. Stay left Rosemont Bridge forks Stay left when the bridge forks to get back down to Bayou level

6 5.4 mi Left End of bridge Turn left and continue on Buffalo Bayou trail Continue west to Jackson Hill Street bridge 5.9 mi. Sharp Jackson Hill Street bridge. Be on the lookout for the bridge. There is a sign to mark the turn. left Cross the bridge to the South side of the Bayou 6.1 mi. Left End of bridge Turn left at the bottom of the bridge and head east towards downtown 6.2 mi. Waugh Bridge Bat Colony 7.5 mi. Stay left Fork in trail Stay left at the fork to stay closer to the bayou 7.6 mi. Duck pond on right of trail 8.0 Sharp “No Name” bridge near Hobby Center Turn left on bridge to cross bayou left 8.1 mi. Right End of bridge Turn right to head East Follow Buffalo Bayou back to University of Houston Downtown 8.5 mi. George H. W. Bush statue (street level) Continue on Buffalo Bayou Trail 9.1 mi. Right White Oak Bayou Trail Follow signs back to White Oak Bayou Trail Follow White Oak Bayou back to Stude Park 11.3 mi. Right “Houston” sculpture Turn right and head back to Stude Park parking lot 11.4 mi. Community Center End of Short Route 11.4 mi Traffic Circle Exit traffic circle and head North on Forester St. 11.6 mi. Left Usener St. Head West on Usener St. 11.6 mi. Right Norhill Blvd Head North on Norhill Blvd. 11.7 mi. Left White Oak Dr. Head West on White Oak Dr. 12.0 mi. Skeleton Bike Mural at old Blue Line Bike Lab location 12.0 mi. Slight Intersection of White Oak Dr. and MKT Bike Trail Head Northwest on MKT Bike Trail. Watch for cross traffic Right 12.3 mi Left 7th St. Head West on MKT Bike Trail parallel to 7th St. Trail is on North side of 7th St. 12.5 mi cykl bike shop is 150’ to the North on Yale St. 12.5 mi Straight Yale St. Cross Yale St. in the crosswalk. Be careful of traffic when moving into crosswalk. Continue West to White Oak Bayou

7 13.4 mi. Right White Oak Bayou. There is a good view of Turn right onto the White Oak Bayou Hike and Bike Trail. Head downtown and the bayou from the bridge. Northwest. 14.1 mi. Stay left Bridge across bayou Stay left up the hill, turn left onto the bridge, cross bayou and turn left. Continue Northwest along Bayou. 17.0 mi Right Intersection of path and 34th St. Cross TC Jester at the light. Continue East on 34th St. Note: the next section of the ride involves riding in traffic. If you are not competent to ride safely in traffic, you should reverse the above directions to head back to Stude Park. 17.9 mi. Right Ella Blvd. Turn right on Ella Blvd. 18.6 mi. Left 23rd St. Turn left on 23rd St. 20.0 mi. Right Nicholson St. Turn right on Nicholson St. Head South on the Heights Hike and Bike Trail. 20.6 mi. Giant rooster in cornfield 21.6 mi Left MKT Trail Turn left, head East on MKT Trail. 22.0 mi. Slight Yale St. Cross to North side of Yale St. Continue East on MKT Trail. Left 22.0 mi. Donovan Park 22.2 mi. Slight Cortland St. MKT Trail veers to the right Right 22.5 mi. Left White Oak Blvd. Turn Left on White Oak Blvd. 22.9 mi. Right Norhill Blvd. Turn Right on Norhill Blvd. 22.9 mi. Left Usener St. Turn Left on Usener St. 23.0 mi Right Forester St. Turn Right on Forester St. Head south to Stude Park End of Ride