Heights group advocating for another bayou pedestrian bridge

Community organizers in the Heights are hoping someone will foot an estimated $3.6 million bill to construct an additional pedestrian bridge over White Oak Bayou.

What's happening: A small but vocal group called A Tale of Two Bridges is advocating for a pedestrian bridge that runs north from Patterson Street over the bayou.

• The group wants it to be constructed in conjunction with another bridge over White Oak less than a mile away that is already in the works through the Texas Department of Transportation.
• While the Patterson Street bridge is on the Houston Bike Plan, there are currently no plans to install a crossing.

Why it matters: The Patterson Street bridge would more easily connect cyclists, pedestrians and those who use wheelchairs from the White Oak Trail to the Heights Hike and Bike Trail to the north, advocates say.

• The other pedestrian bridge planned nearby will connect the White Oak Trail to Rutland Street to the north, which also connects to the Heights Hike and Bike Trail.

Yes, but: The group has no funding source and hopes to convince Houston endowments, nonprofits and government agencies to pitch in.

Flashback: At an Aug. 10 community meeting hosted by the group, Mayor Sylvester Turner signaled his support but did not indicate the city would pursue the project when asked by Axios.

• "Push us to do more," Turner told the crowd that night. "Encourage us. Push us. Be a little disruptive. There's nothing wrong with that because from that, good things will happen in our city."

What we're watching: The group yesterday kicked off a new initiative asking the public to email their government representatives to support the project's development.