MKT Rails to Trails

Oh yeah, this trail is the friggin’ bomb diggity. No joke. If you’re a cyclist, runner, or just a person with a dog, this trail an accommodate everyone in between.
I live a street away from the Heights Bike Trail. My boyfriend takes the trail every day to the Rail to go to school at UTH. He beats traffic, saves gas money, burns calories, and gets to ride the train. I can’t wait for them to finish the Rail to UH so I can start utilizing this trail in my own commute! I currently use this for running, and doing my cycling training.
The trail from Stude Park to UH Downtown and back is about 4 – 5 miles. It’s ALL paved, so perfect for road bikers. It’s scenic, which has always been a motivator for me. The closer you get to UHD, you can see the skyline of Houston perfectly. It’s 100% unshaded, so wear sun protection. There are NO water fountains, so be prepared and bring hydration.
If you get off Stude Park, they have a children’s park, pool, and some courts. You’re also about 0.5 miles away from the White Oak bars area.
Downside: Sometimes there are homeless people in the area. And they can be quite scary sometimes. One time I was doing my circuits, and this guy in the woods kept whistling at me every time I rode by. Creepy!

Well, inch by inch, the final two bridges have finally been completed! Yes, there is major construction going on of the Main Street car /​train bridge, but the final two old train trestles have been converted, so no more dead-​end at the U of H.
You will have to weave your way through a few orange cones and construction tape, but they have paved a path from the latest bridge that connects across the bayou (followed quickly by the second new bridge). Now you can connect fully to the rest of the MKT that goes past the Harris County Jail and spits you out on the far side of downtown. From there, it’s just a handful of on-​street blocks past Minute Maid park and you can connect to the OTHER new rail-​trail (Columbia-​Tap) that starts near the new Dynamo stadium. This second rail-​trail (that goes through Texas Southern U. and all the way to Brays Bayou) adds a significant leg and allows you to bike all the way to Hermann Park one way or MacGregor park /​U of H in the other. Round trip from the northern Heights is in the 25 – 30 mile range depending on how many of the loops and side-​trails you explore on Brays. This makes for a great few hours of cycling, all the way from the northern Heights, with very few on-​street interruptions.
By mixing in the Buffalo Bayou trails (slowly being upgraded) and the new sections along Allen Parkway /​Memorial Drive, these two rail trails, and Brays Bayou, you can now put some serious miles on and not feel that Dodge Ram pickup bearing down on you… Throw in the White Oak Bayou trail (not far from MKT in a few places) and you’ve got a serious cycling day on your hands, all without leaving inner Houston. Get out there and make those trails feel loved!

The old rail lines have finally been converted into bike/​walk trails. The MKT trail starts in the Heights and ends up in downtown. In 2009, the bike trail would stop at the old wooden bridge. Now the trail is complete.
I would give the trail 5 stars, but there is one issue. Roads that intersect the trail have the right-​away. So becareful when you are biking at a fast pace.