Houston’s Columbia Tap Trail sees few improvements in the year since Councilor Carolyn Evans-Shabazz announced new safety measures

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Advocates say promises to improve safety along the Columbia Tap Trail remain unfulfilled.

Last year, ABC13 brought you the stories of several people who were beaten and robbed on the Columbia Tap Trail.

On May 30, 2023, Houston Council Member Dr. Carolyn Evans-Shabazz hosted a press conference where she highlighted the $100,000 in district funds her office has allocated to improve the safety along the trail in 2022.

“If there is any responsibility, it must come to me,” she said.

A year after the 2023 press conference, Ed Pettit, founder of Friends of the Columbia Tap, told ABC13 there have been few improvements along the trail, the handful of improvements he attributed to $50,000 set aside by the Houston Housing Authority.

He attributed the handful of improvements to the $50,000 set aside by the Houston Housing Authority.

“Shabazz’s office keeps telling me they have a plan and things are in the works, but they’ve been saying that since October 2022, a year and a half ago,” he said.

ABC13 spoke with Evans-Shabazz on Monday.

She said she was also “frustrated” by the lack of progress. She said one reason for the delay was the change in administration from Mayor Sylvester Turner to John Whitmire.

She said new city staff needed to be brought up to speed, but ultimately her office needed to continue to coordinate with the various partners involved in the project. She mentions that the $100,000 remains reserved for improving the trails.

“Sometimes things don’t go the way we hope. I’m still responsible for that. In fact, I’m going to be even more supportive and push to see how we can make it happen because these safety measures are certainly necessary,” she said.

Delores Ford, president of the residents’ association at Cuney Homes, a low-income housing complex along the trail, told ABC13 she agrees the need for safety measures.

“I’m not hiking this trail, and it’s not because I don’t want to. I’m thinking about my own safety. Who’s going to hear me?” she asked.

More than 80% of Cuney Homes residents said they felt the same way. They are too afraid to use the trail, according to a survey conducted by the Friends of Columbia Tap Trail.

“The trail is not being used for the right reasons,” Ford said.

She told ABC13 she believes the trail should serve as a vital artery for her community, a path to food and laundromats for those who don’t have cars.

She said she’s frustrated to see wealthier areas get funding and make trail improvements while hers remains largely the same.

“It’s important because if you look at the data, communities of color and low-income communities are three times less likely to have access to green space and urban infrastructure, and that’s what we’re seeing on this track,” Pettit said.

“I can’t disagree. It’s not a good idea,” she said. “But as far as me and my responsibility is concerned, I will get things done.”

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