River Oaks/Montrose to the TMC

River Oaks/Montrose to the TMC

Fairview > Woodhead > North > Mandell > Sunset (shared use path) > Main (shared use path/sidewalk) Explore the route.

This week, I rode from River Oaks to the Texas Medical Center (TMC) a few times. It’s a really comfortable route with plenty to see and do along the way. I’ve deconstructed my ride into smaller segments that could be trips within themselves. I would love to hear from folks in the comments about any other routes that you take from River Oaks or Montrose to the TMC.

Fairview (Dickey Place to Woodhead)

Fairview is my usual path into Montrose. Like Welch, Fairview has a light at Sheperd, making that crossing much easier. Although it’s not as calm as Welch, Fairview gets me to many of my common destinations quicker. On this ride to the TMC, I take a right from Fairview to Woodhead. If I were to stay on Fairview, I would cross Dunlavy, Montrose and Taft. Fairview eventually turns into Tuam as it enters Midtown.

Woodhead (Fairview to North)

Once on Woodhead, I ride south toward Rice University and the TMC. When I am heading north-south in this neighborhood, I take Woodhead or Mandell. They're both calm residential streets with lights at the intersections of Westheimer, Alabama, and Richmond. Both streets also cross 59 over one of the lighted archways, one of my favorite parts of the ride.

Boulevard Oaks and Sunset Segment

From there, I take a left onto North, bike under the giant oak trees, then right on Mandell. Mandell runs down to Sunset Boulevard, which I take to get to the shared use trail that runs around Rice. This is a tricky part of the route because of the configuration of the intersections at Mandell/Sunset and Sunset/Rice Boulevard.

I typically take it slower and sometimes stop where you see the red stars on the map. If possible, I try to jump on the sidewalks at Sunset, then take them to the first pedestrian signal (green box on the map) to get on the shared-use trail around Rice. I take it a little slower on the trail because it tends to be well-loved by many pedestrians, joggers, and other cyclists. The trail also crosses a few driveways, so I keep my eyes peeled for cars entering and exiting the university. Once the trail hits Main Street, I stop and hit the pedestrian button to cross Main.

Main Street (Sunset Boulevard to Cambridge)

After crossing Main, I take a right, and have to make a choice. There is a straight sidewalk and a curved gravel trail, both of which go all the way to Cambridge, the northern boundary of the TMC. The sidewalk is in excellent condition and it’s pretty wide – I would say 6 feet at least. My final destination was on Cambridge, so I had no need to ride further into the heart of the TMC, but I know that many of the other sidewalks, particularly on Fannin, are wide enough to ride comfortably.

It’s that easy!

Neighborhoods

• River Oaks
• Montrose
• Boulevard Oaks
• West University
• Rice University
• TMC

Route-side Destinations

• St. Anne’s Catholic School
• Dunkin Donuts
• Roost (restaurant)
• Riel (restaurant)
• Lanier Middle School
• St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
• La Tapatia Mexican Restaurant
• Starbucks
• Arch Bridges over 59
• Congregation Emanu El
• Rice University
• METRO Red Line
• Hermann Park

Nearby METRO Lines

• 2 – Bellaire
• 4 – Beechnut
• 10 – Willowbend
• 14 – Hiram Clarke
• 25 – Richmond
• 27 – Shepherd
• 28 – OST/Wayside
• 32 – Renwick/San Felipe (to Downtown)
• 41 – Kirby/Polk
• 56 – Airline/Montrose
• 60 – Cambridge
• 65 – Bissonnet
• 68 - Braeswood
• 82 – Westheimer
• 84 – Buffalo Speedway
• 87 – Sunnyside
• 170 – Missouri City Express
• 292 – West Bellfort/Westwood/TMC Park & Ride
• 297 – South Point-Monroe/TMC Park & Ride
• 298 – Addicks-Northwest TC/TMC Park & Ride
• 402 Bellaire Quickline

Attention Spots

• There are some rough potholes from Hazard Street to Woodhead Street, but I just take it a little slower.
• The intersections of Mandell and Sunset, and Sunset and Rice Boulevard are tricky due to their configuration. I typically take it really easy through there and hop on a sidewalk if possible.

Alternate Routes

Fairview (shared roadway) > Mandell (shared roadway) > Sunset (shared use path) > Main (sidewalks)

c