Sharon Evans-Brooks and her husband Juan Brooks walk along the Columbia Tap Rail to Trail with their dog, Tom Brady, on Wednesday, June 5, 2024 in Houston. They are among many residents who have been asking officials for basic security lighting and benches for the trail for many years.

The historic four-mile Columbia Tap Bike Trail that connects Third Ward to Brays Bayou and downtown looks no different now than a year ago when I wrote about the bleak hike-and-bike path.

There are no security lights, historical markers, protected crosswalks or other amenities. The only improvements are new solar-powered lights and sidewalks on a portion of the trail near the Cuney Homes housing complex funded by the Houston Housing Authority.

If it weren't for big plans by city officials and community organizations to improve the trail, you'd think no one cared. There have been numerous meetings of stakeholders and community engagement surveys.

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There's just no money to make it happen. So the trail continues to be a sad symbol of Houston's disparity.

You don't have to look far to see the contrast. A few miles away, visitors flock to the new 26-acre Commons at Hermann Park, a $55 million project completed in April. Also, the Columbia........

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