Silverlake shopping centers, terrible traffic design IMO

[nana053]

Originally Posted by desertsun41

Even if I gave you the benefit of the doubt and complimented you on your traffic engineering knowledge, it means nothing when you are directed by pizz ant crooked, corrupt, lying conniving politicians who think they know better then you and I.

Everyone seems to agree here that it's not the traffic volume here that is the problem but the lack of proper planning by those in power. Who the hell was in charge of starting the Cullin Rd project before the funding was even in place? They started digging it up 3 years ago then abandoned it with cones and detours everywhere that the residents had to put up with because the money ran out to finish it. Thankfully it's has been completed since 3 months ago. But like all good govt projects, the improvements will be functionally obsolete in just a few years.

Yes add some more curb cuts along the feeder. And widen that skinny side street next to Walmart, Smith Ranch Rd which is only wide enough for Horse and buggy.

Planning? What's that? Politicians don't think and plan in terms of roads and infrastructure. They can only see up to the next election.

Heck, if planning had been done, mass transit would have been in the median on 288 and on other freeways in the area. No one though can look far enough into the future to see what is needed.

[desertsun41]

Originally Posted by nana053

Planning? What's that? Politicians don't think and plan in terms of roads and infrastructure. They can only see up to the next election.

Heck, if planning had been done, mass transit would have been in the median on 288 and on other freeways in the area. No one though can look far enough into the future to see what is needed.

I agree, probably because you are right. The real dummies are those who believe voting for these clowns change anything. I mean geez man...how many times does one have to be slapped in the face before realizing there are no good politicians. Only liars.

[ethanw]

I good engineer stay true to his/her skills and believes. If there are poor managers / politicians in charge is the engineer responsibility to educate them and enable them to make the right decision. If the manager / politicians will push you make the wrong decision simply walk out of the job. I will never put my name on something that is not true to my professional knowledge and believes. It does take some balls to stay true to yourself where is easier to blame it on poor management or corrupt politicians.

Have you ever heard the word “German engineering”? Do a bit of research on the roots of that saying and you may learn something new.

Originally Posted by CDeb

I provided reams of before-and-after studies, not to mention personal study and design experience supporting my position. You provided your intuition and drivers license to support yours. Somehow, your definition of "poor engineers" doesn't resonate with me

I doubt where you work that your engineering is heavily influenced by the whims of politicians. Did it ever occur to you that much of what you see out on the roadways is there because some politician had the very same "what the hell do the engineers know" attitude and decided that they knew what was best for those roads because "DAMMIT, I drive there every day!!!"

288 and 518 is a special kind of hell because the commercial development is all extremely traffic intensive and went in very quickly. And it's not like the fathers of the City of Pearland were going to delay those tax receipts to wait for the infrastructure to catch up. Add into it that TxDOT policy makers (not the engineers) have been pretty obtuse when it comes to driveway connections to the 288 frontage roads, and you get the special nightmare that we have there.

But don't worry, the idiot engineers are on it. Plans are in the works to add two driveways onto the 288 frontage roads into the Best Buy/JC Penny shopping center, which should help tremendously (can I say that, being a monkey engineer?) Further study has also recommended various improvements to 518 in this vicinity. So take some time from passing yourself off as an expert in topics outside your area of competency (if you are a PE, like many of us monkey engineers, that phrase should mean something) and let your politicians know that you'd like to see them enacted.

[CDeb]

Originally Posted by ethanw

I good engineer stay true to his/her skills and believes. If there are poor managers / politicians in charge is the engineer responsibility to educate them and enable them to make the right decision. If the manager / politicians will push you make the wrong decision simply walk out of the job. I will never put my name on something that is not true to my professional knowledge and believes. It does take some balls to stay true to yourself where is easier to blame it on poor management or corrupt politicians.

Have you ever heard the word “German engineering”? Do a bit of research on the roots of that saying and you may learn something new.

How noble.

[meilton]

Originally Posted by CDeb

Plans are in the works to add two driveways onto the 288 frontage roads into the Best Buy/JC Penny shopping center, which should help tremendously. Further study has also recommended various improvements to 518 in this vicinity.

I am encouraged to hear this, thanks for the info.

[meilton]

This is what I received yesterday from a director of transportation operations at TxDOT about this issue.
===============
Your email concerning traffic operations on SH 288 near Broadway (FM 518)and access driveways in Pearland was sent to my office for consideration.

The area around SH 288 at Broadway (FM 518) is very busy now that so much commercial development has been added. The section of Broadway east of SH 288 is FM 518 and is on the State roadway system . The section of Broadway west of SH 288 is a City of Pearland road.

There is considerable traffic around these shopping centers. We have added lanes on FM 518 to try and help reduce congestion, and also built the frontage roads in the past year. The access to the highway was purchased by TxDOT when the original highway was constructed, which allowed us to keep driveways from entering the mainlanes.

Now that there are frontage roads in place, the private property owners can pursue a purchase of access onto the frontage roads, and we currently have 4 of these types of requests in process. The process requires surveys , appraisals, and engineering drawings, so it takes some time.

The request must also be initiated by the private property owner, and not the State.

This will help reduce some of the traffic you are observing. We appreciate you taking the time to contact us with your observations.

Stuart Corder, P.E.
Director of Transportation Operations
Houston District - TxDOT
7600 Washington Ave.
Houston, Texas 77007

[Timnwendy]

Originally Posted by meilton

I am encouraged to hear this, thanks for the info.

A member of the Pearland city council confirmed to me that the project to build the 2 new entrance driveways from the northbound 288 feeder into the JC Penney/Best Buy shopping center is moving forward. It is hoped these new entrances might be in place by Christmas 2011.

[nana053]

Cool. That should really help with traffic in the area.