BLVD Place - development in Uptown

[Guerilla]

Originally Posted by mpope409

But aren't the support columns for the track built into the sidewalk, anyway? And Post Oak is very wide.

Forgive me if it sounds like I don't know what I'm talking about, but I'm no engineer. Which is why I'm asking you. Tell me what I don't know.

I've only seen that for heavy rail systems. Light rail systems are not nearly as big, so support columns on the sidewalks wouldn't happen. The biggest the columns would get are like the ones on 610. One pole for each rail track.

Still, if it was on the sidewalks, property would have to be taken. Those older cities heavy rail systems were built differently.

[dnhou]

Originally Posted by Guerilla

There is nothing wrong with ground rail, especially if there are overpasses, or depressed sections over (or under) major roads and freeways.

There is nothing RIGHT with land based rail. It is horrible. It takes twice as long to get through a light because several trains pass by one after another. I've seen traffic backed up for 3 blocks because three trains came all at once. They never have to stop and red lights which causes the timing of lights to be off. I try my best to stay away from land based rail and any business near it. It is a plague and I wish I had never voted for it. I was duped into believing it would help traffic. Now I realize it only puts more volume of vehicles on already crowed streets. THE ONLY GOOD PLAN IS AN ATTRACTIVE AND QUIET ELEVATED RAIL WHICH HELP DRIVERS RAIL RIDERS WHO WOULD BE ABOVE IT ALL. WE COULD HAVE HIGH SPEED IF WE WANTED. IF IT FLOODED THE TRAINS WOULD BE SAFE FROM WATER. NO NEED FOR EXTRA TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND SIGNS. THIS IS A NO-BRAINER PEOPLE. WAKE UP AND DO THE BEST THING FOR HOUSTON. ELEVATED RAIL IS THE BEST SOLUTION HANDS DOWN. AND THE BID THAT MAYOR BROWN GOT FOR ELEVATED WAS LESS THAN LAND RAIL TO BUILD. IT WOULD NOT BE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN HAVING TO TEAR UP ALL THE CONCRETE STREETS.

[Spade]

I think the reason that Houston doesn't have elevated lines is because of it's soil. It will sink over time. Same reason why Houston doesn't go the subway route either. Then again, the tunnels are there and they seem to not have a problem with those. That, and both ways are very expensive. But I would like to the see the city either run elevated or beneath the surface. If it must run at grade, make it use it's own row.

I mentioned something similar in the Dallas forum for the DART thread. Light Rail is great and it does it job. But for a city of 2 million and a metro nearing 6 million, heavy rail would be best. Now heavy rail won't happen. But elevated rail can. If it is willing to spend the money to do so.