IAH underground people mover system needs update? Yes or no (Houston: movers, home)

[stoneclaw]

Has anyone noticed this about IAH's underground people mover?

https://youtu.be/WMtjqjAdRUI

I first noticed this about 10 years ago and was hoping there would be some improvements or updates by now, but riding through it, it just seems like a boring ride underneath an old abandoned basement. The carpeted walls and separations make it seem and feel really ragedy and 1970ish in my book.

Take a look at DIA's (Denver) underground people mover is.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzLw_H5C6zc

I've seen them both in person and am always baffled by Denver's being much sexier and built more like an actual subway. I know you won't really be able to tell in the videos, but just going down the escalator to the people mover, it looks way nicer and exciting. Going down to the people mover in Houston feels like was stated above, in the basement of an old abandoned office building. On the flipside, IAH's skytram isn't half bad, but the subway segment needs work.


So what do you think about it? If you care....

Could Houston stand to step it up?

I don't know if this is part of the plan with the new terminal D improvements, but I'm not sure.

[NickelsTX]

I say leave it alone. In 25 years Denver's will be outdated and ugly and by that time IAH will be vintage and chic.

Plus the upgrade will cost money, which passengers and/or tax payers will have to pay.

[Failed Engineer]

No. It's functional and less a necessity than at a place like DIA.

[Texas Ag 93]

Agree. DIA was my home airport until 5 months ago, so I had plenty of experience there. It's huge and the most recently built major U.S. airport, that's why it has the people mover it does. But as PP's point out, it's really not all that much different from the one at IAH or anywhere else. It's not that exciting, unless you happen to be the age of my young children, so why spend the money to upgrade something here if it's functional?

[gwarnecke]

I say leave it alone. 95% of trips between terminals at IAH are made on the modern Inter-Terminal Train (past security). The basement people mover gets little use because it is only needed in very specific circumstances. I've flown out of IAH over 50 times, and I've only used it twice:

-Once when I took the express bus from the downtown transit center to the airport, which arrived at Terminal B or C (I believe), but I had to catch a flight out of Terminal E. This bus doesn't even run anymore.

-Once when I parked at Terminal C, took a 737 to my destination, returned to Houston on an ERJ at Terminal B, and had to get back to the C parking garage.

[oceangaia]

Haven't we discussed this before?

Leave it be. No point in spending a ton of money to replace something that works. When I use people movers and trams at airports it is to get from one terminal to another, not to sightsee or be excited. Who cares if it's "boring"? It's ok to be bored for 15 minutes. And frankly, I've never thought of any transit system as "sexy".

[Dopo]

Only update that is needed is some publicity to give people something to see and generate money.

Aside from that, it works just fine.

[DSL_PWR]

It ain't broke. Don't mess with it.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

I actually rode that 2 days ago. Anyway, for now I'd leave it alone. I'd first worry on the new terminal C and D and even finish the north concourse of terminal B before i worry about the underground people mover. the more important elevated one is the one to keep up to date in the meantime.

[Oildog]

IAH is working to update the terminals, a much better use of funding.