Welcome To Case's Column
Let me say a big welcome to all of you for joining me here. I'm going to call these blog meetings Case's Column. I wanted to use "Corner", but that was already taken.
Since 2008, it's been a real privilege to come on here and share some of my life with you, and it's a big world where we live.
In these blogs, I'll just speak whatever is on my mind, but we will be playing within the rules here. I may pick a particular topic, point out an event, or shoot the breeze. I'm a little bit of an essayist at times, so I'll just speak what's on my mind, and I might tell a story or two. Or, I might spew out an opinion or three. There will be some serious moments, some tender, some poignant, but there will also be those moments that you'll just bust out laughing. But, hopefully, everything will be in good fun here. And, of course, there's a place below for your comments and thoughts as we go along here. So feel free to join me for the ride -- I sure as heck hope I'm doing this right and not making any mistakes.
Thanks for taking your time in reading Case's Column. Hopefully, you'll enjoy being entertained by it as much as I've enjoyed putting these writings together. And thanks for the time you spend in City-Data.com, where it's great to be alive!
Regards,
case44
Let me say a big welcome to all of you for joining me here. I'm going to call these blog meetings Case's Column. I wanted to use "Corner", but that was already taken.
Since 2008, it's been a real privilege to come on here and share some of my life with you, and it's a big world where we live.In these blogs, I'll just speak whatever is on my mind, but we will be playing within the rules here. I may pick a particular topic, point out an event, or shoot the breeze. I'm a little bit of an essayist at times, so I'll just speak what's on my mind, and I might tell a story or two. Or, I might spew out an opinion or three. There will be some serious moments, some tender, some poignant, but there will also be those moments that you'll just bust out laughing. But, hopefully, everything will be in good fun here. And, of course, there's a place below for your comments and thoughts as we go along here. So feel free to join me for the ride -- I sure as heck hope I'm doing this right and not making any mistakes.
Thanks for taking your time in reading Case's Column. Hopefully, you'll enjoy being entertained by it as much as I've enjoyed putting these writings together. And thanks for the time you spend in City-Data.com, where it's great to be alive!
Regards,
case44
Message To TXDOT: Leave The Pierce Elevated Alone
Posted 05-08-2015 at 08:03 AM by case44
By now, some of you fellow Texans out there may have read stories about Houston's planned widening of Interstate 45 through North Houston. That project also includes a controversial plan to refunnel 45's traffic along I-10 and I-69 around the north and east sides of Downtown Houston, respectively, and part of that includes a possible dismantling of the Pierce Elevated, I-45's current connecting stretch from the North Freeway to the Gulf Freeway through the southwest part of downtown.
Here's my word to the Texas Department of Transportation officials: Don't do it!
You want to really want to snarl traffic? Just mess with the lanes in Downtown Houston.
I'm actually for a wider Pierce Elevated. At any rate, officials want to try to convert the Pierce Elevated's space to possible park land. As well-intentioned as it comes across, such a project would be difficult to achieve, given that I-45 is an important route from the ports of Dallas to the ports of Houston and Galveston.
Here's a link to one of the articles:
http://blog.chron.com/thehighwayman/...of-work-ahead/
A big part of my Houston travels include the Pierce Elevated, which I approach as I'm driving by the great views of the majestic Bayou City skyline. I always go in on I-45 into the city through Texas' best corridor, and it's always a great climax of my 4-hour trip in from Dallas. Yeah, I hardly ever take the Hardy Toll Road, but that's not important now. The widening of the North Freeway from the North Sam Houston Tollway to I-10 will be fine by me. That is badly needed. But fixing the Pierce Elevated? Well, the bridge structures are getting old, I'll admit. But what's wrong with a piecemeal rebuild and repave? Dangerous? Yes. Challenging? Yes. Impossible? No. And such would actually be less expensive than adding new lanes along 10 and 69.
I wouldn't sweat over losing the Pierce Elevated, as these types of projects would take lots of years to design and build, not to mention how to properly deal with 45's heavy traffic. TXDOT carefully needs to relook at this.
Here's my word to the Texas Department of Transportation officials: Don't do it!
You want to really want to snarl traffic? Just mess with the lanes in Downtown Houston.
I'm actually for a wider Pierce Elevated. At any rate, officials want to try to convert the Pierce Elevated's space to possible park land. As well-intentioned as it comes across, such a project would be difficult to achieve, given that I-45 is an important route from the ports of Dallas to the ports of Houston and Galveston. Here's a link to one of the articles:
http://blog.chron.com/thehighwayman/...of-work-ahead/
A big part of my Houston travels include the Pierce Elevated, which I approach as I'm driving by the great views of the majestic Bayou City skyline. I always go in on I-45 into the city through Texas' best corridor, and it's always a great climax of my 4-hour trip in from Dallas. Yeah, I hardly ever take the Hardy Toll Road, but that's not important now.
The widening of the North Freeway from the North Sam Houston Tollway to I-10 will be fine by me. That is badly needed. But fixing the Pierce Elevated? Well, the bridge structures are getting old, I'll admit. But what's wrong with a piecemeal rebuild and repave? Dangerous? Yes. Challenging? Yes. Impossible? No. And such would actually be less expensive than adding new lanes along 10 and 69. I wouldn't sweat over losing the Pierce Elevated, as these types of projects would take lots of years to design and build, not to mention how to properly deal with 45's heavy traffic. TXDOT carefully needs to relook at this.
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