Houston Light Rail being "De-Railed" (Pearland, Parker: appointed, how much)

[DarkWolf]

Originally Posted by glorplaxy

Yeah, so Metro sucks. What else is new?

I agree that Metro needs to be dismantled...they are really run by a bunch of idiots.

They want to save money? How about using smaller, less expensive buses? I have been on many Metro buses and there are so many huge buses that go virtually empty at most parts of the day...not even anywhere near halfway full. Wasteful and stupid. Public transportation should NOT cost $1.25 each way

1.25$? Thats a Bargain , Typical Bus up here is 1.90-2.50$ Light Rail varies 1.70-2.50$ depending on the system. So you guys are lucky and regional Rail is as high as 16.00$ one way on the longest line. Subways are 1.75$ on PATH and 2.50$ on NYC System. So consider your selfs very lucky.

[glorplaxy]

Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey

1.25$? Thats a Bargain , Typical Bus up here is 1.90-2.50$ Light Rail varies 1.70-2.50$ depending on the system. So you guys are lucky and regional Rail is as high as 38.00$ one way on the longest line.

It's not worth it. It could be much cheaper if Metro cut out on the crap they don't need, like such large, expensive buses on every single route when they aren't even filled halfway to capacity the majority of the time.

[DarkWolf]

Originally Posted by glorplaxy

It's not worth it. It could be much cheaper if Metro cut out on the crap they don't need, like such large, expensive buses on every single route when they aren't even filled halfway to capacity the majority of the time.

You might need to cut down on lines , when we recently cut back on our system. Alot of ppl where shocked at some lines even being in service. Some lines only serviced 15 ppl. Ive seen your fleet and Ridership is surprisingly high for a sprawly city. I don't think you need smaller buses , but a reworked system. Combine lines and get rid of the nonperforming ones.

[texas7]

Originally Posted by stoneclaw

Yeah everybody's mad because Obama is only human and doesn't have the magic wand to instantly turn everything around inside of only 1 1/2 years of being in office.

People fail to realize that he took on a daunting task by becoming President (IE America's 1st BLACK president) in the middle of one of the country's largest depressions and having to deal with the largest oil spill in history on top of that. I guess its easier to just sit back and criticize.

Too bad he thought he had a magic wand during his campaign - he made a lot of promises people expect him to uphold at least a a few of them. He's just a man, like all the others before him, and he should be help equally accountable for the good/bad things he does and equally criticized for any shortcomings by his public the same as those who have gone before him.

Now back to the subject of rail......

[BronxBoi]

To my NJ Breathren let me explain a little about Houston and their viewpoints on Public Transit. When I originally arrived to Houston I had to use the bus for a couple of months and it really was not that bad. It is not as convenient as the northeast but it is not bad. Houston is spread out so far and wide graphically that it is almost impossible to not have buses, at times, roaming around without heavy ridership. Walking is not really an option in many areas because a lot of streets don't even have sidewalks. This city was not designed with Public Transit in mind. Most routes get busy during the rush and school hours. Most people have issues with paying taxes but down here it comes with additional baggage. If those additional taxes are for funding for services that are perceived to be going towards the poor then all hell breaks loose. This is one of the states that it is hell to be poor. Most people I know look at public transit as a way for burglars to gain access to better neighborhoods. It is the most ridiculous connection I have ever heard. Also public transit is perceived as a service for the poor, illegal immigrants and so on. Every time Metro tries to get funding there is the constant whine of fraud and improper spending but very little is ever heard about road construction and maintenance. Also most of the people fighting public transit do not ride the bus nor do they live in areas that are serviced by Metro (other than Park & Ride). The loudest opponents are those that live in the suburbs.

[Black Jack22]

Are you all surprised?

You just keep living in Houston waiting for things to happen.

[Wonderful Jellal]

It's sad I hope Houston will have a great light rail after all

[martinrao]

The GoMETRORail website has breaking news ... FTA approves next steps for University Line:
University Line FTA Approval

[Mom2Feebs]

I love how people throughout this thread have tried to blame everyone else other than who needs to be blamed: the people you voted for to run Metro and the City of Houston. 'Memba them?

[Trae713]

Doesn't the mayor appoint the Metro board?