Houston Light Rail being "De-Railed" (Austin, Katy: buy, taxes)

[txstate]

How is metro having a shortfall , who is doing the books over there. A million bus stops plus park and ride and HOV lanes, I know the cost of mantaining everything plus salaries, but still theres no way.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by 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?

Right, and they probably would've voted for the candidates that were serious about getting Houston's transit infrastructure up to snuff and were paying something besides lip service to the issue. Unfortunately those people never existed. Such as it is, Annise Parker is the first one I can remember that's bothered to even stir anything around in this reeking pit of fetid, toxic bureaucratic sludge that is the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County.

METRO itself is a problem too big to be fixed by getting rid of Frank Wilson. It was founded to to serve people who had no other options of getting around, also known as "captive riders," in an environment where most people drove everywhere. This was in the late 1970s. It's obsolete. In its place should be something that will be getting people not only from A to B within the immediate Houston area but to other regions via intercity high speed rail.

What should be happening is METRO and the toll road authority get merged into a single agency, with all their holdings and liabilities shared by this entity which is responsible for the expansion and maintenance of multiple modes of transportation, whether it's a toll road or a commuter rail line. One need not be exclusive over the other, and should not be.

[300zxtwinturbo]

Originally Posted by 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.

And the saddest fact is that the people who are stuck dead smack in the middle of the city want rail. As you said its people who never venture into the city who are against it. I actually had someone tell me that we don't need rail to the galleria because no one shops there but rich people in european cars, who won't ride rail anyways. That is about the most packed shopping area I have ever seen anywhere and it is terribly congested. Shows how much the suburbanites really know about our inner city. Where it really is getting to dense for simple things like going to the park or zoo on a saturday and actually finding a park, thats no joke. I remember when you could easily find parks as a kid, and driving in houston wasn't as congested. Well that was about 2-3 million people in the metro area ago. Things need to change, and fast.

[300zxtwinturbo]

Originally Posted by 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?

I know, everyone voted for annise parker, and wihle she is gay, shes actually much more conservative than gene locke would have been. Or bill white, or Lee brown was. She's fighting all development in the inner loop, rail, parks, and the dynamo/TSU stadium

[nana053]

Originally Posted by 300zxtwinturbo

And the saddest fact is that the people who are stuck dead smack in the middle of the city want rail. As you said its people who never venture into the city who are against it. I actually had someone tell me that we don't need rail to the galleria because no one shops there but rich people in european cars, who won't ride rail anyways while that is about the most packed shopping area I have ever seen anywhere and is terribly congested. Shows how much the suburbanites really know about our inner city. Where it really is getting to dense for simple things like going to the park or zoo on a saturday and actually finding a park, thats no joke. I remember when you could easily find parks as a kid, and driving in houston wasn't as congested. Well that was about 2-3 million people in the metro area ago. Things need to change, and fast.

Everyone I know in Pearland wants rail.. We just want it extended out here to relieve the congestion on 288. I have said it before, but I will say it again, they should have built a rail line on the median of 288 when the road was built.

Dorothy

[300zxtwinturbo]

Originally Posted by nana053

Everyone I know in Pearland wants rail.. We just want it extended out here to relieve the congestion on 288. I have said it before, but I will say it again, they should have built a rail line on the median of 288 when the road was built.

Dorothy

Very true, I stay out that way to, and the crazy thing is that in comparison to 45 north and south, 59 north and south, 0r 10 west 288 is about the least congested freeway we have. Thats why we need good light rail in the inner city, then commuter rail that links up with the light rail, so that you could take commuter rail to one of the light rail stations then use that to get anywhere you need to in the city. It really would be possible to live without a car, wouldn't that be great

[oceangaia]

Originally Posted by jfre81

What should be happening is METRO and the toll road authority get merged into a single agency, with all their holdings and liabilities shared by this entity which is responsible for the expansion and maintenance of multiple modes of transportation, whether it's a toll road or a commuter rail line. One need not be exclusive over the other, and should not be.

Why would the self supporting HCTRA want anything to do with METRO, who brings nothing to the table but problems? That would be like a successful and fiscally responsible homeowner opening a joint checking account with a bankrupt jobless bum. We know how that joint venture would go - HCTRA would generate 90% of the revenues and METRO would account for 90% of the expenses.

Of course, it's pretty typical that whenever mass transit cannot even cover operating expenses through transit user fees that it looks for ways to steal from revenues of motorist user fees.

[tstone]

Originally Posted by 300zxtwinturbo

It really would be possible to live without a car, wouldn't that be great

Tell you what, I'll buy you a train ticket if you give me your 300ZX twin turbo. Wouldn't that be great?...

[Black Jack22]

How long are we going to wait when every appointed leader in the city is Conservative when it comes to rail?

[jfre81]

Sorry if I'm being a little slow here, but what exactly does it mean to be "conservative when it comes to rail?"

Originally Posted by DiverTodd62

Why would the self supporting HCTRA want anything to do with METRO, who brings nothing to the table but problems? That would be like a successful and fiscally responsible homeowner opening a joint checking account with a bankrupt jobless bum. We know how that joint venture would go - HCTRA would generate 90% of the revenues and METRO would account for 90% of the expenses.

Of course, it's pretty typical that whenever mass transit cannot even cover operating expenses through transit user fees that it looks for ways to steal from revenues of motorist user fees.

None of that matters in my little scenario. It becomes about what it's supposed to be about - getting people around, one way or another. There would be no "stealing from the other" because it is one.

It's just a little too forward thinking for you (since we've gone round and round on this subject before and got nowhere) and most Houstonians. Even though Houstonians generally want rail, if we're going by voting results.