IAH Airport Subway Replacement Alternatives (Houston, Newark: bus, gangs, authority)

[H'ton]

The more I travel around the country, the more I wonder how we consider ourselves a top tier city and yet we do NOT have a rail connecting downtown to our major airport.

Just an example of the lack of connected vision of what type of city we should become.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by Jack Lance

Some people embarrass really easily. Can any thread on the Houston forum not devolve into a Houston is so ugly or ghetto critique ?

This matters a little bit when you're trying to position yourself as some sort of destination for any purpose other than work and buying big houses.

[HookTheBrotherUp]

Originally Posted by Dopo

Here we go with the BS of "rail is too expensive to maintain"

How much can it cost to maintain?
It's not as if they have to build rail lines every 2 years.

Funny thing is that I never hear railroad companies that own 1000s of miles or rail complaining about the cost to maintain their raillines.
And they don't move people, I've seen a train move more than 50 wagon full of rocks.

I work in IT for an oil company, and I recall in the late 90's and early 2000's, deals were being made with all the rail companies for right of way access to their lines. As you know, the railroads have huge swaths of land that their rails run through, three miles on each side. Anyway, a lot of the telecom companies buried their fiber optic cables in that right of way, and so pay the rail companies dearly. Also, there are some transmission lines for oil and gas. So the rail companies now stay in business because of those payments, and that is what pays for their upkeep.

For the most part, the railway system is privately owned in the US. For example, if you take the Sunset Limited from Houston to LA, it takes a ridiculous amount of time, a lot of it because freight takes priority. The Sunset Limited has a stop in Alpine, Texas, for example, 4-6 hours of waiting so that freight trains can make their way through.

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by jfre81

This matters a little bit when you're trying to position yourself as some sort of destination for any purpose other than work and buying big houses.

I know but this thread is about a transport system that is totally contained inside IAH. There have been and will be ample opportunities in future threads to discuss Houston's general aesthetic appeal, or lack thereof.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by Jack Lance

I know but this thread is about a transport system that is totally contained inside IAH.

Very well then, Jack.

Considering the city itself is maddening enough for a visitor to navigate, we can surely start small and keep navigating IAH less of a headache than it needs to be.

[Atlanta Scientist]

Originally Posted by H'ton

The more I travel around the country, the more I wonder how we consider ourselves a top tier city and yet we do NOT have a rail connecting downtown to our major airport.

Just an example of the lack of connected vision of what type of city we should become.

Have you flown into NYC at all?

[Mr. Clutch]

Id personally like to see the above ground people mover with extensions to the rental facility myself. If thats too expensive, I'd say just replace it with moving walkways. It does serve a purpose but I don't see the point of plowing a bunch of money into the system unless we're going to materially improve it.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by Mr. Clutch

Id personally like to see the above ground people mover with extensions to the rental facility myself. If thats too expensive, I'd say just replace it with moving walkways. It does serve a purpose but I don't see the point of plowing a bunch of money into the system unless we're going to materially improve it.

Now that United has gutted what had been the Continental hub, it's less likely it'll get upgraded into anything beyond what it was.

I tend to favor the easy in-out experience of Hobby (plus it's easier for me to get picked up there if I have to)
and smaller airports like it, but I've used the "subway" at IAH and was glad it was there. Moved faster than I would have walking forward on the moving walkway, and got where I needed to be quickly and with less legwork.

[Pink Jazz]

What many users here don't understand is that the Skyway can't be extended beyond the terminals, since it is airside. The Subway is landside, and any replacement system would also have to be landside.

[H'ton]

Originally Posted by Columbia Scientist

Have you flown into NYC at all?

Yes, I've flown into Newark and took a quick train ride into the heart of Manhattan. I was able to get there without a car
Plus, I believe they have a connection to LaGuardia now so Yes. I don;t think NYC being light on public transportation is much of an argument.