Is there a Houston Version of the DART Train? (Dallas: suburbs, yard)

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by WRM20

That's a BRT line, not rail.

That’s where light rail is headed due to the rise of self driving technology

[HookTheBrotherUp]

Originally Posted by AcresHomes44

Houston has the equivalent of DART in Dallas. Our metrorail system goes all over the city, but not the suburbs.

I did not expect that from you, AcresHomes44. Come-on! 'Goes all over the city?

[HookTheBrotherUp]

Originally Posted by Sooners9354

I’ve been living in the Dallas (Collin County) for a long time been to Houston twice it’s nice down there. To ask the question how come there’s no DART Train or Railroad in the city going to different places I know traffic sucks over there, but no train going from the urban areas to suburbs? I read a post about a plan to build a railroad that would travel from urban areas to the universities but the plan got stripped down cause some politician didn’t want to railroad coming to his rich constituents communities. Here in Dallas we got the DART Train going from Downtown to Plano and other areas.

We have a Choo-Choo train here alright. And... it is a better deal than Disney, you can pay a low price to ride, no season tickets required, though you can buy a Metro Card... I guess it's the same thing as a yearly pass!

Seriously, it is a joke. Many ride it just to take shelter form the weather, and it does not smell so nice, and some have very weird habits. And it is busy around the Medical Center, but here is the odd thing, many of those using it in the Medical Center first have to drive in from the suburbs to a parking lot near the Astrodome, then they ride it in. Yeah, very green. I wonder if some do it just to save on monthly parking fees, not because they are concerned about the environment, or convenience?

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by HookTheBrotherUp

We have a Choo-Choo train here alright. And... it is a better deal than Disney, you can pay a low price to ride, no season tickets required, though you can buy a Metro Card... I guess it's the same thing as a yearly pass!

Seriously, it is a joke. Many ride it just to take shelter form the weather, and it does not smell so nice, and some have very weird habits. And it is busy around the Medical Center, but here is the odd thing, many of those using it in the Medical Center first have to drive in from the suburbs to a parking lot near the Astrodome, then they ride it in. Yeah, very green. I wonder if some do it just to save on monthly parking fees, not because they are concerned about the environment, or convenience?

This is the most boomer, and I have seen on this website. And that’s saying a lot considering it’s a boomer site

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by ParaguaneroSwag

That’s where light rail is headed due to the rise of self driving technology

I was in Indianapolis a few months ago and for the first time rode their BRT which is quite new and modern, and it hauls some ass. Still needs its dedicated ROW, but it works and I think that's a good model for Houston if they can ever figure out where to put it going east-west.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by jfre81

I was in Indianapolis a few months ago and for the first time rode their BRT which is quite new and modern, and it hauls some ass. Still needs its dedicated ROW, but it works and I think that's a good model for Houston if they can ever figure out where to put it going east-west.

Its going on the Katy Freeway

[astrohip]

Originally Posted by ParaguaneroSwag

Its going on the Katy Freeway

Yes. Planned opening to coincide with Houston getting the Winter Olympics, in 2142.

[montiff]

Originally Posted by astrohip

Yes. Planned opening to coincide with Houston getting the Winter Olympics, in 2142.

LOL !!!

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by ParaguaneroSwag

Its going on the Katy Freeway

I'll believe it when I see it.

I could pull up a bunch of old posts of mine from 2007-08 or so talking about METRO vaporware and show you why I stopped holding my breath.

And even then, if this is just going to be an express bus over I-10 in the Loop with no service to any of the neighborhoods in between Main and Post Oak, then it too falls short.

If there were any actual vision there, there would be a Boston-like Big Dig that includes an underground channel (basically a second, subterranean Buffalo Bayou) to route excess water from the Addicks/Barker reservoirs to the bay in major flood events, with some sort of rapid transit line running adjacent. It'll be costly, but not as much as the failure of that dam that'll happen one day if nothing gets done.

[HookTheBrotherUp]

Originally Posted by jfre81

I'll believe it when I see it.

I could pull up a bunch of old posts of mine from 2007-08 or so talking about METRO vaporware and show you why I stopped holding my breath.

And even then, if this is just going to be an express bus over I-10 in the Loop with no service to any of the neighborhoods in between Main and Post Oak, then it too falls short.

If there were any actual vision there, there would be a Boston-like Big Dig that includes an underground channel (basically a second, subterranean Buffalo Bayou) to route excess water from the Addicks/Barker reservoirs to the bay in major flood events, with some sort of rapid transit line running adjacent. It'll be costly, but not as much as the failure of that dam that'll happen one day if nothing gets done.

Do you also remember the planning for the widening of I-10? Before the construction began, there were a few proposals and I distinctly recall the one for rail down the middle of I-10. TX DOT and Metro came to an agreement that the freeway would be constructed in such a way that rail could be put in the middle without the need for an elevated track. In the "mean time", Metro could use the space for HOV lanes.

Do you see Metro wanting to get rid of the HOV lanes at this stage, and replace it with rail? Or do you see TX DOT eager to redo that part of the freeway again? It would be great, but cost-wise, I don't see it. I think it should have been done when they expanded I10.