‘Stop putting cars over people’: Harris County sues TxDOT over I-45 expansion project (Houston: home, tenants)

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

It may be that an expanded ROW is necessary, though I have to ask whether non-expanded alternatives have truly been seriously considered. And there are times when infrastructure projects end up taking previously private space, including space where people might be living. That practice has been abused in the past (deliberately routing urban highways through lower income / nonwhite communities because it was "cheaper"), so skepticism is warranted.

Nevertheless, there does come times when you have to move more personal vehicles through a place than are currently being accommodated. Generally in such situations I also want alternatives to SOVs provided or improved along the same route. I do want the managed lanes or at least lanes to serve HOVs and transit. Now, there's probably a lot people opposed to having those because they are against one or more of toll roads, HOV preference and public transit, but they're not demonstrating sufficient commitment to truly solving the issue and should be excluded.

The principal reason for me that both highway capacity and transit should be improved in this corridor is because a very key portion of Houston's tax base - the large office buildings in Downtown, Upper Kirby / Greenway, and Uptown - depend on being competitive in attracting tenants, who consider the accessibility for their workforce as very important. The City is financially captive to this. And the reality is that much of that white-collar workforce is college-educated types who insist on living in single family homes and especially ones zoned to public schools that primarily serve only a similarly educated parent base. And except for certain very expensive areas within the City, that environment is provided mainly in the outer suburbs.

I do take issue with voters who think they are "owed" an uncongested SOV trip for no toll charge on a long-distance commute. That is stupid and an invalid policy goal. Also stupid are the politicians who justify these investments by promising reduced congestion. They ought to know by now that if the investment is successful, and the City thrives economically, congestion will return. Still, the investment means that more people can move through the corridor, if only at 15 mph.

Waite aren't they going to remove the Pierce elevated and the rest of 45 west of DT. Isn't that going to allow for DT to blend in with the Neartown neighborhoods to the west. why doesn't Harris County consider these benefits instead of just focusing on neighborhoods to the east that aren't particularly dense anyway.

[Ghost Town]

Originally Posted by JL

Wow! First time seeing a lawsuit like this in Houston.

Hidalgo said TxDOT should prioritize the quality of life instead of highways. She said the project would be bad for the community’s health and would create more traffic

“Wider highways means more congestion,” she said.

”It displaces communities and businesses, particularly lower-income neighborhoods.”

The first statement is a joke. But I agree on negative impact on communities and businesses.

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by Jack Lance

Waite aren't they going to remove the Pierce elevated and the rest of 45 west of DT. Isn't that going to allow for DT to blend in with the Neartown neighborhoods to the west. why doesn't Harris County consider these benefits instead of just focusing on neighborhoods to the east that aren't particularly dense anyway.

It's not the hoods to the East that are an issue, it's the ones to the North, from Downtown to the Loop, where the plans include wiping out a number of hiomes and businesses to widen the sunken portion of the freeway. IT's also stupid to destroy the area Just East of 59 by removing apartments and relatively new businesses, including the Live Oak bar and restaurant scene.

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by WRM20

It's not the hoods to the East that are an issue, it's the ones to the North, from Downtown to the Loop, where the plans include wiping out a number of hiomes and businesses to widen the sunken portion of the freeway. IT's also stupid to destroy the area Just East of 59 by removing apartments and relatively new businesses, including the Live Oak bar and restaurant scene.

Yeah the St. Emmanuel strip is the liveliest part of EaDo, and most of it will disappear.

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by Jack Lance

Waite aren't they going to remove the Pierce elevated and the rest of 45 west of DT. Isn't that going to allow for DT to blend in with the Neartown neighborhoods to the west. why doesn't Harris County consider these benefits instead of just focusing on neighborhoods to the east that aren't particularly dense anyway.

Losing the Pierce Elevated will be nice for sure.

[As Above So Below...]

If were going to disturb that many businesses and homes, I wish it was for mass transit and not more highway lanes.

I agree with the sentiment that this is basically for the people who live in the suburbs at the expense of those that live in the city.

[oceangaia]

Originally Posted by As Above So Below...

If were going to disturb that many businesses and homes, I wish it was for mass transit and not more highway lanes.

I agree with the sentiment that this is basically for the people who live in the suburbs at the expense of those that live in the city.

Who would mass transit be for?

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by oceangaia

Who would mass transit be for?

People in the city.

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by oceangaia

Who would mass transit be for?

To force as many people as possible to quit driving themselves in a car with only one person in it. We can help that by raising the gas tax to $1.50 per gallon so that people driving cars start paying at least part of the costs they impose on everyone else. That won't happen, since this is Texas, where many people apparently think roads appear by magic and don't cost anything.

[Jtxg]

Originally Posted by WRM20

To force as many people as possible to quit driving themselves in a car with only one person in it. We can help that by raising the gas tax to $1.50 per gallon so that people driving cars start paying at least part of the costs they impose on everyone else. That won't happen, since this is Texas, where many people apparently think roads appear by magic and don't cost anything.

Yea let's tax people more and hand it over to the government to manage....nothing could possibly go wrong with that plan