Finally get a real metro route and they're scaring folks already to be negative (Houston: real estate, hotels)

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by atmcclel

This is all well and fine, but if we really wanted to be a 21st century city, we'd just built this route as a light rail. But this is TX and while I'll never leave I'll just have to accept mass rail will never happen here.

The route is designed to be able to be converted without stopping service long term. Not saying it'll ever happen at least soon, but the possibility is there.

Originally Posted by hbcu

Lol - time you get to the station you're pretty much at the galleria - don't think it was designed for that in the short term

In the meantime it'll serve as a nice excuse for this "anti transit community"

[SanJac]

Originally Posted by atmcclel

This is all well and fine, but if we really wanted to be a 21st century city, we'd just built this route as a light rail. But this is TX and while I'll never leave I'll just have to accept mass rail will never happen here.

If rail was built would you use it? If you don't use mass transit today then I bet the answer is "no."

It reminds me of all this retro-fitting the city is doing to reduce vehicle lanes for cyclists. How many cyclists do you ever see using these dedicated lanes? They are used for their weekend strolls, but during the week they are empty.

Bike lanes and rail "look" 21st century...but let's be practical for the citizens of our great city....

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by SanJac

If rail was built would you use it? If you don't use mass transit today then I bet the answer is "no."

It reminds me of all this retro-fitting the city is doing to reduce vehicle lanes for cyclists. How many cyclists do you ever see using these dedicated lanes? They are used for their weekend strolls, but during the week they are empty.

Bike lanes and rail "look" 21st century...but let's be practical for the citizens of our great city....

False. I've lived in other cities (in and outside of USA) and have used mass transit in some of these regularly. I don't normally use it here because it's not well structured here outside of if I'm downtown already and have a few destinations to get around for that day.

[SanJac]

Originally Posted by ParaguaneroSwag

False. I've lived in other cities (in and outside of USA) and have used mass transit in some of these regularly. I don't normally use it here because it's not well structured here outside of if I'm downtown already and have a few destinations to get around for that day.

You don't use it here because you can afford a car. The people who are forced to use mass transit due to their economic situations manage to use it effectively.

If it's not well structured then make changes...doesn't mean rail is the only solution.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by SanJac

You don't use it here because you can afford a car. The people who are forced to use mass transit due to their economic situations manage to use it effectively.

If it's not well structured then make changes...doesn't mean rail is the only solution.

You ignored my paragraph. I have lived elsewhere either able to afford a car myself or in a family that could afford a car but would opt to use transit regularly. The answer for me is not "no". If the lines extended to more areas of interest, I would use it if it was well designed and convenient for where I was.

Outside of NYC, the US in general isn't well suited for non car living. Middle class America has no problem using transit if the options are well designed. This isn't Europe where even the smallest towns have good connectivity.

FWIW I'm not against this project being BRT. It's well designed for what it is and has the potential to convert (again not saying they ever will, but at least this one particular step was done right). I'm not disputing that part, I'm disputing the "if you don't currently use transit the answer is no".

[hbcu]

If it was done like it was supposed to the Missouri City line would've been up along with other lines that would serve the masses and you can have true ridership projections

If rail went to the burbs from the beginning where it could take a lot of people out we would be seeing a different story

It doesn't benefit anyone honestly as of now as if you live in the burbs time you get to the closest station the trip is pretty much over

This line gets somewhat closer but don't know why the slowness to serve a larger area but we have no problem tearing freeways up to the burbs for expensive toll roads

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by hbcu

If it was done like it was supposed to the Missouri City line would've been up along with other lines that would serve the masses and you can have true ridership projections

If rail went to the burbs from the beginning where it could take a lot of people out we would be seeing a different story

It doesn't benefit anyone honestly as of now as if you live in the burbs time you get to the closest station the trip is pretty much over

This line gets somewhat closer but don't know why the slowness to serve a larger area but we have no problem tearing freeways up to the burbs for expensive toll roads

To add to this, the problem is more of the lack of progress and the slowness. Damage is done. What the focus should be is a system that constantly expands. A BRT line to the Galleria connects the current system to the West side of town, then lines connect the airport, then others connecting important population centers. This doesn't happen fast, but there should be constant progress headed that direction. While expanding, certain portions of the BRT can begin conversion to LRT while other LRT lines can be improved, etc etc etc. The slowness to get to the next step is the biggest culprit here.

[gwarnecke]

Originally Posted by ParaguaneroSwag

The metroRapid in the Galleria is literally a short line in Uptown. It makes 0 sense whatsoever to judge that against a line that against a a line connecting the Galleria to Downtown, TMC, our universities etc. It's honestly common sense. How the heck does a short line on the Post Oak compare to that? It's the lamest excuse for anti transit people. If you're anti transit just say it. But at least use common sense to justify it. Not bringing up the numbers of a short unconnected line on post oak. Lol what? XD

How is the Post Oak Line unconnected? It is connected to a number of local and commuter routes via the Northwest Transit center, and the relatively well-used local 82 (Westheimer) and 25 (Richmond) local bus routes.

If your implication is that transferring from these local routes to the Post Oak BRT is so inconvenient that it discourages BRT use, then why would anyone choose to ride the proposed University Line west of the Galleria, instead of driving? Unless their destination is along Westpark drive, a transfer or a fairly long walk through some so-so areas will be involved.

I am definitely not anti-transit, and I'd wager that I use transit more frequently than some of its boosters on this forum (at least a few times a year). I just believe that limited transit dollars should be directed to the needs of those who are most dependent on it (ie those who can't afford a car). This generally means expanding bus routes and frequencies in poorer areas, rather than coming up with expensive ways to unsuccessfully convince wealthy inner-loop residents to replace 15 minute car trips with 30 minute bus trips.

[atmcclel]

Originally Posted by SanJac

If rail was built would you use it? If you don't use mass transit today then I bet the answer is "no."

It reminds me of all this retro-fitting the city is doing to reduce vehicle lanes for cyclists. How many cyclists do you ever see using these dedicated lanes? They are used for their weekend strolls, but during the week they are empty.

Bike lanes and rail "look" 21st century...but let's be practical for the citizens of our great city....

I use the bus from Greenway Plaza to downtown a couple times a month when I go into the office and frequent the rail during rodeo season; much easier than parking. When my wife and I move the burbs here soon enough, yes my use will decline since we're not connected out there. But a well designed rail system would see plenty of use. However, with our we're built currently it'll be tough to ever have something as expansive as NYC or some European cities.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by atmcclel

I use the bus from Greenway Plaza to downtown a couple times a month when I go into the office and frequent the rail during rodeo season; much easier than parking. When my wife and I move the burbs here soon enough, yes my use will decline since we're not connected out there. But a well designed rail system would see plenty of use. However, with our we're built currently it'll be tough to ever have something as expansive as NYC or some European cities.

The line was built specifically with the idea that it would be connected to the light rail system. Currently, it is not. Until the Katy BRT system connects the two, we don’t have a proper measurement of ridership period