Update on rail? (Houston, Richmond, Center: construction, university, closing)

[blkgiraffe]

Have they started construction on the U-line yet in Houston? I plan on moving down there in the fall to attend college at TSU and really looking foward to it!

[predatorprey]

Last I heard of it, the US transportation department, denied the federal matching funds because the line wasn't going to have any real affect on traffic as advertised.

They stated that the studies conducted by metro was inaccurate and wanted new studies to be conducted before they would consider matching funds again.

As of right now, and thankfully so. The rail expansion I think is DOA.

Feds tell Metro to resubmit rail plan | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

[jd2008]

Originally Posted by predatorprey

As of right now, and thankfully so. The rail expansion I think is DOA.

God I hope not.
Makes me really think twice about staying in Houston.

[Bike4Life]

Actually, it's a good idea to redraw the rail plans because the initial routes sucks. I mean, who wants to get on the University rail line and ride out to nowhere on West Park. It should be on Westhiemer and fly over every intersection.

Don't get me wrong, I've been in London, Chicago, and Manhattan and I love subways and elevated rail. But Houston has a terrible plan. The naysayers: US Senator John Culberson and Afton Oaks.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by Bike4Life

Actually, it's a good idea to redraw the rail plans because the initial routes sucks. I mean, who wants to get on the University rail line and ride out to nowhere on West Park. It should be on Westhiemer and fly over every intersection.

Don't get me wrong, I've been in London, Chicago, and Manhattan and I love subways and elevated rail. But Houston has a terrible plan. The naysayers: US Senator John Culberson and Afton Oaks.

I know what you mean, but after being an initial proponent of the same, I do not see how light rail is going to work on that curve. Aside from that I'd go for rail on Westheimer and closing it off to cars, making it all pedestrian/bikes/rail. Lower Westheimer, as it is, is useless as a thoroughfare. Too narrow and too curvy. I avoid driving this stretch of Westheimer whenever I can - I feel a lot safer on foot and I move just as fast if not faster. But I see how the Main Street (Red) Line curves as it shifts from Fannin to Greenbriar and back to Fannin before merging with Main. That can't be done in the current right-of-way of Westheimer, even if you close it off to all cars. You'd have to basically rearrange the whole thing. It should be Richmond/Wheeler the whole way.

[Spade]

Actually, from the posters on SSP, construction is about to start. A poster stated that Metro Solutions met in a tough meeting on the East End and construction will start sometime this month. That article that predator link is old and Houston has submitted new lines since the article. BTW, that article has Culberson screaming all over it.

[texas7]

I HATE the stupid rail. It's a trolley ride up and down Main Street at this point. It congests traffic in the med center due to the downsizing of lanes. Interesting to see how the rail drivers - run the lights occasionally and other times, tie up the light for an incessant amount of time as auto drivers wait to cross in downtown (signal issues?). So if that is the best they can do, I hate to see that mishap spread citywide.

hmm.... let's see .... trying to cross main (on foot) downtown - you get the walk signal - you aren't halfway across before the signal changes back to don't walk and the rail driver is tooting that horn as if you've done something wrong by trying to cross.

Waiting to catch the rail at the Leeland station - homeless guy kept trying to pull on my sleeve in an attempt to ask for cash. I eventually left and walked to my destination - walked to the Metro office and told them I thought they had an obligation to keep the platforms safe for those who ride. They didn't agree but did give me my $2 fare back after I insisted solely because I paid and the homeless bothered me enough to make me walk instead of ride.

Trying to turn into a med center garage .. the turning lane where you have to actually get on the rail tracks to turn. A rail pulls up behind me ... I have a red light and the oncoming traffic on the opposite side of main has the green. The rail driver lays on his horn behind me trying to force me to run the light which I didn't and the fleetng thought to flip him off briefly crossed my mind but I didn't do that either. I did call Metro and complain - they really didn't care.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by texas7

I HATE the stupid rail. It's a trolley ride up and down Main Street at this point. It congests traffic in the med center due to the downsizing of lanes. Interesting to see how the rail drivers - run the lights occasionally and other times, tie up the light for an incessant amount of time as auto drivers wait to cross in downtown (signal issues?). So if that is the best they can do, I hate to see that mishap spread citywide.

hmm.... let's see .... trying to cross main (on foot) downtown - you get the walk signal - you aren't halfway across before the signal changes back to don't walk and the rail driver is tooting that horn as if you've done something wrong by trying to cross.

Waiting to catch the rail at the Leeland station - homeless guy kept trying to pull on my sleeve in an attempt to ask for cash. I eventually left and walked to my destination - walked to the Metro office and told them I thought they had an obligation to keep the platforms safe for those who ride. They didn't agree but did give me my $2 fare back after I insisted solely because I paid and the homeless bothered me enough to make me walk instead of ride.

Trying to turn into a med center garage .. the turning lane where you have to actually get on the rail tracks to turn. A rail pulls up behind me ... I have a red light and the oncoming traffic on the opposite side of main has the green. The rail driver lays on his horn behind me trying to force me to run the light which I didn't and the fleetng thought to flip him off briefly crossed my mind but I didn't do that either. I did call Metro and complain - they really didn't care.

The line really should be redone as an el-train, although that probably can't happen until the rest of the lines are done. Then none of this would be a problem.

By the way - the rail doesn't go down Main through the Med Center - it goes down Fannin. So what exactly do you mean? Were you actually on Fannin?

Taking Main through TMC is no worse than it ever was.

[texas7]

Originally Posted by jfre81

The line really should be redone as an el-train, although that probably can't happen until the rest of the lines are done. That'd eliminate all that completely, though.

By the way - the rail doesn't go down Main through the Med Center - it goes down Fannin. So what exactly do you mean? Were you actually on Fannin?

Taking Main through TMC is no worse than it ever was.

Oops meant to say Fannin - thanks for the correction.

[jfre81]

Ok. I was a little confused.

If I need to go into TMC I just park at South Fannin and ride the rail or enter a garage along Main.