Streets System in Houston (Bellaire, Richmond: buy, live, business)

[txedghill]

Then the traffic reports really like to confuse the newbies with North Freeway, Eastex Freeway, Katy Freeway, Gulf Freeway

I guess when you grow up knowing the system, it makes it easier. I always thought referring to freeways like that made the most sense. North freeway goes north, Gulf freeway to the gulf, Eastex to East Texas, Baytown-East freeway to Baytown, Katy to Katy, etc etc. When I moved to the DFW Metro-mess, it confused the crap out of me. Central Expressway (central to what), 35 north (if you miss which city they are talking about, you're lost because there are 2 35's). And then they name freeways after people that, if you are new, you've never heard of (where in the hell is the John Carpenter Freeway). But after a while you learn it and get used to it.

I definitely add my support to the recommendation of the key map.

[grindin]

At least Houston has somewhat of a grid, even if there is no rhyme or reason to the layout... Atlanta OTOH just has streets laid out randomly with no rhyme or reason, partially due to the topography of the land, but SF has hills and has a grid...

[EasilyAmused]

I think inside the Beltway is pretty simple. You are wedged inbetween Freeways going each direction, you have the main east/west roads of Memorial, Westhiemer,Richmond, Long Point, Bellaire, Bissonet and several others. The neighborhoods wedged between those roads have a mini-grid system.There's always some main road that will go N/S and hit the main E/W roads.

Now you get outside the Beltway and into the master planned communities, you better have the most updated GPS they have.

[oceangaia]

Arizona is one of about 27 states that use the township-range system of mapping, which is based on a 1 mile grid system.

The thing I hate about Houston are all the roads that consist of many unconnected segments yet carry the same name.

[txedghill]

Then the traffic reports really like to confuse the newbies with North Freeway, Eastex Freeway, Katy Freeway, Gulf Freeway

Okay, I have to agree with that one. How many TC Jester Blvds are there?

[Chrispili]

Sometimes comparing cities may not make sense, but everybody does the same thing, specially if you have heart issues related to one of them. When I talk about street system, I can mention that Phoenix has the smart one.. yes, eventhough how boring the city can be, it has the system that many important cities of the world have (London, New York, Washington) even in big Latin countries (Bogota, Caracas, Quito).

Let's assume you tell someone that's is new in Houston and does not have a GPS, the following " you need to go to 2002 Mason Road".

If Mason Road would have been assigned to a number, lets say 105 street (just an example), that person would not need any GPS or key map. All that person would be able to think and do is to get to Street 105 after 104, 103, and so on. Bogota in Colombia for instance received the award in Viena Austria for one of the best organized cities in the world (difficult to believe, ah? yes, but it is true). They changed all the street system completly (made it perfect) when they realized that a little part of the city had gone out of the standard. Bogota is a 8 million people city.

I really think Houston is a beatiful, world class city, and every thing we want, but needs two big important restructuring changes: its street system to a more friendly and intelligent one and a massive and ship transportation system that connects all neighborhoods like New York has. Unfortunatley Houston has a street and transportation system that corresponds to a developing city in the world and not to a developed one like it is. Authorities needs to pay attention to this, specially with the fuel and global warning problem when we need to save fuel and be more proactive by using massive solutions (transportation).

A big hug!!

[BamaTex]

Doesn't London kind of suck as far as city planning and lay out?

[jfre81]

You have a true grid Downtown, Midtown and some other closer-in areas. You have numbered streets in and around the Heights, but this comes from back when Houston Heights was a separate municipality from Houston. It was in every way its own place. As people moved out to the fringes of town and the city annexed these areas there were other smaller towns that got pulled into it.

[Trae713]

Originally Posted by DiverTodd62

Arizona is one of about 27 states that use the township-range system of mapping, which is based on a 1 mile grid system.

The thing I hate about Houston are all the roads that consist of many unconnected segments yet carry the same name.

This is because the roads have not been connected yet. You are starting to see the connections being made though, as Houston continues to greatly improve it's infrastructure.

Edit: Didn't realize I replied to that old of a post. Ha!

[Willsson]

Originally Posted by BamaTex

Doesn't London kind of suck as far as city planning and lay out?

Having a reference for streets in Houston is child's play compared with streets in London and Paris.

I was 14 when my family first moved to Houston and the Gulf Freeway was just completed (as I understand). There was no 610 and I-10 was under construction, US 90 being the local thru fare. Most neighborhoods were lined with ditches rather than curbs.

A few years later, a girlfriend from Clear Lake directed me to the Groovy Catacombs on Post Oak, completely twisting my directional head around. The directions... not the Catacombs. Once I learned the city, I needed only to know directions from a nearest major intersection when going somewhere. I haven't been lost in Houston since.