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Old 12-09-2008, 03:01 PM
 
Location: Lake Arlington Heights, IL
5,479 posts, read 12,194,988 times
Reputation: 2847

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Quote:
Mom2Feebs wrote:Houston had trains, several years back. They were dismantled in 1949. There were over 90 miles of track in the downtown/midtown/heights area. It was quite an efficient system. What were they thinking? Ah, yes, the automobile. Affordable and easy.

I can drive from Katy to downtown in 30 minutes or less, now that the freeway is finished. I'm not sure what the appeal is of driving to a different suburb closer in and getting on the train, then going downtown, and doubling my time. I think it's a mindset one has to get used to. I was a big supporter of leasing tracks from Union Pacific (before they pulled up their track north of Old Katy Road) but that ship has obviously sailed. I think commuter rail has to be an option here in some capacity. The Park-n-Ride is very nice, but rail would be a LOT nicer.


Of course, Texans have always been different...
Spot on! Many cities and towns had train and trolley tracks. There were even inter-urban trains to go city to city. But the flight towards using cars bankrupted the transit companies. Many shut down and the tracks taken up and some the local or regional municipalities took over and subsidize the costs.

Quote:
DiverTodd62 wrote:I didn't consider my post a "rebuttal" and I agree that "world class" is perception, and quite subjective. My point was that we will never reach the promised land, we will always be baited with the "if we want to be a world class city we have to <insert pet project here>" line. Ten years and ten billion dollars from now we might have commuter lines to the major suburbs and we'll still have to hear the "world class" crap.
Very valid point. I read many conflicting stories about the benefits vs. costs of public transportation. Parking is probably less expensive in downtown Houston vs. the other big cities like NYC & Chic as well. I know gas is consistently less per gallon. But as far as long term future, it's only speculation. But I do see many large and mid-size cities going to commuter rail and light rail to alleviate traffic and also spur denser development that does appeal to some young professionals. You also have those relocating that will see that they no longer can get by without a car and realize, "Hey, the COL difference just became much slimmer. Maybe I will relocate elsewhere or stay put."
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Old 12-09-2008, 03:03 PM
 
Location: ✶✶✶✶
15,218 posts, read 30,415,301 times
Reputation: 10846
Oh yeah....regarding the old streetcar system....the whole thing was scrapped for materials during WWII. After that, the migration to the burbs got under way in earnest and the automobile took over....the rest is history.
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Old 12-09-2008, 04:03 PM
 
Location: ITL (Houston)
9,221 posts, read 15,873,146 times
Reputation: 3545
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wysiwyg View Post
houston is going to be as it is right now. forever.
Shows what you know. Nothing.
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Old 12-09-2008, 04:55 PM
 
Location: where nothin ever grows. no rain or rivers flow, TX
2,028 posts, read 8,095,222 times
Reputation: 451
Quote:
Originally Posted by Angel713 View Post
Shows what you know. Nothing.
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Old 12-09-2008, 05:31 PM
 
Location: Waco, TX
94 posts, read 276,798 times
Reputation: 60
Quote:
Originally Posted by Angel713 View Post
Shows what you know. Nothing.
You can see the future?
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Old 12-09-2008, 06:27 PM
 
87 posts, read 166,562 times
Reputation: 258
I haven't read but just the original and a handful of posts, but I have to totally disagree with this statement. Right now, the main reason the "young professionals" don't want to relo to Houston is the stereotype of Houston and Texas in general. I've been in recruiting for many years and it is hard to recruit people here because of STEROTYPES, not because we lack rail or mass transit. Once I actually get potential recruits down here, they love it (gasp...even without a rail system!)

Secondly, the cost to construct the "air conditioned" stations and the rail all over the 'burbs and then in Houston proper would be astronomical. Can we say BILLIONS!! Then after construction and what could already be forseen as a deficit we are going to operate the system in the red like all the other cities. NO THANK YOU. Not on my tax dollar. Houston is not NYC or Boston or whatever you want to compare it too. I respectfully, but completely disagree to your original statement. Houston is what it is, thankfully so.
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Old 12-09-2008, 08:28 PM
 
Location: ITL (Houston)
9,221 posts, read 15,873,146 times
Reputation: 3545
Quote:
Originally Posted by occdn View Post
You can see the future?
Correct.

Cleo has nothing on me.
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Old 12-09-2008, 08:31 PM
 
Location: ✶✶✶✶
15,218 posts, read 30,415,301 times
Reputation: 10846
Quote:
Originally Posted by aecx2 View Post
Secondly, the cost to construct the "air conditioned" stations
Where are these?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Angel713 View Post
Correct.

Cleo has nothing on me.
I'm not much of a lottery player, but if you tell me tomorrow's numbers I might go out and buy a ticket...
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Old 12-10-2008, 09:43 AM
 
Location: Lake Arlington Heights, IL
5,479 posts, read 12,194,988 times
Reputation: 2847
Quote:
I haven't read but just the original and a handful of posts, but I have to totally disagree with this statement. Right now, the main reason the "young professionals" don't want to relo to Houston is the stereotype of Houston and Texas in general. I've been in recruiting for many years and it is hard to recruit people here because of STEROTYPES, not because we lack rail or mass transit. Once I actually get potential recruits down here, they love it (gasp...even without a rail system!)
AECX2 & DiverTodd62, I thought more about the mass transit and drawing young professionals seperately and I think you are more correct than I am. I got clouded by getting on my soapbox about train oriented mass transit and forgot about the original question LINKING mass transit and drawing young professionals. I spent so much time thinking of YUP magnet cities with transit, that I did not think about towns that draw young professionals without a CHI,NYC,Boston transit system and there are many. To draw young professionals you need good paying jobs, affordable housing and things to do outside of work. Things to do include shopping, entertainment, bars, clubs, sports and recreational opportunities. Train oriented mass transit can facilitate these things (If planned right) but certainly, growth and attracting young professionals does and will happen without it. I still stand by my pro-transit arguments but really my comments were somewhat off topic. I will say the ability to get around without a car and use efficient transit is on the list of many people when considering a city to live in, but it is a bit farther down and will not consistently be a "deal-breaker" for moving there.
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Old 12-10-2008, 10:19 AM
 
Location: I-35
1,806 posts, read 4,291,926 times
Reputation: 747
And houston is a world class gamma city, any other texas cities.
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