Texas poised to get America's first bullet train?

[H'ton]

Where is the Houston station going to be located? Downtown?

[Mr. Clutch]

Originally Posted by H'ton

Where is the Houston station going to be located? Downtown?

It's going to be at the corner of 290, I-10 and 610 at the old Northwest Mall site.

I would have preferred it to be downtown to an extent, but I don't think that's a bad location. It's pretty central to the business community (who will be the biggest group of users) and it will eventually have direct transit to both uptown and downtown. In reality, going all the way downtown would have been extremely difficult and disruptive given how dense north Houston is. It's a lot easier getting the line through south Dallas to make it downtown on the other end.

[SanJac]

Originally Posted by Mr. Clutch

It's going to be at the corner of 290, I-10 and 610 at the old Northwest Mall site.

I would have preferred it to be downtown to an extent, but I don't think that's a bad location. It's pretty central to the business community (who will be the biggest group of users) and it will eventually have direct transit to both uptown and downtown. In reality, going all the way downtown would have been extremely difficult and disruptive given how dense north Houston is. It's a lot easier getting the line through south Dallas to make it downtown on the other end.

I agree with you…in the long run maybe it won’t matter. Publicity-wise it’s more sexy to have the station downtown, but functionally NW Mall could work just fine.

[Need4Camaro]

Build a Light rail between NW Mall and Downtown

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

Build a Light rail between NW Mall and Downtown

BRT is already planned.

[SanJac]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

BRT is already planned.

As long as car lanes are not reduced. Otherwise John Whitmire will kill it!

[airdrawndagger]

Last time I drove by NW Mall, the area seemed dilapidated, and I've heard the surrounding neighborhoods (Spring Branch East, Timbergrove) aren't exactly the best. Let's hope this bullet train station cleans up that part of town.

[H'ton]

Originally Posted by Mr. Clutch

It's going to be at the corner of 290, I-10 and 610 at the old Northwest Mall site.

I would have preferred it to be downtown to an extent, but I don't think that's a bad location. It's pretty central to the business community (who will be the biggest group of users) and it will eventually have direct transit to both uptown and downtown. In reality, going all the way downtown would have been extremely difficult and disruptive given how dense north Houston is. It's a lot easier getting the line through south Dallas to make it downtown on the other end.

Wasn't that the old site when the Japanese company was proposing this as a privately funded project?

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by SanJac

I agree with you…in the long run maybe it won’t matter. Publicity-wise it’s more sexy to have the station downtown, but functionally NW Mall could work just fine.

Reality is that most people in Houston live on the North and West side of Houston
Besides that, that location has better access than downtown

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by SanJac

As long as car lanes are not reduced. Otherwise John Whitmire will kill it!

The Inner Katy line would actually be separated and run alongside the freeway, so less risk from Whitmire. Wish we could get more rapid service from NWTC to Downtown along Washington, but that's probably a pipe dream.