Light Rail Progress (Houston, Katy, Center: living, cost, to move)

[Trae713]

Originally Posted by jluke65780

Houston is a car-centric city. Why place rail on the streets of a city that is designed for the automobile. That's my point.

One of the purposes of the main line was to provide a more efficent way of transfering between downtown and TMC; yet they removed the bus service from that area and placed down rail which pretty much works the same.

So basically they did what all transit agencies due. When a new rail line is built, they do away with some bus lines and have other bus lines funnel into the rail line. Metro did what they all do. Not to mention rail is more efficient and actually on time. Ask someone who use to ride the buses around the TMC and tell them to compare the service then to know with the rail. You'd see more prefer the rail.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by jluke65780

Houston is a car-centric city.

You could not have swung and missed harder on answering my question. You could've replied with "I like broccoli" and it would've made just as much sense.

What exactly is a "car-centric" city anyway, especially if we're talking about a group that would include Los Angeles?

The grid that makes up downtown and southward to Hermann Park used to have streetcars running in it anyway.

[blkgiraffe]

Originally Posted by Scarface713

So basically they did what all transit agencies due. When a new rail line is built, they do away with some bus lines and have other bus lines funnel into the rail line. Metro did what they all do. Not to mention rail is more efficient and actually on time. Ask someone who use to ride the buses around the TMC and tell them to compare the service then to know with the rail. You'd see more prefer the rail.

Yeah; my cousins rides it because they work within the Medical Center. I think anyone is going to prefer rail; regardless of how it is because I still think there comes a stigma with riding the bus.

[blkgiraffe]

Originally Posted by jfre81

You could not have swung and missed harder on answering my question. You could've replied with "I like broccoli" and it would've made just as much sense.

What exactly is a "car-centric" city anyway, especially if we're talking about a group that would include Los Angeles?

The grid that makes up downtown and southward to Hermann Park used to have streetcars running in it anyway.

Let me try this again.

--Houston is a car-centric city; as it caters to the automobile or it's not a walkable city overall.

--Yeah Houston had a streetcar system......over 40 years ago when Houston was much smaller, centralized and walkable.

--I didn't miss your question; you just probably didn't understand my answer. Street rail works in cities like SF, BOS and others because not only do they offer alternative types of rail systems, but they are much more walkable. In Houston you're talking about throwing down rail in the middle of the street of busy thoroughfares.

How is that efficient or reliable??? It seems more like a glorified streetcar. This would be great.....if we were New Orleans or Galveston. However, Houston is an extremely large city with strong suburban qualities. Houston will continue to get subpar developments and projects because of this exact mindset. On top of that people say "Oh but these are only temporary; Houston will eventually come back and build a world-class rail system". Yeah.....let's spend millions now than spend billions later!. Very smart.
Settling for less instead of the best.

[dv1033]

Originally Posted by jluke65780

Let me try this again.

--Houston is a car-centric city; as it caters to the automobile or it's not a walkable city overall.

--Yeah Houston had a streetcar system......over 40 years ago when Houston was much smaller, centralized and walkable.

--I didn't miss your question; you just probably didn't understand my answer. Street rail works in cities like SF, BOS and others because not only do they offer alternative types of rail systems, but they are much more walkable. In Houston you're talking about throwing down rail in the middle of the street of busy thoroughfares.

How is that efficient or reliable??? It seems more like a glorified streetcar. This would be great.....if we were New Orleans or Galveston. However, Houston is an extremely large city with strong suburban qualities. Houston will continue to get subpar developments and projects because of this exact mindset. On top of that people say "Oh but these are only temporary; Houston will eventually come back and build a world-class rail system". Yeah.....let's spend millions now than spend billions later!. Very smart.
Settling for less instead of the best.

Unless you can convince the majority of Houstonians that they should raise their taxes to build a better a transit then you have to be realistic. Otherwise, you'll be the largest metro with a bus only transit system.

I disagree that we are "settling". Metro rail crashes have gone down dramatically as people become more aware of the rail. I think what jfre meant was that the streetcar infrastructure (grid-like street pattern) is there to support rail. That is, there are alternative streets to travel around inside the loop, especially along the rail, which basically reduces the problem of the "car centric Houston can't support rail on streets". Although, if they go cheap on the uptown line, that could cause so major traffic issues.

[UHLatino]

Originally Posted by Univ_Texas_Alum_30

You do realize that the rail line shares space on the road with car traffic right?

You do know that accidents on a rail line are less likely to happen than on an actual street. The probability of a stall car slowing down a train is much less than slowing down a bus.

[blkgiraffe]

Originally Posted by dv1033

Unless you can convince the majority of Houstonians that they should raise their taxes to build a better a transit then you have to be realistic. Otherwise, you'll be the largest metro with a bus only transit system.

I disagree that we are "settling". Metro rail crashes have gone down dramatically as people become more aware of the rail. I think what jfre meant was that the streetcar infrastructure (grid-like street pattern) is there to support rail. That is, there are alternative streets to travel around inside the loop, especially along the rail, which basically reduces the problem of the "car centric Houston can't support rail on streets". Although, if they go cheap on the uptown line, that could cause so major traffic issues.

Eh....I'm not trying to convince anyone about anything. However, you guys can't get upset or annoyed when people complain about the system. It sucks. And they are going cheap with the Uptown Line; all the lines are cheap.

[Trae713]

Originally Posted by jluke65780

Eh....I'm trying to convince anyone about anything. However, you guys can't get upset or annoyed when people complain about the system. It sucks. And they are going cheap with the Uptown Line; all the lines are cheap.

I'd put part of the blame on Metro, but I'd put most of the blame on Tom Delay and John Culberson.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by jluke65780

However, you guys can't get upset or annoyed when people complain about the system. It sucks.

Don't know who you mean, but I'm not upset. If anything, my discontent is with METRO. They appear to be blowing the funding for the expansion, so at this point I really can't call it a "system" even. Before, I was like "well, we have this one line but then we're getting more and...." well, suddenly, it looks like those won't happen.

The public distrusts METRO and, honestly, for good reason. That agency at this point is holding back the establishment of a proper transit system more than the anti-transit, anti-walking, everyone-must-drive-everywhere concrete worship crowd and their financial enablers. However, it's important to separate METRO's incompetence from the basic need for multiple means of getting around the city.

[ahzzie]

Originally Posted by jluke65780

Houston is a car-centric city. Why place rail on the streets of a city that is designed for the automobile. That's my point.

L.A. is a car-centric city as well but they have a good rail system. There's no reason why we can't have one here. Having a decent public transportation system will be essential, especially in the coming years as gas prices spiral out of control as they eventually will.