Triton Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 This is such an awesome race between Block 334 and these light rail lines. I'm still going to bet the rail lines open first. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonMidtown Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 (edited) They are running/testing the trains on the purple line big time - multiple trains go by my house continuously from 7:00ish in the morning until 9:00pm at night -- been doing this for a couple weeks now... Edited March 26, 2015 by HoustonMidtown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pragmatist Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 (edited) This is such an awesome race between Block 334 and these light rail lines. I'm still going to bet the rail lines open first. I'm starting to think the high-speed line may beat all of them to the finish line... Edited March 26, 2015 by The Pragmatist 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MexAmerican_Moose Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 pathetic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Huge Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 So apparently it's finally opening on May 23, according to swamplot. Anyone else looking forward to seeing it open after the Superbowl? I can personally guarantee you that there will be a line break somewhere on the route on May 22 that will set the whole thing back another year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Vik Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 There are a certain number of hours the trains need to be tested calm down people. I also think it gives CAF an extra month to send as many train cars here as possible before opening date. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 No Slick, we're entitled to delicate flower and moan just as Metro is entitled I push their dates back. And a month is not really going to change anything as per the number of trams; it's not like those are easy things to manufacture. *delicate flower Should be "female dog" 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrLan34 Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 http://www.constructionbusinessowner.com/news/mccarthy-breaks-ground-houston-metro-harrisburg-overpass The $27 million project will involve construction of a 2,400-linear-foot grade separation at the Houston Belt and Terminal (HBT) and Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) railroad tracks located west of Hughes Road. It will include a bridge structure with aesthetic architectural features, two 16-foot wide vehicular traffic lanes, a 26-foot LRT guideway located in the center of the bridge structure, and two 5-foot wide emergency walkways on each side of the bridge. The project will also include aesthetic street lighting on top and underneath the structure, new storm drainage and 16-foot wide frontage roads and sidewalks with at-grade crossings over the HBT/UPRR railroad tracks. The overpass is set to be complete in only 12 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luminare Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 http://www.constructionbusinessowner.com/news/mccarthy-breaks-ground-houston-metro-harrisburg-overpass The $27 million project will involve construction of a 2,400-linear-foot grade separation at the Houston Belt and Terminal (HBT) and Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) railroad tracks located west of Hughes Road. It will include a bridge structure with aesthetic architectural features, two 16-foot wide vehicular traffic lanes, a 26-foot LRT guideway located in the center of the bridge structure, and two 5-foot wide emergency walkways on each side of the bridge. The project will also include aesthetic street lighting on top and underneath the structure, new storm drainage and 16-foot wide frontage roads and sidewalks with at-grade crossings over the HBT/UPRR railroad tracks. The overpass is set to be complete in only 12 months. Apparently its being done by "McCarthy's Texas Divison" which did grade separation on Wellborn Rd. in College Station. If thats the case they will do a good job. The one they did on Wellborn came out very nicely. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparrow Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 http://www.constructionbusinessowner.com/news/mccarthy-breaks-ground-houston-metro-harrisburg-overpass The $27 million project will involve construction of a 2,400-linear-foot grade separation at the Houston Belt and Terminal (HBT) and Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) railroad tracks located west of Hughes Road. It will include a bridge structure with aesthetic architectural features, two 16-foot wide vehicular traffic lanes, a 26-foot LRT guideway located in the center of the bridge structure, and two 5-foot wide emergency walkways on each side of the bridge. The project will also include aesthetic street lighting on top and underneath the structure, new storm drainage and 16-foot wide frontage roads and sidewalks with at-grade crossings over the HBT/UPRR railroad tracks. The overpass is set to be complete in only 12 months. "Emergency walkways"--people in other parts of the world call them sidewalks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 The implication to me was it's not supposed to be a pedestrian bridge - the pedestrians have to jump over the railroad tracks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 Or they could, ya know, take the tram across..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 "Emergency walkways"--people in other parts of the world call them sidewalks. I think it's required by law, if the train breaks down or something. That's why there's usually walkways near roller coasters if it breaks down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparrow Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 http://www.ridemetro.org/News/RAILFEST.aspx RAILFEST to take place May 23rd at BBVA Compass Stadium to kick off the new light rail lines. Free tickets available at HEB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 They've also plastered the sides of the rail cars with posters about this, so I suppose it's real unless some poor schlub stuffs a backhoe through the tracks again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeopleAreStrange Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 How convenient - I was already planning to be in town this Memorial Day weekend. I plan on riding both lines the day they open. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryDierker Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 How convenient - I was already planning to be in town this Memorial Day weekend. I plan on riding both lines the day they open. watch out for all the nerds at comicpalooza. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Vik Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 One day away 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 so the 'official' ribbon cutting is at 3 and 3:30 for these two lines, does that mean if I wanted to hop on one I can't until after 3, or just that this is the 'official' start? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkultra25 Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 so the 'official' ribbon cutting is at 3 and 3:30 for these two lines, does that mean if I wanted to hop on one I can't until after 3, or just that this is the 'official' start? I believe I read in one of Metro's press releases that the new lines will be open for business at 7AM, and that folks wouldn't have to wait until the official kickoff to ride them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luminare Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 I believe I read in one of Metro's press releases that the new lines will be open for business at 7AM, and that folks wouldn't have to wait until the official kickoff to ride them. Good because I'm sure Metro would be late to their own shindig and make us wait forever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 So I rode it today to Discovery Green and it wasn't too bad with the traffic. They diverted a lot of trams to these lines, because the red line was strugglin' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryDierker Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 Never seen so many people on Capitol. They had police policing people onto the Central Station platform because it was at capacity, 20150523_212859 by Not.Larry Dierker, on Flickr 20150523_212837 by Not.Larry Dierker, on Flickr 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeopleAreStrange Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 I made it to Houston this afternoon and rode both new lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeopleAreStrange Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 (edited) I rode the Red line to the very narrow N/S Central Station (bad decision), then walked to the Theater District Station while the massive crowd of people flocked to the Eastbound Central Station. I rode the Green first, then the Purple. While retuning to downtown on the Green Line, I disembarked at Convention Center Station to switch to the Purple Line (EaDo was too crowded). The speakers at WB Convention Center Station are way too loud! When the Purple Line reached Palm Center, we were all asked to get off and wait for another train to reverse direction. Shortly after our previous empty train took off for the train garage, a new empty train arrived for us. The Green Line had some riders and the Purple Line was pretty full, but the most crowded train I rode was the already existing Red Line while travelling towards downtown and the Green/Purple lines. Edited May 24, 2015 by PeopleAreStrange Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 (edited) Does anyone know if, once they get the full order of new trams, will the lines cross over to the red line and vice versa without passengers having to get off to change stations? I know it sounds lazy but walking a full block to change lines is pretty dumb. Edited May 24, 2015 by BigFootsSocks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 nah BFS. it IS dumb. METRO really screwed up with the whole Central Station thing. from the failed original "design contest", to not putting the green/purple line stations on a block immediately next to Central Station, to not putting 2 separate stations on the outside of the tracks where the vehicle lanes currently are (obviously getting rid of those), to double the capacity of Central Station. seriously though.. they should at least look into that last idea. there are doors on both sides of the trains, correct? just have people board and exit on the outside of the trains at Central Station, instead of the inside. icing on the cake would be tunneling connections between Central Station and the 2 "neighboring" stations on the green/purple lines with escalators bringing people up to street level in the middle of the platforms. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_cuevas713 Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 You know I thought the same thing Cloud713... do you think closing that block of street would make sense? Like make that one giant station where people just enter and exit the sation 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 (edited) You know I thought the same thing Cloud713... do you think closing that block of street would make sense? Like make that one giant station where people just enter and exit the sationThey're already closing a significant chunk of main. They might as well close that off too. I mean, they have those curves in place for a reason, so they might have different trains in place for each line once the new cars are delivered. Edited May 24, 2015 by BigFootsSocks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 yeahh.. i don't think closing that portion of Main would effect much given the thru traffic is closed by the Main St Square area a few blocks south, and there isn't anything along that block that absolutely needs vehicular access as far as i can tell? as for the curves.. i heard those were just for transferring trains between the two lines? as far as I've see, any time they use those curves METRO police have to come out and shut down the intersection (which only takes place at night?). maybe I'm wrong, but yeah it would be nice if you didn't have to transfer if you wanted to go to the near north side. if that were the case though, i would have preferred the curves to be going south since there are more attractions down that portion of the line. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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