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METRORail Green Line


Guest danax

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I had to avoid not getting stuck in the middle of an intersection for the roads crossing Red Line. That was kind of scary.

 

Ohhhhh, Tiger, Tiger, Tiger...  :huh:

 

Please, when you come to The Big City again, try not to enter an intersection unless you know you will be able to clear it - train or no train.  People who park in the middle of intersections with nowhere to go when their light turns red just create gridlock for the cross street. 

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As I see trains passing by outside of Chase Tower I see a good amount of them completely empty. Which would make sense because who needs to go to the Hobby Center in the middle of the day? It would be hilarious normally, except this light rail line cost so much. What a waste.

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As I see trains passing by outside of Chase Tower I see a good amount of them completely empty. Which would make sense because who needs to go to the Hobby Center in the middle of the day? It would be hilarious normally, except this light rail line cost so much. What a waste.

Oh my god, it's been open for a month. Did you expect it to be packed to capacity this soon?

And you have yet to provide any sound reasoning as to why it's such a waste when I clearly pointed out the development this has spurred. If you'd like to have a civil debate on this issue I'd love to, but you can't seem to say anything different than your original post.

Edited by BigFootsSocks
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Ah, such a logical and fact-based argument.

 

"I've seen an empty train a few times at one station at the end of the line so therefore they are always empty at every station and the entire line is a failure."

 

Can we please start worrying about our educational system next...

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your reading comprehension is way off. Did I say I saw an empty train at the end of the line, therefore they are always empty at every station? ?

 

My observations are that very often those trains are empty. Since the trains on capitol street only travel one way, logically that means that they are often empty on their way to the end of the Line which is theatre district station. Do some riders disembark at the previous stations (Central Station)? Perhaps. I don't know. My point was that it would have made more sense to extend the line to the city of Houston municipal courts. Because, (don't get me wrong I love the theatre) who goes to the theatre in the middle of the day?

 

Reading comprehension. look into it. You are just lowering the perceived worth of your Kinkaid diploma when you make snarky comments and don't actually further the discussion.

 

102IAHexpress

St. Thomas Alum

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your reading comprehension is way off. Did I say I saw an empty train at the end of the line, therefore they are always empty at every station? ?

 

My observations are that very often those trains are empty. Since the trains on capitol street only travel one way, logically that means that they are often empty on their way to the end of the Line which is theatre district station. Do some riders disembark at the previous stations (Central Station)? Perhaps. I don't know. My point was that it would have made more sense to extend the line to the city of Houston municipal courts. Because, (don't get me wrong I love the theatre) who goes to the theatre in the middle of the day?

 

Reading comprehension. look into it. You are just lowering the perceived worth of your Kinkaid diploma when you make snarky comments and don't actually further the discussion.

 

102IAHexpress

St. Thomas Alum

 

My reading comprehension is fine.

 

You are calling the line a failure and a disaster because of two things;

 

1) It didn't extend to the municipal courts and therefore you had to pay $5 to park (selfish argument)

 

2) You've seen some empty trains on Capitol near the Chase Tower (line is a failure).

 

Do you know how much it would have cost to extend the line to Lubbock Street? 

Do you know where the turnaround would have had to have been built since the line was extended?

Do you know how much the property required for the new turnaround would cost to acquire?

Do you know if the City wanted to easily give up revenue from parking fees and would have worked with METRO?

Do you know where the funds would have come from for another stop or would that have eliminated another stop on the other end of the line?

Do you know if the historic district in Old Sixth Ward would have wanted to lose a huge chunk of land for a transfer station?

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Please go back and reread. You seriously cannot read well. Where did I say the line is a failure? (good luck trying to find where I said it)

 

What I said instead is that I think the line will be a disaster/going to be a disaster.

The reason I think so, is because Metro planned poorly.

 

I suggest you get a refund on your Kinkaid tuition.

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Where did you say the line is a failure? How about the repeated times you said it will be a disaster?

The fact that your whole assumption that this line is a bust (after a month!!! Let's bring that back up plz) because they didn't extend it to one more station is hilarious. Let's just ignore the idk, other 90% of the two lines though, right?

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Please go back and reread. You seriously cannot read well. Where did I say the line is a failure? (good luck trying to find where I said it)

 

What I said instead is that I think the line will be a disaster/going to be a disaster.

The reason I think so, is because Metro planned poorly.

 

I suggest you get a refund on your Kinkaid tuition.

You said it would be a disaster.

 

the denotative definition of disaster:

: something (such as a flood, tornado, fire, plane crash, etc.) that happens suddenly and causes much suffering or loss to many people

: something that has a very bad effect or result

: a complete or terrible failure

 

So what were you saying again that you never called it a failure?

 

To go down this path of deciding what you meant by what you said is a logical falacy, so let's skip it, and just all agree that indeed, you did call it a failure.

 

The fact is, you've observed a small sampling of what these two newly opened light rail lines are capable of. Even considering it would be awesome had they had another stop across the bayou, they don't, the success/disaster of this line does not hinge upon that though.

 

You do realize it's just a simple half mile walk to get from that stop to the municipal courts, right? If you're afraid of walking on capitol across the bayou, you can go down onto the bayou, there's a small ped bridge down there, and it only increases the walk to about 3/4 of a mile.

 

All that aside, right now, we're seeing development start to stir along the lines, give these two lines 5 years and development will start really moving along the lines, give it 10 years and we'll see a positive boom.

 

Oh, and if getting from the light rail to municipal court is really a huge deal and you don't want to walk at all, you can transfer from the light rail stop on capitol and smith and walk to the bus stop on capitol and smith (stop 670), and hop on the number 30 bus. ride for half a mile, exit at Houston and Lubbock (stop 10112), and walk the remaining few hundred feet to the courts. But then you're waiting on a bus that who knows when it will show up, if it's timed well, you get right on, but likely you're better off walking down capitol for 8 minutes (which has a pretty wide sidewalk).

Edited by samagon
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So I ride the Howard Hughes (Green) daily.

My opinion: It is poorly designed.

A. The biggest issue - Lines doesn't have their own right-of-way downtown (unlike Red line) so trains routinely get stuck behind traffic waiting to turn while pedestrians cross. Thus the train faces delays. At some points, I could outrun the damn train out of Downtown on foot. It's ridiculous how long it takes to get from the Theater District platform to GRBCC platform. From what I've heard, Metro tried to get city approval for its own right of way Downtown but the mayor refused them. Not sure on this, just what I was told by a Metro employee.

B. If Green had been extended to both the Municipal Courts to the West, and down Harrisburg/Broadway to Hobby, the trains would have more ridership. As of now, they are virtually empty when I ride. (But I'm not complaining - it's much more peaceful & cleaner than the Red). As for Purple - I'd imagine if it were extended to end at Gulfgate rather than Palm Center, it also would have more ridership.

C. Pedestrians along Harrisburg also face an obstacle in getting to the platform because of a commercial railroad with no crossing over. I would imagine this may discourage some from walking to the platforms at Lockwood & Coffee Plant, especially if you get caught by a freight train with no way to cross over.

Edited by tigereye
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lol haha

Yall are too funny. I said what I said. nobody has proved me wrong. including Samagon.

I never said failure, you can put words in my mouth but that only proves you more wrong.

 

In any event.

 

I hope it's not a failure. Unlike most of the 281'ers on here, I actually live and work in downtown. I need it to be a success. I really do. But I don't think it will be.

 

The fact that the line is one month old means nothing. The line should at least be carrying as many people as the busses it replaced. Metro didn't plan well. I'm Not shocked. It's Metro. You all can try to defend Metro but it seriously only makes you look more foolish.

 

Also that fact that it's a half mile walk from the last station to the CoH courts is not a huge deal in itself. It's that it's not that safe. I'm not even sure how you can cross capitol near the overpass without jaywalking. what if you're in a wheelchair? What if it's night time (the city has night court) makes the cross even more dangerous.

 

Point is Metro could have offered a useful station in front of the courts for it's citizens, but like always they drop the ball. It's not about me. I will be just fine. I own a car. But what about those who truly rely on Metro? Remember, one of the intended purposes of Metro is to provide transportation options for the mobility impaired and for those without the economic means to move around easily. A station in front of the Hobby Center does not help them.

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No, tigereye wrote a cohesive and well-reasoned response as per his issues with the current line, which you did not.

Anyway, guys it looks like we've reached the point of no return with this discussion, nothing else is being said by him except for the defensive insults. Time to bag it up and go home.

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Please go back and reread. You seriously cannot read well. Where did I say the line is a failure? (good luck trying to find where I said it)

 

What I said instead is that I think the line will be a disaster/going to be a disaster.

The reason I think so, is because Metro planned poorly.

 

I suggest you get a refund on your Kinkaid tuition.

 

1) I was on scholarship

 

2) Google is your friend. Google the definition of disaster. #4 is FAILURE. It's that simple. 

 

3) I'd suggest ending your nonsense because all that digging must be exhausting. 

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C. Pedestrians along Harrisburg also face an obstacle in getting to the platform because of a commercial railroad with no crossing over. I would imagine this may discourage some from walking to the platforms at Lockwood & Coffee Plant, especially if you get caught by a freight train with no way to cross over.

 

I'll have to look again next time I head up Lockwood to get to the bike trail north of Harrisburg, but I could swear that I saw markings indicating sidewalks are going in at the freight line. City and metro can't do construction on railroad lines/crossings (or so I understand), it has to be the railroad themselves, so it's probably taken this long for them to get everything situated. I recall that part of the deal with metro was new and better sidewalks everywhere within a mile or so of each rail line, and those crossings definitely qualify. I know parts of telephone and even the more traveled streets in neighborhoods got new sidewalks out of it.

 

True, peds will have to wait when a train is passing, but so does everyone else crossing the tracks in that area, it's a price that I knew I was paying when I moved into the area, I always suspected that this was part of the reason that houses in that area were nearly 3-4x less than the equivalent montrosian shack of similar quality.

Edited by samagon
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Ohhhhh, Tiger, Tiger, Tiger...  :huh:

 

Please, when you come to The Big City again, try not to enter an intersection unless you know you will be able to clear it - train or no train.  People who park in the middle of intersections with nowhere to go when their light turns red just create gridlock for the cross street. 

 

I've recently driven down Crawford on several occasions during the afternoon rush hour. Almost every time, there are more than a few mentally challenged commuters in such a hurry to get to 59 via Franklin that they drive into the intersection at Crawford with nowhere to go and block it when the light changes. I'd love to see HPD set up shop there and write a stack of tickets every day, because the far more satisfying corrective of yanking the offenders out of their cars on the spot and forcefully applying a wood shampoo probably wouldn't fly anymore in this kinder, gentler era. 

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Do what you want. But you're the one getting defensive.

 

At this point I agree there's not much to debate anyways. We just have to wait and see. But you're making some false observations regarding the development along the new lines. There's actually not that much development along the lines and the few new developments that exist I'm not sure I would attribute to the new lines themselves anyways. Same thing goes for the Red line. Very little new development along the Red line and it's been more than 10 years. In fact it seems like developers were moving away from the Red Line.

 

The point is I don't want to wait and see regarding new development or ridership or whatever. The new lines are doomed to be a disaster before they even launch. The city is moving west but Metro's lines are moving east. I want Metro to help it's citizens now. Not 10 years from now.

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1) I was on scholarship

 

2) Google is your friend. Google the definition of disaster. #4 is FAILURE. It's that simple. 

 

3) I'd suggest ending your nonsense because all that digging must be exhausting. 

 

#4? So... not the most common usage of the word?

 

LOL. Reaching a bit?

 

Google disaster, and look at the FIRST definition. That's exactly what the Red Line has been and what these new lines will be. Catastrophe that causes great damage and loss of life. Disaster is a perfect word.

 

As far as failure, I hope not. I hope they carry their expected ridership amounts, stay under budget, etc...

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You say my statements are false but since the line opened up just a MONTH AGO you seem to forget the mid rises near BBVA Compass stadium; the insane amount of townhouses along the route; there's also a new town home development along the bayou in the East End; there's the mixed-use/town home project off the Purple line on MLK Boulevard.

In downtown we have the JW Marriott, Catalyst, the Finger Balloark Apartments, and the parking garage/office and future hotel all next to two stations.

But please, PLEASE, tell me specifically how all of what I just listed is "false" and how the lines are "pushing away development"

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So I ride the Howard Hughes (Green) daily.

My opinion: It is poorly designed.

A. The biggest issue - Lines doesn't have their own right-of-way downtown (unlike Red line) so trains routinely get stuck behind traffic waiting to turn while pedestrians cross. Thus the train faces delays. At some points, I could outrun the damn train out of Downtown on foot. It's ridiculous how long it takes to get from the Theater District platform to GRBCC platform. From what I've heard, Metro tried to get city approval for its own right of way Downtown but the mayor refused them. Not sure on this, just what I was told by a Metro employee.

B. If Green had been extended to both the Municipal Courts to the West, and down Harrisburg/Broadway to Hobby, the trains would have more ridership. As of now, they are virtually empty when I ride. (But I'm not complaining - it's much more peaceful & cleaner than the Red). As for Purple - I'd imagine if it were extended to end at Gulfgate rather than Palm Center, it also would have more ridership.

C. Pedestrians along Harrisburg also face an obstacle in getting to the platform because of a commercial railroad with no crossing over. I would imagine this may discourage some from walking to the platforms at Lockwood & Coffee Plant, especially if you get caught by a freight train with no way to cross over.

That's not poor design. There are multiple US cities that have the same design. It has to do with the fact that the train is more of a trolley for the downtown segments more than a high speed form of transportation like a subway. Look at cities like SF or Boston, they have the same design. Now as for Metro wanting a right of way and not getting city approval seems like Metro was stretching a bit.

 

I'm sure there is a plan to build lines further out, but for the time being, what the lines do is done well. 

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It's false because you attribute the development to the light rail lines.

 

Catalyst: Not on the rail line.

Finger Ballpark Apartments: Not on the rail line

JW Marriot Hotel. Yes on the Rail line but, not new development. Redevelopment kick started with CoH subsidies and other public funding.

 

I can keep going?

 

 

 

 

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Do what you want. But you're the one getting defensive.

 

At this point I agree there's not much to debate anyways. We just have to wait and see. But you're making some false observations regarding the development along the new lines. There's actually not that much development along the lines and the few new developments that exist I'm not sure I would attribute to the new lines themselves anyways. Same thing goes for the Red line. Very little new development along the Red line and it's been more than 10 years. In fact it seems like developers were moving away from the Red Line.

 

The point is I don't want to wait and see regarding new development or ridership or whatever. The new lines are doomed to be a disaster before they even launch. The city is moving west but Metro's lines are moving east. I want Metro to help it's citizens now. Not 10 years from now.

 

The line is serving areas that are the core of the city. The city may be building West but inner city neighborhoods are still centered around the downtown area. I have no clue what data you are looking at to conclude that the lines are a disaster. There is a ton of development occurring along the rail lines so I have no idea what you've been looking at the past 10 years. Plus you aren't considering the time it has taken for the city that has been undeserved to gain the trust of developers along with the economic downturn in 08 that slowed projects all together. The past 7 yrs have shown proposal after proposal of future development.

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The line is serving areas that are the core of the city. The city may be building West but inner city neighborhoods are still centered around the downtown area. I have no clue what data you are looking at to conclude that the lines are a disaster. There is a ton of development occurring along the rail lines so I have no idea what you've been looking at the past 10 years. Plus you aren't considering the time it has taken for the city that has been undeserved to gain the trust of developers along with the economic downturn in 08 that slowed projects all together. The past 7 yrs have shown proposal after proposal of future development.

 

In the past 10 years there has been very little new construction development along the rail line. But please correct me if I'm wrong. The Red Line for example...You said there's a ton, okay name a few. The CVS on Main and Elgin, Skyhouse Houston....What else?

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With their proximity to the Green/Purple line, I would call Catalyst and Finger ballpark near the rail line, but they're not on it you're correct.  Looking at just the downtown development map

Red line:

 - Hines Market Square (Preston station)

 - 609 Main (Central Station Main)

 - 1111 Travis (Main Street Square)

 - Hotel Alessandra (Main Street Square)

 - Block 334 (Bell Station)

 - SkyHouse Houston (Bell Station)

 - SkyHouse Main (Downtown Transit Center)

 

 

Downtown Green/Purple line:

- The Houston club demolition to a tower/parking garage

- Texaco Building (redevelopment, but will include new construction)

- HISD high school for drama

- Hampton Inn/Homewood Suites

- Marriott Marquis

- 40 story building next to the Hess building

- Alexan Downtown

- George R Brown Office building and garage - its being built literally on the rail line

 

There's more development in Midtown on the redline, in the east end and east downtown, townhomes going up near UH and the purple line in the third ward, so many things mentioned on this site are near the rail lines

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