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From the office.

From ze FB page:

Pics by me from Wednesday

Just in typical fashion there's some moron driver going the wrong way on a one way downtown. Very accurate rendering.

I beg to differ.

http://www.click2houston.com/news/residents-speak-out-against-proposed-bullet-train-routes/30309860 Was anyone at this meeting? Curious at what the responses were. I love the argument about congestion! lol Yeah because it's not like it doesn't come from a country where it's one of the most densely packed place around. Not to mention there is already a railroad going through these neighborhoods. Do these people cross open railroad tracks day in and day out? How does adding this rail further do that? What about highways? Don't they already cut off neighborhoods enough already?

I call it "the Tornado and the Dildo"

Some people just can't be happy can't they...

Put this in the "some people are just too jaded" category. BisNow closes out the year with this headline: "SIX OFFICE BUILDINGS THAT DIDN'T BREAK GROUND IN 2014" https://www.bisnow.com/houston/news/office/Six-Office-Buildings-That-Didnt-Break-Ground-in-2014-41364#0

USPS might lose out on a better price for the land, but big developments like this site have potential to offer us - take time. Could be this thing works through all the kinks and problems over the time we're in a "down" economy (at least due to oil). Will remain to see if the overall health of the US economy due to lower oil prices will drive other industries in Houston - it could very well do that.

I think the best view is actually on 59 over Kirby, right at dusk when the street lights are on. I'll try my best.

The Mercer is what it is. It gives us something to discuss... for that reason, I'll miss the urinal paint-job.

Opps first one didn't post

Flash back photo. http://imgur.com/vIfy2q.

Yes, it's pretty fun! Actually if you look closely, you can already see the following in the webcam: HSPVA digging Hampton Inn/Homewood Suites George R Brown parking garage prep work and eventually renovation Marriott Marquis Texaco renovation 500 Crawford apartments EaDo Station apartments (or at least the crane for it) And once construction becomes more visible, you should see: Nau Center (all you can see so far is the cover over the locomotive) Incarnate Word parking garage And if they ever build them, you should see: Block 98 residential high-rise 6 Houston Center Alexan Downtown (if it is tall enough) And if I turn the webcam slightly to the left, once it gets tall enough, you should see: Catalyst apartments

The Cafe Express building is no more. They were also digging up the parking lots.

Latest photo courtesy of Bobruss: Hanover Southampton by brijonmang, on Flickr

I'm aware there is additional time spent in the 2 intermediary stations, acceleration, etc. I was just providing a simple example to highlight how little track would have to be added, relatively speaking, and to counter "probably adds 50 percent to the total travel time" because it would be nowhere near that. Plus.. route doesn't equal service. The trains are supposed to run every half hour. Perhaps every 3 of 4 are express and fly on through those stations and truly only 12 minutes are added. But the connectivity is there for that 4th stop every two hours. Dallas and Houston MSAs are 13 million.. yes...but BCS and Waco MSAs would add another half million. I think that connectivity adding two universities/employment centers is worth it. I understand we have to balance speed vs connectivity. But one line with only two nodes is weighted at the extreme of speed, to the detriment of connectivity.. IMO. And if we're only debating Dallas and Houston - Dallas and Houston are not point A and B... They are points A1 A2 A3 A4 B1 B2 B3 B4 etc... So I would argue only 1 node for A and 1 node for B does a disservice to those 13 million + people. And I'm not arguing for a node for each A1 A2 B1 B2 etc.. that's the job of LRT... but having a 2nd node in the biggest suburban population center in the direction of travel makes sense. When it comes time to debate a Houston-SA High speed rail... it won't make sense to not have a Katy or Energy cooridor Stop. When it comes time to debate Houston-Austin high speed rail.. it won't make sense to not have a Cyfair area stop. Nobody likes starting a journey by first heading 20 miles/half an hr in the opposite direction. With the population center of Houston being somewhere in west houston.. and with major population and commerial areas and the major growth stretching from the SW to the North.... which is convenient since those are the directions one must travel to get to SA, Austin, and Dallas... it makes zero sense to not have additional nodes there.

Afton Oaks: