j_cuevas713

Does anyone have more specifics on this? Like timeline, funding, etc

I love driving down this area and seeing a wall of buildings. It's only going to get denser

1 hour ago, steve1363 said:

And arm in arm with that idiot mayor!!

The mayor got in that picture, not the other way around

2 minutes ago, j.33 said:

@j_cuevas713 do you mind sharing what this is about? It seems positive!!

He got the I Love 11th St festival proclaimed by the city. This is huge! 

LFG!!! My boy @Emmanuel representing 11th St. and making the haters real mad 

Just imagine if the mayor would quit BSing about Montrose Boulevard and make it a designated gateway for Montrose with nice wide sidewalks

Someone posted on X that the mayor is feeling the heat from Houstonians wanting safe infrastructure and he seems to be changing his tune a bit. I'm not against what he's saying but I don't like that he categorizes anyone outside of a car as not commuting

4 hours ago, 004n063 said:

As a bike-commuting teacher, this kind of statement really makes me want to walk into the ocean

Email the mayor. He needs to hear from people like you. 

Haven't they talks about adding a light before the trail? I feel I heard that somewhere.

1 minute ago, steve1363 said:

I'm not sure I understand his quote:

"I think we need to have common sense, and I think the bikers need to be protected from the traffic, and they need to do that on bike paths that are recreational and not try to compete with people going to work and school," Mayor Whitmire said. "If somebody wants to politicize that, go for it. That's not my statement. Vision Zero is critical."

What does he mean when he says that's not my statement? 

I'm just as confused

https://abc13.com/amp/deadly-auto-pedestrian-crashes-in-houston-spring-branch-crash-westheimer-man-killed-walkways/14579613/

This mayor DOES NOT GET IT. His response to someone dying just trying to cross the street is law enforcement. He views cycling as purely recreational and not as a means of getting around. If he’s serious that he supports bike paths then we need to build off of what’s been done on the bayous and make some real connections to the same destinations drivers are accommodated. 

1 hour ago, samagon said:

my understanding is that the reason is because the expansion project is only permitted to proceed after a mandated air monitoring for an entire year, since TXDoT isn't classifying this as part of the i45 expansion, they didn't do the air monitoring, the people who are protesting state that it is.

TXDoT's priority isn't moving people fast, their priority is making freeways so people can move themselves. if TXDoT were interested in moving people fast, we'd have bullet trains everywhere, and plenty of commuter rail, as well as more localized rail projects that focused on moving the highest volume of people as quickly as possible.

They literally said that word for word at the forum. "Our goal is to move people fast." And you think TxDOT is going to admit this is part of the 45 reroute?

12 minutes ago, j.33 said:

I think some reasonable responses should be looking at trying to make the Silver Line better. For example, connecting the 9-Gulfton route to Lower Uptown TC...which would then allow an easy transfer between Silver Line and HCC West Loop Campus. Get TSP (transit signal priority) up and running along the corridor. Advertise the service to Galleria employees. There are a many other things the agency could look at it to make the line more successful instead of cutting frequency. 

Metro in general does a terrible job marketing their services. In my opinion they should market to the younger crowd but they seem to not even understand their own audience and who supports them. I'm not happy about the service cut either but let's see where this lands with public input. I'm curious to see how people respond. 

On 3/30/2024 at 11:34 AM, JLWM8609 said:

The Stop I-45 group is trying to stop this drainage project. Their reasoning is TxDOT has claimed it's not part of the NHHIP to skirt air monitoring requirements.

https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/transportation/article/288-construction-drainage-txdot-19375066.php 

Local residents have concerns too. Honestly, I was at the last meeting and while I believe they dropped the ball on notifying the community on the project, the project is a plus if it reduces flooding. It's not like properties will be taken.

https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/residents-against-third-ward-txdot-project/285-e951da49-6cf8-425f-8369-9ccdf40dc6dc

The point is the Feds told them they can't start construction yet and they're acting as though this drainage project isn't part of the bigger 45 reroute when it is. At the end of the day TxDOT doesn't care. Even the rep they had at the Baker Institute Transit Forum didn't hold back in letting everyone know that TxDOT's only priority is moving people fast. 

2 minutes ago, j.33 said:

Yet, critics continue to say the University Line and Inner Katy should not be built based off Silver Line ridership. Ridership has been growing recently, so the concern is that the frequency change could have a negative impact on future ridership growth for the Silver Line. This could be a concerning look for the future of BRT in our region. That is why it is a big deal. 

I mean I understand the concern but we need to look at things with a bit of reason

On 3/21/2024 at 4:35 PM, j.33 said:

Silver Line Service Change June 2024

For the June Service Changes, METRO is proposing Silver Line schedule changes cutting frequency from 12 minutes to 20 minutes. Although ridership has consistently been improving month over month. There will be a public hearing for all of the service changes, including this one, on April 3. I think most can agree 20 minute frequency might have some severe consequences. The link provides options on how to comment: Public Hearings and Notices | Public Transit | METRO | Houston, Texas (ridemetro.org). Looks like easiest way is to text them. Sharing this here in case any of y'all ride the service or care about the service. 

People are making this a big deal but Metro is always adjusting service to different routes based on overall demand. As the area continues to grow and change, this line will become more important. Especially when the University Line is built. 

Are those two chunks of concrete part of the concept?

Concept Neighborhood is actually asking the city for slack on parking requirements

On 3/28/2024 at 3:46 PM, hindesky said:

The old demolished fourplex behind the new building is becoming a porous parking lot according to the 2 workers.

 

Of course. You have a rail line right in front and plenty of street parking but let's destroy housing for cars. 

So even if it is an EV station like we all assume it will be, what does that mean for Main St 2.0? 

2 hours ago, MaxConcrete said:

The pollution issue is greatly over-exaggerated. Going forward there will be more electric cars (no pollution) and hybrids (much less pollution) in the vehicle fleet. This tollway will have minimal or negligible trucks, which pollute much more than cars.

I recently lived alongside the Sam Houston Tollway for several years near an overpass and my opinion is that pollution from a freeway is a non-issue. Noise was also a non-issue except during usual wind conditions, although the tollway has a low-noise asphalt overlay in that area (Jersey Village).

The use of an expensive freeway cap for about 1.3 km is a huge violation of good judgement and responsible financial management. The main reasons to build a cap are to 1) Add park space where land is scarce or unavailable, and 2) if the freeway goes through the middle of an established neighborhood, to maintain connectivity.

Neither condition exists. There is an abundance of vacant land in the area, and many vacant parcels are being repurposed to parks as part of this project. The freeway cap adds a super-expensive 100 feet of width to the park, which brings the park to be alongside the heavily trafficked railroad. That makes no sense.

There is also no need to "connect" neighborhoods because of the triple-track railroad. Obviously the railroad is a permanent barrier. And the east side of the railroad has a large scrap yard, a truck yard and a warehouse.

The visioning enhancements, especially the trench and cap, will add massively to the cost, possibly $200 million or more. And that may be the intent of Harris County Commissioners Court. They (especially Hidalgo, but excluding Tom Ramsey) would rather spent toll revenue on enhancements than on the toll roads. They could also lower tolls further (more than 10% as was done in 2023) if there is surplus revenue.

That whole area was divided by 59. It's still historically old 5th Ward. And you're also forgetting emissions from tires not just exhaust. 

14 hours ago, Triton said:

But it's likely going to work. Although there's some that still don't like this project, adding all of these sporting areas and parks and the big shocker, capping parts of the toll road, was a surprise by those here on the Northside. Those on the fence seem more supportive now.

So far, the big complaint I still hear is that if they really are going to build this toll road through, they wish there was greater connectivity with the community it's traversing through. Perhaps add more ramps to get on and off of the toll road besides the one all the way at Calvacade. It's just too exclusive for those commuting to Spring and the Woodlands. At least build some ramps at Quitman. It's difficult to explain but the Northside has always felt a bit... cut off.. from the highway system. Some like that but some also believe that is the reason we haven't seen more development here and another reason why we probably won't ever get a major grocer here except for the Fiestas we have.

That's how it works. The community sees greenspace and they buy in. The reality is, those parks are going to have huge amounts of air pollution because each cap needs a small uncapped area as ventilation, only compressing that smog in to those vents. 

Greenwashing the neighborhood to hide the bigger problem of a 4 lane highway cutting through increasing air pollution for the "parks"

I really hope it's more residential

I think part of the problem is Dunlavy. I'd willingly walk from Westheimer to this development if I knew I could stroll and feel comfortable with nice wide sidewalks. Also Phase II is crucial in making this feel better for people. It's sort of on an island at the moment because the infrastructure still sucks.