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rechlin

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Posts posted by rechlin

  1. It's right next to the restroom used by Metro drivers, so my assumption was that it was setup as a breakroom for them, to use while waiting to go the other direction (Wheeler is the terminus of bus 65), but maybe it's for something else?

    • Like 3
  2. Glad they are finally doing this, but you can tell it's being done by City of Houston and not Upper Kirby because the power lines apparently aren't being buried.  Still, this will be a massive improvement.  Also glad we are still getting bike lanes for part of it, though it's a pity they couldn't continue the lanes all the way through.

    • Like 1
  3. 11 hours ago, mattyt36 said:

    Seems strange that that would be happening now, when the project is on “hold” for anything but design. Bizarre.

    I was under the impression that Clayton Homes was being shut down regardless of the IH-45 project.  Opponents of the project have been counting all the Clayton Homes units (even those already destroyed by Harvey) in their count of the number of residences being displaced by the project, but as best as I can tell, Clayton Homes is being replaced no matter what happens with IH-45.

    • Like 7
  4. A couple observations:

    • In addition to the Edloe overpass being more convenient than crossing 69 at Weslayan, I think Metro also wants to get into the dedicated ROW as much as possible, and the old railway ROW is south of Westpark beginning at Edloe, getting the bus off the city streets for an extra half mile vs crossing at Weslayan.
    • I seem to recall reading that their plan was to do Segment 2 plus the part of Segment 1 connecting to the Westpark Transit Center first.  Though maybe that has changed and they will just start on it all at once?
  5. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/Houston-Republicans-urge-Buttigieg-to-lift-pause-16606508.php

    Quote

    Seven Republican members of Congress from the Houston area are urging federal transportation officials to quickly wrap up a review of Texas’ planned Interstate 45 rebuild, arguing that much of the opposition to the project is “disingenuous” and has come from national environmentalist groups.

    In a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls and six of his GOP colleagues criticized the Federal Highway Administration’s move to study the I-45 project’s effect on low-income and minority communities, which has put the rebuild on pause since June.

     

    • Like 5
    • Haha 1
  6. On 9/9/2021 at 10:05 AM, Luminare said:

    You do understand we live in a different world right? Lets just say I know of an apartment job that recently got a bid price and the difference between what the original estimate was and what the actual bid price ended up being was somewhere around $40 million!

    That was exactly my point.  I'm glad you understand it.  This should have been built before prices went up as much as they did, and they should now build this before prices go up any more.  Rail projects in the US are gradually becoming more and more unaffordable every year (and getting much much worse than most other countries, for a variety of reasons), so that's why I think we need to build this before it becomes completely unfeasible.

    Doing the math, as it is, I have trouble seeing how investors can even justify $24b for this project with the expected ridership. If they wait any longer, I can't see this ever getting built.

    • Like 1
  7. They need to hurry up and build this before the cost goes up even more.  First they were saying $12b, then $15b, then $18b, and now $24b.  And no word on whether they are lining up any new investors.  Interesting to see they are now asking for federal loans when previously it was going to be privately funded.

    I too am surprised that there are at-grade crossings.  I'm assuming these are probably going to be things like farmers' driveways and not roads with any real traffic?  I hadn't noticed them when I looked at all the maps on the environmental study back when that came out, but I wasn't specifically looking for them.

  8. Might it have been summer 1984? Is it possible Heritage Plaza was that far along by that point?  He says that his family left Houston in 1984, and I didn't think he moved back to this country until much later so it seems unlikely it was after 1984. But maybe he's remembering wrong when he moved away, because it doesn't seem likely it would be that far along by even the middle of 1984.  TC Energy Center, Wells Fargo Plaza, 1400 Smith Street, and the JPMorgan Chase Tower are all complete in this photo, but all of those were finished in 1983 so it's really hard to date this, because I can't identify anything other than Heritage Plaza that was completed over the few years following 1983.

  9. Wow, Rice Military, Sawyer Yards, and Downtown are all different neighborhoods yet they say it's in all three.  My guess is this is actually in Sawyer Yards (which some people seem to think is part of Rice Military).  Interesting that we are getting a Putt Shack in downtown and a Drive Shack from Puttery not far away, at about the same time.

    • Like 1
  10. Concrete is far stronger now than it used to be, and these bridges are quite old.  If you look at concrete bridges in general, there has been a trend in a reduction of columns over time, especially comparing bridges built in the 1930s (my guess on the age of this bridge) to those built today.

    • Like 3
    • Thanks 1
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