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http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/m...politan/2915259 Nov. 23, 2004, 1:23AM Uprooted tree severs MetroRail power line By MIKE GLENN Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle Heavy rainstorms uprooted a tree at Hermann Park tonight, severing a MetroRail power line when the tree fell across the southbound tracks.

Public Meeting Date: Thursday, April 27, 2006 Time: 6 - 8 p.m. Location: Magnolia Multi Service Center Address: 7037 Capitol Purpose This is a follow-up from the previous meeting held on Wednesday, March 29, 2006 at the same location. In this meeting METRO staff and consulting team will discuss preliminary findings, contruction concerns, alignment/right-of-way details, and ridership projections. The meeting is being held in a wheelchair-accessible location. Any persons requiring translation or other special communication accommodations should contact METRO Community Outreach at 713-739-4018 at least 72 hours prior to the meeting. Every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate these needs. I can't make it, unfortunately. If anyone attends this, please let us know what corridor looks the most likely, as this Harrisburg line might be the most influential in terms of development in the entire city, as the area is so fertile for redevelopment with little opposition. I would love to see a bold move and run it down Navigation and help to speed up the conversion of that Ninfa's area into a great residential/retail/recreation zone. Harrisburg Blvd. is fine too, but there are better tracts of real estate in that zone towards the bayou and I'm thinking that all trains crossing Navigation pass over or under the street. Navigation is a cool name for a neighborhood too.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/m...politan/2905358 Nov. 16, 2004, 11:23PM DeLay helps get rail line on track By RICK CASEY Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle Congressman Tom DeLay changed his mind. Back in July, a spokesman said the House majority leader had "no plans at this point to insert ourselves" into a raging controversy regarding a proposed new rail line that would carry hazardous materials near the homes of DeLay's suburban Clear Lake constituents. The line was being pushed by petrochemical companies who said they were tired of paying high monopoly-level prices for low monopoly-level service to Union Pacific Railroad. Four shipping companies joined with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway to propose a 12.8-mile "San Jacinto" line to break the monopoly. But three weeks ago at City Hall, DeLay joined Mayor Bill White, County Judge Robert Eckels and U.S. Rep. Gene Green for a session with the CEOs of both Union Pacific and Burlington Northern. The message: Our constituents don't want another rail line in their back yards. Solve the problem. DeLay gets credit for adding starch to the message by getting the two executives to commit to a Nov. 15 deadline. Cautious hope For good measure, the chairman of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Surface Transportation Board, Roger Nober, with whom White had discussed railroad problems for months, lined up with the elected officials at the meeting. As of yesterday, the day after the deadline, spokesmen for both railroads declined to characterize the state of the negotiations. But political and chemical industry sources said they were very close. "We're extremely hopeful it will greatly reduce the need to build the new line," said Frank Michel, spokesman for White. But he offered a caution: "We can't say 100 percent this will be accomplished." DeLay's office issued a joint statement with the mayor saying, "It is our hope that in a very short time, after the shippers in the Bayport Loop review the proposed deal, Burlington Northern will be able to use the existing Union Pacific rail line that serves the Bayport Loop." David Harpole is a spokesman for Lyondell Chemical, one of the companies partnering with Burlington Northern to build the new line. Harpole said he understood the railroad companies were close, but that Burlington Northern would have to present the proposal to the four partners for approval. 'True competition' He said he understood the proposal falls short of what his company really wants

Afton Oaks Not Allowed . More Here Article Link: KHOU METRO Rail Expansion When will it go out to IAH.

Since the Uptown line is going to be BRT and not rail, it would be nice if they built the stations first and then started running the line on the street while the dedicated lanes are being built. Then as a segment of guideway is finished, it could move over to use it. That would allow the service to start early, help build ridership and awareness, and as Post Oak is being worked on maybe help to take a few cars off the road. Who knows, maybe after a year of building ridership they may find that there is no need to cover the rails and can justify making it LRT.

Had a little extra time to kill, so I traced out most of the route before construction.