Planning Underway To Revitalize FM 1960

[mrfootball]

Planning under way to revitalize FM 1960

Members of the grass-roots "Renaissance 1960" initiative want to hire an urban planner to create a plan for several community revitalization projects.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/cyf...ws/4941899.html

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* Green Medians

* Model Blocks

* Tree Preservation

* Crime Prevention

* Removing/Preventing Illegal Signage

* Enforcing Landscape standards

[musicman]

* Green Medians

* Model Blocks

* Tree Preservation

* Crime Prevention

* Removing/Preventing Illegal Signage

* Enforcing Landscape standards

this is almost comical to me. last time i was on 1960, the legal signs were just as bad as the illegal ones.

[Subdude]

Well, I wish them luck. They're going to need it.

[Guest Marty]

Putting in medians with tree's and shrubbery will make those left turns even more dangerous.

[musicman]

Putting in medians with tree's and shrubbery will make those left turns even more dangerous.

exactly.

[Guest danax]

Putting in medians with tree's and shrubbery will make those left turns even more dangerous.

Eh, what's a little danger. I think that boulevard needs something to tie all of the visual disorder together, and a perfect line of street trees from 45 to 249, at least, would do a lot.

Right now it looks like a feeder road without a freeway. As for the crime.......once that element sets up shop, nothing makes much of a difference short of getting rid of the criminals.

[Guest Marty]

From Aldine Westfield to 59 the speed limit is 50 MPH most do 60+, and it is the ugliest part of 1960.

[citykid09]

Much of 1960 is UGLY! There are billboard signs everywhere, stores signs, power lines, and its just a mess. I didn't read the article, but what they need to do is take care of that stuff first. Maybe have all power lines buried, have all billboards disappear and have hight restrictions on store signs, like what Sugar Land stores have to do.

[mrfootball]

If anyone wants to see an example of how much a difference medians can make, just compare Louetta from Cutten to 1-45 with Louetta from Cutten to Grant. Huge difference. They make for safer roads too.

[psilverot]

I'm so glad this is finally going to happen...

[Guest Marty]

This must be a more of a west of I-45 project, too many 18 wheelers from I-45 to 59 to put medians in because of the big airport.

[mrfootball]

Funny that you say that, to me, FM 1960 effectively ends at I-45 or the Hardy...I forget that it goes all the way to Lake Houston.

[Guest Marty]

I live in The Great Northeast it's confusioning sometime's

[Houston19514]

Putting in medians with tree's and shrubbery will make those left turns even more dangerous.

Wow, what a bunch of negative nancies. The negativity of this board never ceases to amaze. We have CONSTANT complaints about nobody caring about appearance or design or aesthetics. When groups try to address such issues with improvements, they are bombarded with whining, ignorant complaints.

[DaveMc]

If anyone wants to see an example of how much a difference medians can make, just compare Louetta from Cutten to 1-45 with Louetta from Cutten to Grant. Huge difference. They make for safer roads too.

Aesthetically, OK. Safer?

Do you have any evidence to back that up? IIRC, that was Gene Greene's stance also, calling left turn lanes "suicide lanes". Where he got his way there are medians that cause serious traffic congestion (Willow Brook, FM1960-I45) and I would guess an increase in rear end collisions. Vehicles simply cannot get fully out of the lanes of traffic.

I remember reading an article a couple years ago that claimed the "master plan" for FM1960 included 4 lanes each direction with NO left turn lane. All vehicles would have to turn right and do a u-turn to go left. Crazy

[mrfootball]

Safer because its more orderly. As it is now, you've got some idiots pulling into the suicide lane from either direction. I grew up in the 1960 area. It's going to be much better with green medians and turn lanes that bring some order to this fustercluck.

As for fewer accidents, there are fewer collisions with separated lanes, especially the most dangerous (head on collisions).

Imagine how bad Post Oak Blvd would be if it had suicide lanes rather than green medians.

[Mister X]

Wow, what a bunch of negative nancies. The negativity of this board never ceases to amaze. We have CONSTANT complaints about nobody caring about appearance or design or aesthetics. When groups try to address such issues with improvements, they are bombarded with whining, ignorant complaints.

Truer words have never been written. If anyone were to go by the message boards at HAIF, they would think that Houstonians must be the unhappiest people alive. Luckily, I know better.

I can't believe anyone would complain about people taking action to improve the appearance of 1960. The cars can crash into each other head on for all I care, 1960 needs this in the worst way. (kidding about the crashes, babies) Who knows, if they are successful maybe they can take on I-45 next.

I have nothing but admiration for folks that make an ACTUAL EFFORT in trying to improve the aesthetics of Houston. More power to them! Where do I send my donation?

[mrfootball]

Agreed.

[Houston19514]

I remember reading an article a couple years ago that claimed the "master plan" for FM1960 included 4 lanes each direction with NO left turn lane. All vehicles would have to turn right and do a u-turn to go left. Crazy

Actually, it is very good traffic planning. Nothing crazy about it. Left turns are a huge contributor to congestion. And you wouldn't do a u-turn to make a left turn. You actually do two right turns, through special lanes, often in an exit/entrance ramp-type curving design. These are widely used in the New Jersey suburbs of NYC and are very effective and easy-to-use.

[aggie0083]

Actually, it is very good traffic planning. Nothing crazy about it. Left turns are a huge contributor to congestion. And you wouldn't do a u-turn to make a left turn. You actually do two right turns, through special lanes, often in an exit/entrance ramp-type curving design. These are widely used in the New Jersey suburbs of NYC and are very effective and easy-to-use.

Can you show an example of this?

[musicman]

Truer words have never been written. If anyone were to go by the message boards at HAIF, they would think that Houstonians must be the unhappiest people alive. Luckily, I know better.

I can't believe anyone would complain about people taking action to improve the appearance of 1960.

approving the appearance is one thing, but to say "revitalizing 1960" is another. it's not like people are living on the streets/homes falling down/etc. revitalizing implies it's a ghetto now. i don't go up there often and the last time i did it sure wasn't a ghetto.

[Houston19514]

approving the appearance is one thing, but to say "revitalizing 1960" is another. it's not like people are living on the streets/homes falling down/etc. revitalizing implies it's a ghetto now. i don't go up there often and the last time i did it sure wasn't a ghetto.

So now we're complaining about their choice of words, and their failure to take into account your personal prejudices and idiosyncracies??

[musicman]

So now we're complaining about their choice of words

i didn't think we were complaining....i know I was saying it was misleading. if you agree then even better. if the aesthetics of 1960 need to be improved, then say that. i'm not sure if beautiful and 1960 in the same sentence would be taken seriously either. you must admit that the legal signs in the area are just as ugly as the illegal ones this "revitalization" wants to remove.

[houstonmacbro]

Didn't they recently put in trees in the median along outer Westheimer (say Hwy 6 to Carillion Center)? How has that affected traffic and accidents?

[cnote]

I can see that 1960 is not the prettiest road there is, but I also don't see how it is much worse than MANY, MANY other roads you drive on everyday is Houston. We have a ton of roads just like 1960, though 1960 may be longer.

And I believe the county's stance is that medians always make a road safer. I think you guys are right, it might not be good for congestion, but it will prevent the most dangerous head on collisions. I think everything they are proposing sounds great...and hopefully this will help the area from any further decline...Kudos to them!

[mrfootball]

I can see that 1960 is not the prettiest road there is, but I also don't see how it is much worse than MANY, MANY other roads you drive on everyday is Houston. We have a ton of roads just like 1960, though 1960 may be longer.

And I believe the county's stance is that medians always make a road safer. I think you guys are right, it might not be good for congestion, but it will prevent the most dangerous head on collisions. I think everything they are proposing sounds great...and hopefully this will help the area from any further decline...Kudos to them!

Agreed, there are far worse major thoroughfares in the Houston area than 1960. Richmond/Westheimer/Bellaire Blvd etc.