METRORail Green Line

[Luminare]

I believe I read in one of Metro's press releases that the new lines will be open for business at 7AM, and that folks wouldn't have to wait until the official kickoff to ride them. 

 

Good because I'm sure Metro would be late to their own shindig and make us wait forever

[BigFootsSocks]

So I rode it today to Discovery Green and it wasn't too bad with the traffic. They diverted a lot of trams to these lines, because the red line was strugglin'

[LarryDierker]

Never seen so many people on Capitol. They had police policing people onto the Central Station platform because it was at capacity,

 

20150523_212859 by Not.Larry Dierker, on Flickr

 

20150523_212837 by Not.Larry Dierker, on Flickr

[PeopleAreStrange]

I made it to Houston this afternoon and rode both new lines.

 

 

[PeopleAreStrange]

I rode the Red line to the very narrow N/S Central Station (bad decision), then walked to the Theater District Station while the massive crowd of people flocked to the Eastbound Central Station. I rode the Green first, then the Purple.

 

While retuning to downtown on the Green Line, I disembarked at Convention Center Station to switch to the Purple Line (EaDo was too crowded). The speakers at WB Convention Center Station are way too loud!

 

When the Purple Line reached Palm Center, we were all asked to get off and wait for another train to reverse direction. Shortly after our previous empty train took off for the train garage, a new empty train arrived for us.

 

The Green Line had some riders and the Purple Line was pretty full, but the most crowded train I rode was the already existing Red Line while travelling towards downtown and the Green/Purple lines.

Edited May 24, 2015 by PeopleAreStrange

[BigFootsSocks]

Does anyone know if, once they get the full order of new trams, will the lines cross over to the red line and vice versa without passengers having to get off to change stations? I know it sounds lazy but walking a full block to change lines is pretty dumb.

Edited May 24, 2015 by BigFootsSocks

[cloud713]

nah BFS. it IS dumb. METRO really screwed up with the whole Central Station thing. from the failed original "design contest", to not putting the green/purple line stations on a block immediately next to Central Station, to not putting 2 separate stations on the outside of the tracks where the vehicle lanes currently are (obviously getting rid of those), to double the capacity of Central Station.

seriously though.. they should at least look into that last idea. there are doors on both sides of the trains, correct? just have people board and exit on the outside of the trains at Central Station, instead of the inside.

icing on the cake would be tunneling connections between Central Station and the 2 "neighboring" stations on the green/purple lines with escalators bringing people up to street level in the middle of the platforms.

[j_cuevas713]

You know I thought the same thing Cloud713... do you think closing that block of street would make sense? Like make that one giant station where people just enter and exit the sation

[BigFootsSocks]

You know I thought the same thing Cloud713... do you think closing that block of street would make sense? Like make that one giant station where people just enter and exit the sation

They're already closing a significant chunk of main. They might as well close that off too.

I mean, they have those curves in place for a reason, so they might have different trains in place for each line once the new cars are delivered.

Edited May 24, 2015 by BigFootsSocks

[cloud713]

yeahh.. i don't think closing that portion of Main would effect much given the thru traffic is closed by the Main St Square area a few blocks south, and there isn't anything along that block that absolutely needs vehicular access as far as i can tell?

as for the curves.. i heard those were just for transferring trains between the two lines? as far as I've see, any time they use those curves METRO police have to come out and shut down the intersection (which only takes place at night?). maybe I'm wrong, but yeah it would be nice if you didn't have to transfer if you wanted to go to the near north side. if that were the case though, i would have preferred the curves to be going south since there are more attractions down that portion of the line.

[PeopleAreStrange]

Here's a timelapse I made of the Green Line:

Edited May 25, 2015 by PeopleAreStrange

[PeopleAreStrange]

watch out for all the nerds at comicpalooza.

When I first read this a few days ago, I didn't realize there was actually a convention called "comicpalooza" in town.

I thought you were referring to people like me attending the opening of the new lines. 

[august948]

So what are some interesting things to visit along the new lines?  Bars, restaurants, funky stores, etc?

[Spacecityroller]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhsMHwVsfNE

 

Someone did a video of the purple line.

[j_cuevas713]

Yeah me and my girlfriend were at Central Station yesterday, and we got a bit confused. So you basically have to get on an Green Line station to head east or Purple Line to head south east but you can't do that coming off of Central Station? Someone help me understand because I thought Central Station was to transfer to any line.

[BigFootsSocks]

Yeah me and my girlfriend were at Central Station yesterday, and we got a bit confused. So you basically have to get on an Green Line station to head east or Purple Line to head south east but you can't do that coming off of Central Station? Someone help me understand because I thought Central Station was to transfer to any line.

That was my assumption as well. Didn't realize they literally meant it's the Central station on the Red Line...

[cloud713]

Shall we all write to Metro demanding they spend the 40 million surplus or whatever it was on redesigning the Central Station(s)?

Edited May 25, 2015 by cloud713

[mollusk]

Shall we all write to Metro demanding they spend the 40 million surplus or whatever it was on redesigning the Central Station(s)?

 

I'd even encourage them to spend some of it rerouting the wyes so that they point west instead of east, thus taking away the excuse for why the purple/green Central Stations that aren't really all that adjacent to the red Central Station. (the explanation I heard was that the platform isn't compatible with the curved track) 

[j_cuevas713]

I think just closing that section of Main would be awesome. You could build an actual building that would be act as a large indoor platform with restrooms, ticket machines, etc. I think it would mean closing the side streets where the rail turns as well. Idk just my opinion.

Edited May 26, 2015 by j_cuevas713

[cloud713]

looking back on the design contest, it doesn't look like any of the firms addressed the Central Station capacity issues either.. quite an oversight by METRO and co. i wonder if they at least considered the double/outside platforms for Central Station?

agreed j_cuevas, it would be neat to build a structure over that block of Main to serve as a larger gathering area.

maybe something like this with trains running through it. now THAT would be a true Central Station.

[samagon]

central station is intended for transfers from red to green/purple. but then, there's a difference between how someone designs something and how it's used.

 

Every time I've used central station, or gone by it, it never seems so crowded as to be a problem. I can imagine if there are two trains stopped at the same time it would create slight havoc, but it's not that bad.

 

What I did find weird is the theater district loading platform (right by tranquility park) there are a total of two benches, nothing to lean on, and that's it.

Edited May 27, 2015 by samagon

[cloud713]

Isn't there a temporary platform in the theater district somewhere because they are supposed to have a platform on the Skanska block or something like that?

[samagon]

there's an exit only platform at capitol and smith (westbound). It's the last stop on the line.

 

No ticket kiosks, no benches, no cover, no LED signs, no signage at all. The only hint that it's a stop is that there's a raised platform with a railing for debarking passengers. It's not meant as a platform to get on the rail.

 

On Saturday they actually had a metro official standing there directing people to go over to the platform on Rusk (first eastbound stop), but I assume they won't have a guy there long term.

 

On my lap back around to the red line, I ignored the directive to get off the train at this stop since it was the last westbound stop, and rode out onto the bridge over Buffalo bayou. We sat for 6 minutes as the operator went to the other side of the train and waited for the next train to arrive, then she continued eastbound.

 

It made me curious why they didn't find a way to extend the line past 45 and make that an actual stop, surely people who are on their way to the municipal courts could have used a stop on the other side of 45. It would also be a very convenient stop for people going to the park along the bayou.

Edited May 27, 2015 by samagon

[cloud713]

Yeah. I recommended to a few METRO officials that they use that $40 million surplus to build a new station at the end of the line over Buffalo Bayou with stairs connecting down to the bayou trail system. Even suggested it to Guy Hagstette but he seemed satisfied with the proximity of the theater district stations to BBP (looking at a map though it seems an end of the line BBP station would be about the same spacing part as the other 3 downtown stations). Ah well.. Maybe in the future.

[samagon]

Yeah. I recommended to a few METRO officials that they use that $40 million surplus to build a new station at the end of the line over Buffalo Bayou with stairs connecting down to the bayou trail system. Even suggested it to Guy Hagstette but he seemed satisfied with the proximity of the theater district stations to BBP (looking at a map though it seems an end of the line BBP station would be about the same spacing part as the other 3 downtown stations). Ah well.. Maybe in the future.

if they put in stairs they'd have to put in a ramp, or elevator for ADA compliance. That cost may have been the first thing on his mind.

 

In the wishful thinking department...

 

I wish they had spent some money not on concrete, but on dirt and sod.

 

 

yeah, they'd have to have a continuing budget the cut the grass, but couldn't they just put some blades on the bottom of the light rail cars themselves??! (kidding!).

[august948]

if they put in stairs they'd have to put in a ramp, or elevator for ADA compliance. That cost may have been the first thing on his mind.

 

In the wishful thinking department...

 

I wish they had spent some money not on concrete, but on dirt and sod.

 

 

yeah, they'd have to have a continuing budget the cut the grass, but couldn't they just put some blades on the bottom of the light rail cars themselves??! (kidding!).

 

Just attach one of these puppies to the back of the train and you're good to go.

 

 

Edited May 27, 2015 by august948

[august948]

Or if budget is an issue, they can go with this...

 

[ZKB9]

I have a pushmower, I charge $20 a lawn. Metro, you listening?

[mfastx]

I'd honestly prefer the tracks to not be embedded in concrete, but rather just standard ballast and ties.  That way, no one would drive on the tracks. 

 

(Obviously in downtown it'd still have to be embedded in concrete.) 

[cspwal]

I can understand why they want the tracks to still be concrete when in the middle of the street (allows emergency vehicles  to use the lane, cars if there's a blockage, and doesn't require the fancy trucks with train wheels for Metro to maintain it) but I don't understand why when they are in a dedicated right of way (like the purple line going through the townhouses in East Downtown or the green line going under the tracks) they still use concrete.  Wouldn't it be cheaper to use the standard ballast and ties?  I think that's what Dallas does (?)

[j_cuevas713]

looking back on the design contest, it doesn't look like any of the firms addressed the Central Station capacity issues either.. quite an oversight by METRO and co. i wonder if they at least considered the double/outside platforms for Central Station?

agreed j_cuevas, it would be neat to build a structure over that block of Main to serve as a larger gathering area.

maybe something like this with trains running through it. now THAT would be a true Central Station.

Omg that is exactly what we need! Man that would be so awesome! It would create a great retail area as well!

[Houston19514]

I can understand why they want the tracks to still be concrete when in the middle of the street (allows emergency vehicles  to use the lane, cars if there's a blockage, and doesn't require the fancy trucks with train wheels for Metro to maintain it) but I don't understand why when they are in a dedicated right of way (like the purple line going through the townhouses in East Downtown or the green line going under the tracks) they still use concrete.  Wouldn't it be cheaper to use the standard ballast and ties?  I think that's what Dallas does (?)

 

I think it might be cheaper to build the standard ballast and tie system, but the long-run maintenance and total life-span cost are significantly higher with the standard ballast and tie system.

 

Here is an interesting article.

[august948]

I think it might be cheaper to build the standard ballast and tie system, but the long-run maintenance and total life-span cost are significantly higher with the standard ballast and tie system.

 

Here is an interesting article.

 

Yeah...class 1 railroads are always checking, maintaining, and replacing ties and ballast along their lines.  It's not practical to concrete regular rail lines due to the distances involved, but for Metro it's far better to do it that way.  The only thing I'd worry about is the soil shift we get here.  I'd guess they've factored that into the engineering somewhere, though.

 

[Houston19514]

Yeah...class 1 railroads are always checking, maintaining, and replacing ties and ballast along their lines.  It's not practical to concrete regular rail lines due to the distances involved, but for Metro it's far better to do it that way.  The only thing I'd worry about is the soil shift we get here.  I'd guess they've factored that into the engineering somewhere, though.

 

 

I would imagine the soil conditions would have to be factored into a standard ballast and tie railbed at least as much as they had to be in the embedded-in-concrete line.

 

[IronTiger]

I think it might be cheaper to build the standard ballast and tie system, but the long-run maintenance and total life-span cost are significantly higher with the standard ballast and tie system.

 

Here is an interesting article.

What if they used concrete ties?

[102IAHexpress]

I was just thinking this exact same thing. This morning I drove from Rice Lofts to 1400 Lubbock to the CoH courts. Paid 5 dollars for metered parking (these are the only meters in the city with a $5 minimum, even if you will be in and out like I was, you are forced to pay at least 5 dollars). I was thinking why the heck in Metro's wisdom did they decide to end/start the line near the courts but not actually in front of the courts? Especially because the path from the courts to the start/end of the line is not exactly a safe pedestrian path.

 

I think this line will be a disaster.

 

 

there's an exit only platform at capitol and smith (westbound). It's the last stop on the line.

 

No ticket kiosks, no benches, no cover, no LED signs, no signage at all. The only hint that it's a stop is that there's a raised platform with a railing for debarking passengers. It's not meant as a platform to get on the rail.

 

On Saturday they actually had a metro official standing there directing people to go over to the platform on Rusk (first eastbound stop), but I assume they won't have a guy there long term.

 

On my lap back around to the red line, I ignored the directive to get off the train at this stop since it was the last westbound stop, and rode out onto the bridge over Buffalo bayou. We sat for 6 minutes as the operator went to the other side of the train and waited for the next train to arrive, then she continued eastbound.

 

It made me curious why they didn't find a way to extend the line past 45 and make that an actual stop, surely people who are on their way to the municipal courts could have used a stop on the other side of 45. It would also be a very convenient stop for people going to the park along the bayou.

 

[Naviguessor]

^^those courts will be moving.

[BigFootsSocks]

I don't see how you can call the lines a disaster based off one qualm which like Navi said, are moving. These lines aren't just about downtown

[102IAHexpress]

Actually those courts are not moving. Has the city council approved the proposed new CoH Justice Complex? Where's the new location? How much will it cost? Will there be a bond/tax increase to fund the construction? Last I heard the council was debating whether to renovate, build new construction or do nothing. Which is to say nothing has been decided.

 

Are you saying Metro passed on a station in front of the municipal courts because the city might move the courthouses in 10 years? Keep in mind the city has been talking about moving/updating those courts for years. 

 

It will be a disaster because like always Metro plans poorly.

[IronTiger]

Honestly, from a safety perspective, the whole line is a bit questionable, as Class I railroads specifically try to avoid things like unprotected pedestrian crossings or running in the middle of the street.

I had to avoid not getting stuck in the middle of an intersection for the roads crossing Red Line. That was kind of scary.

[BigFootsSocks]

I just really don't understand how it can be called a disaster when we already have new developments popping up on the lines, as well as a new connection for UofH students and the East End area.

Christ it's only been open for a month.

[mfastx]

Yea these lines will probably get decent ridership, it took years for the original Red Line to get the ridership it does now.  Give it five or ten years then look back. 

[mollusk]

I had to avoid not getting stuck in the middle of an intersection for the roads crossing Red Line. That was kind of scary.

 

Ohhhhh, Tiger, Tiger, Tiger... 

 

Please, when you come to The Big City again, try not to enter an intersection unless you know you will be able to clear it - train or no train.  People who park in the middle of intersections with nowhere to go when their light turns red just create gridlock for the cross street. 

[BigFootsSocks]

Yeah that sh!t really grinds my gears

[102IAHexpress]

As I see trains passing by outside of Chase Tower I see a good amount of them completely empty. Which would make sense because who needs to go to the Hobby Center in the middle of the day? It would be hilarious normally, except this light rail line cost so much. What a waste.

[BigFootsSocks]

As I see trains passing by outside of Chase Tower I see a good amount of them completely empty. Which would make sense because who needs to go to the Hobby Center in the middle of the day? It would be hilarious normally, except this light rail line cost so much. What a waste.

Oh my god, it's been open for a month. Did you expect it to be packed to capacity this soon?

And you have yet to provide any sound reasoning as to why it's such a waste when I clearly pointed out the development this has spurred. If you'd like to have a civil debate on this issue I'd love to, but you can't seem to say anything different than your original post.

Edited June 17, 2015 by BigFootsSocks

[KinkaidAlum]

Ah, such a logical and fact-based argument.

 

"I've seen an empty train a few times at one station at the end of the line so therefore they are always empty at every station and the entire line is a failure."

 

Can we please start worrying about our educational system next...

[102IAHexpress]

your reading comprehension is way off. Did I say I saw an empty train at the end of the line, therefore they are always empty at every station? ?

 

My observations are that very often those trains are empty. Since the trains on capitol street only travel one way, logically that means that they are often empty on their way to the end of the Line which is theatre district station. Do some riders disembark at the previous stations (Central Station)? Perhaps. I don't know. My point was that it would have made more sense to extend the line to the city of Houston municipal courts. Because, (don't get me wrong I love the theatre) who goes to the theatre in the middle of the day?

 

Reading comprehension. look into it. You are just lowering the perceived worth of your Kinkaid diploma when you make snarky comments and don't actually further the discussion.

 

102IAHexpress

St. Thomas Alum

[KinkaidAlum]

your reading comprehension is way off. Did I say I saw an empty train at the end of the line, therefore they are always empty at every station? ?

 

My observations are that very often those trains are empty. Since the trains on capitol street only travel one way, logically that means that they are often empty on their way to the end of the Line which is theatre district station. Do some riders disembark at the previous stations (Central Station)? Perhaps. I don't know. My point was that it would have made more sense to extend the line to the city of Houston municipal courts. Because, (don't get me wrong I love the theatre) who goes to the theatre in the middle of the day?

 

Reading comprehension. look into it. You are just lowering the perceived worth of your Kinkaid diploma when you make snarky comments and don't actually further the discussion.

 

102IAHexpress

St. Thomas Alum

 

My reading comprehension is fine.

 

You are calling the line a failure and a disaster because of two things;

 

1) It didn't extend to the municipal courts and therefore you had to pay $5 to park (selfish argument)

 

2) You've seen some empty trains on Capitol near the Chase Tower (line is a failure).

 

Do you know how much it would have cost to extend the line to Lubbock Street? 

Do you know where the turnaround would have had to have been built since the line was extended?

Do you know how much the property required for the new turnaround would cost to acquire?

Do you know if the City wanted to easily give up revenue from parking fees and would have worked with METRO?

Do you know where the funds would have come from for another stop or would that have eliminated another stop on the other end of the line?

Do you know if the historic district in Old Sixth Ward would have wanted to lose a huge chunk of land for a transfer station?

[102IAHexpress]

Please go back and reread. You seriously cannot read well. Where did I say the line is a failure? (good luck trying to find where I said it)

 

What I said instead is that I think the line will be a disaster/going to be a disaster.

The reason I think so, is because Metro planned poorly.

 

I suggest you get a refund on your Kinkaid tuition.