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Guest danax

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I believe Metro is suppose to have a biaatch session today to talk about the bridge and about the proposed service station. I wonder if this meeting is going to be a waste of time or if something good will come out of it. I guess the chronicle will let us know tomorrow. In a city this size, it is always going to be hard to get a consensus. It will be interesting to see what come out of this town hall meeting.

Edited by CasaNova
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  • 3 weeks later...
looks like METRO is proposing a bridge over buffalo bayou on the west side so that the line from the east can turn around. Isn't there a bridge there now?

full article

Think the article said the two existing bridges didnt offer enough clearance.

As far as future extension to the West, Inner-Katy line, this doesnt seem like the best option either.

Getting from Downtown to Washington via Houston Ave.. seems more messy and complicated than it should be.

What is going to do once it crosses the bayou and finds itself under Memorial, above Houston, and trying to turn North in front of HPD who will rightfully raise a stink about access at this intersection.

Bagby is 2 way. Seems a better alternative would have been for both tracks from Capitol and Rusk turn N on to Bagby.

Theres your transfer/crossover to go back the other way, plus you could fit it one more station between the Aquarium and Wortham. Future rail continues up Bagby for what seems pretty easy access to Washington via lesser-used downtown entry points Franklin and Preston. ( Added bonus: Amtrak Station connection at this intersection )

..plus no wasting money on a 3rd bridge within a 150' expanse of bayou.

Edited by Highway6
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Think the article said the two existing bridges didnt offer enough clearance.

how would they get additional clearance without going lower? doesn't seem like a good move, esp over a bayou.

now metro proposes to build a 2600' bridge just east of the MMP.

The switch to light rail also will require a bridge nearly a half-mile long over freight tracks east of Minute Maid Park, Trevi

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looks like METRO is proposing a bridge over buffalo bayou on the west side so that the line from the east can turn around. Isn't there a bridge there now?

full article

Why did METRO start constructing the Brown Line when City Council hasn't even approved a means of turning the Brown Line vehicles around? If METRO were a private infrastructure development company, no bank on Earth would lend it money to actually start construction on anything until all of the necessary entitlements were secure.

This is just one more example of poor accountability and mismanagement of public funds.

Edited by TheNiche
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how would they get additional clearance without going lower? doesn't seem like a good move, esp over a bayou.

I think they would have to go slightly lower.

The article states bridge clearance issues at Texas.. not at Capitol or Rusk. Which doesnt make sense why they need the bridge for clearance reasons.. but at least it seems they really wont be going much lower, if any lower, than the current 2 bridges there.

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Also, this article made me curious; why would the S&I facility have the capacity to park 39 trains at night if it is only serving the Brown Line, which from the downtown terminus to the Magnolia TC is only about 4.7 miles long?

That's 8.3 trains per mile! Even if you double them up and consider a few as being serviced at any given time, that's still a double-train every quarter of a mile...more where the East and Southeast Lines are one in the same.

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Also, this article made me curious; why would the S&I facility have the capacity to park 39 trains at night if it is only serving the Brown Line, which from the downtown terminus to the Magnolia TC is only about 4.7 miles long?

That's 8.3 trains per mile! Even if you double them up and consider a few as being serviced at any given time, that's still a double-train every quarter of a mile...more where the East and Southeast Lines are one in the same.

It's not like it's going to hold 39 trains instantly. Plus, the Brown Line will be extended further east in the future. Good to have capacity already there.

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That whole mess of interchanges from 45 and Dallas to the 45/10 merge needs to be completely torn down and rebuilt. In this town, I get the feeling accomplishing that would make the Big Dig look like a tea party. But a boy can dream.

Think the article said the two existing bridges didnt offer enough clearance.

As far as future extension to the West, Inner-Katy line, this doesnt seem like the best option either.

Getting from Downtown to Washington via Houston Ave.. seems more messy and complicated than it should be.

What is going to do once it crosses the bayou and finds itself under Memorial, above Houston, and trying to turn North in front of HPD who will rightfully raise a stink about access at this intersection.

Bagby is 2 way. Seems a better alternative would have been for both tracks from Capitol and Rusk turn N on to Bagby.

Theres your transfer/crossover to go back the other way, plus you could fit it one more station between the Aquarium and Wortham. Future rail continues up Bagby for what seems pretty easy access to Washington via lesser-used downtown entry points Franklin and Preston. ( Added bonus: Amtrak Station connection at this intersection )

..plus no wasting money on a 3rd bridge within a 150' expanse of bayou.

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So its going to clog up more streets Downtown? Yay!

Yeah really. They should build it elevated through downtown to help alleviate all the traffic congestion. Not to mention, the amount of traffic/train accidents just shot up a ton wtih this new line!!

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Yeah really. They should build it elevated through downtown to help alleviate all the traffic congestion. Not to mention, the amount of traffic/train accidents just shot up a ton wtih this new line!!

Build it elevated? That might work.

Would look hella ugly.

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Build it elevated? That might work.

Would look hella ugly.

Think of it this way, though... the shade provided by the el downtown would actually promote somewhat of a street culture during the summer months!

OK, grasping at straws here... :P

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How is METRO, a company that doesn't believe in subway or above ground rail, going to deal with line intersections? Don't tell me all intersections will cross each other at the same level? I remember hearing about this in the past. Something about METRO planing to have the first same level crossing urban rail in the world. This would not be something to brag about.

Simply not true. I can tell you that the T-Third Street and J-Church trains in San Francisco cross in the same intersection in San Francisco's Mission Bay at 4th and King streets.

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MetroRail is a tram. It runs on the street, and has to compete with traffic. We need to just face facts, and be happy that we're getting a tram.

So, Portland, Seattle, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Boston, etc., all have trams, too?

Those lines run in city streets with cars, too. You aren't presenting any facts at all.

(and yeah, some of those lines in the other cities do go into subways, or elevated, but the majority of the lines run in city streets)

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Think of it this way, though... the shade provided by the el downtown would actually promote somewhat of a street culture during the summer months!

OK, grasping at straws here... :P

yeah, we might even be able to walk outside for 2 blocks at a time during the summer months if it were elevated!!!!

How long are you gonna have to sit at a light where it intersects with the red line??? its bad enough that you have to stop when both the train and the cars are going straight.

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I didn't and won't look up the definition, but to me "tram" is that thing on wheels (read: regular tires) that takes you around the zoo (don't know if Houston zoo has one, Baton Rouge one does/did). Basically an overblown golf cart train. This is rail.

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What downtown streets are clogged up now?

It will be if they put Light Rail down it. Oh well, I guess I'll just take Allen Parkway instead.

So, Portland, Seattle, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Boston, etc., all have trams, too?

Those lines run in city streets with cars, too. You aren't presenting any facts at all.

(and yeah, some of those lines in the other cities do go into subways, or elevated, but the majority of the lines run in city streets)

Yeah but you can ride the train to your destination instead of driving in your car. And everything is 100x more pedestrian friendly.

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I didn't and won't look up the definition, but to me "tram" is that thing on wheels (read: regular tires) that takes you around the zoo (don't know if Houston zoo has one, Baton Rouge one does/did). Basically an overblown golf cart train. This is rail.

There are some technical differences between the two. The Siemens LRV used by METRO clearly fits the light rail definition used by the USMTA. However, there is definite overlap between light rail, streetcars and trams. The biggest difference is in usage by internet bulletin board users who believe streetcars and trams are somehow not rail transit, as if a city bus is not as much a bus as an articulated or a coach. It ranks up there in amusement value with urban debates, where everything must be "mixed use" or it is not urban. In politics, the usage of buzzwords is even more extreme

The fact is, if a tram or a streetcar most effectively fills the mass transit need, why use another mode? Simply because amatuer urban afficianados believe that only transit and building styles used in New York City count? I'd give anything to have a tram running through the Heights, connecting to the light rail. I'd even put up with the taunts that I use a "lesser" form of transit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_rail

It will be if they put Light Rail down it. Oh well, I guess I'll just take Allen Parkway instead.

Did I miss something? I thought that silver thing in front of my old office was light rail.

Edited by RedScare
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Did I miss something? I thought that silver thing in front of my old office was light rail.

Your right. Downtown streets are not clogged after the offices usually close on a regular week day. Especially the Skyline District. Maybe I'm just insane and imagining all those cars & buses...

Anyone a Psychologist?

What?

About their "trams" on the street. Am I starting to not make any sense again? Sorry Trae.... :wacko:

Edited by Montrose1100
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I didn't and won't look up the definition, but to me "tram" is that thing on wheels (read: regular tires) that takes you around the zoo (don't know if Houston zoo has one, Baton Rouge one does/did). Basically an overblown golf cart train. This is rail.

Houston Zoo has a train. Well, a toy train. Trams used to take you from the Astrodome to Astroworld. When I think of a tram, I think of Universal Studios in LA.

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