Greyhound Bus Station At 2121 Main St.

[midtown 4.2]

Got in my car after lunch, turned on the radio, and caught this snippet of news . . . " . . . will replace the Greyhound station at Main and Grey."

What's up!? I'm going crazy with the anticipation of hearing that this bus station will finally move out of Midtown. Anybody have the scoop on this?

crossing my fingers!

[Lowbrow]

Probably

"CVS Megastore ... will replace the Greyhound station at Main and Grey."

jk.

[themidtownguy]

call the radio station and find out...

[MidtownCoog]

are the finally going to build the transit center on the north side of downtown?

[Parrothead]

Thank God!! That place is a cesspool.

[greystone08(returns)]

so what now? Houston's not going to have a greyhound station downtown anymore?

[RayLSU]

must find out more information. that greyhound station is the bain of midtown's existence. i hope they'd put some midrise apartments there with retail on the bottom...could be a great area!

[The Great Hizzy!]

I haven't heard of any progress on the proposed multimodal transit center. The idea has always been to incorporate the depots of AMTRAK, Greyhound, the Central American carrier to the south of the Greyhound Station (El Expresso?), and the north Hardy extension of METRO Rail at one location, like Union Station in DT Los Angeles.

I've also thought that the now empty four or five story brick building right near the current AMTRAK Station would make a good Greyhound/AMTRAK terminal.

[LTAWACS]

must find out more information.  that greyhound station is the bain of midtown's existence.  i hope they'd put some midrise apartments there with retail on the bottom...could be a great area!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

HA! I wish that too but my dreams have been dashed. Good luck though.

[Globalarb]

I can't find any headlines about this, but am still hopeful! 4.2, which radio station? I'm as anxious as you are.

[kjb434]

I caught a piece of the story too on 950am and 740am. I guess I shouldn't switch back and fourth. I did here about moving Greyhound some where, but didn't catch it exactly. The multimodal concept would be awesome.

[ssullivan]

It would be great if Greyhound is moving! Not only is the current station hampering redevelopment of the surrounding neighborhood, but since MetroRail opened it's difficult for their buses to navigate in and out of the station, and the reconfiguration of Main St. eliminated a lot of space for cars dropping off and picking up passengers.

[debmartin]

i had a very interesting conversation with greyhound corporate today - a flat denial of any plans to relocate the midtown location. btw they still refer to it as "downtown", and my source tells me that they are pleased with the location being on the rail line. i mentioned the redevelopment of midtown and the obstacle the current location presents, but "that's my story and i'm sticking to it" was the offical reply.

i cannot imagine a radio station pulling that out of thin air, but i also cannot think of any reason greyhound would keep it under wraps. i was told that one of the sub-stations was being closed or relocated, so maybe it had something to do with that. sorry to dash the hopes of all who, like myself, would really like to see a greyhound station for houston that at least rivals the ones in other major cities.

deb martin

[editor]

While it's unlikely that the radio station pulled it out of thin air, it's possible someone else did. It's possible that some city official somewhere thought it might be a good idea and asked someone to look into it, and some council member got wind of it, heard only half the conversation, and told a reporter that the city is planning to move the bus station. The reporter then just repeated that, "Council member X says the city is moving the bus station." Not entirely the reporter's fault because strictly speaking the sentence is correct. However, it's probably been years since anyone on KPRC or KTRH double-checked a fact or bothered to get the other side (like an official comment from Greyhound) before going to air.

The last good reporter KTRH had was Dennis Spellman, and he's in TV now.

[midtown 4.2]

I took midtownguy's advise, and called the station. Spoke to someone at the news desk, he recalled the story, put me on hold for a moment to dig up the article, and seemed like he was scanning through the report and read out loud the highlights for me.

The only new info I got, was that "they" (whoever "they" are) were commisioning a $400K feasability study to see how they can combine bus, light rail, and commuter rail into one facility. I had more questions, but felt like I was pushing my luck.

[debmartin]

"The only new info I got, was that "they" (whoever "they" are) were commisioning a $400K feasability study to see how they can combine bus, light rail, and commuter rail into one facility. ("quote, midtown4.2)

what a crock! "they" should write in to our forum and could probably get a free feasibility study. i am constantly amazed at the frivilous spending of bureacracy, how they have to spend money to figure out how to spend money. aren't there already people on the payroll to do this?

deb martin

[Guest danax]

The only new info I got, was that "they" (whoever "they" are) were commisioning a $400K feasability study to see how they can combine bus, light rail, and commuter rail into one facility. I had more questions, but felt like I was pushing my luck.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Commuter rail? Hmmmm.

[GovernorAggie]

Yep. County Commuter Rail

[kjb434]

If comuter rail, then it would be north of downtown at that rail yard or down by Fannin and I-610. Those are the two locations where commuter rail will get close to downtown.

[The Great Hizzy!]

Yes, more than likely north, near Main, and across Buffalo Bayou somewhere.

[earlybird]

I did not hear the broadcast. However, my husband did and he was very excited. He said Metro was somehow involved. I think we should call Metro. Like the rest of my fellow Midtowners who heard this report, I have been looking in the paper for an article. None has surfaced. We can only hope it is true! I, for one, am going to call my community outreach representative at Metro and ask some questions.

[RayLSU]

I did not hear the broadcast.  However, my husband did and he was very excited.  He said Metro was somehow involved.  I think we should call Metro.  Like the rest of my fellow Midtowners who heard this report, I have been looking in the paper for an article.  None has surfaced.  We can only hope it is true!  I, for one, am going to call my community outreach representative at Metro and ask some questions.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

hopefully they take all of the homeless up to the north part of downtown when they relocate...if they ever relocate. the homeless and the bus station remain midtown's biggest problem...tertiary are the s#x businesses, some of which are DBA "Club Houston" or whatever...

[ENGcons]

I lived at post in midtown when I first came back to houston 4 years ago and the bus station is the only thing there that is hurting additional redevelopment.

Moving the bus station to the northside is the logical thing to do becasue of the easier access to the freeways that travel north, east. I however don't see this happening due to the efforts to rebuild the east side, or north side of the downtown area. The last thing those people want is the bad element the bus station brings with it. There is no real area that will want a bus station next to it in the downtown area because all areas of that part of houston are undergoing some type of redevelopment. I am afraid midtown is stuck with it for a while.

[midtownuser]

Any news on this? A lady told me that the station is going to move somewhere else very soon. Can someone please confirm this? Thanks

[RedScare]

Any news on this? A lady told me that the station is going to move somewhere else very soon. Can someone please confirm this? Thanks

Was it the same lady that told me Oswald was not alone?

[midtownuser]

i guess everyone just gave up on trying to move the station. sigh

[TheNiche]

i guess everyone just gave up on trying to move the station. sigh

If it moves, it will be once METRO builds their 'grand central station' north of downtown. It's not going anywhere any time soon.

[ricco67]

Frankly, I think it needs to stay in the general vicinity of it's current location, but needs a north/south if it stays on the line instead of the current east/west alignment.

[Houstonian in Iraq]

Frankly, I think it needs to stay in the general vicinity of it's current location, but needs a north/south if it stays on the line instead of the current east/west alignment.

Maybe for quik fix. But ultimately the intermodal would be ideal

[cwrm4]

Frankly, I think it needs to stay in the general vicinity of it's current location, but needs a north/south if it stays on the line instead of the current east/west alignment.

Great. And keep stunting the development of Midtown within 5 blocks of the bus station.

I am perhaps a bit bitter as Sat morning I took my old Porsche out for a spin. I got caught at the light, and some guy fresh off the bus dropped his bag, walked close to my car, and pulled out his johnson in an apparent attempt to urinate on my wheel. (I ran the light). Here's the kicker - that's the second time that exact scenario has happened to me by the bus station.

Midtown will never become a desirable place to live as long as the bus station stays in its current location. That's just reality.

[musicman]

Great. And keep stunting the development of Midtown within 5 blocks of the bus station.

I am perhaps a bit bitter as Sat morning I took my old Porsche out for a spin. I got caught at the light, and some guy fresh off the bus dropped his bag, walked close to my car, and pulled out his johnson in an apparent attempt to urinate on my wheel. (I ran the light). Here's the kicker - that's the second time that exact scenario has happened to me by the bus station.

Midtown will never become a desirable place to live as long as the bus station stays in its current location. That's just reality.

amazing is all i can say and 2x no less!

you should call the mayor and offer this as a way to keep traffic moving!

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

Great. And keep stunting the development of Midtown within 5 blocks of the bus station.

I am perhaps a bit bitter as Sat morning I took my old Porsche out for a spin. I got caught at the light, and some guy fresh off the bus dropped his bag, walked close to my car, and pulled out his johnson in an apparent attempt to urinate on my wheel. (I ran the light). Here's the kicker - that's the second time that exact scenario has happened to me by the bus station.

Midtown will never become a desirable place to live as long as the bus station stays in its current location. That's just reality.

Wow!

Thats a nasty experience, twice! I wonder how many of those people are mentally ill? I have been driving by there about once a week at different times looking at the area. I am interested in 2016 Main. Each time i have driven by the situation doesnt seem to be bad. I havent been on a weekend and maybe i should to get a better feel of the area.

Was your spin in early, mid, or late morning?

[dbigtex56]

some guy fresh off the bus dropped his bag, walked close to my car, and pulled out his johnson in an apparent attempt to urinate on my wheel.

uh...why would he want to do that?

Maybe my years of living in the Montrose have coarsened me, but I think he may have been offering a service, so to speak.

[Vertigo58]

Great. And keep stunting the development of Midtown within 5 blocks of the bus station.

Midtown will never become a desirable place to live as long as the bus station stays in its current location. That's just reality.

Main reason I avoid that area. There's just too many desperate people lurking around there. It really resembles a prison yard... without gaurds that is. Another big embarassment to visitors and Houston as a whole. Mayor... councilmen... help?

[midtown 4.2]

Prisoners released from the TDC in Huntsville get a Greyhound ticket to that location in Midtown . . . state policy is to send them back to the location of their conviction; that's why it looks like a prison yard.

[cwrm4]

Was your spin in early, mid, or late morning?

It was about 10:30 in the morning, on a nice, bright, perfect day. The kind of day that makes you wish you could walk around to shops and cafes if only they existed in Midtown. But they don't because of the Greyhound station.

The first time it happened was about 4 years ago just after dark on a week night. A guy was walking across the street when he stopped in the middle of the street and let loose in front of me on the crosswalk on Webster. I do think he was severely drunk and/or "mentally disadvantaged". The guy Saturday was just being an a**hole.

I did have some friends' Midtown townhome robbed a few years ago by a guy who had been released from prison that morning. He said he had just started walking from the bus station, got hungry, and needed some money (he was caught in the act by a neighbor). They moved shortly thereafter.

Edited March 23, 2007 by cwrm4

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

It was about 10:30 in the morning, on a nice, bright, perfect day. The kind of day that makes you wish you could walk around to shops and cafes if only they existed in Midtown. But they don't because of the Greyhound station.

The first time it happened was about 4 years ago just after dark on a week night. A guy was walking across the street when he stopped in the middle of the street and let loose in front of me on the crosswalk on Webster. I do think he was severely drunk and/or "mentally disadvantaged". The guy Saturday was just being an a**hole.

I did have some friends' Midtown townhome robbed a few years ago by a guy who had been released from prison that morning. He said he had just started walking from the bus station, got hungry, and needed some money (he was caught in the act by a neighbor). They moved shortly thereafter.

Doesnt sound very good. I should hope 2016 Main has some sort of security to prevent undesirables from the bus station and in general from gaining ready access.

[Vertigo58]

It was about 10:30 in the morning, on a nice, bright, perfect day. The kind of day that makes you wish you could walk around to shops and cafes if only they existed in Midtown. But they don't because of the Greyhound station.

The first time it happened was about 4 years ago just after dark on a week night. A guy was walking across the street when he stopped in the middle of the street and let loose in front of me on the crosswalk on Webster. I do think he was severely drunk and/or "mentally disadvantaged". The guy Saturday was just being an a**hole.

I did have some friends' Midtown townhome robbed a few years ago by a guy who had been released from prison that morning. He said he had just started walking from the bus station, got hungry, and needed some money (he was caught in the act by a neighbor). They moved shortly thereafter.

Glad your being very candid about your experiences.

The sad thing is people wait until something catastrophic happens before anything gets done. Maybe it will take long petitions sent to council/mayor and especially to Greyhound headquarters? The fact that it gets so dark around that block only fuels the opportunity for trouble. It really looks like a scene from Midnight Cowboy. Mostly men hanging out, pushing drugs or well.....

[bach]

Prisoners released from the TDC in Huntsville get a Greyhound ticket to that location in Midtown . . . state policy is to send them back to the location of their conviction; that's why it looks like a prison yard.

An article regarding the problem:

www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2002_3596352

I can't find one, however, that I think I remember reading that described what they were doing about the inmates who left Huntsville, came to Houston and were supposed to move on. They implemented a system whereby someone would be at the bus station waiting for the bus to arrive, and identifying former inmates and making sure they got on their next bus. This was supposed to help the problem at least somewhat.

[ricco67]

driving by the greyhound station several times a week, i've yet to encounter any problems there. i readily go hit the bw3 on grey (now that i think about it, maybe they chose that spot because they like the street name?) and aside from the occasional pan handler, nothing weird has happened.

although something will occur sometime if they don't get out of my way as a lay on the horn and accelerator when they walk against the lights.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

A general word of advice: don't ever smoke a cigarette around the Greyhound bus station. If you're seen with a cigarette, you'll be the target of hundreds of requests for smokes. You can easily lose a pack and a half between your car and the front door of the Greyhound station unless you know how to say "no".

[MidtownCoog]

Maybe my years of living in the Montrose have coarsened me, but I think he may have been offering a service, so to speak.

Yep. The black thugs at Tuam @ Main do this all the time. It's true. They even did it to my wife but I think they like the penis.

And they get lots of customers from what I can tell. The cops tolerate them as long as they hang near the old MHMR building.

[Vertigo58]

An article regarding the problem:

www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2002_3596352

I can't find one, however, that I think I remember reading that described what they were doing about the inmates who left Huntsville, came to Houston and were supposed to move on. They implemented a system whereby someone would be at the bus station waiting for the bus to arrive, and identifying former inmates and making sure they got on their next bus. This was supposed to help the problem at least somewhat.

and I thought you guys were just joking about ex-convicts arriving there.

I also hear that the sanitariums are so overcrowded that the state has no choice but to let some out in public. This is what I was told when living in LA. You see so many deranged people hanging around bus stops & grocery parking lots and beaches just talking to themselves or attacking innocent people. (hope their aren't any on this forum) ...kidding

Apparently Houston has the same problem on top of just homeless bums.

FYI, there is a phsychiatric rehabilitation building on McGregor & 288. The sign is quite blatant nothing to hide. Wonder if that scares area neighbors.

Edited March 26, 2007 by Vertigo58

[RedScare]

Sanitarium.

Now, THERE's a word you don't hear everyday.

[Vertigo58]

Sanitarium.

Now, THERE's a word you don't hear everyday.

I wasn't sure what word to use since almost everyone is so pi sensitive on this forum. I could have said nuthouse, loony bin, psycho ward, etc. They got the point I guess thats all that matters.

Peace on earth good will...

and MidtownC had the most hilarious reply yet to date!

Edited March 23, 2007 by Vertigo58

[RedScare]

I wasn't sure what word to use since almost everyone is so pi sensitive on this forum. I could have said nuthouse, loony bin, psycho ward, etc. They got the point I guess thats all that matters.

Peace on earth good will...

and MidtownC had the most hilarious reply yet to date!

With all of the choices of words at your disposal, why did you choose a word that does not even describe a nuthouse or loony bin? A sanitarium is a facility where one goes to convalesce or to recuperate or for the treatment of chronic diseases. It has nothing to do with psychiatric facilities.

[Vertigo58]

With all of the choices of words at your disposal, why did you choose a word that does not even describe a nuthouse or loony bin? A sanitarium is a facility where one goes to convalesce or to recuperate or for the treatment of chronic diseases. It has nothing to do with psychiatric facilities.

A recent movie. Lets not hijack the thread please. Greyhound it is.

[Ralo]

and I thought you guys were just joking about ex-convicts arriving there. Hell, no wonder it's so f....d up around there. For Pete's sake!

I also hear that the sanitariums are so overcrowded that the state has no choice but to let some out in public. This is what I was told when living in LA. You see so many deranged people hanging around bus stops & grocery parking lots and beaches just talking to themselves or attacking innocent people. (hope their aren't any on this forum) ...kidding

Apparently Houston has the same problem on top of just homeless bums.

FYI, there is a phsychiatric rehabilitation building on McGregor & 288. The sign is quite blatant nothing to hide. Wonder if that scares area neighbors.

Hmm . . . expecting the worst from folks who are down on their luck, or just plain poor, must make for an uneasy existence.

[RedScare]

A recent movie. Lets not hijack the thread please. Greyhound it is.

Too late. It got hijacked in post #43, when some guy started talking about patient dumping in Los Angeles.

[Montrose1100]

I havn't had any bad luck as mentioned previously. I've ridden the rail line, got off at the Downtown Transit Center, ate at McDonald's, and got back on without a problem. Several times... at night. Even with my friends, some of which are young and really pretty girls. One time a guy said he almost fell because of her beauty, but that was the only thing 'nasty' that has ever happened (we giggled about it). Maybe we're flirting with disaster, but being out & about at all hours of the day (and) night, we havn't had any trouble.