The Boulevard Project

[Luminare]

What sane person when they drive down Post Oak thinks they are in paradise??? Its a bland 6 lane road that sucks to drive down and isn't particularly unique either. Sure its cool to pass Transco and see all the buildings being built, but other than that....nothing much else. Its definitely not a paradise.

 

BRT is definitely a tough pill to swallow as far as this corridor is concerned, but its at least a start! The plan can certain continue to be tweeked, but just by reading the stuff on this website just paints these people as being willfully ignorant as best and greedy jerks at worst.

[ADCS]

I'll join them in opposing BRT on Post Oak if they support my subway idea for Post Oak.

 

I'll be waiting over here.

[Montrose1100]

I'll join them in opposing BRT on Post Oak if they support my subway idea for Post Oak.

I'll be waiting over here.

Agreed.

[Luminare]

I'll join them in opposing BRT on Post Oak if they support my subway idea for Post Oak.

 

I'll be waiting over here.

 

I'll oppose BRT if they support Lightrail

[cloud713]

hahaha. yeah, glad we would all prefer to see rail over BRT. maybe now that Culberson is open to rail they can build the Uptown line as LRT.

[Luminare]

hahaha. yeah, glad we would all prefer to see rail over BRT. maybe now that Culberson is open to rail they can build the Uptown line as LRT.

 

I think thats what will happen now if you read the Chron this morning.

 

http://www.chron.com/news/transportation/article/Metro-Culberson-announce-agreement-on-transit-6270486.php

 

I imagine they will put the University and Post Oak Lines on separate referendums.

[cspwal]

 

 

a Harvard-trained, world-renowned authority on distribution channels and manufacturer/distributor relationships 

 

What knowledge does that give them to do a study on a public transit proposal?

[samagon]

rail certainly helps with ped xing.

 

for whatever reason, I feel more comfortable crossing a road that has rail on it than one that doesn't. I assume BRT would be just as well at doing this.

 

Anyway, I know I called Eisenhower myopic in another thread, but wow, these business owners are far more myopic if they can't see how this will benefit them in the long term. Especially someone like Gallery Furniture who can easily weather the construction phase of this project to reap the rewards he will see 4 or 5 years from completion.

[cloud713]

just when you thought it couldn't get any worse.. Houston Business Journal (opinion piece) had an article today about the Bus Lanes "bringing down" Uptown.

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/2015/05/op-ed-new-post-oak-bus-lanes-will-bring-down.html

[samagon]

Why do these people keep comparing this to park and ride? Do people actually believe this is the thing?

And calling post oak Houston's rodeo drive? That's laughable, highland village is so much closer to what rodeo drive is than the strip mall that is post oak.

Edited May 20, 2015 by samagon

[Montrose1100]

It's obvious the opposition live in a bubble. That's why their penthouse condos are in the densest suburban setting in the city. They can't fathom waiting two seconds for a bus or a light rail to pass them by while people who ride public transportation cause them a 2 minute delay to turn left in their Benz.

Once again the upper crust is making an argument against mass transit. The big bad government is trying to inflict other people's lives onto their's. Take as old as time.

I do see the concern about traffic. Avoiding the loop at rush hour at all costs myself, and the lack of grid that Downtown has, going underground would make total sense for light rail down Post Oak. But flat out attacking mass transit and rallying the troops to oppose it is not the answer. At least Metro is attempting to address our city's greatest problem, instead of sitting back and thinking the solution will sort it's self out.

[IronTiger]

Since the mass transit line (BRT or light rail) was supposed to go to the NW Transit Center, I suggest a compromise: a parallel road that has vehicular traffic lanes, connecting to Post Oak Blvd., thus taking congestion off 610. Everyone wins!

[cloud713]

huh? where would this road go IT?

[PeopleAreStrange]

I'm thinking most of the opposition doesn't realize this is supposed to be a rail line in the future, although there are probably some people who would oppose a rail line as well.

[cspwal]

Chimney Rock goes all the way through, but it's also pretty far west of Post Oak to be used as a reliever.  The natural choice would be Sage RD, but it would have to be extended across the bayou and through what looks (on Google Earth) to be a very ritzy neighborhood.  If it went straight across the bayou it would land in a mansion's backyard

 

That being said a Sim City mayor would have no qualms demoing the couple of houses for a road 

[The Pragmatist]

This is the first house just across the bayou if Sage were to cut through to Silber, which would be wonderful for traffic flow in the area:

 

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/life/home/trends/article/At-43-million-mansion-listing-breaks-Houston-5783587.php

 

Needless to say, there's is no chance of that happening.

Edited May 20, 2015 by The Pragmatist

[samagon]

cut through tanglewood? hahahahahahahahahahaha *gasp* hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

 

yeah.... that's never going to happen. You think Matress Mack is putting up opposition?

 

If this area is receiving BRT, or LR, Post Oak is really the only place it makes sense to do so.

 

Honestly, I'd like to see them pull out of the galleria area, if the vocal component doesn't want it, let them choke on their traffic and go places that light rail makes sense, but isn't shunned. 

[Luminare]

I'm thinking most of the opposition doesn't realize this is supposed to be a rail line in the future, although there are probably some people who would oppose a rail line as well.

 

Not just in the future. Probably with this new rail agreement this might be turned back into a light rail line.

[IronTiger]

huh? where would this road go IT?

 

 

Not sure. Wish this could've been done as late as 2002, before they built Hotel Granduca and others.

 

As for the light rail, I'm hoping it could go underground to bypass Memorial Park and all that, probably by taking out the apartment complex at the NW corner of Uptown Park Blvd. before re-emerging on Post Oak Road to the north. Meanwhile, to satisfy the congestion problem, cantilevering Post Oak Road over the existing frontage roads to the other side might satisfy TxDOT, or could be in the median as a two lane road as the light rail/bus lane was supposed to be.

[BigFootsSocks]

just when you thought it couldn't get any worse.. Houston Business Journal (opinion piece) had an article today about the Bus Lanes "bringing down" Uptown.

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/2015/05/op-ed-new-post-oak-bus-lanes-will-bring-down.html

So I just read this, and good God the wealthy really will go to extremes to make their lives richer. "Our Rodeo Drive"?! I'll have whatever he's smoking. Edited May 20, 2015 by BigFootsSocks

[H-Town Man]

"Ain't gonna remotely happen."

 

"You can take that to the bank."

 

I wonder if using hackneyed, cliché phrases from a mythical past largely invented by 1950's television shows like Roy Rogers actually increases this guy's credibility with the average Houstonian. I actually think it might.

 

[BigFootsSocks]

"Ain't gonna remotely happen."

"You can take that to the bank."

I wonder if using hackneyed, cliché phrases from a mythical past largely invented by 1950's television shows like Roy Rogers actually increases this guy's credibility with the average Houstonian. I actually think it might.

Those were my favorite parts of the whole article

"Hmmm, maybe if I use big words without context and old catchphrases, maybe these lowly-I mean common folk might think I'm one of them!"

As much crap as we can give this guy though, we really ought to be directing our anger towards HBJ. Screw those morons for even letting something like this be published. Journalistic integrity? How much money was "donated" for this weird rant?

Edited May 20, 2015 by BigFootsSocks

[Luminare]

So I just read this, and good God the wealthy really will go to extremes to make their lives richer. "Our Rodeo Drive"?! I'll have whatever he's smoking.

 

For the life of me I can never figure out how one compares Post Oak to "Rodeo Drive". Other than their being upper-middle to lower-high class people that live on Post Oak there isn't any real comparison. The conclusion must then be rendered that they need their head examined or they are completely delusional.

[Slick Vik]

Those were my favorite parts of the whole article

"Hmmm, maybe if I use big words without context and old catchphrases, maybe these lowly-I mean common folk might think I'm one of them!"

As much crap as we can give this guy though, we really ought to be directing our anger towards HBJ. Screw those morons for even letting something like this be published. Journalistic integrity? How much money was "donated" for this weird rant?

Bill King writes equally moronic material for Houston chronicle.

[j_cuevas713]

I'm just glad this whole BRT plan is happening. Regardless of the opposition, the city approved Uptown's budget to include this project. Once this thing is finished, I wonder how many idiots are going to complain once they see how efficient it runs.

[samagon]

For the life of me I can never figure out how one compares Post Oak to "Rodeo Drive". Other than their being upper-middle to lower-high class people that live on Post Oak there isn't any real comparison. The conclusion must then be rendered that they need their head examined or they are completely delusional.

Container store. Need I say more?

[ArchFan]

So many good comments.  Although I like living in the area, I agree it's ridiculous to compare Post Oak to Rodeo Drive or call it a "masterpiece".  My impression is that the folks saying that haven't traveled much.  

 

That said, I'm prepared to be somewhat sympathetic if people own businesses that they think will take a hit during the construction phase.   OK -- I said sympathetic -- but there are also reasons to consider the long-term overall good of this community in the future, which go beyond that.

 

I'm not terribly fond of the BRT option; I would prefer rail, preferably underground.  I walk in the area a lot and I often wonder when I'm gonna get hit and sent flying or else run over.  

[ArchFan]

Also ... I don't really trust Culberson (and I'm in his district).  I've tried to withhold judgement, but after I saw him at a presentation Andy Icken (CoH Chief Development Officer) made a few months ago at the Post Oak Hilton, I was rather disgusted.  He brought along a small band of sycophants who seemed to have been prepped for the presentation by having their fears whipped up.  They were rather rude to Andy, who actually seemed to handle the onslaught of taunts rather well.

 

After that event, it struck me as being odd that -- while virtually everyone sees it as beneficial to have Houston grow fast and their property values increase a lot -- so many people don't see that infrastructure improvements protect their assets. 

[Blade Runner]

One teensy little thing though...

 

For those of y'all who keep mentioning underground trains, it would never work. Much of Houston was built on swampland, remember? Those floods that we get, the high water table, the silty sand underneath all the concrete, the fault line under Richmond Ave. that causes you to play out your "I'm riding a bull in the rodeo" fantasies as you bounce down it... 

 

He was right in the article when he said that Metro's ridership is dismal. Driving around every day, (I drive for a living.) I hardly ever see a full city route bus. They just don't happen. Yes, the P&R buses get utilized, (somewhat) but that's a different kettle of fish.

[scarface]

One teensy little thing though...

 

For those of y'all who keep mentioning underground trains, it would never work. Much of Houston was built on swampland, remember? Those floods that we get, the high water table, the silty sand underneath all the concrete, the fault line under Richmond Ave. that causes you to play out your "I'm riding a bull in the rodeo" fantasies as you bounce down it... 

 

He was right in the article when he said that Metro's ridership is dismal. Driving around every day, (I drive for a living.) I hardly ever see a full city route bus. They just don't happen. Yes, the P&R buses get utilized, (somewhat) but that's a different kettle of fish.

 

This argument has been used before and with all due respect, it is a weak argument. 

 

Amsterdam was built below sea level and they support subways. Also the fact that Houston was able to build a 7 mile tunnel system underneath it's downtown streets also says something. Let's not forget about the motor vehicle tunnels that went underneath the ship channels in Baytown.

 

So, Subway in Houston is not impossible. Even if Houston's political leaders try to convince us that it's not. They just haven't wanted to put up the $$$$ to do so.