pineda Posted August 25, 2005 Share Posted August 25, 2005 new maps and a little bit of new information regarding Segment F-2 unbelievable, and it only took GPA 5 years to come up with this! Due to public comments, the SDEIS will include a new alternative alignment, Alignment F, in the analysis. What this refers to as "public comments" were largely "strong recommendations" by our esteemed leader, Senator Jon "you ain't payin' me enuff" Lindsay, not from any other source, but hey, nice try, David Gornet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxConcrete Posted August 25, 2005 Share Posted August 25, 2005 So are the E and F alignments new? For those of us who haven't followed this closely, maybe you could comment on what is "new" news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxConcrete Posted August 25, 2005 Share Posted August 25, 2005 So are the E and F alignments new? For those of us who haven't followed this closely, maybe you could comment on what is "new" news.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Sorry, somehow I didn't see the lower part of your message. Your analysis would still be of interest, however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted August 25, 2005 Author Share Posted August 25, 2005 Max-Alignment "F" only came about in the first place because of the secret meeting that Senator Jon Lindsay held with some developer buddies of his. His idea was to try to force them all to a consensus, WHICH DID NOT HAPPEN, no matter what he says. Nobody in that room agreed upon ANYTHING, except they all wanted the Grand Parkway NEARBY their proposed developments, but not running smack right through the middle of it. Big surprise there...Then the "preferred alignment" that the GPA wanted was somehow pushed northward by the Ronnie "Damn the Torpedos, Full Speed Ahead" Matthews' new subdivision called Northcrest Village. When asked last year why he was building directly in the path of the proposed Grand Parkway Preferred Alignment, he just smiled and said that since nobody really knew where it was going, that he would just go ahead and get his city permits and start building his subdivision, and who knows, maybe he'd be done and gone by the time the Grand Parkway folks decided where they'd like to build the thing, and lo and behold, the Grand Parkway started to creep north, even closer to Klein Oak High School.Ronnie and Cathy Matthew's new subdivision under the name of Peron Development, backs right up to the Super Wal-Mart on F.M. 2920 and Kuykendahl, to give you an idea of where it's at. They utterly decimated the area. It looks like an open sore, festering more and more every day. The question that always comes up is: Do proposed subdivisions hold more importance in the eyes of the GPA/HCTRA/TxDOT than existing ones? Because to us out here in Spring, it sure seems like that. Does the opinion of one old coot of a politician, who is openly despised by his own constituents in Spring and doesn't have the guts to even show his face around here EVER, matter more than the opinion of all the people who have fought this thing for so many years, attending the Public Hearings now for years, even though the old coot has never been to even ONE of them? Does the money donated to campaign warchests by people like Ronnie and Cathy Matthews hold more sway than Joe Nobody?Brown & Gay bragging about Segment F-2 work...Northampton MUD joins North Houston Association proving the old adage, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!" - what block-headed dolts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted August 29, 2005 Author Share Posted August 29, 2005 NEW DIRECTOR FOR PARK PEOPLE L. Diane Schenke is the new executive director of the Park People, joining the group on August 1. Before coming to the Park People, Diane worked for the Nature Conservancy, serving as manager of the Texas Upper and Mid-Coast Program. She was executive director of the Grand Parkway Association from 1996 to 2001. Diane practiced law for twenty years before entering the non-profit sector. She was named a "Best Lawyer in America" for 1995-1996. Diane is a trustee for the Galveston Bay Foundation, serves on the board of trustees for Houston Wilderness, and is a member of the Church Council at St. Paul's United Methodist Church.____________________________________________________________________ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeemaven Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 ... so who, other than politicians, actually wants the Grand Parkway? Most of the residents of Alvin are riled up against it, but the dark cabal which controls the Grand Parkway is still threatening to pilfer one of our main roads and use it as theirs. (One of the options for section B runs less than a quarter-mile from my house. How's this for a first post.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eelimon Posted September 27, 2005 Share Posted September 27, 2005 I think the region need the grand parkway, but I wish politicians would move this fast when it comes to MASS TRANSIT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnet Posted September 27, 2005 Share Posted September 27, 2005 For my own selfish reasons I would love to have the Grand Parkway completed North of I-10 around to I-45. We live in Cinco Ranch and my parents live in Northhampton so there is not direct route. It would probably cut the travel time in half. In all seriousness, it seems like there is quite a bit of "cross suburb commuting" around Houston which currenlty requires you to travel into the Beltway 8 then out again via a different spoke. For instance, I travel to College Station about 6 times each fall for football games. I can either take several different 2 lane FM roads north of Katy up to 290 or go in on I-10 to Beltway 8, then out again on 290 toward Hempstead. I think this would really help eliviate traffice buildup on some of the spokes inside the beltway (I10, 290, I45) as well as traffic on the hub (BW8) when you are really just trying to get around the city to another spoke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InnerLoopOnly Posted September 28, 2005 Share Posted September 28, 2005 I can tell you that Baytown and Chambers County really want this thing. This road is opening up a lot of area over there which will be used for distribution centers. This road will also provide a needed link between the port and I-10 East.I certainly understand the gripes of those who are worried about sprawl elsewhere in the Houston area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted September 28, 2005 Author Share Posted September 28, 2005 and my parents live in NorthhamptonWow, twice in one day...First, when looking at the map posted on the GPA website and just now,Northampton spelled incorrectly...Bummer.For instance, I travel to College Station about 6 times each fall for football games.Just not reason enough to build the billion dollar Grand Parkway, sorry... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnet Posted September 28, 2005 Share Posted September 28, 2005 Wow, twice in one day...First, when looking at the map posted on the GPA website and just now, Northampton spelled incorrectly... Bummer. Just not reason enough to build the billion dollar Grand Parkway, sorry... I'm sorry I offended you with the mispelling of the Northampton subdivision. I'm sure most of the others on this message board understood what I was talking about. I guess you just needed something to gripe about. You are little dense if you thought I was implying they should build a "billion dollar Grand Parkway" for my personal conveinence 6 times each fall. I was using that as an example of one of the many uses for the parkway that I went on to explain in the rest of my post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted September 28, 2005 Author Share Posted September 28, 2005 No offense taken, just surprised that your parents live here and yet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eelimon Posted September 28, 2005 Share Posted September 28, 2005 For my own selfish reasons I would love to have the Grand Parkway completed North of I-10 around to I-45. We live in Cinco Ranch and my parents live in Northhampton so there is not direct route. It would probably cut the travel time in half. In all seriousness, it seems like there is quite a bit of "cross suburb commuting" around Houston which currenlty requires you to travel into the Beltway 8 then out again via a different spoke. For instance, I travel to College Station about 6 times each fall for football games. I can either take several different 2 lane FM roads north of Katy up to 290 or go in on I-10 to Beltway 8, then out again on 290 toward Hempstead. I think this would really help eliviate traffice buildup on some of the spokes inside the beltway (I10, 290, I45) as well as traffic on the hub (BW8) when you are really just trying to get around the city to another spoke. What about taking Hwy 6 to the 290 that is not a two lane FM road? I can tell you that Baytown and Chambers County really want this thing. This road is opening up a lot of area over there which will be used for distribution centers. This road will also provide a needed link between the port and I-10 East.I certainly understand the gripes of those who are worried about sprawl elsewhere in the Houston area. Agreed It does not matter if you are against this road it will get built. It definitely does not matter if yall are griping about it on HAIF it will get built Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted September 29, 2005 Author Share Posted September 29, 2005 Wal-Mart needs the Grand Parkway, that's for sure! It is curious though that Segment I-2 will be the second segment to be constructed because Segment D was the first segment built and the two don't connect. Also, there are currently no plans to construct Segment I-1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted October 3, 2005 Share Posted October 3, 2005 It's not just Wal-Mart,It the Cedar Crossing Industrial Park and the Port of Houston. Truck demand it pushing the eastern segments. Which isn't that bad since all this traffic won't be on the East Belt feeder roads or on US 59 in urbanized areas.The subdivisions that will grow up around the eastern segment will already know the segment is full of trucks.I know of around 10,000 acres along the easter segment that is moving forward. Developers are buying the tracks up right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eelimon Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 ^ Awh! I like sprawl. Don't you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 I certainly do, and it's not sarcasm.I also like urban density to. One won't exist without the other.Every major urban center has mass spraw attached to unless geography or markets forces dictate something different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eelimon Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 I certainly do, and it's not sarcasm.I also like urban density to. One won't exist without the other..I completely agree with you."Every major urban center has mass spraw attached to unless geography or markets forces dictate something different" Like Manhattan Island Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 Hong Kong is another one, but if you go to the north to Shanghai you'll find mass suburban sprawl. It's a little more dense than ours, but the same concept. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
technoevil Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 What about taking Hwy 6 to the 290 that is not a two lane FM road?AgreedIt does not matter if you are against this road it will get built.It definitely does not matter if yall are griping about it on HAIF it will get builtDo you know how long it takes to take Hwy 6 from I-10 to 290? It takes a lot of time with all of the traffic and traffic lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eelimon Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Hong Kong is another one, but if you go to the north to Shanghai you'll find mass suburban sprawl. It's a little more dense than ours, but the same concept.Manhattan > New York City > Long Island this is a perfect example how sprawl works well with a cities urban core and surounding land. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted October 6, 2005 Author Share Posted October 6, 2005 Manhattan > New York City > Long Island this is a perfect example how sprawl works well with a cities urban core and surounding land.In this particular example, isn't this also a ringing endorsement of how well their mass transit system works? Perhaps to have "effective sprawl" you must also have an equally effective mass transit system. Can the same be said for Houston, or do we have still a long way to go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Well, our park and ride services is very effective if you work in Upttown and Downtown.Just as Midtowncoog about that. The HOV lanes are our version of long distance mass transit until a commuter rail system comes online. What we currently have is very effective for not being a rail based system though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eelimon Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Well, our park and ride services is very effective if you work in Uptown and Downtown.Just as Midtowncoog about that. The HOV lanes are our version of long distance mass transit until a commuter rail system comes online. What we currently have is very effective for not being a rail based system though.Well I am 30 today. I don't really want to be 70 by the time Houston Transit system is in its maturity stages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 ^^I know, I know, but METRO doesn't work on your life schedule. The can't just start building these things.We have to live with that fact that our Federal gov't has some much red tape to get a little transit funding.My hopes is when the second line (east-west) gets built, it will be sucessfull. If we get higher ridership on two lines, I think future funding may be easier.As of now, we do have near 2 billion coming to us over the next 10 years. With the first segment costing just under $300 million, I think we will be ok with future lines.The commuter lines to me are the most difficult. It's weird, most of the tracks are already in place, but negotiation with UPRR has to occur for METRO to be able to use them. UPRR is very cautious about adding customers to their lines that might disrupt their current services. Hopefully all this gets worked out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted October 8, 2005 Author Share Posted October 8, 2005 UPRR is very cautious about adding customers to their lines that might disrupt their current services.From what I understand in talking with officials from UPRR over a number of years now, is that they don't want to relinquish ANY control to anyone else, be that Burlington Northern or any commuter trains because their OWN freight rail business on those train tracks is increasing at a rapid pace every year, mainly due to their customers in the NAFTA/CAFTA regions. Plus, they like to say that they really wouldn't want to endanger the lives of citizens by putting them on the same tracks as those carrying all those hazardous cargoes. (Even though they same to have a wreck or derailment every week at UPRR, it doesn't seem to adversely affect their company business one bit.) This whole issue is being discussed often in the Trans-Texas corridor plan proposed by Gov. Perry, and may end up being the one thing that causes his plan to collapse. The train lobby is a very old one and very strong and powerful, especially in the Texas region. They won't give up anything without a fight or a whole lot of concessions made to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ENGcons Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 This segment F2 is gong to have a difficult time getting through the area South of Boudreax Road. The development inthe area is moving faster than anyone can keep up with. However, in Gleannloch farms, they are starting to clear an area for what they call "future development" with no specifics. This area sits about 100 yds from the back property line of some existing homes. Is this 100yd area a window for the proposed Grand Parkway? I walked the area Sunday and could not see how the GP would thread through the existing, and now new area to be built. I also don't see how Gleannloch Farms wold let the GP bisect right through their neighborhood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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