Some one Posted February 14, 2019 Share Posted February 14, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, 102IAHexpress said: Whatever hope of new rail infrastructure being built with federal tax dollars, just took a huge hit because of California's boondoggle of a high speed train fiasco. If anything, the feds may want to get money back on wasted train investments! I can see the feds spending money on rebuilding/repairing -existing- rail infrastructure though. A light rail/commuter rail project is WAAAAAY different from the $77 billion fiasco that was the California high speed rail Edited February 14, 2019 by Some one 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted February 14, 2019 Share Posted February 14, 2019 it may also free up federal money that was tied up in that project to be spread around to other mass transit projects that have been under funded thanks to certain lawmakers. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Some one Posted February 14, 2019 Share Posted February 14, 2019 3 hours ago, august948 said: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/14/trump-demands-calif-give-back-feds-billions-for-bullet-train-project.html i would think, though, that this would reflect more on bullet train projects between cities rather than commuter projects in cities. Is the TCR project using any fed funds or is that all private? It's privately funded https://www.texascentral.com/facts/ 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted February 14, 2019 Share Posted February 14, 2019 35 minutes ago, Some one said: It's privately funded https://www.texascentral.com/facts/ Quote Who is funding the project? Investors and entrepreneurs. Texas Central is an investor-funded company utilizing a market-led approach to financing, led by a group of primarily Texan investors. The Railroad will not seek grants from the US Government or the State of Texas, nor any operational subsidy once operation begins. The project will be financed with a blend of debt and equity. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Some one Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/transportation/article/Richmond-rail-ban-removed-from-federal-spending-13620859.php?utm_campaign=CMS Sharing Tools (Premium)&utm_source=reddit.com&utm_medium=referral Quote There are no plans to build light rail on Richmond, but for the first time in a long time there is nothing stopping Metro from asking for federal funds to help pay for it. The federal spending bill signed Friday by President Donald Trump, averting a government shutdown, lacks a provision in previous funding plans barring the Federal Transit Administration from funding any part of light rail on Richmond or Post Oak. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfastx Posted February 19, 2019 Share Posted February 19, 2019 Direct result of Culberson being voted out lol. Too little, too late though, too bad this didn't happen 10 years earlier. Richmond is one of the few corridors in Houston that absolutely warrants rail. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_cuevas713 Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 While I'm happy we have someone in office with common sense. It makes me dislike Culberson that much more. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted February 26, 2019 Share Posted February 26, 2019 imagine if they added a rider to a bill that specifically offered Houston money specifically for the purpose of building rail on Richmond. ah, a boy can dream, I guess. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted February 27, 2019 Share Posted February 27, 2019 18 hours ago, samagon said: imagine if they added a rider to a bill that specifically offered Houston money specifically for the purpose of building rail on Richmond. ah, a boy can dream, I guess. I dream bigger: a rider specifically for rail under Richmond 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intencity77 Posted February 27, 2019 Share Posted February 27, 2019 That astounding two billion dollars going towards the very rural and desolate northeastern section of the Grand Parkway would have better served for the expansion of Metro’s public transportation and rail network within Houston. What a waste! Unfortunately this region still has its priorities very wrong on occasions and it’s being held back because of it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triton Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/transportation/article/Metro-scaling-back-future-transit-plans-to-one-13727569.php Quote Metropolitan Transit Authority board members on Thursday agreed to plan on one light rail line to Hobby Airport, as opposed to the two initially proposed as part of the agency’s long-term transportation plan. The first draft of the plan, dubbed Metro Moving Forward, included extensions of both the Purple Line and Green Line to Hobby. The proposal had the Purple coming from southeast Houston near MacGregor Park and the Green coming from near Gus Wortham Golf Course. The projects represented roughly $1.8 billion of the $7.5 billion Metropolitan Transit Authority plans to spend on major projects and improvements over the next 40 years. Both of the light rail extensions enjoy support from local officials and residents along the planned routes to Hobby, but the plan of two routes to the same airport also drew criticism. Each of the routes also had skeptics, who noted the Purple Line would travel a loosely developed industrial area for part of the trip, while the Green Line’s straightest path - along Broadway - would anger some residents and force Metro to rebuild a street that the city spent money sprucing up for the Super Bowl in 2017. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 Good that they are now focusing on doing just one, as long as they extend the other past the municpal court houses and start getting light rail west of downtown. Now which would be better of the two extensions? The green line would serve more people on it's run, and looks like the more obvious straight line path (since it would basically follow the same road all the way down), however the article brings up a good point that the city just redid Broadway. Additionally, I wonder how the train would get into the airport without redoing the current access ramp from Broadway. The purple line would go through less developed areas, which would mean less ridership, but it would be a faster trip to the airport, assuming that they can get the right of way and signal timing right to get the speed up to 55 mph. It's also $91 million cheaper. However, it doesn't look like as much a natural extension, and if/when the green line gets extended it would naturally go to Hobby, making that section of the purple line more redundant. Long range, I think some sort of cross town transit would make sense, and the jog that the purple line would do could be the first link in that. This quote had me thinking of an alternative extension to the purple line Quote “I cannot for the life of me understand why we can’t build more rail,” said board member Lex Frieden, citing people pushing Metro to extend lines to Pearland and Galveston. The purple line could extend down to Pearland, the Green line toward Galveston. At one point the red line was going to connect to Hobby; the beginning of a southern cross town line could do that, at least initially with BRT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Some one Posted April 1, 2019 Share Posted April 1, 2019 (edited) I think they're most likely going to change the alignment of the extensions if they go through with just one. I think they should go with what Ramabhadran said and have the two lines meet up earlier to form one line. Hopefully they use the money from that to fund the other lines. (and judging by the comments they got, I think it's possible, they are considering it after all). (https://ridemetro.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=5&clip_id=1780&meta_id=41291 if you're interested in seeing the presentation) 34 minutes ago, cspwal said: The purple line could extend down to Pearland, the Green line toward Galveston. At one point the red line was going to connect to Hobby; the beginning of a southern cross town line could do that, at least initially with BRT. I think it would be a better idea to extend the red line to Pearland, since it would connect the TMC to Pearland (and Pearland really wants to have transit connection to the TMC). I do agree with you on a potential Green Line though. Edited April 1, 2019 by Some one 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 How would you extend rail to Missouri City & Sugarland then? Wasn't there some proposal for a commuter line that would start at Fannin south and go to Missouri City? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 1 hour ago, cspwal said: How would you extend rail to Missouri City & Sugarland then? Wasn't there some proposal for a commuter line that would start at Fannin south and go to Missouri City? Metro was exploring this back in 2012, but it doesn't seem to have gone anywhere beyond some public meetings https://web.archive.org/web/20120710071248/http://www.ridemetro.org/CurrentProjects/90A-Southwest_RailCorridor.aspx Their timeline from this doc shows construction in 2017 and 2018. Not sure yet what happened but clearly it was tabled. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 ^ It's still in the MetroNext Moving Forward Plan, but requires commitments from partners (presumably referring to Sugar Land/Fort Bend County): "Potential Red Line Extension - Fannin South Transit Center to Missouri City and Sugar Land (Phase 1 project development only; further project development requires a defined partnership)" 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilcal Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 I played with some possibilities of how to connect the green and purple lines before it made the run to Hobby. Not wonderful. I think I like 3 or 4 the best. 3 is only feasible if TxDOT right of way along 610 is possible to acquire, which I have absolutely no idea if that is feasible. The Metro board was hesitant to go down Broadway since it was just gussied up for the Super Bowl a few years ago, but there are SO MANY apartments that the density almost demands it instead of sticking to Telephone road. Option 3 would allow you to make the diverging point at Gulfgate, which I think would generate lots of local (non-airport) traffic. Option 1: Option 2: Option 3: Option 4: 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 I think extending the green line and getting it to Telephone is the best answer. continue on Harrisburg to turn into Broadway. turn off Broadway on 610 and continue on to Reveille. Reveille then turns into Telephone and can bring you right to the terminal. or at least to a station that is a transfer to a circulator bus that goes to departures and arrivals. there are a few additional benefits to this... one benefit of going out to Broadway is that you then cross 225, or at least the unused ROW for 225. that could be put to use, now or later, as a drop off for park and ride patrons to then get on rail for the last leg into town. considering the proximity of that ROW to hwy 3, perhaps at some point the destination of a commuter rail from Clearlake/Friendswood/Galveston area that feeds into the light rail. another benefit is going by Gulfgate. it's a big area that is a collection of shops, and there's no reason to assume it won't continue to be this, and maybe even grow to have more as the area grows in desirability. imagine a city center like area here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 The biggest obstacle for extending the purple line along Griggs is going to be the mess where Long Dr, Mykawa, Griggs and 2 freight lines all cross Also the new SH 35 plans for extending it out to 610 look like they wouldn't play nice with any attempts to do more grade separation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasota Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 Oh, so they're linking it up with the little spur behind UH? https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/projects/studies/houston/sh-35-harris-county.html Great, just what campus needs. An active freeway running through it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLWM8609 Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 15 minutes ago, Texasota said: Oh, so they're linking it up with the little spur behind UH? https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/projects/studies/houston/sh-35-harris-county.html Great, just what campus needs. An active freeway running through it. Spur 5 has always been intended to be part of SH 35. It's nothing new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 I don't hold my breath for the spur 5 turning into 35 expansion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 15 hours ago, Texasota said: Oh, so they're linking it up with the little spur behind UH? https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/projects/studies/houston/sh-35-harris-county.html Great, just what campus needs. An active freeway running through it. To be fair, there's already a freight yard on that side so it's not exactly connected to the UH energy campus on the other side of where spur 5 is now 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 28 minutes ago, cspwal said: To be fair, there's already a freight yard on that side so it's not exactly connected to the UH energy campus on the other side of where spur 5 is now Actually, the Brays Bayou trail forms a connection between the two by going under the railyard. Most students seem to use the shuttle buses between the two but I have seen UH golf carts going back and forth on the trail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilcal Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 18 hours ago, samagon said: one benefit of going out to Broadway is that you then cross 225, or at least the unused ROW for 225. that could be put to use, now or later, as a drop off for park and ride patrons to then get on rail for the last leg into town. considering the proximity of that ROW to hwy 3, perhaps at some point the destination of a commuter rail from Clearlake/Friendswood/Galveston area that feeds into the light rail. 2 Hrmm. That is certainly an interesting idea. It's currently listed as John R. Harris Park, but there are zero amenities developed. Could see that being good for Astros/Dynamo parking as well (with half of the astros giant lot potentially going away if 45N expansion happens). Dynamo already have a promo with Metro where the rail is free with a game ticket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cougarpad Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 (edited) If Metro was smart, they would put a station on the green line expansion at one of the rail corridors going in the direction of Galveston for a commuter rail link.The green line would get massive ridership from airline passengers looking to get from Hobby Airport to Galveston for the cruise ships. Currently all these cruise passengers have to take shuttle buses to Galveston from Hobby. Edited April 3, 2019 by cougarpad Error Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilcal Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 5 minutes ago, august948 said: Actually, the Brays Bayou trail forms a connection between the two by going under the railyard. Most students seem to use the shuttle buses between the two but I have seen UH golf carts going back and forth on the trail. Who would use the UH golf carts? They have a bunch of signs saying that the north half of the trail is for golf carts only, but whatever, just happy that the trail is there. It's still not fully connective there which again, is annoying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilcal Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 1 minute ago, cougarpad said: If Metro was smart, they would put a station near on the green line explanation at one of the rail cooridorss going in the dirrect of Galveston for commuter rail. The green line would get massive ridership from airline passengers looking to get from Hobby Airport to Galveston for the cruise ships. Currently all these cruise passengers have to take shuttle buses to Galveston from Hobby. I just dug this article out, from *groan* 12 years ago, that talks about utilizing rail to Galveston again: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Houston-Galveston-passenger-train-could-roll-again-1827339.php Another article from 2012 says that they abandoned the Union Pacific plan and the revised one required laying a new set of rail on most segments for $650 mil: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Houston-Galveston-passenger-rail-may-be-revived-3747946.php Looking at the map in the 2012 article, the train into downtown would use the track that goes over Broadway at Erath St. That's right in an area where the Green line would extend to. No idea how much land would be required to build a train station, but it seems like you could put it a few places in that area? Also, green line going underneath the train line on Broadway right there would be a big positive. Here is my option 2 from above with the 2012 recommended train line marked in blue: It's kind of futile to talk about this of course, since Metro has all of four months to finalize their plan 😕 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 13 minutes ago, cougarpad said: If Metro was smart, they would put a station on the green line expansion at one of the rail corridors going in the direction of Galveston for a commuter rail link.The green line would get massive ridership from airline passengers looking to get from Hobby Airport to Galveston for the cruise ships. Currently all these cruise passengers have to take shuttle buses to Galveston from Hobby. If Metro is smart they will not spend money building a station just on the hope that someday someone might build commuter rail to Galveston and that they might build it to the spot where Metro builds a station. IF commuter rail to Galveston is built, Metro can easily add a station to the Green Line. That would indeed be a good connection to have. Not sure how "massive" the ridership would be from Hobby to Galveston for the cruise ships. I think a pretty high percentage of Galveston cruise ship passengers are (1) from the metro area, or (2) drive in by car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilcal Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 Just now, Houston19514 said: If Metro is smart they will not spend money building a station just on the hope that someday someone might build commuter rail to Galveston and that they might build it to the spot where Metro builds a station. IF commuter rail to Galveston is built, Metro can easily add a station to the Green Line. That would indeed be a good connection to have. Not sure how "massive" the ridership would be from Hobby to Galveston for the cruise ships. I think a pretty high percentage of Galveston cruise ship passengers are (1) from the metro area, or (2) drive in by car. I don't think it would be anywhere near the majority, but there is a lot of potential commuter traffic from suburbs along 45. I volunteered at IAH for several years, and I would put the number that were flying into IAH for cruises in the several hundred range per weekend. Enough to where IAH built a bus shelter at terminal C to protect them from wind/rain while loading luggage/etc. I would imagine Hobby would have more than that because of how much closer it is. Private shuttle services like Island Breeze have popped up as well. So passengers would have to take the light rail into the far east end (15ish minutes) then take a 75ish minute train to Galveston. People would probably do that, but would need to be a bit cheaper than the $30-$35/person shuttle cost. Probably not gonna happen for IAH passengers. BRT to downtown, then get on greenline (possibly via red line?), then get on train. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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