METRORail North Line

[cloud713]

i dont doubt it. and they will only continue to once the rail is open and new developments spring up. they just dont have the density/ridership that the areas along the University line do at the moment, IMO. plus Houston needs a solid east west line for the system. the west side is where most of Houston is developed.

[cloud713]

.

[Slick Vik]

The interesting thing is that where the three lines are being built now are in low income areas, people that depend on transit and are truly thankful for the huge upgrades. A rarity for light rail projects I have to admit.

[tomv]

ugh i wish Metro would of built the University line second. it goes through a much more developed area and would have higher ridership IMO than the 3 new routes being built right now. oh well, these new lines will most likely spur some great TODs along their routes and rejuvenate these parts of town.

 

What's a TOD? 

[mfastx]

What's a TOD? 

 

Transit Oriented Development.  Basically a development centered around a transit stop.

[cloud713]

What's a TOD?

Transit oriented development

[crunchtastic]

There's one burger place but yea mostly chains

 

hahahahahaha!!!! Right, Vic, because you spend exactly how much time in northside village?? 

 

 As far as eats... La Macro is very good and they recently expanded. Those of us willing to ride our bikes a few miles in the summer know these things already.  Some of us measure Houston's progress by participating in city life at the actual street level, rather than staying at home cutting and pasting tertiary (at best) sources to make spurious arguments on the internet.

[Slick Vik]

hahahahahaha!!!! Right, Vic, because you spend exactly how much time in northside village??

As far as eats... La Macro is very good and they recently expanded. Those of us willing to ride our bikes a few miles in the summer know these things already. Some of us measure Houston's progress by participating in city life at the actual street level, rather than staying at home cutting and pasting tertiary (at best) sources to make spurious arguments on the internet.

I was thinking directly on the line. I go to north side village all the time. I guess I forgot to mention taconazo, good stuff. Gorditas Aguascalientes is good too. Laredo taqueria is popular but I don't like it. Pizza patron has cheap pizza. Also radical eats, though I think I read something about them moving and/or expanding recently.

[crunchtastic]

The interesting thing is that where the three lines are being built now are in low income areas, people that depend on transit and are truly thankful for the huge upgrades. A rarity for light rail projects I have to admit.

 

This is far and above the most offensive statement from you yet. Please cite your conversations with my low income neighbors here in the east end.  Are you riding the #36 with my friends,  and meticulously recording their tranist hopes and dreams?

 

Before, you were just annoying. Now, you are offensive.  I'm actually pro-rail and have been for a long time. But the fact that you assume  to speak for (in your mind) the great unwashed of the 2nd, and 3rd,  and 5th wards is too damn much.  

[crunchtastic]

I was thinking directly on the line. I go to north side village all the time. I guess I forgot to mention taconazo, good stuff. Gorditas Aguascalientes is good too. Laredo taqueria is popular but I don't like it. Pizza patron has cheap pizza. Also radical eats, though I think I read something about them moving and/or expanding recently.

 

La Macro IS directly on the line, Vic.

 

But good for you on showing us you know how to use Yelp, despite the fact that you don't know jack about northside or the east end.

[Slick Vik]

La Macro IS directly on the line, Vic.

But good for you on showing us you know how to use Yelp, despite the fact that you don't know jack about northside or the east end.

I've been to all those places numerous times. As far as the east end my favorite place is pollos asados la silla. I also like el petate on canal street a lot. There's a cool refresqueria on Harrisburg that I get elote and licuados from all the time. I tried we Greco once but wasn't impressed.

[Slick Vik]

This is far and above the most offensive statement from you yet. Please cite your conversations with my low income neighbors here in the east end. Are you riding the #36 with my friends, and meticulously recording their tranist hopes and dreams?

Before, you were just annoying. Now, you are offensive. I'm actually pro-rail and have been for a long time. But the fact that you assume to speak for (in your mind) the great unwashed of the 2nd, and 3rd, and 5th wards is too damn much.

I've known victor Trevino for 20 years. I think he has a good idea of what his constituents think.

[Slick Vik]

Not only that but I have friends that live in the east end, and even own businesses there. I'm relaying what they're saying. Same for third ward. I'm not sure why you're offended.

[livincinco]

i dont doubt it. and they will only continue to once the rail is open and new developments spring up. they just dont have the density/ridership that the areas along the University line do at the moment, IMO. plus Houston needs a solid east west line for the system. the west side is where most of Houston is developed.

 

I would be cautious in expecting to much.  This sounds like a repeat of what's happened on the red line.  There's no question that there's incremental value in proximity to the rail line, but it sounds like that value is already getting priced into the land and, in my opinion, that's exactly what has held back development along the red line.  The landowners placed a higher incremental value than the developers. 

[musicman]

Gee, that seems like it could be a pretty confusing right turn onto Boundary from Main.  What's going to stop people from just driving on the tracks? 

nothing will stop them. they are already doing it on the east side. quite comical. even my toy yoda had no problems.

[mkultra25]

Loved the video, Ricco. Thanks. I watched it twice. Boy, there sure isn't much along that line as far as places to go, bars, restaurants, etc...I did a little research, and there is one restaurant, Radical Eats, on Fulton near the Moody Park station that looks interesting, but I didn't see anything else that might make for a fun destination just to try the line out when it opens in December. You would think there would be at least one decent Mexican restaurant within easy walking distance of one of the stations. Oh well, maybe that will be coming. In addition, of course, to new housing for people who work Downtown or in the Medical Center and want to take the train to work.  And other possible development.      

 

Radical Eats is moving to Montrose. But there are other decent Mexican restaurants within reasonable walking distance of the stations - La Macro and Laredo Taqueria were already mentioned, and there's Casa Garay near Fulton and 610. 

 

It's too bad that the original Doneraki had to close - they had a chance to have been a prime destination for Mexican food right on the rail line, although they never really recovered after Ike. 

[Triton]

The lights are on at the new rail stations! They look really cool. Let me see if I can get a picture soon.

[Triton]

My photo doesnt do it justice. Very very neon blue and it's a lot brighter than my image is showing:

 

[musicman]

The interesting thing is that where the three lines are being built now are in low income areas, people that depend on transit and are truly thankful for the huge upgrades. A rarity for light rail projects I have to admit.

are they? the ones I know say that the station is too far now because before you could access the bus every 2 blocks. not good for ridership. but maybe they can go eat at doneraki now...oh wait, it closed.

[tomv]

Radical Eats is moving to Montrose. But there are other decent Mexican restaurants within reasonable walking distance of the stations - La Macro and Laredo Taqueria were already mentioned, and there's Casa Garay near Fulton and 610. 

 

It's too bad that the original Doneraki had to close - they had a chance to have been a prime destination for Mexican food right on the rail line, although they never really recovered after Ike. 

 

Thanks!  I think I'll try Laredo Taqueria at 311 Patton just east of Fulton. According to this article from the Houston Press, there are actually two locations that are within walking distance of the station at Fulton and Cavalcade. "The Laredo Taqueria on Patton...is the cleanest, brightest and most festive of the bunch. It's the one you take out-of-town visitors to see." Sounds good to me.

 

 

http://www.houstonpress.com/2009-09-03/restaurants/laredo-cavalcade/

[Triton]

Tried to do better tonight. Camera phones don't do well for night photos. :S

[Aviel009]

Is this at Cavalcade/Fulton ? 

[TowerSpotter]

Houston Chronicle Photo on testing the rail.

 

http://blog.chron.com/thehighwayman/2013/08/north-line-testing-continues-on-track-for-december/

 

[HtownWxBoy]

It would be nice it Metro offered some sort of shuttle service from the end of the North Line to IAH ... for those of us who live along the rail line. 

[mfastx]

It would be nice it Metro offered some sort of shuttle service from the end of the North Line to IAH ... for those of us who live along the rail line. 

 

I'm sure they will re-configure bus service to IAH to be somehow tied into the North Line rail.  In addition to downtown.

[bachanon]

wasn't the census data for the north and east lines a factor in federal funding for the lines?

[tomv]

I'm sure they will re-configure bus service to IAH to be somehow tied into the North Line rail.  In addition to downtown.

 

It's just 22 minutes average by car from IAH to the end of the rail line, and you have the flexibility of taking either I45 or the Hardy Toll Road. I don't see why an express bus would take much longer than that. Pretty convenient for someone flying in who wants to be  Downtown or anywhere else further south, all the way to Reliant Stadium.    

[ricco67]

But as I have mentioned in other threads, odds are its going to be used mainly by tourists and seasonal travelers that are looking to save a few bucks.

Businessmen greatly don't care and will just want to get to and from the iah.

[Houston19514]

It's just 22 minutes average by car from IAH to the end of the rail line, and you have the flexibility of taking either I45 or the Hardy Toll Road. I don't see why an express bus would take much longer than that. Pretty convenient for someone flying in who wants to be  Downtown or anywhere else further south, all the way to Reliant Stadium.    

 

That would be nice to have an express bus to IAH.   I hope they will do that.  But, as with mass transit airport service in most metro areas, the ridership will not likely be very large.   The 22 minute bus ride to North Line Transit Center sounds nice, but to get downtown you have to add what will probably be another 20 minutes on the train.  Ieal.  You have turned a 27 minute drive/taxi ride from IAH to downtown into a 42 minute ordeal, not counting wait and connect times.  Even worse to go to Reliant Park.  You've swapped a 31 minute drive/taxi ride for a 1 hour 12 minute ordeal, again, not counting wait and connect times.

[tomv]

That would be nice to have an express bus to IAH.   I hope they will do that.  But, as with mass transit airport service in most metro areas, the ridership will not likely be very large.   The 22 minute bus ride to North Line Transit Center sounds nice, but to get downtown you have to add what will probably be another 20 minutes on the train.  Ieal.  You have turned a 27 minute drive/taxi ride from IAH to downtown into a 42 minute ordeal, not counting wait and connect times.  Even worse to go to Reliant Park.  You've swapped a 31 minute drive/taxi ride for a 1 hour 12 minute ordeal, again, not counting wait and connect times.

 

I guess there are tradeoffs. With a plane/train/express bus trip, there would be no expense of renting a car or taking a taxi, no delays at the airport to rent and return a rental car, no parking expenses, and no time ever wasted looking for a parking space or waiting for a taxi.