ssullivan

Not so fast!  METRO pretty much ran that project, and we don't vote for METRO positions.

Proper planning prevents piss poor performance.

If you're referring to the South Main widening, between Kirby and the South Loop, that was a TxDOT project, NOT a Metro project. The only work Metro has done on Main St. in the last five years was the light rail project. Main St. south of OST is TxDOT's responsibility, as it is a signed highway (US 90A).

I live in the area and there are a couple of new prairie-inspired style homes going up. A couple that have been finished for a few months-a year or two are located near S. Braeswood and Greenwillow, and there are a few under construction or recently completed off N. Braeswood between Brompton and Stella Link. And there are some definite FLW influences on a couple of them.

I'm new to Houston (my excuse for everything), so I haven't been able to hear all the arguements for and against the light rail. My question is, why is it such a long based program? Why not have more put in now?

Glen

It's a long story. The short of it is that the existing light rail segment was built entirely with local money after Tom DeLay cut off federal funding for rail development to Metro early in the design stages of the existing rail line. DeLay insisted that Metro could get no federal money for rail development unless they put a rail plan on the ballot for local voters. That happened in November 2003 and the Metro Solutions plan, which included light rail, greatly expanded bus service, new park and ride lots and transit centers, and more HOV lanes, passed. After it passed Metro was finally able to proceed with planning for rail extensions and apply for federal funding to help pay for those extensions. Metro spent much of 2002 and 2003 developing the Metro Solutions plan and getting it ready for a vote, as well as completing the current rail line. But it could not really make much progress on the proposed extensions until the election was held and the plan was approved by voters.

Even if Tom DeLay had not pulled his little funding stunt, it would still be a few years before construction on the extensions started, although we might see it a year or two sooner. The whole process takes a long time, as Metro is required to go through a specific process of determining whether a corridor will be upgraded to rail service, then studying alternatives to rail in that corridor, then selecting an exact routing for the rail line, then going through environmental analysis, then designing the rail line and getting it funded, and then finally constructing it. That process takes several years. The Main St. line was sped up in part because it was built with local money only and that corridor had been under study for an advanced transportation system for quite some time.

A subway would cost 10 times much as light rail from figures I've seen in various articles posted on HAIF. Why not a subway station for our most urban areas, like downtown, uptown, the med center & IAH. and then ground level for the rest?

Glen

That's the approach Metro has taken with the light rail extensions and possible subway segements. The only two places where I've heard any talk of a subway would be the downtown east-west line and a small subway segment on the line between the Northwest Transit Center and Uptown where the rail line would be tunneled under the West Loop.

As for the Uptown line down Post Oak, so far it's planned for running at grade in the median of the street. However that line is way off in the future, well after the Northline, Southeast, Harrisburg, and Westpark extensions are built.

Well, it's a big risk in my opinion, but if the studies were there and it was up to vote - I'd vote yes. 

Glen

Many cities that have low water tables have subways that don't flood. Much of the downtown tunnel system didn't flood during Allison, and the sections that flooded mainly flooded because of a failed bulkhead in the underground theater district garages.

You could not pay me to walk across Westhemier at Post Oak.

I take Metro to the Galleria area about once a month and cross that intersection and it's really not bad at all if you use the pedestrian signals. I've never felt unsafe crossing it and I see people crossing there every time I'm in the area.

Even if I wasn't unemployed and had the disposable income I used to have, I wouldn't waste my money or time on one of these places. Breathing a little pure oxygen through a tube that's been scented? Please, I don't have to pay for that. I can spray some air freshener in the room, walk through the mist, and take a deep breath and get the same experience. If I was looking to open a club downtown I certainly wouldn't have jumped on this fad -- in a year, maybe two, everyone will have forgotten the whole craze.

Bob lanier's light rail plan had failed when he was the mayor for the city.

Bob Lanier had no light rail plan. He ran for his first term against Whitmire and won on an anti-rail platform. Lanier then stacked the Metro board with anti-rail members who in turn increased the money diverted to the city of Houston for stret construction from Metro's budget, allowing Lanier to stop using city funds for street construction and use that money for more police. The rail plan at the time of Lanier's election wasn't light rail anyway; at that point an elevated monorail from downtown to Westchase was the leading candidate for a very nonspecific system that voters had approved several years before.

I don't think you can say any single mayor is solely responsible for something like the light rail system. Yes, during his term as mayor, Lanier was very vocal in his anti-rail stance. He has since changed his opinion and last year publically supported the rail component of the Metro Solutions plan. Brown was pro-rail, and did bring in Shirley DeLibero to head Metro with the intent that she would get a rail system up and running. Likewise he put pro-rail members on the Metro board. But the idea of a high capacity transit system on Main St. had been in the works for years, if not a decade or more. Brown's influence is just one of several factors that led to the system getting built, but I don't think you can say it was the deciding factor.

For all of his faults, yes Lee Brown accomplished some positive things in the city. However, some of what he's being given full credit for he only played a minor role in.

Its to be located on Richmond (near) and Wilcrest. My question is why are there two Synagogues near the same area?

Can someone dig up some dirt for me

Why can't there be two synagogues in the same area? Other faiths have multiple churches near each other. Sometimes people just prefer one over the other for their own personal reasons. I grew up in a town of 3,000 people yet it had at least 10 Baptist churches and three Churches of Christ. That's not counting the single LDS, United Methodist, Lutheran, Catholic, and Episcopal churches. All this serving an area of about five square miles.

I can't speak for the Woodlands store, which really isn't a Central Market but a hybrid of a nice HEB and Central Market. But the real Central Market store at Weslayan and Westheimer is always busy when I'm in there and people are making purchases.

Good because I'm really sick of those stupid commercials.  "HE went to Jared."  Ugh.

We'll probably still be stuck with those. It's not their only location in town and I'm sure they'll relocate.

They said the new Lakewood church central will be the largest in the U.S. (have you seen the video?) so I don't know where you getting your info from h-townrep.

Well technically there can be more than one way of saying it's the largest church. Are they talking about largest in membership? Or are they talking about largest church building with the highest seating capacity for services? These two numbers are independent of each other and could both be used to stake claims to "largest church" because the word church itself can be taken to mean different things.

I saw the ABC report the other night and thought it was pretty favorable. While nondenominational television preachers aren't my style (I prefer a non-mega-church where people aren't concerned about being the largest and having thousands of members) the report was informative and did highlight the power some of these preachers have. My only complaint was they interviewed that Joyce Myers woman. She really grates on my nerves -- she's so bossy and loud. Every time I'm flipping channels and she's on I can't believe how many people are actually there listening to her rant. But, at least they didn't interview John Haggee (sp?) from San Antonio. He REALLY creaps me out. At least Joel Osteen doesn't get so hung up on the hellfire and brimstone guilt thing like some of them do.

Don't you mean crused?

Ricco

I was thinking the same thing but you beat me to the post.

Remember when they used to have Italian ices in the Astrodome?  I used to love those things.  Then one day, I searched and they were gone.  I must have walked a complete lap around the building as the realization slowly sunk in.  I think they left about the same time as the scoreboard.

I'd forgotten about those! I used to always get them when we'd go to the Astros games when I was a kid.

Artists selling their creations in Market Square, or another downtown park, would be a great weekend activity especially as more people start coming downtown on the weekends. In several US cities this type of activity is very successful -- Union Square in San Francisco is one example.

I don't think most of the Hardy railyard is in use, and that's why that development is "planned."

As for the ramp stubs in the new 59/10 interchange, those will be direct connectors to the Hardy Tollroad extension. I think the plan for the new Elysian viaduct is for it to serve as the connector between downtown's east end and the Hardy extension but not actually be part of the toll road itself.

And yes I know a new boulevard can't revitalize the neighborhood alone, but why make an already blighted situation even worse? And why needlessly displace people who can't really afford to move from their homes and their community?

I really hope that TxDOT can be convinced not to build another overpass here. As it is now, the existing viaduct is somewhat of a waste because even during rush hour it is lightly used. Granted the Hardy Toll Road extension could change that but I think a well designed boulevard with well timed signals would keep traffic flowing while allowing the neighborhood to redevelop.

Does he talk about how many times a week he goes to the "market". I've had people from there tell me that instead of buying in bulk as most do in the suburbs, that they buy 1 or 2 meals at a time, and have to go to the store more than a few times a week to keep re-stocked.

Glen

She only buys what she can carry in a single trip. Of course a lot of people use collapsible shopping carts to buy more and get it all home on the subway and bus without a big hassle, but she travels a lot for work and is single so she doesn't buy a week's worth of food for a family of four.

A few weeks ago when my car was out of commission I had a few experiences with grocery shopping using Metro. It really was not that bad if I didn't buy more than I could carry. I had no problem getting a few bags on the bus and train. Going nearly two weeks without a car really was not the hassle I imagined it to be. Yes it was less convenient but I was still able to go everywhere I normally would have.

I've seen a lot of grocery stores in Manhattan but they aren't of the supermarket variety we're used to. They are typically very small and may be very focused on one area of merchandise, such as meat or produce. My cousin who lives in Manhattan off Central Park West shops in five or six stores to get what we'd buy in a single trip to Randalls or Kroger.

Yes. Same project.

I haven't seen this before either, but given its location could it possibly be an early proposal for the Chase Tower?

You sly puss! 

thank goodness terrorists don't have the means to do such things.

I feel so much safer....

Well where there's a will there's a way.

As for terrorists, there's only so much that can be done. No security system is 100% effective. However, I'm not the type to live my life in fear and stay home and avoid air travel. I'm a very fearless flyer and the odds of being on a flight that's hit by a terrorist attack is very slim. You're actually at a much greater risk of being on a flight that crashes due to mechanical failure or weather than you are to be on one hijacked by a terrorist, and we all know that airline accidents are a pretty rare occurance in this country. In fact when you get in a car and drive anywhere in this city you put yourself at a much, much greater risk of being injured or killed than you ever do when stepping onto a commercial airline flight. Unfortunately I think there are a lot of people still paralized by 9/11 and the perceived terrorist "threat" when it comes to travel though.

I just spent four frustrating hours at Intercontinental. I was supposed to meet a friend who was going to have a three hour layover, but due to weather delays, it didn't happen.

What I do not understand is how come all the food concessions are available only to ticketed passengers. I mean, all of them. For non-passengers, you can buy ridiculously priced popcorn, soda pop...and that's about it. Or, you can go over to the Marriott and spend $11 on a damn hamburger.

How come they couldn't put the food courts outside the secured areas? People waiting for arriving passengers get hungry, too.

I think they have different powers.  Embassies have full ambassadors, and can do a lot more diplomatic and important paperwork things.  Consulates are more like representative outposts of a particular country -- a notch above tourist information office.

Anyone have a better clarification?

They're more than just a notch about a tourist information office. Consulates really serve as satellite offices for embassies, handling such affairs as issuing visas for their countries, allowing expatriates living in the US to vote in their home country's elections, and assisting their citizens living in the US with legal issues. Generally consulates serve an assigned region, so many of the ones in Houston also serve the rest of Texas and/or other nearby states. Much of the reason Houston is home to so many is that there is so a large international population here, and the city has so many economic ties to the rest of the world.

You poor guy.  You're seeing the rhino in the room now, eh?

Ricco

Not quite but I am seeing those damn tanks all over this city now. They were probably there all along and I just never noticed them.