j_cuevas713

4 hours ago, samagon said:

Kubosh wants to put the kibosh on bike lanes?

He can try all he wants but he's outnumbered 3 to 1. I just had about 5 groups I ride with blow up his emails. 

23 hours ago, Amlaham said:

It's crazy to me how such a major project isn't funded yet some of the smaller local streets are. I know its not how it should be prioritized, but I already thought major streets should get priority over local/ neighborhood streets that get less traffic. Hopefully this can move forward soon. 

It's honestly because of the HGAC. The majority of those that represent the region don't live in Houston or Harris Co. And it doesn't help that politically many of those same people hate Houston because it's a blue city, so they find ways to avoid funding Houston city projects and then later complain how Democrat's don't do anything. It's been this way for decades. 

So council member Kubosh wants proof people use the bike lanes. He said it's a "concern" for him. Send him any pictures you have!  https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrgIKN7AXTb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

On 4/24/2023 at 6:22 AM, 004n063 said:

This is excellent. Looks like a 2ft buffer, so I'd be surprised if they don't add armadillos. If this extends down to Buffalo Bayou, then this plus the forthcoming massive 6th-610 Shepherd/Durham reconstruction will mean continuous protection from Buffalo Bayou up to 610.

This isn't exactly news, but until the barriers are installed, I'm always cautious with my optimism.

I thought they decided to add the regular concrete barriers

Oh wow a satellite location for Starbucks is cool. I wonder how many corporate heads will oversee this one. 

On 4/24/2023 at 6:04 AM, Brooklyn173 said:

I thought this is an interesting overall view...

https://apnews.com/article/cities-downtowns-vacant-offices-affordable-housing-pandemic-cc2cd895fd0f186229f69b74a133eddb

This means we need to move faster than those other cities because we’re already behind, but we won’t because we move at a snails pace with everything 

It's weird how the little building next to this is all tagged up. I figured that would be a prime spot for a bar or restaurant. 

Not sure how this is allowed but the construction team has blocked more than half the sidewalk

They had a pop-up at the Eado Bike Co Bike Swap this past Sunday

Not sure if this has a topic created already but I’ve seen this being built for a while now. Anyone have more info? 

48 minutes ago, jhjones74 said:

I don’t disagree that the building itself was not worth saving. My only point is that walking up Texas Ave, the experience as a pedestrian will now be worse off than it was before. At least personally, there’s nothing less appealing than walking alongside a flat, completely vacant surface lot. Not to mention the heat island you create from all that unshaded pavement.

I get that point but with the new hotel going up, I think it will help this corridor aesthetically. Texas Ave is slowly shaping up really nice with high quality developments. 

12 minutes ago, jhjones74 said:

I wouldn’t say this is a win - even if the building was less than appealing, swapping it with a surface lot negatively impacts the urban aesthetic of downtown and detracts from the area’s walkability. It’s depressing being a pedestrian in an area catering itself to cars

It's not affecting aesthetics much when the building wasn't even much to look at. I didn't even know this building existed until I heard about it being demolished. Now losing that small aesthetically pleasing little building next to it would have been a major loss. This just lays the groundwork for a better building in it's place. And we'll have the new hotel up the street going up to replace this "loss". 

I'm more surprised they aren't painting a green lane like most bike lanes. Isn't Woodhead supposed to become a bikeway like Hawthorne is? I love Hawthorne

I'm ok with it being a parking lot as long as that little historic building is saved. I see it as a win in my opinion. The building wasn't very appealing to begin with. 

1 hour ago, hindesky said:

There is a pedestrian bridge over IH 10 underneath Elysian St. bridge. The city has plans to build a road that will connect San Jacinto St. to Fulton St. but that's probably not going to happen anytime soon.

Yeah I use that bridge sometimes on my bike, but it would be great if they widened it by about 10 feet and cleaned up the area around it. 

This is the spark that's going to help this area blow up. With the Warehouse District right across the freeway, I hope the city will find a way to better connect the two areas for pedestrians. 

5 minutes ago, nate4l1f3 said:

The Gamebox wasn’t bad and I like the idea. They should fill this place with as much entertainment options as possible. This is wishful thinking but how cool would it be to turn something like this into an entertainment hub. Each suite offering a different experience like virtual golf, virtual baseball, virtual racing, putt putt, escape rooms, laser tag, bowling, themed bars, rainforest cafe type restaurant, game show experience etc etc. all under one roof-  it would be a big ass mall but for entertainment experiences. Maybe it wouldn’t make enough money on weekdays to be feasible, but it would be nice to have something like that downtown 🤷🏻‍♂️
 

Ok dream over. 

I honestly don't think the idea is too far from reality. While they didn't do extensive renovation to the inside, it's still a much more inviting place from the outside and I think that was the bigger problem. Over time as foot traffic increases downtown, this will evolve in to much more. 

This is great. It also prevents drivers from doubling up and making right turns which is even worse for pedestrians

WTF!? I read the article and I'm amazed at the disconnect between the two groups. In my opinion this falls on METRO not properly communicating it's intentions. 

Bike and transit officials, however, have different views of what the agreement, and the $500,000, were meant to do.

“Our intent has been to work with Houston Bike Share on a transitional window as Metro creates a bike sharing program, and not simply hand over $500,000,” Metro spokesman Jerome Gray said in an email.

The first step in Metro paying for anything or reimbursing the nonprofit is having an agreement and the proper paperwork in place, Ramabhadran said, noting that Metro's taxpayer-generated money comes with a lot of conditions.

"We have to dot the I's and cross the T's," he said. "We cannot just hand over taxpayer money. It is not a blank check."

Metro officials say they still are assessing the system and developing a plan for the new bike share program. Officials have said the aim, once it is a part of Metro, is to provide convenient connections to transit or small trips between where someone can easily walk and the choice of driving or transit.

"By no means is this conversation closed," Ramabhadran said of the partnership with Houston Bike Share, including Metro covering some costs or assuming responsibility for some operations. "But it has to work within the limitations of what a public agency can do."

9 minutes ago, nate4l1f3 said:

I walked The Highlight last weekend an I was not impressed tbh. Puttshack is cool and should help but everything else is just lipstick. The third floor is exactly the same and the current tenants are less than impressive. Is there plans to renovate the third floor as well?

I don't expect the current tenants to be all that fills the space. I already saw more foot traffic because of Immersive Gamebox and I'm sure Puttshack will help continue to draw people regularly as well. I also wasn't expecting much in terms of the interior but as more people come I'm sure more features will be added. 

Damn I would be embarrassed to deliver something like that to a client lmao 

I wonder what the plan is for the older smaller building on the lot if the original plans to renovate this structure are dead. 

30 minutes ago, phillip_white said:

I think that's the point. The one along Bagby is designed to keep people from walking across an off-ramp and pushes them toward a protected intersection. I'm glad they're not planning any pedestrian improvements at this location because it's one distracted driver away from plowing through the upgrades and any people who might be using them. Though I'm not sure who would want to sit between two lanes of speeding traffic.

And that's the problem, we keep catering to cars with this irrational fear of something bad happening. So it stops us from building the best city possible. Other cities don't seem to have this problem as much as we do and it's because they're forcing people to slow down. The more space you provide to pedestrians, cars will slow down. 

4 hours ago, trymahjong said:

🥺geez.  .....please don't tell me, more concrete is the answer.....

Yes more concrete but utilized correctly. 

4 hours ago, Texasota said:

Eh, anything would be better than the "decorative" nonsense that's there now. Close the tiny bit of street that separates it from the apartments/restraurant and make it a usable space. Paving, seating, more trees...

It's so ugly . Even the one near Bagby is hideous. Perfect place of more pedestrian activity and instead it's a pile of dirt. I went ahead and sent the MMD an email regarding this and ways to improve these two medians. Right now they act as physical barriers to pedestrians more than anything,.