DNAguy

I'm going to get into the weeds here w/ this question:

Did anyone ask / have any information on how this will affect TXDOT's rebuild of the Elysian Viaduct? From the schematics, it doesn't seem to be grade separated anymore. Although I could just be reading them incorrectly.

Does this mean that TXDOT is scrapping its plans to rebuild it? If so, it'll add one more reason the I45 project is a good thing.

I have always failed to see how the Elysian viaduct rebuild will truly benefit the toll road / really help mobility.

If the Hardy to 59 connectors also tie into the new downtown exits / on-ramps, does it make sense to completely rebuild a road that drops you off 3 blocks to the west?

I might be persuaded if the views from the Pierce were nice views. I mean, who wants to see uninterupted views of the ATT box to the north or a graffiti'd up abandoned building to the south?

The only significant building that you can really see is the Humble oil / Exxon building and they're about to glass it over and take all of its character away.

I say good ridance. Save the $ and cap the sunken freeways.

I just creamed in my pants.

I am totally gushing over Fertitta now, he's my hero!

This is....I can't even....

Possibly. Then again, the plan is to deck over the trench, so they could build on the air rights. As it is, that freeway proposal is the most ridiculous idea I've ever seen - 28 lanes of guaranteed congestion, right in the heart of Houston.

You mean as opposed to the guaranteed congestion that we have now?

Let's keep that talk in the transpo section, where it can be rightfully challenged.

Saw this:

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2015/04/northwest-mall-trading-hands/

Had thought:

"Could this secret buyer be TCR buying the site for their Houston rail station?"

Woah.. Lemme see ya UPGRAYEDD...

FIFY

High speed railways can be highly profitable - according to Wikipedia, Central Japan Railway made over $1.1 billion last year net income.  And these are the people who are investing money to build out Texas Central.

 

6 out of the 13 HSR services that I could find were private companies making a profit. (I counted England as 1 even though there are 9 train operators)

 

Quick overview:

- Japan (Shinkansen) - private rail, makes a profit

- China - government owned

- France (TGV) - government owned

- Germany (ICE) - privately owned, parent company makes a profit

- Spain (AVE) - government owned

- Italy - (NTV) is a private company, Trenitalia is government owned

- England - Multiple private companies run trains on government owned tracks

(Note on Europe - it seems most railroads are split from the trains that run on them)

- South Korea (Korail) - private rail, makes a profit

- Taiwan (THSRC) - private rail.  The article sounds similar to what Texas Central is going to be http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan_High_Speed_Rail

- Turkey - government owned

- Russia - Russian Railways is privately owned, but is operating at a loss

- USA - (Acela) government subsidized private company

 

(Source article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_high-speed_railway_lines )

I think the difference between all of your profitable examples and TCR is that none of the profitable rail companies had to finance any of the initial rail system. I believe all the private rail started at one time as part of the government.

I'm a supporter of the project, but there is legitimate concern due to the fact that this would be the first in the world (at least I think) to be privately financed, privately run, and it turned a profit.

That being said, none of the opposition articulates this / knows what the hell they're talking about (most of them at least). It's all NIMBY, xenophobia, and anti-government Fox News talking points.

Guys, I knew about this building and the others around and how tall they are and what they look like. My sister works for the graphic designing of the brochures, I knew about this but couldn't say. I knew about the name change and everything. I just can't say anything about this but yea...that's all I can say. 

Or you could have not told us about your sister and spilled the beans anyways. You lose anonymity.

i am curious to see the backside.

Only in Houston could a 24 story building be considered "suburban looking"

Why build the parking garage? 610 is getting so bad, they can basically park their cars there and come back to them after work!

Amegy thread bringing out the snark!

Snark on posters. Snark on.

Which is just crazy. You look at the Canadian versions of Houston (Calgary and Edmonton), and they have no problems getting rail and the citizens there vote for expansions. I will never understand why the politicians are so anti rail in Houston. It is really frustrating and holding the city back. Nevermind that early 1980s plan (which would be great for Houston currently), if the 2000 light rail plan that was approved by voters did not reach so much opposition, the inner loop lines would all be complete right now. Instead, we get the half assed version and nothing better for the next decade at least.

And lets not forget either, part of the reason the rail runs in the streets without many grade separations is because Metro did not receive help from politicians who blocked funding. Could have been much better without so much corruption and delays.

Don't let Metro off the hook for their responsibility in this. They shouldn't have let it get to this point. 

They are a poorly run, corrupt institution that until the recent bus plan sat idly by while public transportation in Houston went to pot. Then the rail took over their focus and they fulfilled the prophecy of their detractors. 

What did they do from 1980 to 2000? I understand their hands were tied w/ the whole % of sales tax revenue going back to roads but seriously guys.... WTF?

If they could have pointed to successful bus lines that needed to be converted to rail and showed a track record of innovation and competence, then maybe we have a better and more robust system now.

They have been a sick man who refuses to die for a long time. It's to all our detriment but its true. They need to be scrapped. The leader of a new METRO needs to be elected and accountable. The status quo doesn't work. 

Eliminating the current I-45 alignment in favor of a dual signed eastern side 59 and 45 would be a BIG mistake.

 

Imagine the gridlock one little fender bender will create. The whole system will begin to back up because of the choke point. At least now if the east side is backed up you can go around the west side of Downtown to bypass the problem and vice versa. That one little accident would put thousands of cars onto Downtown streets trying to bypass the gridlock.

 

To improve flows on the Pierce:

 

1) Create a west side of Midtown highway so that Southwest Freeway to/from North Freeway traffic bypasses the Pierce altogether. Create a two lane cut-and-cover Spur extension under both Smith and Louisiana. Create exits/entrances at Elgin, McGowen, and Gray in addition to a direct connector to/from 45.

 

2) Create a 45 to 288 S direct connector similarly to what being done with the 610/290/10 interchange to eliminate the backups and weaving that happens after exiting the Pierce.

 

3) Eliminate the 59/288 exit to 45 North at the Pierce. Create a dedicated direct connector north of Downtown for 45 North Freeway bound traffic from 288 (or 59 drivers that didn't take the Spur).

 

What's even better is the direct connectors can be built without completely shutting down freeways for years at a time as other proposals may require. Cut-and-cover of a bypass under Smith and Louisiana thru Midtown wouldn't be pretty, but it wouldn't be devastating if done a block or two at a time. 

I don't know if anyone wants a dual signed 59/45. The idea would be to have them separated but along the same alignment. 59 trenched while 45 is elevated or something like that.

I made a quick sketch of both the Washington ave corridor and what I think you were describing. 

 

Going all the way down to Holmes and then turning around adds 13.5 miles to trip, which equals time and added likely hood of it being blocked by NIMBYs.  Note this route goes through River oaks, and if you look on the map at where the Columbia tap trail ends, there's a building between it and the existing freight rail.

 

That being said, a loop around the city might make sense if it is what you have to do - if you ride Amtrak into San Antonio you have to circle downtown.

Well, if I recall correctly, that building is part of Grocers Supply Co., which I remember reading were going to relocate their facilities to north Houston at the Pinto Business Park, so that isn't the issue. And since the HSR would follow existing lines (at least in parts), there's no reason to assume the Columbia Tap Rail Trail would be affected as well.

But yeah, between River Oaks and Afton Oaks, NIMBYs will make that plan difficult.

What about if you made the loop go farther east by UH and then through Eado? Then you could route it a little north of DT as well?

Here's my grand plan: 

Have a circulator line. This would have stops that transfer to existing and future light rail lines.

Have a Sugar land to Downtown line that has a connection to the redline south of 610 and downtown near the Metro HQ. It would also have a connection to the University line and a stop on the east side of the med center. After the Grocer's supply center, the rail would use the median of 288 (the toll-road doesn't go that far I believe) and the ROW that will be abandoned when 45 is routed east of DT and along 59 (fingers crossed). This Med center to DT section can be built later. The east Med center station can even be incorporated into the 288 tollway and its direct connectors as well if designed w/ some sort of large parking element.

Possibly have a Sugar land to Northwest transit center line. It would incorporate the west side of the circulator as well. Stops at Braeswood / Beechnut. Xfer to the University / Post Oak Lightrail at Westpark. A stop at Highland Villiage / River Oaks District. And a stop in Memorial Park.

This would eventually be a backbone for the spokes out to the other suburbs.

Wow, IAH is going to be a gigantic airport beyond 2035 with the addition of 2 runways as well as a significantly larger terminals A, B, C, D and possibly E. That said, will Houston ever be a two-hub city like LAX or ORD? I would love to see Delta move in but the proximity to ATL, I doubt that would ever happen.

Houston will never be a two hub city with its proximity to Dallas. As Texas grows and with the prospect of a Dallas to Houston bullet train, the economies of the two will become more and more intertwined. Eventually the two airports will have to be connected by high speed trains that could be incorporated w/ flights. 

Houston is already (well is about to be) a one and a half hub city in that SWA is going to fly internationally out of Hobby. That will funnel SWA flyers through Houston on to international destinations. It's as close to a traditional hub set-up within SWA's no hub framework.

http://www.chron.com/opinion/outlook/article/Wall-Bus-lane-project-will-ruin-our-Rodeo-Drive-6107583.php

 

There's an unjustifiable project afoot in the city that's somewhat of a solution in search of a problem. The alleged problem: congestion on Post Oak Boulevard near the Galleria. I'm not saying there is no traffic congestion in the area. Any weekday at rush hour proves that there is. But traffic issues in the Galleria are largely caused by commuters trying to enter or leave Loop 610 - the problem is not too many cars on Post Oak Boulevard.

The plan to build dedicated bus lanes up the middle of Post Oak seemingly would alleviate the problem by relieving commuters of their cars. Look more closely, though, and you'll see that the solution being developed by the city and Metro is not well-considered and needs to be scrapped.

The Uptown TIRZ (Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone) board estimates $200 million dollars will build dedicated bus lanes on Post Oak Boulevard. Plans show them running from the Northwest Mall at Hempstead Road and West Loop 610 to a Metro Park & Ride to be constructed on Westpark (presumably the site of Thompson Hanson nursery). It's being called the Guide Way. Various sources will fund the Guide Way. State transportation commissioners on Thursday approved the state's 10-year spending plan with $25 million for the bus lanes included and last month, the Houston City Council approved the TIRZ budget to acquire the necessary rights-of-way. But what's really known about objectives and details of the plan?

Ridership models developed by the Uptown TIRZ board project that the new bus route will carry 10,000 riders per day in 2018. This estimate is outrageously inflated, given that the more than 30-year-old Park & Ride system only carries 16,000 riders per day, most of whom are downtown-bound. This has been tried before. Since 1985, Metro has rolled out seven Park & Ride routes to the Galleria. Last month, they cancelled the sixth route (Kingsland to NW Transit to Uptown) due to low ridership. The sole surviving Park & Ride route to the Galleria (Kuykendahl to Greenway to Uptown) is classified as "poor-performing," carrying an average of only 220 people per day to both districts.

Major Galleria-area employer Apache, initially in favor of the project, now opposes it. The company surveyed its employees and asked how many would drive to the Northwest Mall and then board a bus to the Post Oak Central offices. Not one Apache employee was interested in doing so. Not one. Why has there never been a well-reasoned, comprehensive survey of Galleria employees as to their expected usage of such a project?

Parking in the Galleria is convenient, readily available and reasonably affordable. This is the complete opposite of the downtown area. Even in the parking-challenged downtown, over the past five years, Park & Ride participation rates are falling, from 38 percent to 28 percent. Metro's entire Park & Ride system consists of 29 lots. Despite a 30 year-plus operating history, 23 of its 29 lots operate at 55 percent or less of capacity.

What will this Guide Way project do to Post Oak, Houston's Rodeo Drive? I believe it will ruin it. Look what happened to the merchants on Main Street. Look what's happened to the Central Business District regarding crosstown traffic.

Why the rush to double down on a bad bet? The $37 million in the budget for eminent-domain "takings" will be woefully short, likely $100 million or more. Only one public meeting has been held by the city of Houston. When I directly asked the mayor's chief development officer, Andy Icken, who curiously was presenting the Uptown TIRZ's presentation, as to the size of the necessary takings, he responded, "It's not much, only 15,000 or 16,000 square feet." Preliminary estimates are over 160,000 square feet. That's 10 times larger. Project costs have been grossly understated.

Why the rush to get this project approved and an almost total lack of transparency? Why the failure to have open and honest town hall meetings?

Uptown, Metro and the city are talking about condemnation proceedings taking place before a final plan has been produced. This is par for the course. Another example of Metro's "Ready. Fire. Aim." approach: Recently, a long-known environmental hazard interrupted construction of the Harrisburg Line of light rail. Believe it or not, the meandering East Side Metro trains don't run the full length of the Harrisburg route. When did the poor planning method become an accepted standard?

I am convinced that people decide to work and (increasingly) live in the Galleria area due to the ease of access to retail, including restaurants and grocery stores. Completely dedicated bus lanes/guide ways make no sense to any student of public transportation unless they are of the BRT (bus rapid transit) variety. These lanes are definitely not, despite having been initially designated as such. BRT lanes are dedicated and do not stop for traffic.

Unfortunately, this project will cause long-term interruptions in east/west traffic flow on Richmond, West Alabama, Westheimer and San Felipe. This will cause congestion, which it was supposedly designed to cure.

When the mayor is finally acknowledging the decaying street infrastructure all over Houston by publicly recognizing the "pothole crisis," why would you want to tear up one of the few streets in Houston in good shape? It's an example of California-style bullet trains; i.e. projects certain to lose money, but beloved by politicians, pork-barreling interest groups and a handful of property owners masquerading as publicly spirited community servants.

I would argue that (collectively), they resemble booty-hungry pirates. Quite frankly, this will probably prove to be another example of "I told you so." But the damage will have been done. Merchants/restaurateurs will have been bankrupted and/or have moved, and our Rodeo Drive, perhaps Houston's best tourist attraction, will be no more.

 

Wall is a commercial real estate broker, specializing in tenant representation

If they are going to consider this kind of a rebuild they will need to either put away money in advance or be really rigorous in their budget planning. This rebuild probably won't start for another 5-10 years so it would be smart to start now especially if it's going to be this dramatic of a change.

The only thing the Houston office of TxDOT has in foresight is to look at an existing road and think "I bet I can add a couple more lanes to that."

What you're asking is a heavy lift.

I have zero confidence that this project is anything other than rebuilding the Pierce elevated w/ more lanes.

It's so sad b/c this could be an amazing catalyst for Houston. I mean, I can't state just how amazing it would be to Midtown / 4th Ward / Downtown if we were to get rid of the Pierce.

This would IMO spark the call for a redesign of 59 to the 59/45/288 interchange as well as a call for that interchange to be redesigned. 

But alas, TxDOT is TxDOT and we're going to get a really crappy recommendation unless politicians get involved.

What city council person has downtown in their district?

"Whee, here we go, the Ledge is back in session! And many a village is missing its idiot."  - Molly Ivins, 1/14/03

 

I miss her, even though a lot of her observations from a decade ago are still relevant - it's like deja vu all over again.

 

Rep. Metcalf apparently fails to remember that you already have to get the courts involved in order to exercise eminent domain - and once you get past somewhere around Conroe, those judges usually run into the affected landowners at the Dairy Queen or church or the high school football game pretty regularly.  Beyond that, this is a privately funded project (the sort of thing I kinda thought the Rs got all slobbery over) that's going to be using the same route as existing rights of way for rail or utilities for just about its entire length.  If Greenway Plaza and much of the Galleria area could be built over existing neighborhoods filled with fairly nice houses (shoot, downtown, too), it's pretty dang likely these guys can figure out how to deal with landowners along their route.  

 

Above and beyond which, this project isn't exactly something Bubba and Billy Bob hatched up yesterday afternoon at the ice house, or a concept piece from one of our colleagues on this board.  It's a private group that's managed to put together a pool of private resources that's on a par with a lot of good sized governmental entities, over the course of a number of years already.  It's not going to be the cartoon Ashby highrise, or even the sea of concrete that is the Katy Freeway.

 

An entire industry has built up around substituting easy talking points for facts.  In that atmosphere, fear, fear, gut wrenching fear!!!!! of the unknown easily billows into infinite panic, and that's hard to deal with.  Just look at what a pointless PITA it's become to get onto an airplane.

I called the Representative's office to voice my concern that he is targeting private business and creating a situation where government is unfairly burdening the private sector and encouraging one form of travel over another. I used words like 'crony capitalism' and 'government regulations' to try and speak his language.

From what I gather, its a matter of him opposing the project in any form as he says it only benefits a few while hurting many. His rep even used a pipeline as an example of public good and this project as not affecting the public / hurting the public good.

It's mental gymnastics, but it is what the office believes.

Here's his office #: (512) 463-0726 

http://www.texastribune.org/2015/02/25/lawmaker-files-bill-could-stop-proposed-bullet-tra/

Remember two things people:

HB1889

Will Metcalf

Here's the facebook post:

Today, I filed House Bill 1889. This bill will require county approval for the use of eminent domain for electric railways. Numerous county officials have come out in opposition to the Texas Central Railway and their use of eminent domain. This bill would help give more local control and would let individual counties decide what is best for them. Although this may not be the ultimate solution, I believe it is a good first step. I am currently working on filing more legislation regarding this issue.

If you would like to learn more about HB 1889 please visit www.legis.state.tx.us

The municipal courts would also be closer to Metro Rail and the Metro headquarters which would mean that it would be far, far more accessible to those w/out automobiles.

That's a huge plus IMHO.

Hardy green = future San Jacinto bridge/ Fulton connection. Nice try though developer.

Iteresting transpo kindlings that would affect this site:

1.) [Mentioned above] San Jac connection to Fulton st.

2.) TCR (high speed rail) connection to downtown

3.) I45 study - Either I45 expansion.... or realignment to I10 and 59/69..... which would probably lead to relocation of I10 slighly north of UH downtown and just south of the HArdy yards.

darn pay wall. I feel like they could have done a lot more with this site. Sure it's good to blend in with the area, but they could have done something a lot more interesting than this....

Here's the article:

 

More downtown residential projects are in the works around Minute Maid Park.

"I think one of the exciting things is that we are building a neighborhood," said Bob Eury, the Houston Downtown Management District's executive director.

The district recently approved two projects near the eastside ballpark as part of the Downtown Living Initiative, which provides an incentive valued at up to $15,000 for each unit built in a multifamily pro-ject. The newest projects include redevelopment of the former Petroleum Club, a 21-story art deco building now known as the Great Southwest Building, and a proposed 24-story building.

Dallas-based Todd Interests received the incentive for its proposed redevelopment of the historic building on Texas Avenue. The 1927 building will have 162 units, and the builder is adding 11 townhomes and a parking garage.

Chicago-based Marquette Cos. proposed a 304-unit, 24-story residential tower northeast of Minute Maid Park bordered by Commerce, Jackson and Franklin streets. The company broke ground in November on a 28-story, 361-unit apartment project on Texas, also near the ballpark. That project is slated to be completed by 2016.

Hotels, offices and a new High School for the Performing and Visual Arts campus are in the works for this eastern section of downtown as well.Also under construction nearby is a 400-unit complex by Houston-based Finger Cos. going up just west of the stadium. And Trammell Crow Residential and Trammell Crow Co. have separate projects slated for the area.

"You don't want just one of these projects by themselves," Eury said. "The more residents, the stronger the possibility of street-level retail. It means more activity."

The Downtown Living Initiative, meant to lure residential builders downtown, has approved 16 projects with 4,955 units, only 45 units away from the cap of 5,000.

About 1,700 apartment units are under construction or were recently completed, and another 2,500 are planned, according to the Downtown District, which administers the program.

The City Council approved the initiative in 2012, with a cap of 2,500 units. Last year, the council approved an expansion of the program to 5,000 units.

SkyHouse Houston is the first completed project awarded one of the incentives. Developer Novare recently started construction on its second project. Those are in the south end of downtown. Other projects are near Market Square.

"We are excited about the number of units developed," Eury said. "Downtown needs more residents to make retail work well."

Yes I love this building, great news.

^I really hope they don't. Hope they leave the exterior completely untouched. Don't even powerwash it.

IDK. Gives me a terribly Zuul-like vibe here.....

What collapses this argument in an instant is the fact that this isn't a government project or even labeled as one. The only part that is labeled as a government project is the Environmental Impact Study and subsequent studies by the Federal Railroad Administration all of which are required by law for any rail project public or private, but that doesn't mean that the project is a government one. In fact many of these meetings or studies are merely for find recommendations or impact to surrounding environment...that's it. the EPA or FRA doesn't have any authority to take land from people as that isn't their department. If this were a public project then that info would be passed those authorities who would proceed with eminent domain. It's a cute story you got there, but most of what you put there is exactly why they are going private. Lets also not forget that many who are in the TCR company have worked for federal or state politics, or companies which are providing the tech. They know the in's and out's of not only legislation, but tech they are dealing with as well.

There you go w/ "facts" and the "truth" (other than the implying the fact that eminent domain can only be used by the government. See Kelo vs. City of New London. Even the state law that's supposed to limit eminent domain does little to actually curb its use. There's truck sized loop holes in that bad boy.)

Believe me, the opposition to this rail has nothing to do w/ the truth. It never has. 

Fear, stupidity, and myopia are what fuel the opposition here. 

City Centre is such a great success story that I can only hope is replicated many times over in Houston.

If I have one knock, it's that Bendwood Park is completely isolated from City Centre.

I guess it can be rectified in the future, but that would require Creme de la Creme to move and the elementary school to give up some of its land.

In addition, I imagine the neighborhood would resist this as it would effectively end their exclusive hold on the park.

The fact is, that patch of fake green space isn't enough to support the growth of this development for long.

My 2¢:

The politicians and developers (not mutually exclusive) want the rail line through Montgomery county for the purposes highlighted in previous posts: Development $'s and a stop which would lead to more $'s.

However, they can't come out and just say that b/c a) you don't want the base to realize that the ppl in charge are just a bunch of rich fat cats and not the down home conservative crusader they try to convey and it would cost more $ to do this.... and this is a private organization. That would mean the government is forcing a private company to spend more $. This is unpalatable to conservative dogma / base voters as they rail against unneeded regulations and the burden gov places on business all the time.

What to do...... Ah yes!

Because a federal approval must be given, the project is labeled 'government' (doesn't matter if true or not... just call it government). Now that this has the stink of government, fire up the base by highlighting the simple farmer who will have this land 'taken' from him. Now that we have a winning cocktail of the big bad government taking away private land from simple farm folks, use this as leverage to get the private company to do your bidding w/out voters realizing what you're doing. Then when the line is moved to where you want, highlight that this is a private project that won't get any gov $ and talk about how great the free market is. Don't bring up eminent domain again.

Boom. That's how you do politics in a one party system like we have here in Texas.... oh yeah, somewhere you also get the TCR to give you campaign $. I forgot that part. I think you do that as the one last step b/f you go out and stump for the rail line.

So how does the development jive w/ COH's idea to extend San Jac up to Fulton?