DNAguy

Real info: http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/blog/morning_call/2015/01/high-speed-rail-station-could-redevelop-dallas.html

Is there any better acronym than 'GOOF' when describing these homeowners and their concerns.... ok, ok too easy. Anyhow, you're missing the biggest and most ridiculous fallacy in your argument. You already have longer, louder, and slower trains going through your neighborhood. Your NIMBY-ism is showing so you better zip up your fly and tuck it back in. It's blinding you from seeing the forest from the trees here. If you think that NW mall is better b/c its closer to the 'real center' of Houston, it has real estate to accommodate a large station / development, it has the ability to connect w/ downtown AND the Galleria areas if/when METRO / COH invest in better public transportation, and it most likely will be cheaper then I might be more on your side. Saying downtown is an inferior spot loses me though. It is most likely the best possible spot. as detailed by the post above. It has multiple locations (Hardy yards AND old Post Office) that can accommodate a large station / development. It is the center of Houston's public transportation and freeway system, it can be connected to the Galleria area (and already is connected to the Medical center) if/when METRO/COH invest in better public transportation,but is not the cheaper option. So it comes down to cost.... which will most likely get you your outcome as this will be privately financed. But what I can't understand is why you don't fight like hell to try and get this line THROUGH your neighborhood with the understanding / agreement from the developers that a.) it can't be elevated b.) Sections must be trenched and sound barriers installed at all at-grade rail locations.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/04/your-money/between-heaven-and-earth-an-airline-ticket-gone-awry-.html http://gawker.com/united-airlines-customer-service-was-so-bad-it-made-a-m-1677143383 United approaching Comcast status for most most epic viral customer service fail.

He may be a homicidal tyrant, but there's no denying he's a fashion icon. Where do you think Macklemore got his idea for his 'famous' haircut?

Every time I read either, I think of this:

If you thought the Afton Oaks opposition to the University line was bad, try and put a rail line through River Oaks. The streets would run red with the blood of MERTO officials. Ok maybe not, but it would be stopped faster than a hooker in sketchers. Even w/ a guarantee not to make a stop between Shephard and San Felipe or even all the way to Westheimer, RO would be opposed. Although, it would be an awesome route / ride.... especially during the azalea bloom in early spring and during the Christmas light season after Thanksgiving.

Let the voter's decide in a referendum and live w/ their choices. If they say no, then so be it. The precedent was set for the Astrodome. Any large infrastructure project now needs a majority of citizen support. If you don't want new taxes, vote no. If you feel its within the government's role to levy taxes for public safety, vote yes. Democracy baby.

It's close to Thanksgiving. Did you expect any argument / discussion to stay on topic? The fact that we didn't end up on the topic of religion or politics is some sort of minor miracle.

Navi, you called me out. I haven't been there since roughly 2009-2010 when I would ride my bike on Navigation and Clinton to satisfy my deathwish / avoid high gas prices. Man that seems like an eternity ago. Well, I will take the long way home one day and check this out then. Challenge accepted.

If you assume that everyone has to drive their own car to work, then building more and more freeways is the only answer. You are correct in that. [i've already packed my things in anticipation of my comments being moved to the Transportation section of HAIF ]

I wonder if ppl will really downsize. Especially her in Houston. If you refinanced in the last 5 years or so / have paid off your house, what is the incentive to actually move? Smaller houses in 'hip' areas cost just as much as the house you're most likely going to sell and Interest rates are going to go up soon(ish?). I mean, you can use that $ you saved refinancing to hire a lawn person. Most suburbs are have a fake towncenter-like place now that bring enough of a city feel closer to where you live. And you have extra rooms for your kids / grandkids for the holidays. I think this is 'shortage' is a manufactured crisis.

I don't want to get too far into this, but you're assuming that the growth to the west of Houston would have happened even if they didn't build those freeways. I would argue that without expanding the Katy, building the Westpark tollway, etc that we don't see places Cinco Ranch get built. Induced demand is a real thing and until ppl understand that, we're doomed to keep repeating the 'build more lanes, build more suburban communities' rinse and repeat that we've been doing for the last 60+ years.

Not quite. If you look at the BBP's original master plan, the east section of the bayou had a far grander plan for restoration: http://www.buffalobayou.org/pdf/East_Sector.pdf

I'm all for the redevelopment. But are we losing an opportunity to restore the Bayou and make it a park for ALL to use?

According to any cop that has pulled me over, it is not 'safe' to drive over a speed limit.... If they increase the speed limit on a road that has had no safety improvements, does that mean that the police are liars? Are speeding tickets not there to secure the safety of the citizens, but as a means to generate revenue? Say it ain't so!

Not at all. Paying for school taxes benefits us all.. even if you don't have kids going to school. If you don't educate ppl, they end up skill-less, unemployed and on the government dole. So its self defeating to make that argument as you're going to pay for it either way. Education is far cheaper than endless poverty / welfare. Teach a man to fish... no free lunch... etc. I really don't know why you made that leap. But we digress from the fact that the ppl who are asking for a costlier alignment are at the same time avoiding the extra costs of being a city by getting an exclusive sweetheart 'township' arrangement that puts more of a tax burden on Montgomery county / surrounding areas while keeping their tax burden artificially low. It reeks of hypocrisy... and the people who live there are too blind to see it.

This. Why as a Houston area tax payer would I support a rail alignment that would only benefit a select group of suburbanites who have a system of government that is specifically designed to avoid annexation and keep their tax burden artificially lower? Pay your 'fair share' and I might start listening to you.

You know what, you're right! I could never place what that section of 183 reminded me of and now it clicked! I wouldn't say it made the area nicer.... then again I don't know what it looked like b/f they elevated the road.

Your first point is extremely valid and something I don't think I considered fully. However, TxDOT has been in negotiations with UP about relocating tracks in central texas and I don't think its outside the possibility that we could seem some sort of agreement on this alignment as well. I stress "possibility". I agree with everything you said. I'm just saying its not impossible and would actually be the better option (my opinion) for the surrounding community if they do bring the train into downtown to trench the thing I can't think of any example where an elevated train, road, or highway ever made the surrounding community 'nicer'. I still think the NW mall is where the station will be located for the reasons mentioned.

You're telling me that ppl will pay more $ for a train ticket if it means they built noise canceling walls vs. a ticket that cost less that's on an ugly elevated rail line? The customer is the person riding the train (mostly business ppl), not the individuals that live in the neighborhood by the tracks. Yes, I know there might be some spill over, but lets not pretend that a pretty train really matters here.

People can 'want' until the cows come home. This is private money, though. 'Want' has nothing to do with this. The only thing that matters here is '$'.

If highways can do it, then by golly I'm sure we can figure out how to do it w/ tracks. I'm not saying it would be as cheap as reducing their capacity, but it can be done. Some thoughts off the top of my head: 1 idea: Construct a temporary 3rd track if necessary / room in ROW. Maybe needed, maybe not. More likely: Dig partial trench on one side. Dig dig under street / ROW while supporting it. Support under freight lines. Install tracks on trenched portion. Open trenched tracks for freight. Start trenching other side for what will be HSR. I know it sounds simple, but its amazing what can be done w/ a staged plan. Now there may be UP/BNSF outages every once in a while but they don't use those tracks 24/7.

Both of these statements are incorrect. With a trench and cap or partial cap, you can get your desired 4 tracks in the trench while having either light rail or roads as an overhang / cap on top. The trenching would be down in stages and can be done w/ minimum effect to train operations. The idea that the elevated section would be anything other than what the METRO is going to build for the LR in the 2nd ward is laughable. It will be done the cheapest way possible and look like the HOV section that goes from I10 to downtown. An elevated track here will be an eyesore for the community, further divide SN22, and suppress home values along the tracks even further. Even if we were to trench, would the company bear the brunt of a trench and cap? No. It's too cost prohibitive. Literally might cost as much to trench this section as the whole other 200+ miles. TXDot, UP/BNSF, TCR, METRO, and the city will have to go in on this together..... which almost assuredly means that this will never happen. So b/c we want to do the elevated section on the cheap..... NIMBY's will rightfully fight the project...... So then the TCR will back away from this alignment.... and we get a station at Northwest mall.

Because most of us here are 'city folk' and have no land in the country, I'd be curious if you'd give us some of your concerns as a rural land owner. Would having a high speed train through your property be a major inconvenience? What kind of concessions would you accept if it indeed had to go through your property?