cougarpad

Just saw a report that Jet Blue is moving to IAH. This is a blow to Hobby. I know it is a small airport but would be nice to see some more diversification in airlines at Hobby. Hobby is closer to the central business centers of Houston than IAH but Southwest has a strangled hold at Hobby and first Frontier was pushed out financially and now Jet Blue.

https://www.travelpulse.com/news/airlines/jetblue-announces-new-winter-service-houston-relocation.html

1 hour ago, Avossos said:

 

 

I am a fan of this. The courthouse may not be there for long, but the need for transportation in this area is important.

 

Why not take it down center street instead? That would keep Wash ave pretty functional while Center Street can be improved... Also not sure why it would stop at Heights... I think it should go all the way up Shepard / Durahm and to NW transit Station.... No need to keep Purple and Green together past Houston Ave...

The regional maps of the metro plans posted up in the the thread has lightrail going all the way up to where Northwest Mall/ Highspeed Station is. I think the map recently posted is just a cut out of the line in the Heights corridor from the bigger total line.

1 hour ago, wilcal said:

Dug Begley reporting that at the Metro Board Meeting today that the Green/Purple line would be extended west to Washington@Heights Blvd

 

 

Hell, at this point, just continue it up some combo of Shepherd/Durham into the Heights. They need to be redesigned anyway and be suject to a road diet. 

 

This section has a high chance of getting built because it would extend upward to the highseed rail atation if it gets built.

On 5/15/2019 at 12:26 PM, Texasota said:

This is Shipley territory and that is absolute heresy. 

I was thinking DD as an alternative to Starbucks. DD coffee is just as good and lower priced. 

I want to win the lottery or publishers clearing house because for a long time I have been serious about putting a Dunkin Donuts somewhere in downtown. This hotel would of probably been a good place for one of them. I just feel like a DD would bank in downtown. I also put one in at UH main. 

Those tenants that went into the Market Square tower for the view from the 40th floor including the infinity pool are going to be disappointed when their view is obstructed by this new apartment tower. Instead of looking out from the infinity pool to the skyline will be looking at a someones apartment window.

I believe the East End cap will get built and it will be because of Houston First convention organization. The Houston convention organization was a major driver in Discovery Green being built because of the impact on the GRB Conv Center. The East End cap over the trench will be right behind the GRB and would allow for opening up the back as a new entrance to the convention center. A GRB entrance can be built opening up to the park on the cap like the one opening up to Discovery Green. When it comes to project in Houston that positively improves the convention centers they always get done. Because of the impact the park space on the cap will have on the GRB, I believe it will get built.

I worked at Hotels at Hobby and in Galveston and can tell you there are many cruises passengers who fly in and are not driving. So commuter rail that can get people from Hobby to Galveston will get ridership from this. Having one of the light rail expansions having a connection between Hobby and a Commuter rail station in the South East End would help.  Also during Spring and Summer parking in Galveston is hell. I'm sure many Houstonians would prefer an option in getting to Galveston that doesn't require fighting for parking. Having a commuter rail that connects to the Galveston transportation system could be a nice convenience for day trips to Galveston. The commuter rail could end at the old Rail Station in Galveston that is across the street from the main transportation hub that connects to the bus and Trolley system. 

26 minutes ago, wilcal said:

 

I don't think it would be anywhere near the majority, but there is a lot of potential commuter traffic from suburbs along 45. I volunteered at IAH for several years, and I would put the number that were flying into IAH for cruises in the several hundred range per weekend. Enough to where IAH built a bus shelter at terminal C to protect them from wind/rain while loading luggage/etc. I would imagine Hobby would have more than that because of how much closer it is. Private shuttle services like Island Breeze have popped up as well. 

 

So passengers would have to take the light rail into the far east end (15ish minutes) then take a 75ish minute train to Galveston. People would probably do that, but would need to be a bit cheaper than the $30-$35/person shuttle cost. 

 

Probably not gonna happen for IAH passengers. BRT to downtown, then get on greenline (possibly via red line?), then get on the train. 

 

 

The Expansion of the green line is right in the area of a rail corridor that goes towards Galveston. If you put a rail station at a point along that rail corridor, cruise passengers could take the rail to that station from Hobby then commuter rail to Galveston where the commuter rail station could be at the railroad museum across from the cruise terminal.

If Metro was smart, they would put a station on the green line expansion at one of the rail corridors going in the direction of Galveston for a commuter rail link.The green line would get massive ridership from airline passengers looking to get from Hobby Airport to Galveston for the cruise ships. Currently all these cruise passengers have to take shuttle buses to Galveston from Hobby.

On 3/10/2019 at 8:45 PM, robalob said:

Some updated graphics for the new College of Medicine layout. Looks like they are pushing the building further into the tract of land, but the planned streetscaping appears to invite a lot of street-side development.

 

 I like the thick foliage of that property. Maybe by pushing the building back, they can keep some of the wooded atmosphere. I don't mind them building some street front development but I hope they try to leave a large portion of the trees on the property.

To bring this to our local area, I also think Metro should look to investors and private companies to help finance transportation projects. I'm fine with a company getting a few cents of every fair if they help finance a light rail project.

Did NRG Park give up on the idea of auto racing? I've always thought that they should build a grandstand and pits on the Astro World site then have the track go over the freeway and through NRG park circling the Astrodome.

I am a conservative but I support this rail project. Our major railroads were built by investors in the 1800s. This same concept is being used for this project which is better than a government built bureaucracy. California is showing the country how not to build a line by using taxpayer money in a massive boondoggle. The Texas high-speed rail line is closer to being built than the government funded one in California. I am fine with companies who are willing to invest and build high-speed rail lines in this country. There are places where high-speed rail can beneficial while not going with the crackpot ideas of that wackjob AOC in New York. No, we do not need to replace all of our rail lines with high-speed rail and especially at the taxpayer expense as the only source of transportation. The airline industry is still much needed. Rail should be used to compliment airline travel where it is financially feasible. Oh, and we still need that interstate highway system as well for both commerce and yes the military. Once this rail line in Texas gets built maybe other private companies will want to step up with privately built lines of their own. We will have a rail building boom as we had in our past history, and just like in the past we will let capitalism and investors fit the bill for the building boom.

This decision should get appealed and overturned base on lack of common sense. So if an oil company wants to lay a pipeline, they can't use eminent domain until its built? Or how about utility lines? Or better yet a toll road? They should just go ahead and start building the rest of the rail while they deal with the mess in one county. The governmental environmental study alone shows it is a railroad. 

I have not seen any updates on the timetable for the renovations to start. Once they bring in a baker, butcher, and fish vendor the marker will be in great shape. I will definitely drive from the other side of Houston to visit. Take a cooler with me and load it up.

2 minutes ago, Houston19514 said:

 

Entirely new building. It's actually significantly smaller in square footage compared to the total they currently occupy.  But they say it will be much more efficient and usable space.

 With the way that the Law College keeps growing it seems extremely short-sighted to not build with future growth on mind. I hope they don't regret not having the extra classroom space. I am not sure how many lecture halls the current building has but I always thought they would want and need more.

So I can't figure out if the new Law building is considered an expansion or if it will be the new entire college. I would prefer if they built the new building and then connected it to the old one so they could use both. I know the new building is more floors but when taking note of the footprint of the old building it does not seem like the new building will be a large increase in square footage.

Gentrification is needed in the area around UH for the betterment of the University and its growth, but there will still be plenty of historical third ward left in the area going towards 59 and 288. There has to be a solution and plan to have a good mix of the old and the new. Also, development does mean more jobs available in an area that could use the economic advancement. I could see the few blocks in the immediate directions around UH being developed, but I don't see all of the 3rd Ward being developed. 

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/New-medical-school-at-UH-to-offer-13397123.php 

Here is a more detailed explanation of the process for the UH Med School and why they chose this location for the new building.

The UH medical school is going to be focused on research into training doctors and have an emphasis on improving medical in underserved communities.  It is not going to be in the same medical research model as UT and Baylor. Given the college's objectives, the location of the new med school is a good location. Plus UH just built a new pharmacy and health science buildings right up to the street next to the optometry college. So the location of the med school will allow for better corroboration with those colleges.

If you look at the UH property in Med Center it is not very big and is landlocked by other development. If UH put a med college in that location there is no room for growth. The property across from MacGregor park is large and leaves much room for future growth.

1 hour ago, august948 said:

The Chron article says the site next to campus is 43 acres, which I assume means UH owns all those woods across MLK from MacGregor park.  That will be a huge expansion for the university if they eventually fill that up.  If they do, there would be four light rail stations along the edge of UH.  Most schools are lucky to get one.  Metrorail might become another way to get around campus. 

You are correct it is that wooded property.

23 minutes ago, texas911 said:

I disagree about it not being at the med center. It should be in the med center so that they can mingle with professionals in their field. Lots of them! Plus its great advertising to the thousands of patients that go to the med center.

I believe if they put it in the med center then they can't count it towards the numbers for the academic rankings of UH and it would have to be counted separately. Renu has been making it a priority to raise the UH main campus's academic rankings and possibly AAU.

https://m.chron.com/local/prognosis/article/UH-regents-to-select-site-for-planned-medical-13393415.php

https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicItemDownload.aspx?ik=43499082

Renu Kator presented plans to the UH board for the location of the new medical college. It looks like the location has been narrowed down to a demoing a current UH building in the Med Center or building it across from Magregor Park. 

I personally prefer the Magregor Park location. It is basically on campus and next to a light rail stop. Also being next to campus would allow for better corroboration with other UH colleges. If it is in the Med Center it will be isolated and not feel at all like part of UH and not have any of the University's culture.

35 minutes ago, Naviguessor said:

Since you are trying to explain things, then, maybe you can explain to me what problem you conservatives have with homosexuals.  And, the issue with trump's tone on immigration, is that all immigrants are suffering from a backlash, not just illegal ones.  Just acceptable collateral damage, I suppose. 

If your comments are regarding gay marriage, I actually believe the Federal government should get out of marriage altogether. For ages marriage has been a religious ceremony, so I think the certification of marriage should be left for religions and other social structures to decide. As for the National government and taxes, I believe that the only documentation needed should be something like a domestic partnership document. If States what to determine marriage they should do so by the will of the people in their State, but I think the States should take the same approach above.

I am a conservative in that I believe in a limited national government. I believe that the States should have most of the powers. The federal government should primarily be focused on defense, trade, the relationship between states, citizenship, and financing national interstate utilities.  My believe that the farther away the government is from the people, the more of the chance for tyranny. When most of the government is at the State and local level it is easier for the citizens to check against tyranny. I believe unless a power is precisely stated in the Constitution, it should be given to the States.