wilcal

Looks like the trolley expansion is running? https://www.galvestontrolley.com/ $1 and kids are free with free transfer onto the Seawall route. 30 minute service. Stops right outside the train museum/depot. Seawall route runs between Steward Beach and Moody Gardens.

Article that mentions in the 89-94 service: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Houston-Galveston-passenger-train-could-roll-again-1827339.php

I mentioned above that I think freight priority killed scheduling on the previous service, and this would solve that problem!

Yeah, any traffic if it is like last Saturday morning. That is basically what the CoH asked for last summer IIRC, so I could see that being something politically feasible.

Wait, you don't happen to be the TXDOT employee that came up with those claims that if we don't do the NHHIP that it'll take 1.5 hours to drive from Lindale Park to the Med Center, do you? Honestly, inner loopers don't need any more regional mobility and we shouldn't be spending billions on increasing mobility for mostly single-occupant private cars just so they can get home a few minutes faster just at peak times. Local reps wanting projects that actually benefit them. *pikachu face*

Roostar evidently has opened per a friend that drove by the other day. A slightly different take on Viet food (at slightly higher prices).

They had to show partial funding for the project to get matching dollars from H-GAC. Funding was pulled from CIP. Yeah, they should have definitely done something. Even if the H-GAC funding came through construction start wasn't until 2023. H-GAC is going to call for projects again this fall. I would wager they would want to include this information with the application. The budget when they proposed it last time was $50 million so $350k wouldn't have gone that far. Additional note, from the METRONext thread, they are planning on moving forward with the BOOST bus improvements along the 82 corridor, which include new ramps/curbs/bus stops/etc. Timeline is unfortunately 18 months for design and 24 for construction.

That update makes me want to pull my freaking hair out! Do they have like a small handful of employees working on METRONext and that's it? 18 months just to design the BOOST corridor for the 82 and another 24 for construction? We are talking about ramps and bus shelters here. Also, since when is Inner Katy BRT a MNext project? That was fine before the boobs issue passed and is partially funded by H-GAC. Basically, in the 20 months since the bond passed they've done 300 bus stop improvements? And no design work on any LRT/BRT projects besides Inner Katy which shouldn't count? *Sigh* /Rant over

It was timed for people that would work in downtown. I don't have any stats on people that live in galveston and commute to downtown or vice versa. Who are these fringe cases that would be riding to Galveston on a Thursday at 130pm and need frequent bus service? We are talking about frequency for a 50 mile long bus route here! And there was weekend service, but I think it was only twice/day? I could be wrong there. And yes, P&R service is supposed to be greatly increased, including weekend service as part of METRONext whenever they decide to get around to it. You might find this interested, Austin FC just launched their home stadium and there is P&R service setup to several destinations for attendees. You have to wonder how well that would do for Astros/Rockets/Texans/Dynamo. I'm still unconvinced. If Galveston wanted to pay for it then I'm sure METRO would interline and let them use the P&R stations, they just aren't going to pay for it.

There's no need to guess. Nobody rode the year-long pilot for express bus service (two stops) that had timings specifically designed for commuters https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/transportation/2018/08/23/301474/after-less-than-a-year-houston-to-galveston-bus-service-is-cancelled/ The average was 10 riders/day for $9/passenger https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/public-bus-service-between-galveston-houston-ends-friday/242724/ Commuter rail would probably even take longer with the stops required on a 50 mile route. Just downtown to Hobby on light rail is expected to take 20-24 minutes including stops IIRC. And that is what, 20% of the journey? Even if every single cruise passenger that went to Galveston flew into Hobby and took the rail that would be 2,700 people/day on average. The real issue is that we've already spent a ton of cash on 45 expansion, and outside of 5-10 peak hours per week, 45 is completely free-flowing all of the way to Galveston. Cruise ship buses would also be faster than rail. I mean.... I can. Look at the state of METRO Park and Ride service on the weekend. I doubt people are going to load up their kids on a 30-40 minute ride downtown from whatever suburb they live in then a one hour ride to Galveston for what, a $10 fare per person? When they already own a car that can probably get them there 30-50% faster for the same price or less? Please don't get me wrong, I would love having train service to Galveston, but that money would be much better spent on additional lines within the Houston area. By... a lot. Like I said, a Galveston train would be about 100th on the list of where I would spend $4 billion on transportation. As I just mentioned in my reply, they gave it a shot for a year with $9/one-way fares and a stop at Bay Area P&R and Texas City and they averaged 10 fares/day.

Amtrak was actually offering bus service, but you couldn't originate in Houston. Flixbus was going to launch service, and had approached Galveston City Council about which street to put it on, but COVID killed it at least temporarily. METRO also had a partnership with Galveston to run the Island Express which also got killed within the past few years. I think that this one got killed because of issues with delays from freight service having he right of way and probably low demand.

Building anything based on cruiser demand except for highly localized infrastructure doesn't make sense because of the costs. Where would it make sense to stop commuter rail service along 45. Maybe League City? It is still like 25 miles from League City to Galveston. Atlanta's freeway median commuter rail along I-20 was $3.2 billion for 19.2 miles ($170 million/mile), and that is without building a new bridge to Galveston. So is just an extension for rail from League City to Galveston worth $3-$4 billion? Absolutely not. There are probably about 100 projects that would be a better use of that money if Houston was paying for it and I doubt Galveston/cruise industry could support that. Basically, I don't think there is any way that a few thousand tourists per day would justify $3-$4 billion.

Was driving by earlier and pointed the sliver out to my wife and she had the best idea yet for it: a huge ass slide 😅

I'm assuming it is funding for HPARD so that they entire thing can get done, so city council?

Hrmmm. I mean, I haven't held my breath on any aspect of this project so far, and I'm not gonna start on this date, either.

Hey, you found the exact bridge I remembered and it was exactly the way I thought it was. Nice work! Memorial Park has mentioned that the land bridge is designed to be used by animals to avoid having to cross Memorial Drive. I'll argue that I'm guessing a certain % of Memorial Park users are dumber than the average wildlife. That video shows it with a raised concrete edge at some points and a flush edge at others.

At first I thought they had labeled the entire promenade as possible ROW acquisition target and It is hard to describe how much hell I would have raised if someone tried to buy that lol. 8'X250' is definitely going to be pretty hard to develop. I think you've got one buyer, and that is the warehouse owner that is immediately adjacent. Interesting that they aren't really asking for a discount and still want $165k for it. I wish the city would buy #5 to make a park since it abuts the dog park in the promenade.

The land bridge I saw, I believe in Alberta, which is used exclusively by animals still had a fence on it I believe. Basically, I would count on a fence.

Rodney Ellis posted two photos on his twitter from a tour including one from the roof.

My initial thought when seeing this thread was that Star wasn't going to want to invest the cash to focus on electric cars. Volvo has announced that they will be electric-only by the end of the decade. When Cadillac announced something similar, they offered buyouts to franchises that didn't want to invest the $$$ on the service side.

YES. Next dream building to be renovated after this one will be Fairview @ Morgan.

Hate that this building is another huge curb cut to add to Fairview's collection :/ 0 reason why this street should be so terrible and/or dangerous to walk on.

Nice that the site will be in use again, but I'm kind of disappointed it won't move to an alternative use. Do you have any other details?

Ok, so quick update. Basically this is the Houston Land Bank which is not a CLT. Land Banks typically are used to convert distressed property (typically property taxes) and convert them into something usable, typically new housing. Houston Land Bank used private developers to build the housing and then it is sold, although there is an option for some properties to be sold using a land trust option. More info on their site

What about the interest saved by not purchasing the land? You have to look at the whole picture.