totheskies

More tollways? Ugh!

When are they going to be free?

More tollways!!!! When are we going to convert all freeways to toll roads??

Eh, I voted for Parker... I agree with her most of the way, but I worry that she'll be "too much" of a fiscal tight wad.

I think the BRT-LRT debate happened 3 years ago and that it's pretty damn pointless to bring it up again after the engineering has been done and demo/construction has started.

Thanks

My point being was this... some of our lines are obviously "ready for LRT"... such as the Uptown and the University Line. But I'm beginning to get the impression that we are over-building our system, and settling for sub-par light rail lines on all five corridors. There is not enough grade separation and ROW in these areas to constitute a significant trip-time improvement over the current cus routes. Yes it's going to get riders because of rail bias, and because it's nice and new, but we would be better served by building a few high quality LRT lines than by building lots of "ok" lines. If the Southeast and East End lines are only going to have 10,000 riders per day, they would be better served by a BRT system. THAT's my point.

This is an issue that has come up before, but it's very intriguing. I understand METRO's viewpoint with having Light Rail lines for places like the East End and Southeast, but I often wonder if BRT would be a cheaper investment at this stage. Especially if we do it right and provide grade separated guideways, it would be a whole lot more cost effective to build now, and it would serve as infrastructure to convert to rail in the future. The projected ridership of these rail corridors is very low, and I think it would be worth it (before the lines are fully built) to re-investigate BRT as an effective planning tool for some of these areas. Your thoughts?

NIMBYs. They just don't want it there, yet they fail to offer suggestions for a better location. The homeless people aren't going to leave downtown any time soon, so I think this development is a good idea. Plus with more street level retail, it potentially benefits everyone.

Man, I'd kill for all of these retailers (in URBAN format of course) to come to downtown. How cool would it be for downtown to have a Best Buy, a Kroger Marketplace, or a Beall's???? We've gotta work on this stuff for downtown!!!!!!

That's weird... why isn't the US90A commuter rail route going all the way to Sugar Land?? No sense in building it if it's not going to serve the highest population area.

Well first things first... I'm in love with the new Winspear, and have already bought tickets to Don Pasquale in February. What a beautiful Opera House!!!

Secondly, not loving what I've seen of the Wyly theater... it looks like something that Houston would build. It's gray, big/box, angular-ness is the antithesis of Winspear (which makes it even weirder to have them so close together). Hopefully when I experience the facility, I'll feel differently.

D-CPA isn't going to "enliven downtown"... it's too far away from the rest of downtown for that to happen. It's also not going to help Victory much. It's in a retail dead zone, and it will be a couple more years before anyone lives in the area. At best, it's going to create another "zone of activity" for the downtown area, but it won't cause people to actually move back and live there. The missing people of the puzzle in Dallas is still figuring out how to connect Downtown and Victory Park. Once that's done, the area will be able to revitalize.

I don't know what all the fuss is about with EaDo... over half of the city still has no earthly idea where EastWOOD is, so it's not like they're going to find Eado anytime soon.

Houston east of I-45 doesn't exist... unless it's near the airport.

I'm a regular viewer of both news networks... can't stand Lou Dobbs though.

Fox news is slanted and CNN is slanted, but the problem is that there are more left-leaners (CNN/HLN, MSNBC,) than right-leaners. Same thing with print media... the left far outnumbers the right. But there is a reason for that... we are becoming a left-of-center nation. There's no point in trying to deny that as a fact.

The other problem is that we're leaning more to the left, but not necessarily leaning more to the democrats. I personally think that CNN understands that a bit better than Fox News at this point. They're branching out and working hard to promote themselves as a "global channel" more than a partisan mouthpiece. Of the shows I regularly watch on Fox News (O'Reilly Factor, Huckabee, Shepard Smith), it's kind of disappointing that they don't focus on the growing diversity of our country. They continue to preach to a very slim segment of society. Juan Williams (a regular FNC contributor) has even said this on Hannity's show.

The best opinion show on television was Hannity and Colmes... hands down. It was a great way to try and make sense of the logic (or lack thereof) between the two groups, and then try to find your own viewpoint. I really miss that show.

But anyway, FNC serves a really important purpose by boldly proclaiming the opposing viewpoint. I don't want that to end or even be diminished. But I think they would do better to learn from CNN and try to look at a broader scope of the issues. They seem to gravitate around the same group of talking points... national debt, support our troops, Obamanomics... etc. Open up the eyes a little bit more, and it really is a good network.

There's a Dunkin Donuts on Wayside between Harrisburg and Polk. It's in the Magnolia area.

Yeah, I've seen this too. I think it's a branch bank location.

Well if y'all don't like Calhoun Lofts at UofH, get ready to not like a lot of other stuff.

Stadium Parking Garage and Cougar Walk...

http://www.uhsa.uh.edu/regents/board_meetings/documents/081209Facilities/FCMP6.1.pdf

New Business classroom building...

http://www.uhsa.uh.edu/regents/board_meetings/documents/081209Facilities/FCMP8.1.pdf

There's a ton of either cheap or completely open land just north of downtown. Also, with the economic downturn, east of downtown hasn't filled up nearly as quickly as some speculators had hoped. There's definitely still some land available in the 2nd Ward as well. I just like the idea of universities being centrally located in the city making them a bigger part of the city's social fabric.

Depends on what "type" of university situation you're going for. If you're wanting a direct comptitor for UofH (i.e. a school that is planning on being at an exemplary level), then you'd want to look at a prime location like the inner loop. But if you're just working on another region-centered school like UHD, then it should really go in one of two locations... Southwest to Sugarland, or Nort between The Woodlands and Tomball. That's where another 4 year university is most desperately needed.

UHS-Sugar Land is "next up" in the system master plan to become a four-year university.

Many of those high school seniors won't step foot in a university. Of a number of those who will though, a two-year college will suffice. I count about 7 four-year institutions inside the city limits. For a city of 2.5 million, that's more than a reasonable number. I weighed in on this subject on the other site, but I think my opinion has changed since then. On that site, I insisted the state would be better served funneling more cash into the UH system, but now I think it wouldn't be such a bad idea to give UH some more local competition. Plus, while the number of universities the city has is ample for our current population, and even though the number increases when you toss in the post-graduate institutions, it never hurts to have more educational facilities. I say while we're at it, let's bring in the new Texas State system, the A&M system and whatever system Stephen F is in. I consider Huntsville close enough to not need Sam's system. I think we should keep with the theme set by UH, TSU, Rice and St Thomas though, and keep them consolidated within the loop. The Heights needs a university, as does the East End and the Fifth Ward.

The combined enrollments of the seven 4yr institutions in Houston is approximately 95k... that includes Sam. Which means there's a wide disparity of nearly 100k between the yearly number of eligible students to enter a 4yr school, and the number of facilities in Houston that can support them. College is of course not for everyone, so many people will be more than happy to make it out of places like HCC, and go on with their lives. But even then, we're still ending up about 30k short of what's needed to retain the area's talent.

One other factor about post-secondary ed... it's taking longer. The average student now stays in school for 5 years. Thanks to the bad economy, even fewer jobs are available and competition is getting fierce. You've got lots of students that are staying in school and ciphoning resources just so they can pay their rent. So the number college-bound students is on the sharp increase. It'd be nice to say that this will lessen once the economy has recovered, but it doesn't work that way. The educational standard for our workforce continues to be raised, and more people will be expected to have a 4yr education. Compare today to 20 years ago... are high school grads getting high quality jobs anymore? In 20 more years, a 4yr degree will be the minimum standard for the whole workforce.

We have to be prepared for what's down the road in Houston.

BTW Sam is part of the Texas State system... SFA is independent

You're still not understanding. Becoming "Tier 1" entails whatever its proponents want it to entail, as its original, literal meaning has been lost. It did not always mean asking for ~$100 million/yr from the state legislature and building high-end dorms in the meantime. I even heard a girl say that U of H should build a new football stadium "so we can play Tier 1 teams."

Quote from Dude, Where's My Car??

"The continuum transfunctioner is a very mysterious and powerful device whose mystery is only exceeded by it's power."

Such is the case with Tier One

I think a UT system school could have a place here... or we could continue to grow the University of Houston's system. In either case, we are still severely lacking in 4-yr. universities in Houston.

Here's some web facts about why Houston has to have more 4year universities...

HCCS... 61,396 (HCC factbook)

Lone Star... 51,494 (Lone Star statistics)

San Jac... 30,000 (from San Jac article)

Lone Star... 51,494 (from LSCS Census Day Report)

Community College total... 142,890

Region 4 (houston area school districts) seniors: 60,560. So the FTIC pool for our region is greater than the entire UH system.

Also, I don't believe that Calhoun Lofts is the same business model as Cullen Oaks, Bayou Oaks, and Cambridge Oaks. Calhoun Lofts is physically owned by the university, not just the land its on. It's possible that they're doing some contracting for management, but that'd be it. The store is currently under construction as well.

Yes, I was incorrect in that. It is owned by the university, but it is "separate" from RLH's other projects. Essentially, the university is copying the business model that they have observed from Cullen and Bayou Oaks, just keeping the operation in house (which is a dumb idea, unless they lower the prices).

I think the proportion of students that want to live on campus is on the rise, but there was always a baseline contingent that has been, and still is, underserved. Irrespective of whatever amenities they build the fact is that they still have not gotten the housing thing right.

I personally doubt the university is really interested in creating "learning communities." Like "Tier 1" it's just a buzzword they must have picked up somewhere and like "Tier 1" the phrase "learning communities" is just meaningless enough to take to mean whatever they want. So anything they build from here on out, no matter how overly expensive or how much they give up to for-profit corporations, will be categorized as being "Tier 1" or "scholar research community"-based irrespective of reality.

Please refer to this Dallas Metropolis thread... Tier One is a very real and physical initiative, eventhough we're not discussing on HAIF very much.

And again... elevating a school like UofH to Tier One status is a huge undertaking. It means that we eventually want UofH to be a direct competitor with schools like UT, Rice, A&M UofMichigan etc. It is within the Houston area, but what is the value of a UH degree once you leave Texas?? As Houstonians, we have a very practical side to our collective personality... practical almost to a fault. But doing something like this has very little to do with practicality and worrying about the present. We have to have spaces like Calhoun lofts to be competitive on the Tier One playing field. So I'm glad they built it. I'm also glad that it's sitting there half empty right now, because it lets UofH know that they are charging too much.

I am conflicted, but not in a way that you describe.

I like the East End just the way it is. Right now, if I am going to live anywhere in Houston, I want to live here in the East End (and specifically Eastwood). It's affordable, safe, convenient to everywhere, has the best burger joints and greasy spoons around, and I could probably try a different taqueria every day for a month and not once go to the same place twice or break a $5 budget or feel anything other than stuffed to the brim. There are no douchebaggy bars. The only traffic congestion occurs around elementary schools, and that's quite tolerable. The demographics have transitioned just enough that nobody gives me an odd look or treats me differently because I'm a white guy in a predominantly-Mexican neighborhood.

I wouldn't have wanted to have lived here ten years ago, and unfortunately, I don't think that I'll want to live here ten years from now...for the same reason as I don't like the idea of living in greater Montrose (even if I could lease there for less than I can here).

Having said that, I'd positively love to have been able to invest in the Heights ten years ago (or Montrose 20 years ago)!

True, it is clearly in my best financial interests to talk up my project and the neighborhood that it's in. But talking up all the pros to the exclusion of the cons isn't really my style. The glass is neither half full nor half empty; it has a x mililiter-capacity and y mililiters of z fluid. I develop a trusting raport with people because I present both sides of an issue and explain with precision why I believe what I do. That's how I lined up financing during the very worst days of the financial crisis, and that's how I saved my ass just recently. And it's good that this approach seems fruitful, too, because that's just the way I am, and I feel dirty if I'm doing anything other than being brutally honest.

The East End will continue to transition because it makes sense that it does, regardless of something as ultimately immaterial to that process as a facade-ectomy or the loss of the small businesses in old downtown Magnolia Park. That doesn't mean that I'm going to shut up about those things. They're still topics of the day.

Yeah, but that's good ole progress. I understand if gentrification bores some people, but to me it's a very good thing. Houston is a very interesting place because we're constantly caught in this struggle to define ourselves. The East End is a great microcosmic example... many suburban tendencies, run down areas next to some of the city's most impressive gems, and an incredible infrastructure (even if it hasn't been kept up well). But the last thing that I would want is for this neighborhood to stay as it is. I want it to be improved, and I definitely want property values to increase. I want more options for retail and entertainment here, and I want this neighborhood (like all of inner Houston) to become more transit friendly.

My big beef with light rail in Houston is that it's been poorly implemented in a number of ways. With respect to downtown Magnolia Park and the East End, it's the new 2000-foot-long overpass that I especially don't like. It'll kill all the businesses in it's shadow rather permanently, IMO. I also think that the issue was dealt with too hastily and that reasonable alternatives were not fully vetted. There are other issues I'm concerned about as well, such as impacts to the width of the ROW and the number of lanes, and auto traffic being displaced to residential secondary thoroughfares like Polk Street (which hurts both East End residents and East End businesses). And getting specific answers out of METRO is like pulling teeth.

I believe that METRO is not being run transparently, is making only superficial attempts to communicate its plans to the public, has been absolutely terrible at communicating with stakeholders (esp. Union Pacific) as part of due diligence, and I think it'd be rather irresponsible to sweep all this under the rug and claim that the East End is Mayberry and that nothing bad ever happens here.

Yeah, the light rail plan isn't as good as it could be... I'm also especially upset about the overpass. It's a cheap and senseless solution to the issue. That's why I continue to complain to Metro about it. It hasn't been built yet, and if the public unites in their disapproval, it may not be built. I've called, emailed and stopped by the East End corridor office and METRO headquarters about it at least 3 times now. I'll tell you what our mistake is... we're not making a real stink. If Harrisburg residents and business owners were organizing the same way the STOP ASHBY HIGHRISE people were, Metro would already be digging that underpass out right now.

The general light rail plan is mis-matched IMO. The most sensible plan would be one east-west route to compliment the existing north-south route. The east-west route should connect some area of the port of Houston to downtown, and then continue (probably via Washington) to the Galleria. At the very least, keep a "watered down" version of the University Line also, but the East End and Southeast line are really excessive and would best be served by some really tricked out BRT. Also that way if we wanted rail, we could grow the corridor to such point to where extra financing for grade separation wouldn't even be a question... we'd just do it.

But Helas Helas... that's not the hand we're dealt right now. But again, we can work with METRO and continue to steer them to reasonable conclusions of their current plans.

rp

By default there will always be people who prefer to live, work, and play on campus. The trick is to not go out of your way to drive them off.

Yes, of course, and there will always be students (regardless of income level) that will refuse to live on campus. But the proportion of students that want to live on campus is on the rise, and it's due tremendously to the fact that the campus is becoming more livable. The Cougar Den has alone has added a lot more vitality to the south end.

I did a thought experiment and concluded that if I were a high school student, Calhoun Lofts would not entice me to attend U of H. However, a new engineering building/quad, imho, would be much more appealing.

I am very suspicious of a "Scholars and research community" the only barrier to entry being the ability to afford to live there. 12 month leases make me very certain that it is all about the cash flow. I heard from a guy who lives there that the university leases the land out to a private company that built and runs the dorms. This makes sense, as they do not operate through the Housing and Dining Office but from somewhere within Calhoun Lofts.

Same business model that they have with Cullen Oaks and Bayou Oaks, only they are cheaper and have the goal of being less selective. But I do agree... the prices for these places are kinda ridiculous. I added up all my "living bills" including the gym membership and it's still under only 750/month with electricity, cable/internet, cell phone (no home phone here) and gas, and I live very close to campus. As long as students can find a good deal in places like Montrose and Eastwood, or just lease a townhome and have 4 guys or girls pile in there, Calhoun Lofts won't be nearly as competitive as it could be.

Just called Davis Bros... they are HUD-funded apartments. No retail or amenities planned

Target date for completion is 15 months, so we're looking at Feb. 2011.

OMG... is it really too much to DEMAND street-level retail space?? How hard is it to do?

I like Houston alright, and it's a pretty exciting time to live here with all of the recent additions like Discovery Green, HP, OPP, and now the crop of new stuff going up. At the same time, I doubt I'll live here forever. I've got to leave town to get my Doctorate b/c I just don't feel like dealing with UH or Rice. So where I go for that and after that... who knows? But I'm glad for the time that I have here, and I'll always be willing to come back and visit Houston. It's a great town with great people.