travelguy_73

Yeah, the liberal AND the conservative whiners make me want to slit throats.

I still hoped for just the base only option, but I'm willing to bet in a few years after it is finished they will regret the option they picked..

The auto traffic no longer being held hostage to the train sitting on the tracks? Unless they can't get the drainage right, very few residents will regret it. I wish my nearest rail crossing was grade-separated!

Pseudo-subway, sounds cool, and is better for the community, isn't it? But, looks like not too many people are happy about additional funds provided by the CoH.

Chron Article: http://blog.chron.co...-end-rail-line/

The typical Chron comments...

You're correct that location is over by Wayside. Found out recently that they're going to go under the tracks between Delano and Dowling streets. That irritates me, as I thought a Rail bridge would have awesome views of downtown, but whatever.

I agree, but there is a dollar store, a small strip mall, and a couple of other small businesses that would take a massive hit. Not a big loss, but would be devastating if *I* was the owner of that shop.

Those shops are over there right now, but as the area improves it would be nice to have a habitable place for future businesses. My understanding is that this is the main issue--creation of a psychological dead zone.

I was actually never opposed to having the light rail line (alone) go over the train tracks, and in fact like the idea of having rail completely elevated (stops and all) in some areas where auto traffic is dense. A single elevated line in that particular area would be minimally intrusive, unlike a massive bridge where ALL traffic goes over the line (the worst option). Other cities with elevated light rail seem to handle it just fine. However, while I'm not a community activist by any means, I think that the all under, if drained properly, will be more pleasing with the added benefit of giving auto traffic a continous flow regardless of the train. As those of us in the area know, trains stop on the tracks, or go so slow as to effectively be stopped, and this will fix that. I also think that the area "activists" also needed to flex their collective muscle and show that the area deserves better than the cheapest option. After the neglect the east end has seen, sometimes what gets people worked up isn't always what outsiders find rational.

I'm not sure why the delay of the final line of a year gets anyone worked up, either. Rome wasn't built in a day. let's not let our impatience get the better of us.

Just heard from my little birdie as far as the East line bridge.

It seems like they are leaning towards "All under". The result of this decision will be:

1: Delaying of the COMPLETE line for one year.

2: Funds for 3 city projects in the north side of town will be postponed until additional funds can be done.

3: At least one metro upgrade will be pushed back a couple of years.

I'm about to write to Metro to ask them for some sense and go forward with the BASE version of the project (rail only bridge). I'm hoping anyone else that lives in that part of town would do the same.

I believe "all under" is exactly what people in the area want. I'm confused why you think people in the area would now go for the base version.

Like that's going to work with the aholes that think they are above the law. Or think it doesn't apply to them since they probably don't have a license, insurance, or registration.

I need to find the research to link to, but it said that lengthening the yellow significantly cut down on red light running, without a corresponding reduction in efficiency of the tested intersections. This has been the argument of the anti-camera people for years, as well as traffic engineers who do this for a living. However, the municipalities have an income motive, and so while they might not admit to themselves that the cameras are there for the money, the reality is that they are there to generate revenue UNLESS it is shown that design modifications and light-timing have been tested and implemented, and running red lights is still at the same levels.

I haven't received a ticket by the red light cameras, and do (or did) find a certain satisfaction when someone ran a light and the camera flash went off. However, many times the intersection design or too-short yellow was the issue.

I think its clear what happened to them in the past, but John Hess was adamant that they are to never return unless the builder can guarantee 100% this would never happen again. Last I heard, they are being re-engineered and will return, but I have nothing official, just whispers.

Safety aside, I also wonder about the noise and vibration that is transmitted to the top floor of the building. When those turbines get going, they get LOUD.

I know that intersection well, and NEVER even try to make a (legal) right from the middle lane because the people in the right lane rarely make their mandatory right. My understanding is that these intersections are the jurisdiction of TXDoT, and any changes would need to come from them. Their Houston district doesn't have a very good track record of applying common sense to access road intersection layout, but hopefully you can bring it to their attention and at least get some dialogue going.

IMO, a partial solution will be to disallow a right turn from the middle lane and allow straight and right from the right lane. It won't stop the left turns from the right lane, but hopefully it will cut down on some of the problems, and is a quick (cheap) fix, which will appeal to TxDoT.

looks like it's more for pedestrians than cars, oooo, how urban of them ;P

I agree, it is much more human in scale. However, it's a relatively thin strip of land and so those posts are in the area they appear to be paving. Which will leave very little actual walking space (plus there is a sidewalk on the other side that doesn't get used, so why have two that don't get used?

Here is a picture of one of the, well, I'm not sure what it is, they are installing on McCue next to the Williams Tower garage. I think they are streetlights, but they are really low and there are a bunch of them (are they solar?). You can see the Uptown shiny silver lights across the street, so I don't get it.

They ripped out the grass and appear to be laying a paver sidewalk. Does anyone know if the TIRZ here still exists, and if so, why? Seems like whatever purpose it served has been realized.

They've been working on Post Oak and Hidaldo for a few weeks now. I'd be surprised if it wasn't coincidental.

I think the work on Alabama and McCue is what is being referred to, not that on Post Oak.

Walked by earlier today, they appear to be moving some dirt around already?

Doesn't look to be related, and actually, not quite sure what is going on there. Appears to be sidewalk and street light work by Uptown District. Wonder if the timing is just coincidental? Would be a shame for construction to destroy whatever they are doing!

We went in over the weekend to check it out. I think when the deli is fully-stocked, it will be a nice, small corner grocer. I agree that compared to our mega stores, it is more like a large convenience store. But compared to small urban grocers found in other urban areas, then it stacks up nicely. Hopefully the surrounding residents, namely those at the Lofts at the Ballpark, will give it enough business to make it.

Weren't they planning on expanding? Has this already happened ?

Haven't been there in a few years.. great stuff though.

I don't think they planned to expand their interior space. They bought the building next door last year, demolished it, and put in a parking lot. Where the parking lot used to be is now a large patio area. I had hoped they would flip it around and put the patio on the "quieter" side (farther from the intersection), but one of the employees said the city parking requirements necessitated how they layed it all out (even though there is plenty of street parking, city regs strike again). I have been to Mandola's probably half-a-dozen times since moving over here, and like it more and more. It's got a real neighborhood feel, and a couple of the employees there actually remember us (we had to go to Dry Creek at least two dozen times to get the same "friendly" treatment), and it is funny to hear the banter between long-time customers and employees. I love that we can walk there!

On the downside, I would like to see more interesting food options, it is too heavily focused on "deli" for my taste (though I love their Chicken Mandola po-boy and their carrot cake is better than House of Pies). I heard they were going to add pizza, which would make me very happy as we spend way too much at Star.

They seriously need to get the word out on the change in hours. Other than the sign out front, I wouldn't have known! Maybe they are just working out the kinks first, who knows.

Not that it will happen, but what a fantastic location for a neighborhood park.

I take it you missed CO's 747-100 and 200 series planes in that livery from 1991 to 1998?

The duct tape holding those 747-100s together hid much of the livery!

I love them, and think they are perfect for the area (and my dog likes them, too!). I wish we had public art in my 'hood!

2012 Honda Civic

Link

That thing is literally jacked up!

I get the baseball stadium where Fingers is, and an oval track and random buildings where the church is

Thanks...one of my settings must be off. Will have to play with it.

I noticed that when I move the slide rule back to 1944 that some modern buildings still show up. For example, at the corner of Cullen and what is now the Gulf Freeway, the Catholic Charismatic Church and Finger Furniture shows up (they look like overlays). Any way to get rid of these buildings?

They said the area was gonna revitalize when they built Minute Maid Park too; and again with the Toyota Center, the Hyatt hotel and the George R. Brown Convention Center. The truth is, the only thing that has successfully revitalized the area has been Discovery Green.

Elevated freeways are a powerful divider of neighborhoods. Anyone who seriously thought that stadiums and hotels built on one side would have an appreciable effect on the other side wasn't thinking clearly, or was eager to believe what the developers were selling.

According to Gus at Swamplot, the parcel called "Outlot 1" at the corner of the 45 feeder and Maxwell, is being eyed by Murphy for a gas station.

If that comes about, I would think it would have large driveways, on both Maxwell and the feeder.

Another thing that might be considered is the school which is middle/high, does generate some vehicle traffic on Maxwell by itself.

I can't imagine that anything along that stretch of feeder, a Wal-Mart included, would interfere with the flow of traffic on the feeder. IMO, the issue is solely left-turns from the Wal-Mart onto Wayside, and what the impact of a third signal light in the area would have on flow in both directionsof Wayside. Not that the state is any better than the city at traffic mitigation, but I'm wondering if there will be more eyes on this project since the state will be involved. Or if that just means more bureaucracy to go through to get it right.

I wonder as well.

Personally, if it were me building a walmart supercenter, I'd go with the wayside location, it's closer to other retail, and has easier access to and from the freeway. Or at least the access isn't as confusing.

I think the access issues will definitely limit the marketability of the property.

Question: Did this building predate the maze of feeder roads around it? I have a feeling it did.

It's coming from Viru Viru airport in Bolivia, which seems like it would be a strange origin for a test flight.

They were performing high-altitude testing.

I have a question about the traffic studies: Unless I misread the City's response to the proposed development, it sounded like traffic studies were recommended, but not mandatory. Is this really the case that you could plop down a big box store in a congested area without proving that you won't create gridlock? And if you will create gridlock, do you have to pay for the improvements?

The idea is noble for sure, but the execution is a bit wacky. Maybe it's just the rendering, which looks like it fell from the heavens and landed in the piney woods of east Texas. Will this be what the new slums of the 21st and 22nd centuries look like? Put "those people" all together, away from jobs, instead of finding a way to integrate into society at large? It's pretty, but more a product of architecture students. Shipping containers are cool, though.

And Kowloon, wow...I had no idea that place existed.