citykid09

^ can't see the Houston picture.

Well Cologne, Germany's light rail does the same. Except for the Neumarkt ("central station"), in a square, where they wrap around and go their different ways. Most go underground, and some cross the bridges over the Rhein River, but rarely disrupt traffic, and have the right of way. Even out in the burbs, the tracks travel away from the roads, only a few times they cross the roads at grade. But even the "burbs", which are still very urban, the trains go above grade & underground to not distrupt traffic. This allows the trains to go fast, and allow a very low commute time. That wouldn't work here, and it would be extremely expensive. Enough so that it would create a lot of opposition.

Why would people oppose a system that didn't disturb traffic? Is it the locals or the Federal Government? Again I go back to the question why is it funded for cities like Dallas, Charlotte, Seattle, etc and not Houston. On another note, I just realized that San Fransisco has more than just the BART and the street cars, they also have light rail that is in a subway.

Perhaps because those of us that live here and have seen that red and blue logo (no white) for 30 years do not have a problem with it. It should be obvious, but just because you do not like it does not mean that it is a problem. And I am unaware of any city who ever improved its image or identity as a result of changing a logo on its buses. Seriously. In fact, the only logo I even remember outside of Dallas' hideous yellow paint scheme is Houston's...and that is because I live here.

I didn't say the city could change its image by changing METRO's logo. Changing the logo could HELP improve an image within the city. I was just saying give it a look to where no matter where you are in the US, you will know that's Houston.

Huh? Downtown Dallas might get one subway tunnel. I have no idea how, even in your mind, one tunnel (or even the imagined "a lot" of subway tunnels) becomes anything remotely similar to grand central station.

My bad. Even with just one tunnel, it could be DART's Lead in line. It could be a place where a grand station could be placed, like the one Houston is planning at the Hardy Rail Yard.

All advertising was removed from the buses in the early 80's when the guy (name?) from Atlanta was appointed to head the organization. This was a period of architectural and asthetic growth. It was around the same time buildings downtown were restricted from signage and attempts first started to remove all the billboards.

Many attempts have been made to establish rail here since that period, but they were always shot down by public vote.

Back in the days of McConn, I remember the heat wave of '79 or '80. Metro's solution was to cut out or remove the windows because the A/C on those old GM buses could not keep up. I think we've come a long way, but have many miles to go.

I just saw one of our Metro buses on some TV show last week. I guess they look modern enough for current TV.

What is wrong with Red-White-Blue? Those are our nation's colors. Let's paint them like in Dallas - Godaweful yellow (Barf!).

Being our nations color's is good and all, but those just seem like the generic American colors and that doesn't help Houston who has an image/identity problem. Why not come up with a new name, logo, and color scheme that is uniquely Houston.

Will DART have any other "cool" stations in its new additions like CityPlace Station and Mockingbird Station? In other words, more urban stations? I see that the downtown area my get a lot of subway tunnels. That would work nicely as a grand central station for Dallas.

The rail we do have was long over due, Its 2009 houston needs to move into the future. We cant just keep expanding the freeways. Houston area might have over 6 million in the next 3 years and defenitly over 6 mil in 5 years and the freeway system will never grow as fast as the population. Our Airports need to be conneted to the rail, and cause Houston has no zoning, we have all the little business centers and parks that should be connected. We should have had rail to and from the Galveston area already. I still dont understand why Uptown was not apart of the original line. Downtown, the Med Center, Reliant park area and METRO just left out Uptown/Galleria. I dont think Houston has been aggressive enough to expand its rail system. I think people are reluctant to expand it because theres a lack in confidence that Metro could do it right, but thats just my opinion.

Altogether, METRO needs a make over. The whole look is so generic and there buses and rail plans are lack luster. Whats with the red white and blue logo (Well it seems like that's all Houston businesses ever use). But any ways, come up with a whole new look and name and not just the generic METRO and Red, White and Blue.

Here is a thought: Houston Area Rapid Transit (HART)

Is the street-level rail still that much of a problem? There was definitely a learning curve when the Main St. rail was built, but I hardly even notice the occasional disruption caused by a passing train when I'm crossing Main, if that's the concern you're referring to. And I actually think there's something more pleasant about riding a train at street level vs. being in a dark, dingy subway.

Well if that's the case just keep the buses. Subways and rails that do not run on the street are much faster. What METRO is building in Houston is something smaller cities want. A city the size of Houston deserves better.

What reasons would Ed Wulfe have to be against rail? Is he republican? I could see if he was the CEO of an Airline, or Oil Company, but he is a developer.

I don't buy it at its new $1 price. 75 cents was ok but give me a break!

I noticed that it went up to $1 the other day, when did that happen? How does that compare to other large city prices?

No, a light rail on any freeway would not work. The buses work just fine, also sharing the lanes has its benefits... if rail should be built, it should have it's own route, perhaps away from the freeways, and closer to the population centers... of course stops along important places (malls, airports, etc.), which usually are next to the freeways. But Metro doesn't serve out too far, and the light rail should only serve the urban areas. Once you get past the loop (excluding Uptown), it should be served with commuter/heavy rail... like to both airports, out to conroe, katy, pasadena, galveston, cy-fair, la porte, cleveland, victoria, etc. The commuter rail should connect to a transit center downtown, and from there using light rail or bus routes to go else where.

I agree, commuter rail is what is needed to go out far. But what I want to know is Why The F**K are they waiting on? If any of METROs commuter rails ever gets built we will all probably be to old to enjoy it all. I can go to articles from over 5 years ago that say stuff like "commuter rail could be up and running on old tracks near 290 in two years," OK well that was 2004, this is 2009 and we haven't seen or heard anything yet? whats the hold up? Make stuff happen? And nobody reply and say "it doesn't work like that" Well then Why The F**k not?

Christof's schematic, posted above, shows how the METRO rapid transit system will probably look in 2012. The METROExpress and Airport Direct services are bus routes that operate today. There are no immediate plans to replace them with rail, but I assure you they work well as they are.

It's interesting you say that. Even though they are buses, you can still park at Cypress and get most places very easily, provided it is a weekday. The park and ride buses are comfortable and quick and use the HOV lanes during rush hour in the peak direction.

The Uptown line will run at street level on Post Oak Blvd. They will probably use the median space and narrow the travel lanes slightly. It will most likely disrupt traffic flow a bit, but on the other hand almost no one presently uses transit in that area and light rail may lure them aboard. I would imagine many Galleria shoppers wouldn't mind parking elsewhere and riding light rail rather than deal with that traffic and parking.

You must work for METRO, so I will ask you these questions. Please help me to understand why cities like Dallas, Los Angeles, & Charlotte can build light rail lines with their own right of ways, subways, and overhead lines etc, and Houston has to settle for pretty much street car lines? Is Houston not worth a world class system? You guys wanted the Olympics and other big events to come to town, but you don't care to build the proper infrastructure to get the people to even look at Houston. Having tracks placed on streets interfering with traffic is not the answer. Take a look at the video above from Spain of the same trains METRO will use. That is how you do urban transit. I would expect the street car style system in a small METRO area not the 4th largest city/top ten Metro in America. At least place the rails in the HOV lanes like the majority of people are suggesting, since you say subways, overpasses and any other alternative is too expensive (even though somehow other cities are still affording theses features on there systems). Come on METRO THINK!

Are the METROExpress and METRO Airport Direct Rail (commuter) or just buses? That will be really cool if its Rail, I could get everywhere without having to drive. Park the car at the Cypress station on the way in from Bryan/College Station and get where I need to go without thinking about it.

Also will the Uptown line run at street level? If so How? It will make traffic worst!

Looks like Channel 13 may be starting a new show. Here

I was flipping through the channels earlier, and noticed a plan for a river walk type area on this side of Bryan. Do any of you know anything about this?

I think the tracks should be apart of it too.

Actually I don't work for ABC 13 yet, but I will begin my Internship with them in 2011.

They could promote a reporter to be an anchor but some reporters dont want to be anchors due to comfort zone or other reasons, and then if they make a reporter an anchor the station would have to hire a new reporter apposed to keeping people in their current positions and just hiring a reporter/anchor whose already done both sides of the job.

As far as a permanent anchor for the 11am newscast, they may have not found the perfect person. Sometimes stations look for a specific look. IE: Hair, Race, Man-Woman, Size, Experience especially doing a weekday show.

How do you know so much? Is that what you are going to school for? You want to be an anchor? How do you know your internship that far out?

I was going to say Burlington Coat Factory. But Try Sharpstown Mall or Greenspoint Mall. Or Suit Mart

KTRK-ABC 13 has hired a new weekend anchor/reporter. Her name is Katy McCall, she did a live report today for Live at Five. She will begin tommorrow morning with Ellissa Rivas at 5am.

Do you work at channel 13?

I thought they would get one of the reporters to do it since they had been doing it for awhile.

What about the 11:00am weekday news? no permanent anchors for the past 2-3 years.

Who was the initial target market for this development? I have never been, but I remember a skate park there. It kind of looks like a Las Vegas style development, if gambling is ever allowed in Texas, that would be a good spot for a concentration of casinos.

93.3 sucked anyway. I hated all the Reggaetone songs they put on. We need pure Hip-Hop stations and 97.9 is it.

Well it was owned by Univision, so you know they are going to cater there own peoples urban music.

Does magic Johnson still on the Marq-e?

Why didn't he turn the theature into one of his own?

Is this place still open?

Univision set the station up to fail but Im glad it will room for a new station

Yeah, it was harder to tune in when they moved it to 93.3fm. Every time I listened though, there were good radio personalities, hate to see them leave.

Thursday, Jan. 27, 2005

Cumulus Makes Expected

Rock Move In Houston

In a move that has been expected since the hiring earlier this month of 20-year Houston Rock radio veteran Pat Fant as Market Manager, Cumulus today at noon flipped KRWP (Power 97.5) from Urban AC to "Rock 97-5." Cumulus/Houston execs are presently at a launch party to celebrate the station's flip to mainstream Rock, and a station executive tells R&R that its new call letters will be KIOL. The calls are reminiscent of KLOL, the longtime Houston Rocker that became Hispanic Urban "Mega 101" in November 2004. Cumulus is in the process of purchasing Country KVST/Willis, TX, which is upgrading its facilities by moving to 100kw and shifting its tower to La Porte, TX, located between the Houston and Beaumont, TX markets. The company is expected to eventually return KRWP's Urban AC presentation to KVST upon completing its acquisition of the station.

Here are some more hip hop/Urban stations I can remember in Houston:

Hot 97.1

Party 93.3, Party, 104.9, House Party 100.??

Power 97.5

95.7 the Wave

Anyone remember others?

Troy Goodwin from the radio-info.com boards says:

First of all, after the Party was over in Houston, I can tell you that COX & Cumulus are in position to flip either KHJK or KHPT-two poorly rated stations-to Hip-Hop & R&B to directly compete with The Boxx. Right Now, KHMX is safe-for now, so I believe it's too close to The Boxx. Meanwhile, KRBE has tweaked its Top-40 format to go head to head with MIX, although that station has lost Sam Malone and I believe They might pick Seacrest up for its morning show fix, currently vacated by Michele Fisher.

KPTY - Party 93.3 Shuts Down

Will Houston get a new Hip Hop Station?

KBXX needs competetion, or it will go down hill.

I hate to see the station go but maybe it will leave room for a new Hip Hop & R&B station.