kdog08

Now only if our transit agency and city had the competence and foresight to simultaneously fund and expand both our bus and light rail system over decades.

Of course it's necessary, but now is not the time to go cheap with exclusively buses.

Haha. So you got nothing then...

No you're butting in again and trying to change the discussion. The goal posts were set momentarily, as Redscare alluded to, but we can move them for you if you need,

Well see Niche, there is something called context. In this context I was referring to the individual Tory who maintains a blog about Houston Strategies. A blog that I've read over the years and enjoyed. I was merely commenting about this individual's increasingly narrow focus. Considering I've spoken for finding a compromise between the sides I found it amusing you make such a comment since I don't maintain any sort Houston strategies type blog that I am aware of. But hey nice try butting in. Kay.

I think METRO needs to ramp its PR and tweak it's plan to have city wide support in order to get the ball rolling. METRO needs to promote a solution that entails our proposed light rail and a greatly expanded P&R.

I would just drive personally. Then again, the point of rail/transit isn't to make all your trips easier or serve everyone; it's about providing options for you to take or not take.

Perhaps. But you are certainly with them. It's not New York envy, it's just that buses aren't sexy. But let's not act like rail is some on size fits all solution or that BRT is. Yes but are you focusing on today or tomorrow? I don't have any notions that Houston will develop New Yorkesque. But I actually do see LAesque in its future. We don't have the overall density or geographic constraints, but we do have a mini LA inside the beltway. Personally, I believe Houston needs to finish the rail expansion (I could have certainly done with only Main St, University, and Uptown Lines), at least double P&R (expanding it to Westchase, Energy Corridor, and Greenspoint for starters), and increase bus service. Not to mention our highway and road infrastructure needs to get upgraded and expanded. It will cost a lot of money, no doubt. I don't see the point in your strategy Tory, it's stuck in today. I'd rather bet that Houston will continue to grow and bet for the future.

Look Tory, I've respected your blog for many years but you are increasingly trying to make the world fit into your own ideology. I'm not sure why you are stuck on promoting one form of transit besides that libertarians for whatever reason love buses.

No doubt. I favor BRT for many routes, especially Gessner and Westheimer. I favor BRT to supplement the University and Uptown Lines while we figure it what we are doing going forward. BRT is just one mode of travel that Houston needs. BRT can't unload and load several hundred passengers and be on it's way in two minutes like it does in Downtown and the Med Center. I would imagine Uptown and Greenway Plaza would have similar rush hour requirements, although with less riders. Well of course. But our inner core, again, has significant employment density (Downtown, Uptown, Greenway Plaza, TMC, and our higher education institutions) and is certainly increasing in residential density in the general vicinity of the proposed Uptown and University lines. Not to mention the parks, cultural centers, and major sports venues are all within the core and proposed lines. Lastly, as Houston grows the events (Rodeo, festivals, etc.) will grow; especially, as Houston host more college games, all star games, super bowls and hopefully World Cup and the Olympics. I notice how you have to qualify that claim by limiting it to blocks on either side. You know full well that Midtown is adding more residential that is within 1/2 mile of the rail and is increasingly getting closer to the rail as land runs out. Phase 2 of city place (5 blocks west of the rail) is about to start up. Not to mention the amount of construction that would be near the University and Uptown lines. Agreed. Who said anything about commuter rail? However, I did find your commuter rail idea, "the brain train" that goes from Galveston to College Station a great step forward. We need to first get Metro funded and with a plan. Yes I wish it was the other way around, as BRT would have been a perfect fit for those 3 lines. My mistake. I still stand by my statement that it's a shame.

Yet, Houston's inner core resembles LA in many regards (relatively dense residential with large, multi-polar job centers.). Otherwise I'd agree with your assessment. I don't see why you seem to make it a bus vs rail issue when it should be a multimodal issue. Rail inside the core that serves our major employment and activity centers connected by an expanded park&ride system. That is simple not true. If one single 7.5 mile line in a metro of 6 million people consumes your capital building capacity then your issues are funding and not enough of it.

Great news, more density for midtown.

So we should wait till those conditions to exist to finally expand our public transit in any meaningful way?

Can you honestly say that mass transit in this city has been funded and given the support needed to make headway against single vehicle congestion, pollution, and other "quality of life issues". Texas and Houston (hell this country as whole) spends little on mass transit infrastructure and this is what we get.

Spieler's style and presentation of his information is different now then when he was at CTC and was writing for a very small community. Not very surprising that he is now making his audience is an entire metro area.

Wow indeed. I love that building. Considering the University light rail is shown in this video maybe it will be built within a decade.. and a half?

Whoa, whoa, whoa..... WHOA. So you'are telling me that an effective transit must be planned and funded properly..... I had no idea. So all that bus talk early was just bullflurf because rail can in fact do things better than a bus when properly planned and funded. How about that..... Haha, you've found us out.... But seriously... bias much?

Look better and be more appealing for the masses. All the cool cities have it. Seriously though, Houston has the dense employment centers and activity centers (all of which have been growing in some fashion) all lined up to be connected by mass transit. Do you honestly believe a system of all buses would be more popular than a system of LRT, local bus, and Park&Ride? Neither idea will work without proper funding and proper conditions. There's a reason why light rail works well in cities with decent transit and some density (Boston and LA comes to mind). Light rail can't function in a vacuum so I don't see the point of comparing light rail to buses. It simply is a progression of transit based on demand (yes Niche) that comes along with increasing density, city form, and development pattern. Why doesn't Boston just have buses and commuter rail and not light rail? Why is LA building light rail and not just subways? Simply put major cities need multi modes of mass transit, along with multi modes of roads in order to function in the present and the future. There is no one-size fit all approach and I believe our LRT alignment added with a good dose of P&R and bus will function well with Houston's multi polar form. Houston's future has a good chance of becoming LA-light with semi-dense pockets along multipolar spines, eventually you won't be able to fit all those buses and cars on the same street.

It's sheer madness that we can't cobble together the funding needed to balance the transportation needs of one of the fastest growing metros. We need more highway and road infrastructure as well expanding mass transit options. Concerning our mass transit options we need to be build our light rail system plain and simple. It could connect our largest employments and activity centers together with suburban commuters on an expanded park&ride system. Houston could actually build a transit system where commuters use express bus to get to connect to destinations in uptown, greenway plaza, st.thomas university/menil, museum district, HCC central, Med Center, Reliant, Minute Maid, TSU, UH, Rice, BBVA Compass Stadium, Downtown, and major parks.

Well there is already a development next door called High Street that is under construction and will have retail and apartments as well. I don't think the retail needs to be nixed completely, but at least cut by half and replaced with apartments.

The fact of the matter is that Houston needs to do something in order to fund that vast amount of infrastructure it is going to need. Houstonians are going to have to decide how much, if any, of that cheapness quality Houston offers they will want to give up in favor of quality of life that comes with more parks, superior transit options, etc..

Man it seems they reconstructed the interchanges not to long ago. Hopefully they try and preserve the remaining trees that have grown mostly on the western portion of the interchange.

Look several blocks west of the light rail and you'll see lots of apartment complexes, several townhouses, and retail. Look several blocks east of the light rail and you'll see HCC, some retail, and quite a bit of townhome development. All the larger, cheaper lots are being taken up and now it's time to focus on the larger, becoming scarcer, lots near the light rail.

Rode my bike to Rice Village and took some shots of the progress... Ashton Rice Village updates: photos by me Entrance by dv1033, on Flickr Entrance2 by dv1033, on Flickr IMAG0389 by dv1033, on Flickr IMAG0390 by dv1033, on Flickr IMAG0391 by dv1033, on Flickr IMAG0392 by dv1033, on Flickr IMAG0393 by dv1033, on Flickr IMAG0394 by dv1033, on Flickr There's a sizable courtyard area: IMAG0396 by dv1033, on Flickr IMAG0398 by dv1033, on Flickr InsidetheCourtyard by dv1033, on Flickr DeepCourtyard by dv1033, on Flickr Courtyard by dv1033, on Flickr This is definitely going to be a great addition to this area.

I dare someone to watch the entire "learn how to make a bowl video". It's pretty bad.