brian0123

Still, it's not a stretch to say that walking/biking more (vs driving) leads to a healthier body. The layout of the burbs requires driving (unless you want to get plowed down). You can be healthier in the burbs, but it requires more effort instead of just getting exercise passively while navigating within the city.

I'd be less concerned about a neighborhood and more about renting it out in the future. If that's your thought going in, and it's in a townhouse community, there's a decent chance others are thinking the same. Ten years down the road (once maintenance is needed) and you have a lot of rental owners and an HOA that doesn't cover painting, roofs, etc... you could be in for a major headache. That's why I sold my TH in Midtown when we upgraded in the loop. The neighborhood was transitional (no biggie), but there were too many rentals around and some were starting to deteriorate.

They now have equipment loaded here and they've started digging. I think this is actually happening!

I don't believe areas would flood or dry up as long as gates were installed at strategic places. If anything, water could become stagnant if there isn't enough rain and the gates keep the water level up. As for cost (I'm no expert), it wouldn't be a Lake Livingston sized effort... but a smaller more scaled down one (if we just focused on levels instead of power). Another potential benefit is we could use them to lower a section to clean debris, cars, etc. that are currently sunken under the water.

Has the city ever looked at damming some of our bayous in order to raise their levels? Yes, I know they're used for flood control... but I'm talking about installing small damns we can open quickly when the levels rise. For example, take Braes Bayou between 610 all the way to the Medical Center where it has been concreted over. If we were to install a dam downstream that would allow the water level to remain just below the bike path... the bayou would be prettier (concrete banks would be hidden) and we could even look at putting a hydroelectric station at the end of it. Do the same for other bayous around town and we could have our own "river walks" throughout the city. I would think something like this could increase development, actually attract a couple tourists, make the city prettier, and possibly allow us to generate power as another way to highlight Houston as being an energy center. Thoughts?

I just drove by and it looks like they are going to demo the gas station. Anyone have any details?

Access from behind (my neighborhood) would not be allowed per our deed restrictions. That said, I don't think the intersection is odd here and could easily support multi family. It's used as parking for the stadium today and it never causes problems. Main is so wide it's really a non issue. I'm excited and hoping this actually turns into something nice.

Malls and retail centers are becoming less popular every day as more people shop online (especially the type of person that would live in a lux apt complex Downtown). I think you just need a couple key neighborhood hangouts (bars/restaurants/coffee/etc.), but forget all this talk about retail meccas. Grow the Galleria for shopping, grow Downtown for living and working.

Couldn't agree more. That's the appeal of the VIllage. I'd love for them to tear out the entire suburban looking Village Arcade, add a parking garage on the exterior of the Village between Rice and the Village, then turn the arcade into a big, walkable, funky set of shops/bars/restaurants. It could become like 6th street, but without the street (just a courtyard in the middle) and hang some funky lanterns across it.

Are you referring to the One-Bin-For-All program because I didn't think that started yet? I have one big green one for recycling glass/cardboard/everythihng and one big bin for trash. I want to make sure I'm not missing out on the one-bin program if it exists.

So what actually happened to TheNiche on here? Did he post some crazy diatribe that got him banned? I liked the guy for the fact that we got into it and he didn't agree with me.

Well, if you want it gone... you're still going to be spending a ton of tax $$$ just to get rid of it and turn it into a parking lot. Why not spend a little more and get something that can benefit the city?

There are still tons of affordable places in the city east of 45 or in what have been considered "scarier" places around town. There are tons of neighborhoods with aging populations that could also be revitalized. Yes, the age of paying nothing to lock yourself away in a McMansion are gone. People may now have to venture into communities and actually participate in rebuilding them for the better.

Is that the water treatment plant on S. Braeswood along the bottom of the photo (with Kirby near it)? If so, I think I'm looking at Braeswood and the area at the bottom of the picture is my neighborhood being cleared for development... Knollwood Village?

I'm confused by the orientation of the building to the road. Is that supposed to be Kirby in the rendering and they just left off the CVS and Express Lube lots?

I went to the TMC traffic meeting last night and spoke with a guy from the city's traffic dept. He told me that the lights (when blinking) mean there was a system fault that alerts a crew to come out and make sure all controllers for the light are working. He said they do time the lights along S Main, but traffic cops (who drive his dept crazy and they can't control) mess things up... as well as people going in and out of lanes in such a congested area. My idea about pulling out signals along S Main along the Med Center is something their dept has actually being trying to do, but the TMC institutions fight it because they like having lights for their own garages.

When I mentioned earlier about eliminating left turns, I was proposing it mostly along S Main (and other bordering roads). The only places left's should be allowed are Cambridge, maybe University, and W Holcombe. We need to start thinking of S Main, Cambridge, W Holcombe, and S Braeswood almost like mini (I hate to say this) freeways instead of 1980's designed intersections where everyone gets their own stoplight. The bordering roads should be redesigned to move traffic quickly around TMC like our freeways encircle Downtown. I don't mean increase speed limits, but just let cars move instead of stopping them every which way. In other words, the TMC is growning into another Downtown... yet the roads encompassing it are still designed mainly for a much smaller TMC, with old technology, and inefficient use of space... which creates the logjam we see around the TMC today. In my ideal world, they'd have enough money to build a S Main TMC bypass (either tunneling under like the Holcombe/Main intersection), or going over, and allow S Main at grade to take on a greater role of providing quick access along the TMC.

Related to this, I just found out about a traffic study they are doing and a meeting tomorrow night where they are taking suggestions. I think I'm going to try and attend: http://edocs.publicworks.houstontx.gov/documents/divisions/traffic/public_meeting_notice_42414.pdf http://www.publicworks.houstontx.gov/traffic/tmcstudy.html

I'd like to get this discussion going again since it's been years since this topic first started, and still, our city's traffic signals are a joke. It's occurred to me (on my commute along Montrose->S. Main) that our city's traffic problems could be helped by just using our existing signals more effectively. All talk from officials seems to be about expanding freeways, bus routes, rail, etc... yet no one is talking about simple things we can do to make our current system work. Let's take Montrose->S. Main->610 path as an example. Let me know if I'm wrong, but I think doing these things could cut travel times significantly. 1. Eliminate left turns and only allow them at signaled intersections. Left turns cause backups and stop flow. 2. Replace signals with newer ones that will reset (instead of blink) to avoid creating a four way stop. Traffic backs up miles when this happens and the city takes forever to fix it. 3. Forbid rent-a-cops from stopping traffic flow and let the lights do their job. They cause more gridlock (esp in Med Center) jumping out and stopping traffic flow on green lights. 4. Time the lights so North/South traffic get priority. East/West traffic can be handled at various key intersections along the path with similar rules and simple upgrades (Allen Pkwy, West Alabama, W Holcombe, etc.) Another suggestion I'd add is that the city identify these thoroughfares like bus routes. That way, I know that if I get on an identified thoroughfare, I'm going to have reasonably timed lights, fewer stops, and given priority. With this route alone, you could move more people, get some people off the freeways, and possibly create a new route to get to/from Montrose/Downtown/Med Center/Reliant Stadium/and on down and out along 90 to Missouri City. Your thoughts?

What would be the point of it when we have Downtown/Med Center/Galleria/etc. already? Even the dome would be a better use for something like this then building something so large way out in the boonies.

The same complaints were made about Bush when he visited to fund raise. It's not either of their faults. It's the result of a terrible congress and no one introducing serious legislation for campaign finance reform. The conservatives on the Supreme Court just nixed campaign donation limits... so it's only going to get worse.

They're using them to block traffic. The city was using tree waste trucks in the museum district earlier to block roads.

I don't think the lack of owners Downtown is a bad thing. NYC has millions of renters (many even renting closets) and they have vibrant neighborhoods.

This is awesome and badly needed in the area. The lack of hotels and (non-chain) eating places near one of the busiest parts of our city always stumps me. Something like this is also needed down near Reliant (rumors are a Holiday Inn is coming at least).

I'm a Conan fan, didn't like this skit, but I think Conan holds a grudge against Houston because for YEARS, our market would not air his show until 2/3am while the rest of the US had him on at 11pm. He even came down here in the 90's and made fun of how late his show came on ( he went to the Greyhound station, etc.)