musicman Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Metrorail is planned to go all the way up I-45 North?no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trae Posted June 29, 2007 Author Share Posted June 29, 2007 Houston will have 16 miles of LRT, 28 miles of commuter rail, and 21 miles of BRT, which can be converted to LRT when ridership matches FTA funding requirements.Why did you refer me to an article that proves my point that no expansion projects are going forward? All that article said was people want rail, but won't pay for it. I also said that any expansion would cost $100 million per mile. Since you and citykid don't seem to understand math, I'll explain it to you. FTA will NEVER fund a $100 million per mile expansion in sprawly Atlanta suburbs.BTW, citykid, how's that Bryan College Station subway coming along?Yeah, that was a bad example, but there are plenty of other project sgoing on that ARE happening. The Beltline is a transit project that makes a loop around the City of Atlanta. MARTA has also posted a profit for the first time in nine years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
citykid09 Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Houston will have 16 miles of LRT, 28 miles of commuter rail, and 21 miles of BRT, which can be converted to LRT when ridership matches FTA funding requirements.Why did you refer me to an article that proves my point that no expansion projects are going forward? All that article said was people want rail, but won't pay for it. I also said that any expansion would cost $100 million per mile. Since you and citykid don't seem to understand math, I'll explain it to you. FTA will NEVER fund a $100 million per mile expansion in sprawly Atlanta suburbs. BTW, citykid, how's that Bryan College Station subway coming along? Actually there is a plan for a light rail here LOOK IT UP! Comparing Houston to Bryan-College Station is irrelevant, Comparing Houston to its peers such as Atlanta works though. And when it comes to Houston's peers Houston is far behind. If only that sorry a** mayor y'all years back Bob Lanier is he? wouldn't have stopped the rail plans in place, Houston would be alright. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 OK, citykid, you are right. MARTA is a great transit system. I looked on the internet and found a guy who rides MARTA everyday (not like you and me, who've only been on it a couple of times), and he made a website about how great it is. I wish Houston had this.MARTAsucks.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
citykid09 Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Read the bottom of this article: http://www.abc40.com/Global/story.asp?S=6406890Also Read the bottom of this article: http://www.theeagle.com/stories/042207/texas_20070422032.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 I love how citykid09 mentions that there's a plan to build a rail transit system in Bryan/College Station, then sites articles on a websites operated by various Bryan/College Station media outlets about a plan for rail in the Rio Grande Valley. I had no idea that Bryan and College Station were so close to Brownsville and McAllen. Thanks for enlightening me on Texas geography. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
citykid09 Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 I love how citykid09 mentions that there's a plan to build a rail transit system in Bryan/College Station, then sites articles on a websites operated by various Bryan/College Station media outlets about a plan for rail in the Rio Grande Valley. I had no idea that Bryan and College Station were so close to Brownsville and McAllen. Thanks for enlightening me on Texas geography.I said read the bottoms, one talks about how Houston's isn't going well while Austin's and Dallas's are. There was talk of a plan to build one in Bryan College Station about 7 years ago though. Well did have commuter rail in Bryan-College Station about 100 years ago look it up. and find the article about B-CS getting rail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 This is getting kind of childish... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C2H Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 I said read the bottoms, one talks about how Houston's isn't going well while Austin's and Dallas's are.Dang citykid, are you that angry with Houston? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 I said read the bottoms, one talks about how Houston's isn't going well while Austin's and Dallas's are. There was talk of a plan to build one in Bryan College Station about 7 years ago though. Well did have commuter rail in Bryan-College Station about 100 years ago look it up. and find the article about B-CS getting rail. CityKid, First, the two "stories" you posted were the same story. Your local TV station just repeated the AP story (or at least part of it) on their website. Second, their statement regarding Houston's rail expansion is, at best, incomplete. Political interference has slowed down the University Line, perhaps. But the rest of the expansion is proceeding apace, with construction to begin very shortly. (Yes, they will initially probably be BRT. But I really don't understand everyone's hangup about BRT. It's a very promising new system and will operate essentially the same as LRT would in those same corridors, just on rubber wheels instead of rails. But either way, you are not going to like it because it's not underground like in that urban paradise in Georgia, so you won't be able to pretend you're in NYC.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trae Posted June 29, 2007 Author Share Posted June 29, 2007 I'd rather have LRT though. BRT usually comes in after the BRT (you see that in most cities). I also would rather have Houston's LRT in its own right of way at some point. Going down city streets isn't all that great. Even Charlotte's new Lynx Blue Line has that. They even have overpasses over major roads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Even Charlotte's new Lynx Blue Line has that. They even have overpasses over major roads.i have a cousin that lives there. he told me that charlotte is losing public support because of escalating costs. i think the intial cost was 225 million and now they've spent over 450 million. because of this, later this yr, a successful move was made to put back up for vote the sale tax allotment for this. now the rail people are trying to get the contractor to move up the start date before the election so that they'll have a working system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trae Posted June 29, 2007 Author Share Posted June 29, 2007 Escalating costs because of the overpasses and underpasses the system goes through? Still though, the system having its own right of way is good. I think one section of the University Line has its own right of way (if it doesn't go all the way down Richmond, but instead flips down 59 after Greenway Plaza). Here is a photo of Charlotte: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Escalating costs because of the overpasses and underpasses the system goes through? Still though, the system having its own right of way is good. I think one section of the University Line has its own right of way (if it doesn't go all the way down Richmond, but instead flips down 59 after Greenway Plaza).Costs must be within reason. There has to be honesty to those who are providing monitary support. if you were thinking about buying a car and they quoted you 20k and then later you went back and it was 40k. i'm sure you would think twice about the transaction. if the overpasses/underpasses were necessary, why weren't they in the initial proposal? i do agree a set ROW is the proper way to go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trae Posted June 29, 2007 Author Share Posted June 29, 2007 Would it be possible to rip up Richmond, and have the rail take the place of the sidewalk and that side of the street (sort of like the photo I posted). The projected ridership numbers for Charlotte is weak though. They say 18,500 by 2025 for their Blue Line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Would it be possible to rip up Richmond, and have the rail take the place of the sidewalk and that side of the street (sort of like the photo I posted). Bring a tape measure down to Richmond and Stanford sometime and report back to us. So how would this proposal of yours provide an isolated ROW? Remember there are numerous streets that cross richmond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trae Posted June 29, 2007 Author Share Posted June 29, 2007 It isn't isolated, but better than being in the middle of the street. I don't know if there are abandoned rail lines like in Dallas around Houston. If there are, it should be easy to put rail down them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 It isn't isolated, but better than being in the middle of the street. I don't know if there are abandoned rail lines like in Dallas around Houston. If there are, it should be easy to put rail down them.but now you've cut off access to everything on that side of the street. prior to proposing big projects, you must consider how it will affect everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 I'd rather have LRT though. BRT usually comes in after the BRT (you see that in most cities).I presume you meant LRT usually comes in after the BRT. If so, I wonder if you could list some cities where that has occurred. AFAIK, BRT is still a very new concept/technology and has not operated anywhere long enough to have been replaced by LRT. In any event, that is the plan for Houston, as soon as there's sufficient ridership, which I'm guessing will be quite soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trae Posted June 29, 2007 Author Share Posted June 29, 2007 Yeah that's what I meant. How soon is soon to you all though? Would we see LRT by 2020? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Yeah that's what I meant. How soon is soon to you all though? Would we see LRT by 2020?why does it matter if you get the identical service? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trae Posted June 29, 2007 Author Share Posted June 29, 2007 Identical? So, when a BRT bus is passing through, all traffic will stop for it? Little train guards will come down? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonmacbro Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Can't we at this point, just get SOMETHING built. We have wasted 2 years arguing over whether it is LRT or BRT and whether one is like or substantially different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Identical? So, when a BRT bus is passing through, all traffic will stop for it? Little train guards will come down?yes. it will be in its own lane, interacting with traffic like the LRT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonmacbro Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 yes. it will be in its own lane, interacting with traffic like the LRT.I remember when I was living in Los Angeles in 1999. Their train seems to just work and travels a long distance all over the city (I used to frequently ride the Long Beach line). It was elevated, but not terribly so and there didn't seem to be a big issue with wrecks, etc.Has Houston studied their model and implementation? Reason I ask is because they are a city that is geographically spread out like Houston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trae Posted June 29, 2007 Author Share Posted June 29, 2007 I hope Houston has. I hope METRO at least elevates the train over heavily traveled streets. FOr example, the Uptown Line should have elevated sections over Westheimer and San Felipe. I am also wondering how they are going to connect it to the Northwest Transit Center. If they plan on switching it to LRT once ridership numbers are up, how will it get up there? Will it go elevated or be below ground? All maps show them actually going on 610. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Identical? So, when a BRT bus is passing through, all traffic will stop for it? Little train guards will come down?Yes. Identical service.I hope Houston has. I hope METRO at least elevates the train over heavily traveled streets. FOr example, the Uptown Line should have elevated sections over Westheimer and San Felipe. I am also wondering how they are going to connect it to the Northwest Transit Center. If they plan on switching it to LRT once ridership numbers are up, how will it get up there? Will it go elevated or be below ground? All maps show them actually going on 610.I don't know exactly how the BRT will get there. But whatever route they choose for the BRT, the LRT will travel the exact same route when they do the switch. You really should try to read a bit about Metro's plans if you are interested in it. All of your questions have been answered over and over by Metro. Spend some time on their website and you could probably learn quite a lot.FWIW, I would expect most of the BRT routes to switch to LRT by 2020. But I'm just guessing, in part based on the success of the Red Line. (Sorry naysayers, but it's pretty hard to maintain the myth that the Red Line is a dismal failure when it continues to post the numbers it does.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonmacbro Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 I kind doubt that we are going to get all lines built by 2020 ... that is essentially 12 years away and we haven't even broken ground yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 I hope Houston has. I hope METRO at least elevates the train over heavily traveled streets. FOr example, the Uptown Line should have elevated sections over Westheimer and San Felipe. I am also wondering how they are going to connect it to the Northwest Transit Center. If they plan on switching it to LRT once ridership numbers are up, how will it get up there? Will it go elevated or be below ground? All maps show them actually going on 610.you should read METRO's website several times.most will be at ground level except where they are forced to elevate like over buffalo bayouFWIW, I would expect most of the BRT routes to switch to LRT by 2020. But I'm just guessing, in part based on the success of the Red Line. (Sorry naysayers, but it's pretty hard to maintain the myth that the Red Line is a dismal failure when it continues to post the numbers it does.)its numbers are skewd due to forced ridership. it will be harder to accomplish this on the other lines. so we'll find out then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonmacbro Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Who's forcing people to ride? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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