totheskies Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I live in the East End as well...An underpass for the Metrorail... really? We've been there/done that with the Red Line, and it has to stop every time there is a major rain event and the drains get clogged. To me that's inefficient, and we need to plan better. It'll only be more expensive at the start of the line... but an overpass would save METRO and the city lots more money during the life of the line. Most of us have been to Dallas and we've seen the DART-Rail platforms that they build.... it's so much easier to do something right the first time, then it is to screw up and deal with issues later. A comment about East End/Harrisburg density...Harrisburg blvd. may not be packed with people, but it is the heart of the East End corridor. Canal to the east, Polk to the west, and lots of residential in between. It's the perfect connecting street for the neighborhood (and ripe for retail). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I live in the East End as well...An underpass for the Metrorail... really? We've been there/done that with the Red Line, and it has to stop every time there is a major rain event and the drains get clogged. To me that's inefficient, and we need to plan better. It'll only be more expensive at the start of the line... but an overpass would save METRO and the city lots more money during the life of the line. Most of us have been to Dallas and we've seen the DART-Rail platforms that they build.... it's so much easier to do something right the first time, then it is to screw up and deal with issues later. A comment about East End/Harrisburg density... Harrisburg blvd. may not be packed with people, but it is the heart of the East End corridor. Canal to the east, Polk to the west, and lots of residential in between. It's the perfect connecting street for the neighborhood (and ripe for retail). Where would you prefer that the water end up!? Most people fail to realize that the Houston region's largest floodwater detention system is actually our system of roads. Below-grade roads only add to that capacity, reducing the possibility of either neighborhood-level street flooding or the flooding of homes and businesses. On that basis, maybe HCFCD can kick in some of the cost as part of a flood control project. Incidentally, if it is raining that hard and flooding that much, I wouldn't think that METRO ridership would be that high anyway. Transit use from day to day is heavily influenced by weather. ...then there's always the option that I suggested, and doing elevated light rail tracks along the median of a road underpass. Then METRO light rail operates continuously and vehicles can EASILY detour to Polk or Canal Streets. Btw, if you happen to be momentarily inconvenienced, say for 8 hours per flood incident on average once a year (0.09% of its operational life), that's a small price to pay for less visual or noise pollution during 100% of its operation life. I do agree that this could be a good place for elevated light rail with at least one or maybe two elevated platforms, and allowing for continued bi-directional traffic in four lanes. Even better, I'd like to entertain the idea of making Harrisburg and Capitol each one-way streets through that section up until about 75th Street. Doing so would make a lot more land classified as having commercial frontage (thereby raising its value, and inducing more tax revenue) and would allow for plenty of ROW serving auto traffic, light rail, pedestrians, and on-street parking--all of which are going to be vital to the success of urban retail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N Judah Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 One way streets are really bad for pedestrian/urban retail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illusionescape Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I think METRO picked the best possible east-west route in the East End. I've traveled down other routes like Navigation and Canal and they just don't have the potential that Harrisburg does. There is a new CVS Pharmacy going up on Harrisburg, plus there is quite a bit of restaurants/shopping near the Magnolia Transit Center already. Also, there are two new shopping centers with Las Palmas and the one with the AutoZone. In a way, the METRO line will tie in with another mode of transportation... international bus lines. There are two bus stations near the end of the line that provide bus trips to Mexico. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchtastic Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I do agree that this could be a good place for elevated light rail with at least one or maybe two elevated platforms, and allowing for continued bi-directional traffic in four lanes. Even better, I'd like to entertain the idea of making Harrisburg and Capitol each one-way streets through that section up until about 75th Street. Doing so would make a lot more land classified as having commercial frontage (thereby raising its value, and inducing more tax revenue) and would allow for plenty of ROW serving auto traffic, light rail, pedestrians, and on-street parking--all of which are going to be vital to the success of urban retail.I like this idea of rail up top. One way, I dunno. Capitol isn't a thru street all the way between DT and Eastwood Park, not sure about the other side. I think it's a mix of warehouse and residential all the way down to that commercial site for the service facility. Will have to drive it tomorrow. I haven't thought about this in a while, glad it's come back up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 One way streets are really bad for pedestrian/urban retail. There's an argument to be made that one-way streets encourage drivers to go faster, and I think that that is a valid criticism. However, traffic calming mechanisms such as posted speed limit signs and diagonal pull-in parking can make drivers more cautious. But it would also make another street in Magnolia Park's old commercial district a high-visibility thoroughfare, providing the opportunity for more retail businesses to open and be successful along both streets as opposed to just along one continuous corridor. Not only would the increase in retail offerings support more trips to the area, but it is self-reinforcing because more pedestrians will be able to conveniently make multiple transactions in a single trip. Also, when most of the businesses are located along a single east-west corridor, the pedestrian route is one-dimensional. North and south may as well not exist. Pedestrians walk east or they walk west, and someone that happened to have parked on one of the far ends of the commercial district actually has relatively few destinations within a reasonable distance to them. If Capitol Street becomes more of a destination, then all they have to do to access new retail offerings is walk over one block. Capitol Street is also the first east-west street situated north of the UP railroad tracks. As the area evolves, this seems ideal for retail/commercial uses (if on-street parking mitigates the need for on-site parking and if setback ordinances can be waived). Parcels of land are typically too small to support very much new residential development and the railroad tracks immediately south of Capitol also discourage it; however most of the parcels are occupied by small warehouses in an area where the industrial base is waning. Also, right across the tracks to the south is Supply Row, an industrial park with numerous tracts of up to 4.5 acres. In time, the easy access (1/4 mile) to Harrisburg, Capitol, Polk via 66th, 67th (Cesar Chavez St.), and Wayside--combined with easy pedestrian access to the Gus Wortham Golf Course would make this an area ripe for higher-density residential and commercial development, tied in to the unique character of old Magnolia Park's historical commercial center without taking anything away from it in terms of character or charm. That industrial area is bounded to the south by a gully along which is the METRO bus barn; there will come a time when that needs to be moved to a lower-value site, and then that site and the gully would make an ideal location for a landscaped extension from Gus Wortham westward. See conceptual map below: LEGEND PINK - Magnolia Park Commercial District BLUE - Proposed Light Rail RED - Proposed 2000-foot Overpass ORANGE - Commercial Thoroughfares FADED ORANGE - Proposed Commercial Thoroughfare YELLOW - Proposed Secondary Thoroughfares Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I like this idea of rail up top. One way, I dunno. Capitol isn't a thru street all the way between DT and Eastwood Park, not sure about the other side. I think it's a mix of warehouse and residential all the way down to that commercial site for the service facility. Will have to drive it tomorrow. I haven't thought about this in a while, glad it's come back up.I was really thinking more along the lines of limiting the one-way streets to within an area that has potential to take on a "district" form rather than a more limited "corridor" layout. Within the District outlined in my map, nearly every parcel would front an existing or potential major or secondary commercial thoroughfare.Also, I don't want to propose two separate grade separation locations, as that would be very expensive and would give a good reason to opposition trying to shoot it down, so I'd prefer splitting off the one-way streets only right before/after the road comes back to grade level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totheskies Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I was really thinking more along the lines of limiting the one-way streets to within an area that has potential to take on a "district" form rather than a more limited "corridor" layout. Within the District outlined in my map, nearly every parcel would front an existing or potential major or secondary commercial thoroughfare.Also, I don't want to propose two separate grade separation locations, as that would be very expensive and would give a good reason to opposition trying to shoot it down, so I'd prefer splitting off the one-way streets only right before/after the road comes back to grade level.You should attend the METRO light rail meetings, or one of the East End Management District functions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illusionescape Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Has anyone visited the METRO Solutions office in the Las Palmas shopping center on Harrisburg? I haven't been but I was wondering if there was any good info there about the route (i.e., info that's not provided on METRO's website). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totheskies Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Has anyone visited the METRO Solutions office in the Las Palmas shopping center on Harrisburg? I haven't been but I was wondering if there was any good info there about the route (i.e., info that's not provided on METRO's website).I stop by there once every couple of months, and all of their info is available on the METRO website. I like the webchats... it's a good way to get info on new projects or a change in plans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrLan34 Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I was wondering if it was possible for each of the lines to open individually once each one is complete or do we have to wait till 2012 to be able to ride any new of the new 4 proposed rail lines ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 They will almost certainly open in stages. My bet is on the East End Line (minus Magnolia TC because of the bridge/tunnel issue) and the Downtown portion of Southeast to open first, followed by the rest of Southeast and North. At this point the University Line is the biggest laggard and the Uptown line can't open until after that. I'm more skeptical every day that it will all happen by 2012, though I'm told construction on the Main Street Line only took 3 years, so i guess time will tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrLan34 Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Great, thanks for the reply. If anyone has any inside info on the timeline for each stage in opening the rail lines I would love to know. Maybe someone can ask during the meto online chat if they get a chance... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illusionescape Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Great, thanks for the reply. If anyone has any inside info on the timeline for each stage in opening the rail lines I would love to know. Maybe someone can ask during the meto online chat if they get a chance...METRO had planned to pay out of pocket for the East End and Uptown lines. However, since the Uptown line cannot function without the University line, which is government funded, construction on the line cannot be started. The East End line ties in directly with the existing system ("Red Line"), so that is one reason why construction on the line has already started. If government funding for the other lines somehow falls through, the East End line will function properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrLan34 Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Excellent. Although, it looks like the east end line can't tie into the red line until the southeast line is built too... Is that right? Do you know if the southeast line has started construction yet too? Hopefully we get another line up and running by late 2009 or the beginning of 2010. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Excellent. Although, it looks like the east end line can't tie into the red line until the southeast line is built too... Is that right? Do you know if the southeast line has started construction yet too? Hopefully we get another line up and running by late 2009 or the beginning of 2010.i haven't seen any activity on the southern end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchtastic Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 i haven't seen any activity on the southern end.I haven't seen anyone working on the west end in a couple of weeks. The CVS is coming along, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonartstudent Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Will someone please show pictures of the progress?! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Will someone please show pictures of the progress?! Thanks!There isn't any! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 (edited) Metro may be nearing deal on next 4 light rail linesAfter two years of negotiations with two firms, the Metropolitan Transit Authority may be close to reaching a deal with a contractor to build and operate its next four light rail lines."We Edited February 16, 2009 by musicman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illusionescape Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 The only work done so far has been utility work. So there is not really much to see. I drive down Harrisburg almost daily and all there is too see is some big orange drums on the side of the road, a few segments of new asphalt, and a big display sign reading "Rail construction ahead". The actual construction of the line (repaving road, laying tracks, adding stations, etc) hasn't started because they have yet to sign the contract with Parsons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I heard that the present holdup is permission from the power company to move poles and lines. The street can't be widened until that occurs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrLan34 Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Metro may be nearing deal on next 4 light rail linesAfter two years of negotiations with two firms, the Metropolitan Transit Authority may be close to reaching a deal with a contractor to build and operate its next four light rail lines."We're in final negotiations," said George Smalley, a Metro spokesman. "In a negotiation, though, you never know until it's really over."The pending breakthrough with Parsons Transportation Group comes three years before Metro has said all five of its additional rail lines will be complete. The fifth rail line, the University line, remains in preliminary stages of development; another agreement will have to reached on that line.Despite the tight time frame for the new lines, Metro officials say they are sticking to the 2012 target date.Metro's Red Line, which runs along Main Street, has been operational since 2004. The Metropolitan Transit Authority's board has to approve the contract, which will likely appear on this week's agenda, Smalley said. full articleThis a great find! Thanks for the update. I think the rail lines will really change Houston and put it closer to Chicago, NY, and LA... The lines will spur more development at a faster pace I'm sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 (edited) This a great find! Thanks for the update. I think the rail lines will really change Houston and put it closer to Chicago, NY, and LA... The lines will spur more development at a faster pace I'm sure.Personally, I think that once we have light rail, we'll be more like Dallas.:shrug: Edited February 18, 2009 by TheNiche Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Personally, I think that once we have light rail, we'll be more like Dallas.:shrug:I think we'll be like Houston, only better.Definitely easier to get around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 I think we'll be like Houston, only better.Definitely easier to get around.No, not definitely. I don't ride light rail. I drive. Light rail gets in my way and doesn't go anywhere that I want to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 This a great find! Thanks for the update. I think the rail lines will really change Houston and put it closer to Chicago, NY, and LA... The lines will spur more development at a faster pace I'm sure.the killed businesses on main, make me think otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdog08 Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Personally, I think that once we have light rail, we'll be more like Dallas.:shrug:Personally, I think once Houston has its core light rail, along with our park&ride, we'll have a transit system superior to Dallas's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Personally, I think once Houston has its core light rail, along with our park&ride, we'll have a transit system superior to Dallas's.I don't disagree with you, but then our two statements are not mutually exclusive of one another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shasta Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 (edited) No, not definitely. I don't ride light rail. I drive. Light rail gets in my way and doesn't go anywhere that I want to be.So you don't want to be downtown, midtown, museum district, hermann park, rice u, med center, reliant park, UH, TSU, greenway, uptown and the countless other areas the rail will connect? Why are you even commenting on a Houston forum if you don't want to visit any of the places that make Houston 'Houston'?This rail isn't only for you Niche, its also for the future generations of Houstonians who will find it a value as the areas I just mentioned develop around them. Edited February 18, 2009 by shasta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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