Rail Segments Get Federal Ok

[MontroseNeighborhoodCafe]

March 25, 2005, 12:16AM

Two more rail segments will get federal OK

Approval makes Houston eligible for funding

By LUCAS WALL

Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

A U.S. agency notified Congress on Thursday that it will approve the next two segments of Houston's MetroRail system and recommend their eligibility for federal funding.

The Federal Transit Administration's notice of intent to approve preliminary engineering next month for the Main Street light rail extension to Northline Mall and a new line to the southeast side clears a major hurdle for the Metropolitan Transit Authority's efforts to obtain half the projects' costs from Washington. The action is critical because it's difficult to obtain congressional appropriations for rail lines without the FTA's stamp of approval.

"This is a first sign from the FTA that the light rail projects were positively reviewed and cleared to move forward," said Chris Paulitz, spokeswoman for Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas. "This is an important step toward completion of the Houston Metro system."

Hutchison and other members of the Senate and House appropriations committees received a telephone call and e-mail late Thursday afternoon informing them of the FTA's decision. Metro, getting positive signs as the FTA review was wrapping up, submitted its request Feb. 24 to begin preliminary engineering. The FTA has a 30-day goal of reviewing such requests, and is required by law to notify Congress 30 days before it formally approves project advancement.

Metro submitted its two projects for federal review in August, hoping to obtain a recommendation by February, when the FTA makes its annual report to Congress. The MetroRail lines were not rated in that report last month, however, and the federal agency said at the time it was still reviewing the application.

The FTA rates proposed rail projects on criteria including construction and operating costs compared to forecasted ridership, land use, mobility improvements and environmental benefits.

Houston still has numerous steps toward obtaining the $390 million it needs for the 50 percent federal match on the Northline and Southeast sections. Voters approved the lines in 2003 and authorized bonds to finance the local share.

The administration's initial recommendation, however, comes as a relief to Metro officials, who are eager to move forward with engineering the lines.

"This puts us on the map," said Metro President & CEO Frank Wilson. "This is an extremely important leap forward for us but it's not the end of the process by any means."

Congress typically offers only minimal funding assistance for preliminary engineering. Metro estimates that work will cost $60 million and is asking Congress this year to fund all of that.

Houston will be competing with at least 25 other cities that also have projects in preliminary engineering this year. The FTA has recommended Congress appropriate $122 million for all of these projects in the next fiscal year. If Metro only gets an average allocation, it can expect $5 million from Uncle Sam next year.

Wilson said Metro will make its case for the $60 million request, but could sell some bonds to pay for preliminary engineering if needed.

Metro Chairman David Wolff said he's pleased the proposed rail segments have passed a rigorous review, showing they meet federal standards.

"It's a great positive step in the direction we want to go," he said. "It's an affirmation of our program and it's good to get that from an impartial federal source."

Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston, who sits on the House transportation appropriations subcommittee, said he will ask Congress to fund MetroRail at the same level as other projects.

"Metro is entitled to receive funding for preliminary engineering and I will submit their application for funding at a level proportional to similar projects in other cities," he said. "I will work to ensure Houston receives its fair share of transit funding."

[Sunstar]

So what changed? I thought Houston was denied federal funding for rail.

[musicman]

So what changed? I thought Houston was denied federal funding for rail.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

with metro's initial plan, they wanted all federal funding up front for the next 2 lines...and then would pay out right for the next extensions. But i believe here they get some funding up front and must pay upfront as well.

this yr since they are in the red, they are having ot borrow over 90 million to stay afloat.

[Parrothead]

Wow, they're in the red? I didn't see that one coming.

[ssullivan]

Almost no transit agency in the country makes money. In order for any of them to really break even they'd have to charge fares that were so high nobody would ride, which defeats the purpose. And almost every one of them right now is really struggling because of the price of fuel. It's really not that different of situation from what the airlines are in, and even some trucking companies.

But I am very glad to see we now have approval for federal funding to help get the next rail segments built.

[Gary]

I'm sure I'm ignorant about this, but why in the hell are they planning the next two rail segments to Northline mall and to the Southeast? This seems ludicrous to me.

Please someone enlighten me.

[Talbot]

Im glad we got approved, take that Delay. But I am surprised by Culbersons response, like he actually wants to help get funding for metrorail. :|

And I thought I heard that it was going to the Northline mall and to the southeast, because there were some important people there griping and threatening if they didn't.

But I've also heard that they are going to Northline because there are a lot of people up there that already depend a lot on transit.

Correct me if i am wrong though.

[skwatra]

at least this will connect the airports to downtown. i also remember reading what talbot mentioned, more people will use transit on the north side.

[Gary]

at least this will connect the airports to downtown. i also remember reading what talbot mentioned, more people will use transit on the north side.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I guess that is somewhat reasonable but being someone who lives in Katy, I would use a rail line to DT almost everyday.

[johncoby]

I guess that is somewhat reasonable but being someone who lives in Katy, I would use a rail line to DT almost everyday.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why would you need rail? You will soon have 12 lanes to drive in!

[ssullivan]

I'm sure I'm ignorant about this, but why in the hell are they planning the next two rail segments to Northline mall and to the Southeast? This seems ludicrous to me.

Please someone enlighten me.

• Northline will eventually connect to IAH.
  
• Southeast will eventually connect to Hobby.
  
• Both lines will serve neighborhoods that heavilly depend on public transportation, and bus ridership in both of these areas is among the highest in the city.
  
• Both lines will connect downtown to already existing METRO transit centers, providing connections to local bus routes into the neighborhoods from the rail line. This is the same way the Downtown, Wheeler, and TMC Transit Centers work now.
  
• Most of the neighborhoods along the proposed Northline and Southeast rail lines have no access to downtown and other parts of the city via park and ride or express service. Almost all bus service in these areas is currently local service. Rail will provide faster transit times, allow for higher capacity transit (LRVs carry up to 200 passengers, the largest bus in the Metro fleet can hold only about 75), and remove many bus trips from the streets in this area, helping motorists get to their destinations more quickly.
  

[UrbaNerd]

Hopefully, we can get a great deal of new development&gentrification from this!

[citykid09]

Hopefully all lof the rail is not ground level!

[kjb434]

I believe the north line will have some elevated portions once it get's north of the Northline Mall. The north line of DART in Dallas has some elevated portions and some grade separated sections at major roads.

Ground rail is only good in areas were dense neighborhoods usually exist. After that, an elevated line provides faster service avoiding havn't to follow signal lights.

[VelvetJ]

The new lines are suppose to open in 2010, so exactly when does the rail suppose to reach the two airports?

[suzerain]

Im glad we got approved, take that Delay. But I am surprised by Culbersons response, like he actually wants to help get funding for metrorail. :|

And I thought I heard that it was going to the Northline mall and to the southeast, because there were some important people there griping and threatening if they didn't.

But I've also heard that they are going to Northline because there are a lot of people up there that already depend a lot on transit.

Correct me if i am wrong though.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I believe that redistricting is responsible for the change in Culberson's position. I believe his district changed to include a lot more people who are supportive of light rail. It is not all suburbs for him now

[kjb434]

These two lines will reach the airport, but there is no way we could get the matching funds to try to build them all at once. It will be build is pieces. If you want this thing to be built on a fast tract, then we'll have to take public comments out of the equation and just designate some path and remove all objects in the way. Eminent domain without object would speed up the construction.

I don't think anyone would want that to happen. The light rail will take some time to build.

[musicman]

• Rail will provide faster transit times, allow for higher capacity transit (LRVs carry up to 200 passengers, the largest bus in the Metro fleet can hold only about 75), and remove many bus trips from the streets in this area, helping motorists get to their destinations more quickly.
  

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I attended several of the preliminary meets regarding the SE line. One thing that was mentioned by METRO was that travels times were at most equivalent to bus times. There was definitely no guarantee of faster travel times. It surprised me that the SE route to Palm Center was supposed to take 40-45 mins (from downtown it's about 15 mins by car). This is outrageous since the line will eventually go to Hobby which will probably add another 40-45 mins. 1:30 to hobby would be ridiculous.

It just too bad that this would be a great opportunity to help the people in the burbs with respect to travel but METRO is still designing these things to eliminate bus routes. Speed is not a factor, they are simply putting the line where most people already ride a bus. I think they should be designed to also attract some new riders as well.

[kjb434]

I'm hoping that when the main lines get outside of the inner loop areas that they will become elevated. This would greatly speed up the travel time.

Also, mass transit is not always about travel time. I have friends that live in New Jersey and go to work in New York City. They said that either by car or train would take them 1 to 1.5 hours to get to work. The train just lets them either take a nap or read the morning paper and not have to pay attention to the road or traffic.

If I had to have an hour commute and one of the choices was a train, I'll take the train. Its hands free.

The biggest thing to remember is the travel and commute times in Houston for commuters are much lower for a city of our size than most places. Our traffic isn't as bad as most people think. Most major freeway corridors have mass transit through metro that is fast when you use the park and rides. Light rail is not a good subsitute for faster travel. It just adds the convience of not using your car and Metro is credited from removing cars from the city streets. The more bus lines they can remove from our city streets by mixing their usage with rail, the better traffic will be also. A lane of traffic will not be blocked by a bus any more.

The proposed commuter lines (faster heavy gauge rail) by metro to sugarland and the northwest side are proposed to be used when the freeways get to the point of gridlock and TxDOT can build out it to reduce traffic.

Rail is needed when current forms of mass transit and car commuting are not effective anymore. Luckily Houston and several major cities in the US are implementing rail lines long before they are needed. Also, rail lines are often used as means of economic stimulus to neighborhoods across the city when built. Plano is seeing this with there once no existent downtown being transformed into a more urban environment. Plano's downtown was for when it was a small town not on the edge of Dallas. Now it becoming a possible urban center.

[GovernorAggie]

I was in San Francisco last week and took BART for the first time. I have also used the EL and Metra in Chicago, DART, and MARTA in Atlanta. The heavy rail systems seem so much better for moving people. Light rail seems better for serving areas.

Also in SF I used the F Line streetcar (which was basically a bus on rails) and it seemed to be the preferred mode for block-to-block intracity travel. In Charlotte, streetcars are also replacing the most heavily traveled bus routes. Light rail is going in corridors where they want development focused.

Also, being in San Francisco made me rethink the idea of a Houston subway. If seismically hyperactive SF can have ground level transit (buses, streetcars), underground transit (MUNI lines), and even farther underground transit (BART), why can't Houston? Isn't this why engineers are paid so much money the day after they get their Bachelor's degrees? The problem here (and everywhere) is cost. Unless HCTRA builds the rest of METRO's lines, they will continue being mostly at-grade, IMO.

Ironically, if Harris County ever gets an RMA (I actually think that it would be better if there was one RMA for all 8 counties, but Montgomery County already has one and Brazoria County either has one or is planning to have one) and fold HCTRA, FBCTRA, and the rest of the TRA's in the future, then TRA money could also be used for rail projects if they chose to do so.

Then, with the HCTRA being so focused on congestion only, will there be aggressive and rapid implementation of an expansive commuter rail network for this region.

Concerning the lines to IAH and HOU, I thin kit would be more prudent for METRO to lay down more than one track an have a local train and express trains to the airports with stops only at major transit centers, e.g. northward would go from DT with stops only at Northline and Greenspoint before reaching IAH. This line (or commuter rail compliment) would then continue to the Woodlands and maybe Conroe. The Hobby express would have stops at UH/TSU and Gulfgate before reaching Hobby. The commuter compliment could continue on to League City, Texas City, and Galveston. In both cases the commuter lines would compliment the local and express light rail lines.

[N Judah]

I'm sure I'm ignorant about this, but why in the hell are they planning the next two rail segments to Northline mall and to the Southeast? This seems ludicrous to me.

Please someone enlighten me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Supposedly the SE line will go down Scott St, right past the University of Houston.

[ssullivan]

Also in SF I used the F Line streetcar (which was basically a bus on rails) and it seemed to be the preferred mode for block-to-block intracity travel.

The F line is one of my favorite transit lines anywhere! I love the restored historic PCC cars and Italian trams! It's slow as can be, especially during rush hour, but loads of fun to ride. And if you're in a hurry you can always go below street level and take the MUNI subway under Market St.

[kjb434]

The other big issure for Houston subways is groundwater levels. The construction cost escalate when ground water issues have to be address. Well pointing (method to lower groundwater levels) is extremely expensive. It is typically used when digging out basements in large buildings. Once the building's foundation is in place, the well points are removed. If the ground water has a strong upward force, the well pointing may have to stay in place permenantly.

Boston is a good example of a subway system built in an area of high groundwater. It can be done. Boston has it because they built at a time where cities such as New York and many European cities were building subways. It was popular and labor was cheaper.

Another example of difficult subway construction is in Paris. They have hundreds of miles of caverns (many unmapped and explored) that any construction project has to taken into consideration. Its possible to drive a piling and hit a empty spot where the piling is easily driven all the way in to the ground with nothing strong to support it. The subway system had to carefully build throughout the city.

San Francisco subway (BART) was build is fairly stable soils. Yes, earthquakes are a hazard, but mostly for the design and for the operation after construction. The main concern during the construction is with the use of explosives that could trigger seismic activity, but subways are typically now built with worm excavation techniques or cut and cover where it is possible.

[ssullivan]

Boston has it because they built at a time where cities such as New York and many European cities were building subways.  It was popular and labor was cheaper.

Boston's subway is older than New York's. New York didn't break ground on its first subway tunnel until 1900, three years after the first section of Boston's opened.

[DavidATX]

I am new to the board...so hi everyone.

Urban density and public transit fascinates me. I lived for a year in Washington DC where they have Metro...consists of subway and ground level trains (and a few areas where it is elevated). I believe it was built in 1976 and they are still adding a few lines. They also have a considerable ground water issue (if I am not mistaken). Both the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers as well as several creeks.

The DC Metro is now quite extensive. When I lived there, I would use it about a 1/3 of the time I was going somewhere. I would have used it more if it ran later ( I think it stops at 12 on weekdays and 2am on weekends).

To me...DC is layed out in a similar way to Houston. There is an urban center, a beltway, several interstate and regional highways (route 66, I95, etc) that pass through the city, and extensive suburbs.

I personally think something similar would be great for Houston. Yeah, I know it costs a lot...but what doesnt? Seriously, they (city, state, federal governments) will ALWAYS find ways to spend OUR money. might as well be for something we can use to save some of OUR money haha.

Bottom line...if the retards in DC could do it...let alone the French (and I have been on the Paris subway)...I am sure Houstonians can.

[2112]

Bottom line...if the retards in DC could do it...let alone the French (and I have been on the Paris subway)...I am sure Houstonians can.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I love that sentence. However, after reading it several more times, I'm not certain where Houston stands on the retards-French totem pole.

Take care.

[greystone08(returns)]

I am new to the board...so hi everyone.

Urban density and public transit fascinates me. I lived for a year in Washington DC where they have Metro...consists of subway and ground level trains (and a few areas where it is elevated). I believe it was built in 1976 and they are still adding a few lines. They also have a considerable ground water issue (if I am not mistaken). Both the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers as well as several creeks. 

The DC Metro is now quite extensive. When I lived there, I would use it about a 1/3 of the time I was going somewhere. I would have used it more if it ran later ( I think it stops at 12 on weekdays and 2am on weekends).

To me...DC is layed out in a similar way to Houston. There is an urban center, a beltway, several interstate and regional highways (route 66, I95, etc) that pass through the city, and extensive suburbs.

I personally think something similar would be great for Houston. Yeah, I know it costs a lot...but what doesnt? Seriously, they (city, state, federal governments) will ALWAYS find ways to spend OUR money. might as well be for something we can use to save some of OUR money haha.

Bottom line...if the retards in DC could do it...let alone the French (and I have been on the Paris subway)...I am sure Houstonians can.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yeah i'd like to see subway in Houston. i'M A LITTLE JEALOUS how our neighbors to the north already have one while we seem to be stuck in yesteryear with old- fashioned buses that pollute the air and a short little light train that only runs 7 minutes from DT to Relaint. I hope the next rail extentions are planned out a lot better than the first one.

[LTAWACS]

I guess that is somewhat reasonable but being someone who lives in Katy, I would use a rail line to DT almost everyday.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Psst. Don't live in the middle of nowhere.

[jpcampbell]

The DC Metro is now quite extensive. When I lived there, I would use it about a 1/3 of the time I was going somewhere. I would have used it more if it ran later ( I think it stops at 12 on weekdays and 2am on weekends).

To me...DC is layed out in a similar way to Houston. There is an urban center, a beltway, several interstate and regional highways (route 66, I95, etc) that pass through the city, and extensive suburbs.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In chron.com today they listed the top 12 cities with traffic delays. Houston was #5, but DC was #3. I wonder how bad DC would be without that extensive METRO? When I rode it, it was jammed pack at 5pm, so I know it's well used. That also makes me wonder that if DC and Houston are so similar, how much would a METRO help?

But looking out my window onto the West Loop @ San Felipe, it's been free and clear since about 5:30pm. I really can't complain.

[DavidATX]

That is a good point...would it help? Not sure, I know that I would use it about half the time...and this is coming from a guy that loves cars (I am restoring a 68 Firebird...probably get 10 mpg!!).

I will say this though, the roads in DC (including the beltway) are not adequate. The beltway is a parking lot...terrible on and off ramps. just awful. Forget surface roads inside DC too...they were not designed with cars in mind. Much of the city was based on Paris if I am not mistaken.