Fringe Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Texas is getting a high speed Greyhound bus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchtastic Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Texas is getting a high speed Greyhound bus. They forgot to add the link to Monterrey on the map. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Most of the routes look like they're in places where they'd be politically easy to construct. Metro can't lay a mile of track without a dozen different special interest groups getting in its way. Obama wants to create jobs and roll trains. As much as Texas deserves a high-speed rail network, it won't get one as long as the people who sell cars and lay asphalt are greasing the wheels in Austin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 EDIT: So there is a connection from Houston to SA but it's not high speed. That's still not very good.It's the same Amtrak Sunset Limited route that we have had for years, which only hundreds of people use from Houston per year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Most of the routes look like they're in places where they'd be politically easy to construct. Metro can't lay a mile of track without a dozen different special interest groups getting in its way. Obama wants to create jobs and roll trains. As much as Texas deserves a high-speed rail network, it won't get one as long as the people who sell cars and lay asphalt are greasing the wheels in Austin.I thought about the political issue, but I can't imagine that Texas is any more complicated than, say, Michigan...where they make cars...and it is getting two lines that parallel one another for a ridiculously long distance. Plus, it'll even be more expensive to build these things in California and Michigan, where union labor dominates.States, even Texas, are usually pretty good at accepting unconditional federal funds for any given project. I'd expect that there will be local opposition if a route alignment might pass to close to a Senator's second vacation house, but otherwise this shouldn't take much arm-twisting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchtastic Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 States, even Texas, are usually pretty good at accepting unconditional federal funds for any given project. Not so sure about that. Haven't you heard? Rick Perry is a secessionist now. I have a question about Amtrak. Was told that it no longer even comes into Houston--that if you wanted to take the train you have to take a shuttle bus up to Longview. Is that true? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 I have a question about Amtrak. Was told that it no longer even comes into Houston--that if you wanted to take the train you have to take a shuttle bus up to Longview. Is that true?The bus to Longview connects to the daily Texas Eagle between Chicago and San Antonio. The Sunset Limited does stop in Houston on its way from New Orleans to LA three times a week.Anyhow, the plan is hundreds of billions of dollars from becoming a reality. I have a feeling the lines that actually get built will be the ones that make more sense than, for instance, Boston to Montreal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Not so sure about that. Haven't you heard? Rick Perry is a secessionist now. I have a question about Amtrak. Was told that it no longer even comes into Houston--that if you wanted to take the train you have to take a shuttle bus up to Longview. Is that true? Yeah, but he doesn't matter too much. He's only the governor. Texas governors were stripped of many of their powers after that one tried to usurp democracy way back when. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Most of the routes look like they're in places where they'd be politically easy to construct. Metro can't lay a mile of track without a dozen different special interest groups getting in its way. Obama wants to create jobs and roll trains. As much as Texas deserves a high-speed rail network, it won't get one as long as the people who sell cars and lay asphalt are greasing the wheels in Austin.It's the same federal map for high-speed rail corridors that has been out for many months. There doesn't really seem to be much ground-breaking news here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 It's the same federal map for high-speed rail corridors that has been out for many months. There doesn't really seem to be much ground-breaking news here.I thought the 13 Bil. was news? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 I found this take interesting:The nation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxmulder Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Depending on the cost i would ride...From BWI airport to DC via acela was less than 20 bucks. I wanted to take a train to NY from Baltimore it was over $100( i think one airline had a deal for 70 bucks. Then again i flew from HOU-BWI for $70 bucks one way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 I thought the 13 Bil. was news?Wasn't that, or at least most of it, already in the stimulus package? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 Current plans for a Texas system envision a Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6389604.htmlCan someone please refresh my memory...is this rail plan supposed to be part of the stimulus or is it just part of the normal budget?There was already a movement occurring at the State, County, and Municipal levels to implement the Texas T-Bone, however their plans were unfunded. The article discusses the steps necessary to create the governmental infrastructure necessary to solicit the Federal government for funding.Note, however, that they're discussing the T-Bone, whereas the Federal government's plan leaves Houston out of the Texas high speed rail network. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smurf Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 There was already a movement occurring at the State, County, and Municipal levels to implement the Texas T-Bone, however their plans were unfunded. The article discusses the steps necessary to create the governmental infrastructure necessary to solicit the Federal government for funding.Note, however, that they're discussing the T-Bone, whereas the Federal government's plan leaves Houston out of the Texas high speed rail network.The ironic thing is, there is more support for the high speed rail in Houston than in Dallas which is the home of Southwest & AA Eagle airlines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 The ironic thing is, there is more support for the high speed rail in Houston than in Dallas which is the home of Southwest & AA Eagle airlines.On the contrary, the T-Bone route configuration actually acts as a feeder system to the DFW airport. IAH is also a terminus, but it won't be able to tap the central Texas market as easily as DFW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 On the contrary, the T-Bone route configuration actually acts as a feeder system to the DFW airport. IAH is also a terminus, but it won't be able to tap the central Texas market as easily as DFW.That is only if you assume that a connection is required for travel on the Houston leg; something I don't think we actually know. It is very possible there could be just as many direct trains from Austin/San Antonio to Houston as to Dallas. I really doubt if they actually have the operations planned to that detail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 That is only if you assume that a connection is required for travel on the Houston leg; something I don't think we actually know. It is very possible there could be just as many direct trains from Austin/San Antonio to Houston as to Dallas. I really doubt if they actually have the operations planned to that detail.With or without knowing whether a connection would be required (and I suspect that it will be because there has been talk about running the Houston leg a short distance beyond the Dallas-San Antonio leg so as to directly serve Fort Hood), it is already obvious that the route from Houston to Temple adds on some significant amount of time to someone traveling between Austin and San Antonio and IAH as compared to DFW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 With or without knowing whether a connection would be required (and I suspect that it will be because there has been talk about running the Houston leg a short distance beyond the Dallas-San Antonio leg so as to directly serve Fort Hood), it is already obvious that the route from Houston to Temple adds on some significant amount of time to someone traveling between Austin and San Antonio and IAH as compared to DFW.I see what you are saying (although at 200 MPH, the 35 or so mile advantage that DFW would have becomes pretty insignificant). Now, if DFW gets all direct service with no changes required and we don't, then we'd be getting screwed. That should just not be acceptable (and not just for Houston, it would be giving Texas a very mediocre system) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GovernorAggie Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 I think that if the Governor was as gung ho about the T-Bone as he was about the TTC, this thing happens yesterday. There has to be a way to sweeten the deal. As much as I think CDAs have a lot of errors in them, that might be the best shot. I can see a consortium of operators, builders, and developers coming together to build this system, have the rights to develop around the stations/terminals in each city, and so forth. I personally like Judge Eckels' notion of making it almost completely private or at the most, state level funding. That, in theory, could allow Texas to have a robust system up and running relatively quickly, and would allow the market to determine the best approach (here's hoping for MagLev). The farther we stay away from federal funds, the better, IMO. That will only slow things down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 and would allow the market to determine the best approach (here's hoping for MagLev).If Texas had maglev but say OK, NM, AR or LA didn't, would we still be able to connect? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 If Texas had maglev but say OK, NM, AR or LA didn't, would we still be able to connect?Only using intermodal transfers. It would require a purpose-built station, but there's no issue with physical feasibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestUdweller Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 Houston will get screwed big time if they build the T-bone. I much rather have the mini triangle plan. A triangle going with Waco to college station and Austin and then the extensions going to Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston. Would be faster to get from Houston to Austin or San Antonio it seems like and would treat all the big cities much more fairly. Anyone have a map of that plan?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 Right now the T-bone plan is just a concept. I have a feeling all these issues will get ironed out during the feasibility studies and planning process. Routing trains straight through from Houston to Dallas seems like a no-brainer, and that's probably what the studies will say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 Right now the T-bone plan is just a concept. I have a feeling all these issues will get ironed out during the feasibility studies and planning process. Routing trains straight through from Houston to Dallas seems like a no-brainer, and that's probably what the studies will say.I disagree. Politicians, not economists, will determine the route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 This article talks about train companies excited about their posibilities in the US...http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124354749274164117.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.