IronTiger Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 The other day I was playing Frisbee with my Houston-living cousin and I casually mentioned the abandoned US-59 railroad and thinking about how it would be a cool expansion to the light rail. But then my cousin said that the light rail "doesn't work", stating that it is an inefficient way around Houston, making Main Street a nightmare, and so on. I think that I went back in time, and changed the light rail plans, they would be slightly different. When the rail goes downtown, the westbound rail will ramp up (like the eastbound rail) and it goes over San Jacinto Rd. to the northeast, giving it a nice covered feel. At US-59, however, the light rail goes "up and over", with a station on top, as seen here. At Capitol Street and San Jacinto, the rail curls northwest, then curls to Main Street and goes down to the grade of the road. As for SOUTH of the Rice University area, as the southbound road drivers notice, it would would sink and go underground. It comes back up near the Astrodome, but glides over the most important parking lot entrances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 I think its a lot more expensive, though, and you introduce safety and liability issues that make it all the more expensive to implement properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted June 9, 2009 Author Share Posted June 9, 2009 Well, this in hindsight, and I think that this light rail would actually be a lot safer than the real light rail. No more blocked turns and tracks on the shoulders! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 Well, this in hindsight, and I think that this light rail would actually be a lot safer than the real light rail. No more blocked turns and tracks on the shoulders!Yes, but there have been a number of breakdowns, and I was once on when a door flew open for no reason. Planning all the safety stuff for something above street level could be difficult, or expensive at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 But then my cousin said that the light rail "doesn't work", stating that it is an inefficient way around Houston, making Main Street a nightmare, and so on.Where is this Main Street nightmare that you speak of? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 I take the train to work every day and its doing just fine now that they've added extra signs and lights to warn drivers not to do dumb things. It does fine in downtown and midtown though it takes forever to clear the Medical Center. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 Where is this Main Street nightmare that you speak of?I was wondering that too. I'm guessing Iron Tiger's cousin has never ridden the rail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfre81 Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 It's a nightmare if you run a red light in front of the train. Serves you right too if you do. Nothing beats instant results.Light rail > red light cameras Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 Most people who have a problem with Main Street downtown are not aware that no left turns off of Main Street are allowed, which perhaps leads to their confusion. Once you've learned that, its no big deal, I suppose aside from the Main Street Square cutoff that you're not allowed to drive through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted June 9, 2009 Author Share Posted June 9, 2009 I was wondering that too. I'm guessing Iron Tiger's cousin has never ridden the rail.I believe he meant DRIVING on Main Street, what with all the traffic restrictions regarding the light rail. Of course, we didn't have a long discussion on the problems of the light rail...we just continued playing Frisbee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20thStDad Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 I believe he meant DRIVING on Main Street, what with all the traffic restrictions regarding the light rail. Of course, we didn't have a long discussion on the problems of the light rail...we just continued playing Frisbee.It took one time for me to learn to not drive on Main St. That's not what it's for any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihop Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 The nightmare about Main St and driving near light rail is whenever you want to make a left turn across it. The traffic signals don't seem to know how to handle it and you can sit through 4+ cycles while waiting to make a left turn in some places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 The nightmare about Main St and driving near light rail is whenever you want to make a left turn across it. The traffic signals don't seem to know how to handle it and you can sit through 4+ cycles while waiting to make a left turn in some places.That might be because all left turns across the rail line are prohibited on Main Street. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLWM8609 Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 That might be because all left turns across the rail line are prohibited on Main Street.He probably means Fannin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoolBuddy06 Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 He probably means Fannin.But those lights handle left turns pretty good. It takes less than two minutes in most cases. Some people freak out when they see train bearing down on them though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 He probably means Fannin.That's pretty much the problem with this whole thread. Hard to tell what they mean they they use hyperbole like "nightmare". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 He probably means Fannin.Something's still off. It doesn't take 4 cycles to turn left on Fannin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 I believe he meant DRIVING on Main Street, what with all the traffic restrictions regarding the light rail. Of course, we didn't have a long discussion on the problems of the light rail...we just continued playing Frisbee.Yeah, I understood that. So, apparently he's never driven along the light rail line either. One has to have an extraordinarily low "nightmare" threshold for anything along the light rail line to trigger it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihop Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 Yeah, I understood that. So, apparently he's never driven along the light rail line either. One has to have an extraordinarily low "nightmare" threshold for anything along the light rail line to trigger it.Yes, I mean Fannin & Greenbriar, sorry, I live near the Med Center & stick to 288, Almeda, & Montrose for heading north, not that familiar with Main.Try turning left from Fannin northbound to Braeswood westbound (at old Fire Station 33) during rush hour, you'll end up sitting there forever. There are a few other places where making left turns can be highly frustrating, but I can't remember them too well since I've totally altered my driving habits to avoid them.I can't wait for the Cambridge St bridge from Holcombe to MacGregor opens, it's been almost completely done for awhile now, but it looks like it won't connect until the MacGregor realignment is complete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totheskies Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 Yes, I mean Fannin & Greenbriar, sorry, I live near the Med Center & stick to 288, Almeda, & Montrose for heading north, not that familiar with Main.Try turning left from Fannin northbound to Braeswood westbound (at old Fire Station 33) during rush hour, you'll end up sitting there forever. There are a few other places where making left turns can be highly frustrating, but I can't remember them too well since I've totally altered my driving habits to avoid them. I can't wait for the Cambridge St bridge from Holcombe to MacGregor opens, it's been almost completely done for awhile now, but it looks like it won't connect until the MacGregor realignment is complete. not if you're on a bike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fringe Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 Going down the middle of Main Street was the stupidest thing ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted June 10, 2009 Author Share Posted June 10, 2009 Remember this...1) It is assumed this "nightmare on Main Street" incident is due to the fact that the light rail runs on it (et. al.) and one cannot make certain turns on it.2) I didn't ask him to elaborate, so you shouldn't make assumptions like "obviously he's never driven along Main Street".3) He lives in Houston, I don't.4) I'm paraphrasing, which results in confusion along #1 and #2.5) He isn't a member on the HAIF.6) He thinks my avatar is offensive because he hates tigers because he hates LSU (which, coincidentally, is where his roommate did undergrad years) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 Going down the middle of Main Street was the stupidest thing ever....or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJxvi Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 No left turns off of Main predates light rail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihop Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 And it's not just left turns across the rail from the street the rail runs down, but crossroads as well.The biggest issue is in places where the tracks cross a road slantwise, close to but not through an intersection. When a train comes to such a crossing, the traffic signal cycle is pre-empted to give a green light to the lane that might have cars sitting on the tracks, so they can clear out. Then after the train passes the cycle continues from there rather than going back to where it was previously. If enough consecutive trains come by at the right (wrong) times, then the people who are last in that cycle get screwed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 I seriously doubt 4 cycles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fringe Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fringe Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 ...or not.Yeah. There's never any accidents involving the light rail. They don't call it the Wham-Bam-Tram for nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 Yeah. There's never any accidents involving the light rail. Dammit. Can't ever get YouTube to work on this site. Rarely these days, that video came out a while back and besides the video is full of idiots doing retarded things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fringe Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 Rarely these days, that video came out a while back and besides the video is full of idiots doing retarded things.But that's Houston. The city is FULL of people who do retarded things. All the more reason not to have a train hurling down the middle of a busy street. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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