90-MPH Commuter Rail On Highway 290 By 2012

[mrfootball]

From Swamplot...

Where Commuter Rail Might Come From

August 3, 2009 – 12:04 pm

“We may have commuter rail to Galveston and Hempstead as early as 2012,” declares rail watcher Christof Spieler. So who’s gonna make it happen? How about . . . the Gulf Coast Freight Rail District? “The GCFRD just advertised for and received qualifications for firms to do $2 million in engineering studies, to be completed by June 2010, for 90 mph commuter rail lines sharing freight rail tracks along 290 from Hempstead to just inside 610 and from Galveston to just inside 610. This spring, the Texas Legislature expanded GCFRD’s mission to include intercity passenger rail; despite its name, the district has already been empowered to build commuter rail. Waller and Galveston counties are now joining the GCFRD, making the district the only entity short of TxDOT that covers both of those lines.” [intermodality]

http://swamplot.com/

[JLWM8609]

I have my doubts about commuter rail in this region coming so soon. Less than 10 years ago they said we'd have high speed rail along US 90A into Sugar Land by now, but it's not here.

[kylejack]

3 years seems hyperoptimistic, even if they do intend to use existing rail.

[sevfiv]

Rewind almost 100 years!

[BryanS]

This project needs to be killed, now. 90 MPH is too slow, for a commuter train. We need ~290 MPH. Then we can talk. Let's get there! Get on, Hold on, Let's GO! See, I already have the slogan all picked out.

You're not going to get any train moving over 30 MPH on the existing freight rails. They are already unsafe at any speed.

[TheNiche]

This project needs to be killed, now. 90 MPH is too slow, for a commuter train. We need ~290 MPH. Then we can talk. Let's get there! Get on, Hold on, Let's GO! See, I already have the slogan all picked out.

You're not going to get any train moving over 30 MPH on the existing freight rails. They are already unsafe at any speed.

I have to agree. A train that's only 90mph doesn't make a great deal of sense when it runs less frequently than P&R busses and at a speed that is only fast enough to partially compensate for the longer wait times at the stations. Also, somehow I'd imagine that there will be significant accelleration/decelleration/boarding delays, with 90mph being only the top speed, nowhere close to the average speed.

And you're right that the rails as they currently exist could not accommodate 90mph use. I'm sure that part of the plans would be to modify them, however.

I tend to believe that maglev is the best system for city-to-suburb transit. I'm not sure that it could be made fiscally sound viable between major cities, but I'm pretty sure that it'd be feasible for purposes of commuting.

[mrfootball]

I have to agree. A train that's only 90mph doesn't make a great deal of sense when it runs less frequently than P&R busses and at a speed that is only fast enough to partially compensate for the longer wait times at the stations. Also, somehow I'd imagine that there will be significant accelleration/decelleration/boarding delays, with 90mph being only the top speed, nowhere close to the average speed.

And you're right that the rails as they currently exist could not accommodate 90mph use. I'm sure that part of the plans would be to modify them, however.

I tend to believe that maglev is the best system for city-to-suburb transit. I'm not sure that it could be made fiscally sound viable between major cities, but I'm pretty sure that it'd be feasible for purposes of commuting.

Are you effing serious?

This from the same people who think the idiot toy train through city streets is a smarter idea than actually taking cars off the freeways via commuter rail.

Let's see...90 mph...vs. 15-20 mph in rush hour (if you're lucky)?

If I had to do it (thank God I don't) I'd take the 10 minute ride into the loop for the win!

[BryanS]

Are you effing serious?

This from the same people who think the idiot toy train through city streets is a smarter idea than actually taking cars off the freeways via commuter rail.

Let's see...90 mph...vs. 15-20 mph in rush hour (if you're lucky)?

If I had to do it (thank God I don't) I'd take the 10 minute ride into the loop for the win!

But are you effing serious? This isn't about trains going to downtown! If you read post #1 ... it talks about 2 lines: along 290 and then down to Galveston, both terminating just inside of 610. I can't see how this project is going to do anything to relieve inner loop congestion. Yea, there's a lot of cars on 45 going to Galveston on the weekend, but at the times I have gone... I would beat the train!

We're not saying the train is a bad idea. We're saying that a slow train is a bad idea. Galveston is 30 miles from my house. Going 80, I could there in ~22 minutes. At 290 MPH... I am there in 6. Why Lord, I would ever need to get to Galveston in 6 minutes remains a mystery, but nonetheless - at least I would have the option.

[citizen4rmptown]

I have my doubts about commuter rail in this region coming so soon. Less than 10 years ago they said we'd have high speed rail along US 90A into Sugar Land by now, but it's not here.

True, but with the construction of the Light Rail lines, this will speed up the progress of the commuter rail.

I have faith this will be built, but im sure it will be built/start construction in less than 5 years from now.

[SchwinnChopper68]

Rewind 108 years!

[TheNiche]

Are you effing serious?

This from the same people who think the idiot toy train through city streets is a smarter idea than actually taking cars off the freeways via commuter rail.

Let's see...90 mph...vs. 15-20 mph in rush hour (if you're lucky)?

If I had to do it (thank God I don't) I'd take the 10 minute ride into the loop for the win!

Don't get me wrong, I don't think that light rail is a good idea in the format that it is being implemented, either. I just got stuck in LRT-caused congestion this afternoon trying to turn right onto the South Loop from Fannin and was quite frustrated with the idiocy of the whole experience.

It's not an either/or proposition, and I never presented it as such.

[TheNiche]

We're not saying the train is a bad idea. We're saying that a slow train is a bad idea. Galveston is 30 miles from my house. Going 80, I could there in ~22 minutes. At 290 MPH... I am there in 6. Why Lord, I would ever need to get to Galveston in 6 minutes remains a mystery, but nonetheless - at least I would have the option.

In all fairness, even a maglev would face the problems associate with acceleration, deceleration, and stops. Top speed is different from average speed.

[ekarl17]

I would definetely think commuter rail is and will be benefit the Houston Area if conceived in the next five years or in the future. Anything that helps the public or even ourselves to have more options to go to our destinations such as Galveston Beach, The Medical Center or Uptown is going to not only set our city as a world class city but to have cleaner air and be more environmental friendlier.

[TheNiche]

I would definetely think commuter rail is and will be benefit the Houston Area if conceived in the next five years or in the future. Anything that helps the public or even ourselves to have more options to go to our destinations such as Galveston Beach, The Medical Center or Uptown is going to not only set our city as a world class city but to have cleaner air and be more environmental friendlier.

People seem to believe that it is a foregone conclusion that mass transit is greener than automobile-based transport. That is not necessarily the case. Trains pollute too, and if they can serve as an alternative to other forms of polluting transportation at such volume as that the break-even point can be surpassed, that they reduce congestion acts to induce additional vehicle trips that otherwise would have been consolidated into one trip or not happened at all. In the long run, the lower levels of congestion induce the development of housing further from employment centers, exacerbating pollution issues related to transportation. In the very long run, new employment centers are formed in these suburban areas that by virtue of their lack of centrality can never hope to be as effectively connected to regional mass transit as are urban employment centers.

...of course the validity of such a criticism is entirely based upon normative assumptions that I myself do not embrace. I'm just trying to get people to question their assumptions and think about things in a less superficial way.

(Cue rep snipers.)

[kdog08]

Don't get me wrong, I don't think that light rail is a good idea in the format that it is being implemented, either. I just got stuck in LRT-caused congestion this afternoon trying to turn right onto the South Loop from Fannin and was quite frustrated with the idiocy of the whole experience.

It's not an either/or proposition, and I never presented it as such.

You'd think after this many years knowing about the light rail and it's frequency you would have devised better alternatives routes. I myself never get caused in LRT-caused congestion that causes frustration as I know how to avoid it.

[TheNiche]

You'd think after this many years knowing about the light rail and it's frequency you would have devised better alternatives routes. I myself never get caused in LRT-caused congestion that causes frustration as I know how to avoid it.

Oh, right. "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded."

[Rammer]

Dallas politicians punked our Houston politicians in seizing federal money for commuter rail in the mid-90's.

Ride the Trinity Railway Express between Dallas & Fort Worth.

You will love it.

http://www.trinityrailwayexpress.org/traininfo.html

[RedScare]

Dallas politicians punked our Houston politicians in seizing federal money for commuter rail in the mid-90's.

Ride the Trinity Railway Express between Dallas & Fort Worth.

You will love it.

http://www.trinityrailwayexpress.org/traininfo.html

I lived in Fort Worth during the long struggle to get the Trinity Railway running, and followed it's progress very closely. I looked forward to the possibility of taking the train to Dallas to play while still living in Fort Worth. I do not recall a lot of federal money being involved. In fact, the obstacles involved in initiating service did not seem to revolve around the feds at all. There was certainly no contest between DFW and Houston in getting any funding, since Houston was not in the commuter rail business at the time. Do you have some information that suggests some coup by DFW politicians over Houston's, because this is the first I have ever heard of it.

[Rammer]

I lived in Fort Worth during the long struggle to get the Trinity Railway running, and followed it's progress very closely. I looked forward to the possibility of taking the train to Dallas to play while still living in Fort Worth. I do not recall a lot of federal money being involved. In fact, the obstacles involved in initiating service did not seem to revolve around the feds at all. There was certainly no contest between DFW and Houston in getting any funding, since Houston was not in the commuter rail business at the time. Do you have some information that suggests some coup by DFW politicians over Houston's, because this is the first I have ever heard of it.

My information at the time was that Dallas simply jumped on it before Houston did.

Houston could have done it, they simply didn't. There was a limited amount of Fed funds available.

I talked to TRE employees at the downtown info desk while discussing how much I liked the train.

[RedScare]

My information at the time was that Dallas simply jumped on it before Houston did.

Houston could have done it, they simply didn't. There was a limited amount of Fed funds available.

I talked to TRE employees at the downtown info desk while discussing how much I liked the train.

Do you have anything more authoritative than information desk employees?

[Rammer]

Do you have anything more authoritative than information desk employees?

No.

It's a great commuter rail. Everyone in Houston should ride it if they go to Dallas.

[RedScare]

No.

It's a great commuter rail. Everyone in Houston should ride it if they go to Dallas.

It IS a good route, and people SHOULD give it a run if they visit Dallas or Fort Worth. I just cannot understand why you ruined a good point by printing a completely fabricated statement like you did.