motto Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Wouldn't it make sense to have light rail down Washington? Looking at a map, it could extend from where the east/southeast lines end just west of downtown and go down Washington and end at the Uptown line. I think it would make sense, there's lots of stuff on Washington and people walk around a lot. Plus when all the bars shut down - less DWI's! Then the uptown line would have something else to connect with. Just a dream.... what do you guys think? plus it would really tie in the other future lines that are going in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highway6 Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Just a dream.... what do you guys think? plus it would really tie in the other future lines that are going in.I think you're several years behind in the dreams dept. It's all a fine idea but let's just get through the current phase of LRT and CRT before we start tacking on more lines.http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/23371-inner-katy-lrt/http://www.ctchouston.org/information/factsheets/railexpansion/railexpansion2.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian0123 Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I'm all for rail, but rail down Washington would be a total waste of money. The current rail design connects important landmarks and employment centers (Downtown, Rice, Hermann Park, Med Center, Reliant, Galleria, New Dynamo Stadium, etc.). Washington Avenue has none of those things... just bars. The scene on Washington will have moved by the time anything could get funded and built... and there will be plenty of bars along the future rail that you don't have to drive to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highway6 Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I'm all for rail, but rail down Washington would be a total waste of money. The current rail design connects important landmarks and employment centers (Downtown, Rice, Hermann Park, Med Center, Reliant, Galleria, New Dynamo Stadium, etc.). Washington Avenue has none of those things... just bars. The scene on Washington will have moved by the time anything could get funded and built... and there will be plenty of bars along the future rail that you don't have to drive to.From the Katy LRT thread linked to above...Washington isnt ideal for a phase III route because its now a hotspot... it's ideal because it's 1 of 3 E-W corridors connecting the NWTC ( North end of the Uptown Line and numerous commuter bus routes ) and downtown (converge into current East End line). The other two being I-10 and the tracks. Washington is the best of those 3 for splitting SN22 and its dense boat load of residents as well as hitting up the current and any future commercial/retail buildings. Let the bar scene move... doesn't really change Washington Ave's importance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I tried looking through Metro Solutions, but I distinctly remember a map in which is showed future lines to the airport and one along Washington to the Post Oak P&R. Personally, I think it makes sense. With the number of businesses and apartments in the area, I'd imagine there would be a huge demand for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Original Timmy Chan's Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Might help keep the neighborhood from being just another "fad" club scene...but unfortunately, if you started today, I bet you're 10 years or more from seeing rail built there. And that's if you could find the money.METRO's having trouble finding the money to build the rails that we voted on nearly 10 years ago.If we picked light rail routes by the "hot" bar scene, we'd have light rail down Richmond Ave right now...running past a defunct Billy Blues and Yucatan Liquor Stand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motto Posted March 24, 2011 Author Share Posted March 24, 2011 i didn't mean to center the reason for rail around bars:) There is tons of residential development in the area and more is coming. But people walk in that area and I think that is important for a successful light rail. IMO if the community isn’t pedestrian friendly the rail will be underutilized. But since the purpose of light rail is to connect important employment centers, it should link those centers to residential areas, otherwise what is the point. Go to Downtown and catch the rail to Med Center? Its not just about the bars, the area has lots of entertainment. We'll see how long it takes for businesses and amenities to build up around the new lines, the SE line has a stupid alignment anyway, it should have penetrated EaDo a little better so more people live near the rail, or close enough to walk to it. I would love to be able to take rail to work every day, and I think the type of population in the Washington area would as well, unfortunately for me my job chains me to a car seat 70% of the time…. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I'm all for rail, but rail down Washington would be a total waste of money. The current rail design connects important landmarks and employment centers (Downtown, Rice, Hermann Park, Med Center, Reliant, Galleria, New Dynamo Stadium, etc.). Washington Avenue has none of those things... just bars. The scene on Washington will have moved by the time anything could get funded and built... and there will be plenty of bars along the future rail that you don't have to drive to.ah, but it could be a more direct connect from DT to the transit center for 290, where commuters could catch heavy rail up 290, or out i10... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJxvi Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 (edited) I'm all for rail, but rail down Washington would be a total waste of money. The current rail design connects important landmarks and employment centers (Downtown, Rice, Hermann Park, Med Center, Reliant, Galleria, New Dynamo Stadium, etc.). Washington Avenue has none of those things... just bars. You're wrong anyway, there is one major, MAJOR landmark that has become a key destination for area residents both Uptown and in the West End, Rice Military and the Heights that light rail on Washington would serve and that is Memorial Park. Edited March 24, 2011 by JJxvi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motto Posted March 24, 2011 Author Share Posted March 24, 2011 forgot all about that but great point! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KinkaidAlum Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 And with the Bayou City Arts Festival at Memorial Park and the complete auto cluster F%&*# that is getting ready to happen, what a great time to dream about having an alternative option for getting to Memorial Park.I live right near the Zoo these days and couldn't believe the traffic during Spring Break week. I walk the path almost daily and laughed as I watched some families sit in their cars literally not moving trying to navigate the area while others exited the train on Fannin and either walked to the Zoo or hopped on the kiddie train. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 And with the Bayou City Arts Festival at Memorial Park and the complete auto cluster F%&*# that is getting ready to happen, what a great time to dream about having an alternative option for getting to Memorial Park.I live right near the Zoo these days and couldn't believe the traffic during Spring Break week. I walk the path almost daily and laughed as I watched some families sit in their cars literally not moving trying to navigate the area while others exited the train on Fannin and either walked to the Zoo or hopped on the kiddie train.While I hope the route on Washington becomes reality, I think one down memorial would be awesome, but mainly as an "express". On stop near Deterring, another in memorial, and one when it meets with the uptown line. Of course, It would have to be elevated due to the relative frequency of flooding, so I doubt it would that it would ever happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C2H Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 If memory serves me right, wasn't there talk some months back about a streetcar or shuttle going down the Washington coordidor?. It seems that would easily be able to serve as a connection to the Uptown Line when it finally gets built. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonartstudent Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 (edited) Since light rail seems to come by hard in this city, I think something like what they're doing in Vegas would be a good/cheaper alternative - Run two bus lines down Washington connecting the 290 Transit Center to Downtown (maybe even the bars of Midtown!)...One bus would make smaller stops, which I'm sure is already in place (and although I doubt they would make it a double-decker like Vegas, I'm sure something a little different than the normal fleet would be cool), the other would make fewer stops (perhaps Houston Ave, Taylor Street, Studemont, etc.). I know this is considered Bus Rapid Transit, and I thought it worked really well...for Vegas at least My other idea is to put an elevated rail down Center street...but yeah, the chance of a BRT being implemented would be more realistic. Edited March 26, 2011 by houstonartstudent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 And with the Bayou City Arts Festival at Memorial Park and the complete auto cluster F%&*# that is getting ready to happen, what a great time to dream about having an alternative option for getting to Memorial Park.I live right near the Zoo these days and couldn't believe the traffic during Spring Break week. I walk the path almost daily and laughed as I watched some families sit in their cars literally not moving trying to navigate the area while others exited the train on Fannin and either walked to the Zoo or hopped on the kiddie train.So... getting on the kiddie train right there is free??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 ...Of course, It would have to be elevated due to the relative frequency of flooding, so I doubt it would that it would ever happen.Because METRO can't get anything right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 If memory serves me right, wasn't there talk some months back about a streetcar or shuttle going down the Washington coordidor?. It seems that would easily be able to serve as a connection to the Uptown Line when it finally gets built.It's called The Wave. And it's for the drunkards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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