Rail To Uptown In Time For The Super Bowl?

[livincinco]

I feel like I live in a communist state as far as transit is concerned, we have no options except driving for the most part. Me fighting for a better transit system is considered communist, yet the people in charge are the ones who have been trying their level best to stop any type of reasonable alternative. Yeah that makes a lot of sense.

I love this! So basically you're saying that the lack of state-owned transit system makes this like a communist state? Actually, that's the absolute polar opposite of a communist state.

To quote Inigo Montoya - you keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

[august948]

Just like residents are forced to ride a horrific bus system or shell up thousands to buy a car. Why should we not be allowed a good public transportation system like every other "world class" city?

Why is a bus system that can take you from just about anywhere to just about anywhere in the service area, which is very large, particularly horrific?

[Slick Vik]

I love this! So basically you're saying that the lack of state-owned transit system makes this like a communist state? Actually, that's the absolute polar opposite of a communist state.

To quote Inigo Montoya - you keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

 

The policies of politicians have made it such that without a car you are basically worthless in this city.

[Slick Vik]

Why is a bus system that can take you from just about anywhere to just about anywhere in the service area, which is very large, particularly horrific?

 

Do you ride the bus system on a daily basis? Do you know how inconsistent it is? Has a bus driver drove right past you? Have buses you've waited for not shown up? Are you annoyed by the infrequency of buses? Do you find buses to be loud and polluting? Do you know how long it to takes to get from one place to another particularly during rush hour because of being stuck in traffic with other cars?

 

Well being that self-admittedly you've worked at home for years, I don't think so. This is the part I find ironic. The people saying to "ride the bus" never ride the bus themselves.

[Slick Vik]

Horrific...

 

And you wonder why no one takes you seriously.

 

It is an atrocious bus system. If you believe otherwise you are in denial or lying. 

[august948]

The policies of politicians have made it such that without a car you are basically worthless in this city.

Why do you feel worthless? Because you want a car and can't afford one? That's nothing to be ashamed about. Lot's of people in Houston don't have cars and rely on the bus system. Some even deliberately choose not to have a car.

[Slick Vik]

Why do you feel worthless? Because you want a car and can't afford one? That's nothing to be ashamed about. Lot's of people in Houston don't have cars and rely on the bus system. Some even deliberately choose not to have a car.

 

I have a Mercedes S class, I have nothing to be ashamed of.

 

Do you even know anyone that relies on the bus system? I do, and they all think the same thing, our bus system sucks.

[august948]

Do you ride the bus system on a daily basis? Do you know how inconsistent it is? Has a bus driver drove right past you? Have buses you've waited for not shown up? Are you annoyed by the infrequency of buses? Do you find buses to be loud and polluting? Do you know how long it to takes to get from one place to another particularly during rush hour because of being stuck in traffic with other cars?

 

Well being that self-admittedly you've worked at home for years, I don't think so. This is the part I find ironic. The people saying to "ride the bus" never ride the bus themselves.

I do ride the bus from time to time. And I have had drivers drive by, been on a bus that has broken down, and had to wait for buses. How is that particularly "horrific"? Does that not happen in other cities?

[august948]

It is an atrocious bus system. If you believe otherwise you are in denial or lying. 

Try getting around the greater Atlanta area on a bus sometime.

[Slick Vik]

I do ride the bus from time to time. And I have had drivers drive by, been on a bus that has broken down, and had to wait for buses. How is that particularly "horrific"? Does that not happen in other cities?

 

I would say the biggest problem is infrequency. Also some routes have heavily underutilized, while some need more buses running. Some buses only run every 40 minutes. That's my biggest gripe.

[Slick Vik]

Try getting around the greater Atlanta area on a bus sometime.

 

Honest question, how do you rate Atlanta train + bus against Houston train + bus? I've never been to Atlanta so I'll take your word for it.

[Houston19514]

Apropos of nothing in particular...  what became of the "ignore" feature on this forum?

[august948]

Honest question, how do you rate Atlanta train + bus against Houston train + bus? I've never been to Atlanta so I'll take your word for it.

My experience is 13 years old at this point, but in the 90's the marta train was nice and I used it from time to time but the bus system didn't really serve the greater Atlanta area very well. In part that is because the Atlanta area is an amalgam of many different local governments that don't always play well together. One of the things that impressed me when I moved here was how a single transit agency covered much of the area.

[august948]

I have a Mercedes S class, I have nothing to be ashamed of.

Interesting choice of car given many of your posts. Frankly, I suspected you either had no car or had a luxury vehicle. Was it a gift?

[RedScare]

I have a Mercedes S class, I have nothing to be ashamed of.

 

Neither do we.

[kylejack]

Do you even know anyone that relies on the bus system? I do, and they all think the same thing, our bus system sucks.

I do, and yes, it sucks.

 

The new app is cool, a major improvement since the timetables are a farce.

[august948]

I do, and yes, it sucks.

 

The new app is cool, a major improvement since the timetables are a farce.

The new app is very cool, though it's a little clunky. Hopefully it will get better with time. Question on bus service: do you think the service problems are management and design related (solvable) or inherent to such a system (not solvable)?

[Hartmann]

I have mixed feelings on light rail. I understand the desire to move a number of people that outnumber a busload from place to place but also wonder if its worth the cost in Houston. Sure, we sit in traffic but there are a number of reasons people prefer buses or their own cars to a potential light rail system all over the city (if that's even a speck in someone's eye).

 

Look at cities with what most would consider "great" light rail/subway/train systems and you'll still find traffic. Portland has a pretty extensive light rail and bus network but there are still places that are difficult to reach without a vehicle (within the city limits). They also have a pretty bad traffic problem.

 

Atlanta has a decent subway system linked up with a mediocre bus system. The reach is still limited and the traffic is horrific.

 

Last but not least, the city I am most familiar with, NY. I have spent the better part of the last year commuting from Houston here for work and while the subway is great, there are still places in the city you can't reach (try getting to parts of the far east or west sides on the subway), the traffic is worse than Houston and riding the subway at rush hour in the warmer months can best be described as humbling. The bus system even more so. The airports are all reachable by public transit but all involve connections and none is particularly convenient. JFK is probably the easiest of the three and if you don't mind riding the bus, LGA isn't too bad.

 

My point is this: we can try to emulate other systems that somewhat work or we can adapt and develop a system that works well for our city. The rapid bus system is great and needs to be expanded. METRO should look at its stops and place them in better locations if it is the right thing to do. Make real time data available about buses and make the system as easy as possible for riders to understand. And if there is a need for rail somewhere, do it. But don't just start building rail simply because the cool kids did.

[mfastx]

My experience is 13 years old at this point, but in the 90's the marta train was nice and I used it from time to time but the bus system didn't really serve the greater Atlanta area very well. In part that is because the Atlanta area is an amalgam of many different local governments that don't always play well together. One of the things that impressed me when I moved here was how a single transit agency covered much of the area.

 

Yeah, it really is a shame the Atlanta area can't get it together with the local governments.  As a result MARTA is severely limited in it's service area. 

 

It has a great, if unfinished, rail system though and ridership is very good for a post WWII growth city.

[livincinco]

The policies of politicians have made it such that without a car you are basically worthless in this city.

Regardless of which, it's still not Communist. The voters have chosen representatives that have put these policies into place. The voters have voted down referendums that would have allowed these policies. In a communist system, the only form of transportation would be state-run and the voters would not have had these options.

You are using language as propaganda. You made the comparison to Hitler earlier, but the manipulation of words that you are using is exactly what Goebbels and the Nazis did.

[livincinco]

I have mixed feelings on light rail. I understand the desire to move a number of people that outnumber a busload from place to place but also if its worth the cost in Houston. Sure, we sit in traffic but there are a number of reasons prefer buses or their own cars to a potential light rail system all over the city (if that's even a speck in someone's eye).

Look at cities with what most would consider "great" light rail/subway/train systems and you'll still find traffic. Portland has a pretty extensive light rail and bus network but there are still places that are difficult to reach without a vehicle (within the city limits). They also have a pretty bad traffic problem.

Atlanta has a decent subway system linked up with a mediocre bus system. The reach is still limited and the traffic is horrific.

Last but not least, the city I am most familiar with, NY. I have spent the better part of the last year commuting from Houston here for work and while the subway is great, there are still places in the city you can't reach (try getting to parts of the far east or west sides on the subway), the traffic is worse than Houston and riding the subway at rush hour in the warmer months can best be described as humbling.

My point is this: we can try to emulate other systems that somewhat work or we can adapt and develop a system that works well for our city. The rapid bus system is great and needs to be expanded. METRO should look at its stops and place them in better locations if it is the right thing to do. Make real time data available about buses and make the system as easy as possible for riders to understand. And if there is a need for rail somewhere, do it. But don't just start building rail simply because the cool kids did.

I appreciate your attempt to restore relevance to this conversation and the fact that you have clearly put a measure of thought into your comments.

[Ross]

I've spent a lot of time in London over the years. The transportation system there is good, but it doesn't make life a panoply of unicorns and rainbows. It's not fast, and it's crowded. There's nothing like spending 30 minutes with your nose in someone elses armpit to make you wish for the comfort of your car, even if it is expensive to drive.

[Trae]

I have mixed feelings on light rail. I understand the desire to move a number of people that outnumber a busload from place to place but also wonder if its worth the cost in Houston. Sure, we sit in traffic but there are a number of reasons people prefer buses or their own cars to a potential light rail system all over the city (if that's even a speck in someone's eye).

Look at cities with what most would consider "great" light rail/subway/train systems and you'll still find traffic. Portland has a pretty extensive light rail and bus network but there are still places that are difficult to reach without a vehicle (within the city limits). They also have a pretty bad traffic problem.

Atlanta has a decent subway system linked up with a mediocre bus system. The reach is still limited and the traffic is horrific.

Last but not least, the city I am most familiar with, NY. I have spent the better part of the last year commuting from Houston here for work and while the subway is great, there are still places in the city you can't reach (try getting to parts of the far east or west sides on the subway), the traffic is worse than Houston and riding the subway at rush hour in the warmer months can best be described as humbling. The bus system even more so. The airports are all reachable by public transit but all involve connections and none is particularly convenient. JFK is probably the easiest of the three and if you don't mind riding the bus, LGA isn't too bad.

My point is this: we can try to emulate other systems that somewhat work or we can adapt and develop a system that works well for our city. The rapid bus system is great and needs to be expanded. METRO should look at its stops and place them in better locations if it is the right thing to do. Make real time data available about buses and make the system as easy as possible for riders to understand. And if there is a need for rail somewhere, do it. But don't just start building rail simply because the cool kids did.

At least there are options tho. Not everyone has a car or wants to drive it everyday.

[august948]

I've spent a lot of time in London over the years. The transportation system there is good, but it doesn't make life a panoply of unicorns and rainbows. It's not fast, and it's crowded. There's nothing like spending 30 minutes with your nose in someone elses armpit to make you wish for the comfort of your car, even if it is expensive to drive.

My wife and her family come from a third world country where car ownership is very, very low and you either walk or take some sort of shared or public transport. Having had to use public transit, they won't set foot anywhere near a bus or a train if they can avoid it. They actually make faces if you even suggest it. I've found that true of everyone I've known from countries where cars aren't affordable to the general public and it's also why I get amused when people insist that things are so much better in places like Bogota or Istanbul.

[Ross]

My wife and her family come from a third world country where car ownership is very, very low and you either walk or take some sort of shared or public transport. Having had to use public transit, they won't set foot anywhere near a bus or a train if they can avoid it. They actually make faces if you even suggest it. I've found that true of everyone I've known from countries where cars aren't affordable to the general public and it's also why I get amused when people insist that things are so much better in places like Bogota or Istanbul.

 

I've lived in third world countries, and without exception, the goal of the locals I knew was to own a car. A major benefit for most employees was an employer provided bus to get to work.

[Slick Vik]

I appreciate your attempt to restore relevance to this conversation and the fact that you have clearly put a measure of thought into your comments.

Nice subliminal insult

[Slick Vik]

My wife and her family come from a third world country where car ownership is very, very low and you either walk or take some sort of shared or public transport. Having had to use public transit, they won't set foot anywhere near a bus or a train if they can avoid it. They actually make faces if you even suggest it. I've found that true of everyone I've known from countries where cars aren't affordable to the general public and it's also why I get amused when people insist that things are so much better in places like Bogota or Istanbul.

My entire family comes from a similar situation and not one of them has any problem with public transit they actually prefer it. I'm not sure what your point is.

[Slick Vik]

Regardless of which, it's still not Communist. The voters have chosen representatives that have put these policies into place. The voters have voted down referendums that would have allowed these policies. In a communist system, the only form of transportation would be state-run and the voters would not have had these options.

You are using language as propaganda. You made the comparison to Hitler earlier, but the manipulation of words that you are using is exactly what Goebbels and the Nazis did.

The voters have also voted referendums twice for expansion of public transportaion, and the result has been 60% of one of the two projects. That's not democracy it's hypocrisy.

[Slick Vik]

My experience is 13 years old at this point, but in the 90's the marta train was nice and I used it from time to time but the bus system didn't really serve the greater Atlanta area very well. In part that is because the Atlanta area is an amalgam of many different local governments that don't always play well together. One of the things that impressed me when I moved here was how a single transit agency covered much of the area.

Well there won't be any expansion since the referendum for the tax to expand was rejected. Not surprising since tax is political suicide in the south.

[Slick Vik]

Interesting choice of car given many of your posts. Frankly, I suspected you either had no car or had a luxury vehicle. Was it a gift?

It was a gift. I'd sell it but to be inoffensive I haven't. I bought a prius personally and drive that when I need to drive mostly.