cloud713 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Haha I thought about underground tunnels with people movers but one half a mile long? I wonder what the longest moving sidewalk in the world is.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Haha I thought about underground tunnels with people movers but one half a mile long? I wonder what the longest moving sidewalk in the world is..It is well under 1/2 mile to the UHD station. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ig2ba Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 The new green/purple lines under construction are already extending west through downtown almost to the bayou, wouldn't take much more to link them to this site. I'm not sure why you think it would be easy though. If they split from the main line at Bagby, they'd have to do something other than overhead electric lines or knock down that part of Bayou Place. It wouldn't go down Smith either since that is the most important southbound street in downtown, or really the most important one within miles. It starts as a 2-lane exit from I-10 and is the southern terminus of the I-45 HOV lane; it ends at Spur 527 to feed onto 59. A skywalk, tunnel, or even people mover from the post office to UHD would be much more practical and much less expensive. What a coincidence that those are both the same thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ig2ba Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Haha I thought about underground tunnels with people movers but one half a mile long? I wonder what the longest moving sidewalk in the world is.. Looks like a quarter or third of a mile to me. If it would substantially increase ridership, it could be worth it, and would be cheaper than building an extra third of a mile of rail. Maybe cheaper than a tunnel at that location next to the bayou, since the tunnel would have to be sealed very well against flooding from both bayous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 It is well under 1/2 mile to the UHD station.Alright well I was using the scale on google maps and it was around 2,000 feet from the middle of the post office to the middle of UHD.. That's linear distance, not counting the distance you'll have to walk out of the way going down Franklin and then up main since there is no direct pathway connecting the post office and downtown.I guess a skybridge linking the two could be neat, and provide some awesome views of the skyline.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naviguessor Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 The Post Office site doesn't have direct (light) rail access, that's true. But, UHD is just a couple blocks and I think could be fairly easily linked via a climate controlled skywalk (with moving sidwalks). The fact that the Post Office Site is within the downtown boundries gives all of the advantages of location and access, not to mention a beautiful gateway. I think I will just quote myself on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Getting the Green or Purple line up that way wouldn't be that weird - just turn due north up the west side of the Aquarium site, then west once past the Public Works building, with some sort of people mover under 45. One line could go north on Houston Avenue, North Main, and then, say, 20th (as the streetcar once did), and the other can head out Washington, and both can eventually hook up with the NW Transit Center. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonIsHome Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 When I did it I got less than 800 feet from UHD to the post office straight line over Travis from above Washington avenue area. Nothing close to 1/2 a mile.There is only a parking lot separating uhd and the post office.About 10 years ago UHD was liking into putting a building on that lot. A sky bridge between that building and UHD over Travis and Milam would put you just across the spur from the post office Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Maybe 800 feet from closest edges of the two buildings, so yes, that would be the length of a covered walkway.. but the rail station will most likely not be on the extreme east side of the post office property, and the light rail station is on the far side of UHD.. That, factored on with walking to the southeast corner of the post office site to cross Louisiana/Washington, and then the three flights of stairs at the end of the bayou trail to get back up to street level, all is probably around half a mile. The point is that's too damn far to make people walk in miserable weather, potentially carrying numerous suitcases, ect.. Just to transfer from one mode of transit to another... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Somerset Collection (a mall in Michigan) has a covered, climate-controlled skywalk (with People Movers) that's 800 feet. Besides, if you need a Houston example, the MD Anderson Cancer Center has a massive collection of skywalks and little shuttles that take people around those skywalks. One skywalk is 1400 feet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 alright fine.. skywalk it is. (now that you mention it, i do recall that ridiculously long skywalk with the right turn in the medical district) but it better be one swanky ass skywalk. with a neat support/bracing in the grassy section between Louisiana and Milam.. heh. a skybridge would definitely provide excellent views of the skyline.. so i guess thats somewhat welcoming for downtown. just odd that the second building they go into is a satellite campus of a local university.. the only problem i see is getting permission from union pacific or whoever owns that railroad ROW that a skybridge would have to come over.. i guess if the new high speed rail company is able to buy out rights to the line or something they would be willing the let it be built since connecting the station to local mass transit is good for the HSR company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 just odd that the second building they go into is a satellite campus of a local university..UH-D isn't a branch campus, it's another university in the system. Besides, if it's really that much of an issue, then UH-D can move and change its name (it almost did change its name a few years back). UH-D didn't build the original building (the M & M Building, apparently) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Ah cool.. Not really an issue, just a little strange having students with books and laptops intermingling with travelers and luggage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purpledevil Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 I did not know UH-Downtown was a separate university from the main campus. I always thought it was tied in to the UH system. Looks like I too learned something new from this conversation. Has this always been the case?You can confirm it, IronTiger. UH-Downtown was indeed the M&M Building in its prior life (and still is to us older folks). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 I did not know UH-Downtown was a separate university from the main campus. I always thought it was tied in to the UH system. Looks like I too learned something new from this conversation. Has this always been the case? It is actually both. It is indeed tied into the UH system. It is also a separate university from the main campus. Just as UT-San Antonio is part of the UT system but is a separate university from UT-Austin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLWM8609 Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 I did not know UH-Downtown was a separate university from the main campus. I always thought it was tied in to the UH system. Looks like I too learned something new from this conversation. Has this always been the case?You can confirm it, IronTiger. UH-Downtown was indeed the M&M Building in its prior life (and still is to us older folks). UHD's origins go back further. South Texas Junior College (STJC) was founded in 1923 as part of the South Texas School of Law and Commerce, which is now known as the South Texas School of Law. Classes were originally held at the Downtown YMCA and moved to the M&M Building in 1967. In 1974, UH acquired STJC's assets, and the school became UHD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 It's less than a quarter mile from the likely end of the platforms to the UHD Red Line station. There's a lot to be said for being within walking distance of part of Downtown versus walking distance to none of Downtown. This point will be moot whenever Cypress starts developing the Hardy Yards site. There won't be enough land left for a station. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ig2ba Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 alright fine.. skywalk it is. (now that you mention it, i do recall that ridiculously long skywalk with the right turn in the medical district) but it better be one swanky ass skywalk. with a neat support/bracing in the grassy section between Louisiana and Milam.. heh. a skybridge would definitely provide excellent views of the skyline.. so i guess thats somewhat welcoming for downtown. just odd that the second building they go into is a satellite campus of a local university.. the only problem i see is getting permission from union pacific or whoever owns that railroad ROW that a skybridge would have to come over.. i guess if the new high speed rail company is able to buy out rights to the line or something they would be willing the let it be built since connecting the station to local mass transit is good for the HSR company. If there's something that Houston has better experience with compared to other cities, it's skywalks (and tunnels too). Subways, merging multiple modes of transportation, raised bike lanes? No. Skywalks? Yes. There's probably close to 10 miles of skywalks and tunnels over/under roads used by cars throughout Houston. I would think that as long as the clearance is kept high enough for slightly oversized freight, the railroad wouldn't have much of a say. If the clearance is higher than between the rail and this skywalk than it is where the rail intersects with I-45 or under UHD, why would the railroad need any more space than that? Do they really own all the air above the rail? I don't know exactly how this would work, but maybe somebody here does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 I would think that as long as the clearance is kept high enough for slightly oversized freight, the railroad wouldn't have much of a say. If the clearance is higher than between the rail and this skywalk than it is where the rail intersects with I-45 or under UHD, why would the railroad need any more space than that? Do they really own all the air above the rail? I don't know exactly how this would work, but maybe somebody here does. Property owners own the air rights above their property. You can't just build a skywalk over someone's private property without their permission, even if you think they have no use for that space. Even if your thoughts are eminently reasonable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purpledevil Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 If that's true, I'm going to own Channel 13. Ol' Don Armstrong and his eyewitness news chopper are in "my airspace" nearly every day.Could you tell me how far this ownership of air extends? I've seen the ISS over head on a couple of occasions at the house. I may decide to send them an invoice, as well...Lol, there have got to be some limitations on that. Honestly, I've never heard of owning the airspace over your property. This is a new one to me.A skywalk over the railroad would be interesting, for sure. I'd hate to see what that skywalk looks like in a year with diesel locomotives running underneath it all day and night. Would not want to be the one keeping it clean... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 If that's true, I'm going to own Channel 13. Ol' Don Armstrong and his eyewitness news chopper are in "my airspace" nearly every day.Could you tell me how far this ownership of air extends? I've seen the ISS over head on a couple of occasions at the house. I may decide to send them an invoice, as well...Lol, there have got to be some limitations on that. Honestly, I've never heard of owning the airspace over your property. This is a new one to me.A skywalk over the railroad would be interesting, for sure. I'd hate to see what that skywalk looks like in a year with diesel locomotives running underneath it all day and night. Would not want to be the one keeping it clean... For all practical purposes, the airspace 500 feet and up above your property is controlled by the US Government. I think the exact limitation is that aircraft maintain at least 500 feet between themselves and people and structures. Not sure if that applies to helicopters and drones as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonIsHome Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 I walked the distance between the post office and UHD today, and it took ask of five minutes. You guys grossly over-exaggerated the distance. No where near a half mile. You kidding me? Not even a quarter mile. Two 200 foot skywalks would probably do the trick (assuming (UHD did expand on their lot).Even without the walks the walk is not that bad. I did the reverse trip from Preston station and that was even easier because I didn't have to go up stairs. Wanted to try the walk to the green/purple lines but had to meet someone and ran out of time but those lines are less than a five minute walk too. I am confident that the station would be tued on with downtown public transit much easier than you guys make it seem. Yes you guys had a vision for the Hardy yards but the post office site isn't as bad as you are making it seem. Lots of open area in that corner. It can be developed quute nicely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 I walked the distance between the post office and UHD today, and it took ask of five minutes. You guys grossly over-exaggerated the distance. No where near a half mile. You kidding me? Not even a quarter mile.Two 200 foot skywalks would probably do the trick (assuming (UHD did expand on their lot).Even without the walks the walk is not that bad. I did the reverse trip from Preston station and that was even easier because I didn't have to go up stairs. Wanted to try the walk to the green/purple lines but had to meet someone and ran out of time but those lines are less than a five minute walk too.I am confident that the station would be tued on with downtown public transit much easier than you guys make it seem. Yes you guys had a vision for the Hardy yards but the post office site isn't as bad as you are making it seem. Lots of open area in that corner. It can be developed quute nicelyfirst off, im the only one that was saying it was close to half a mile.. everyone else agreed that it was a shorter distance.second, i didnt realize there was a bayou trail, shortening the distance between the two buildings (i thought you either had to walk around the north side of UHD down Milam/Travis and then Girard St, or down Franklin to Main, then down to UHD), so my half mile calculations were about correct. but yes, there is a short cut along the bayou lessening the distance to a little over a quarter of a mile (and yes, it is OVER a quarter mile. even from Preston station).UHD is developed practically as far west on their property as it can be developed.. where would UHD expand? and how would two 200 foot skywalks do the trick when just the distance across Smith/Louisiana and Milam/Travis is 600 feet?and trust me, ive had the same vision for the Post Office site.. (see my thread about Post Office Redevelopment in the downtown subforum) i just prefer the Hardy Yards site as its directly on the light rail line. but i guess if airports can have moving sidewalks theres no reason the high speed rail station couldnt be connected with them too.agreed, the post office site could make an amazing mixed use development in downtown.. so long as one developer develops the whole site so its all tied together and not a mish mash of projects that have no connectivity whatsoever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Hardy Yards station shouldn't be the HSR destination. It could, however, be an awesome project when it's complete: "Hardy Yards" sounds like a great name for some sort of post-industrial, ultra-commercial, quasi-hip destination (like Dallas's "Mockingbird Station", or maybe even kind of like Times Square). Put lots of touristy "destination" restaurants, offices, flagship retail, etc. Well, of course it's not for locals, but it would be (if anything close to what I'm describing comes to reality) a definite destination and a way to disable anyone complaining that there's nothing to do in Houston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
towerjunkie Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 As long as they actually build it and it's not a monumental failure I'm ok with it being where it's at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonIsHome Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 UHD is developed practically as far west on their property as it can be developed.. where would UHD expand? and how would two 200 foot skywalks do the trick when just the distance across Smith/Louisiana and Milam/Travis is 600 feet?and trust me, ive had the same vision for the Post Office site.. (see my thread about Post Office Redevelopment in the downtown subforum) i just prefer the Hardy Yards site as its directly on the light rail line. but i guess if airports can have moving sidewalks theres no reason the high speed rail station couldnt be connected with them too.agreed, the post office site could make an amazing mixed use development in downtown.. so long as one developer develops the whole site so its all tied together and not a mish mash of projects that have no connectivity whatsoever.Nope. There is a parking lot in between the post office and the UHD main buildings. That is where they planned to build their science and Technology wing. But tryst me, I walked it today and its mere feet from the post office to the UHD lot and from there just Milam and Travis which are rather narrow in that area. 150 to 200 feet topsAnd I agree that it should all tie in. That site is huge. It would be awesome if they built like how the M&M building is built with the rail underneath a building. They could have a shopping complex on the first floor above then market some dorm style units of something to UHD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Nope. There is a parking lot in between the post office and the UHD main buildings. That is where they planned to build their science and Technology wing. But tryst me, I walked it today and its mere feet from the post office to the UHD lot and from there just Milam and Travis which are rather narrow in that area. 150 to 200 feet topsAnd I agree that it should all tie in. That site is huge. It would be awesome if they built like how the M&M building is built with the rail underneath a building. They could have a shopping complex on the first floor above then market some dorm style units of something to UHDAhh, I was wondering who owned that parking lot off Washington.. That would make for an interesting connection... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonIsHome Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 UHD has a few buts of land scattered around.Hakeem Olajuwon owns some plots around UHD too. Mainly near White Oak Bayou. He bought it ages ago but never said what he is going to do with it.Anyway, I don't think the post office site is a bad one. Give it a chance. If the city goes ahead with its flood control plans, develop the bayou/river walk as planned, continue the Buffalo Bayou central park idea, develop UhD, the increased residential at market square, improve the Amtrak site and that area just west of 45 And east of Houston avenue...then that area would make the Hardy yards look like chump change. Especially if 45 gets tunneled.Picture a silted Bayou, Awesome views of downtown., walking distance to Allens Landing and Market Square, walking distance to Amtrak, UHD station, Preston Station and the Green/ purple lines, access to bus lines, walking distance ti the aquarium, theater district.The site is half the size of the Hardy Yards but Its still about five blocks long and four blocks wide IN downtown. This area gets no love Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Seems like a good time and place to remind people of the Urban Land Institute design competition for the post office site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonIsHome Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Seems like a good time and place to remind people of the Urban Land Institute design competition for the post office site.I like the Columbia and UM plans the best.The Harvard plan looks cool and modern but too suburban campus like for downtown.I like the density in the UM plan and the green spaces in the Columbia plan is just awesome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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