METRORail Inner Katy Line

[ehtx1]

With all the drama around the university line and uptown line I would seriously think metro would try to allocate funds toward the Inner Katy line instead. I know it is part of future phase 3 projects but thats something that could go alot smoother then the others.  To me, that would be a less difficult project to undertake because of location.  Think about the route the line would take :  It would connect at the downtown line, move north along Houston Ave and turn west at the railroad where amtrak is on.  Metro could construct a line alone side the already existing freight rail that runs parallel to Washington Ave, Center St., and Allen St. It may have to use Allen St. as a route but noboby uses that street anyway.  Then it could run across I-10, just like the railroad, run behind the TXDOT building, go across washington ave. and ride along old katy road to Antoine Rd.  The perfect finish stop would be the IKEA and the Edwards theater. I think this way very few streets would have to be torn up, if so only a few sections.  Maybe some businesses would have to move for space but not that much.  Don't believe any houses would be effected.  And for this most part, how could you object to a rail in your backyard, HELLO, there is a big one there already !  I really hope metro considers maybe putting the more difficult univeristy and uptown lines on the back burner for now.  Lets start the Inner Katy line now ! 

[Slick Vik]

This is critical because it connects to the top of the uptown line

[Marcus Allen]

Yes! Do you have any clout with the peers that be? That sounds reasonable to me, which means of course, it won't be considered until there are 20k more residents in high rises along that route just to make matters interesting! LoL. But for serious, I think you have a great idea. Leaves it open for future growth toward Memorial City, the Energy corridor and points beyond as our fair city gobbles up all available land here to SA!

That should be " the powers that be".

[cloud713]

That Katy line was planned to go down the middle lanes of the Katy tollway on I-10, not along all those other routes..

[scarface]

First time ever hearing about this.

 

[cloud713]

You can google search Metro light rail map/plans and one of the pictures shows a phase 3 with a couple additional lines/extensions, and one goes from the dead end of the east end/southeast lines by the theater district, over to i10 and out towards katy

[ehtx1]

But the Katy line going down I-10 doesn't make any sense.  Rail needs to be where to people are, especially for walking distance.  I agree with Slick Vik & Marcus Allen, this would connect to the Uptown Line and on down to the University line whenever they are built.  You would have a complete rail circle for Central West Houston, that would be awesome !  Plus how about adding a spur rail line from where the rail would cross Sheperd Dr. & Durham Dr. going north to Garden Oaks and turn on 43 rd street for Oak Forest.  That alone would add thousands to the ridership of light rail.  That would actually bring more people to central Houston who work in downtown, uptown, & medical center. Plus the entertainment and shopping value as well.  Inner Katy just makes more sense and could help sway thoughts on Uptown and Univeristy line too as a side effect.  Come on metro lets get it together.

[cloud713]

Why wouldn't the i10 line hit the northwest TC/ uptown line? And I'd argue that with the i10 line, it would hit memorial city, city center, the energy corridor, ect.. All while tying into the existing p&r system. The ROW is already there (one of the most expensive parts of building new rail), and some of the corridors you chose are highlighted for future commuter rail, so there would be no room to put light rail down the Washington ave/Hempstead rail line corridor.

[mfastx]

I'm always down for investments that vastly improve infrastructure, but I don't think METRO has any money to even allocate to this.

[IronTiger]

That Katy line was planned to go down the middle lanes of the Katy tollway on I-10, not along all those other routes..

Since I never lived in Houston and in the era before Katy Freeway, I did research on that, and what I concluded was that the commuter rail idea was merely tossed around (and talked about) both before and after the original railroad was scrapped. At some point, when it became clear that adding commuter rail was a losing proposition, they eventually agreed to make the middle lanes sustainable for railroads later on, and that METRO gave money for this possibility. Whether METRO was foolish or conned, that's another issue, but no, rail was never officially part of the Katy Freeway plans.

[Slick Vik]

Since I never lived in Houston and in the era before Katy Freeway, I did research on that, and what I concluded was that the commuter rail idea was merely tossed around (and talked about) both before and after the original railroad was scrapped. At some point, when it became clear that adding commuter rail was a losing proposition, they eventually agreed to make the middle lanes sustainable for railroads later on, and that METRO gave money for this possibility. Whether METRO was foolish or conned, that's another issue, but no, rail was never officially part of the Katy Freeway plans.

 

I think at this point commuter rail will never go down the toll lanes. This is unfortunate the possibility should have been left out there in case the demand warrants it, or so it could be studied at least.

[cloud713]

Since I never lived in Houston and in the era before Katy Freeway, I did research on that, and what I concluded was that the commuter rail idea was merely tossed around (and talked about) both before and after the original railroad was scrapped. At some point, when it became clear that adding commuter rail was a losing proposition, they eventually agreed to make the middle lanes sustainable for railroads later on, and that METRO gave money for this possibility. Whether METRO was foolish or conned, that's another issue, but no, rail was never officially part of the Katy Freeway plans.

Rail (LRT, not commuter) was never a part of the plan, yet they spent money to reinforce all the new bridges for LRT..? Sounds like it was part of the plan to me..

And I kind of agree with Slick, it will be hard to convert money making toll lanes into rail..

[ArchFan]

If memory serves, Metro purchased the MKT freight rail ROW along I-10 before the last I-10 expansion was planned.  I didn't follow that planning closely, other than reading in the Chron about it from time to time.  But ... I always got the impression that Metro expected to be listened to during the planning process, in return for giving up their ROW for the freeway expansion.  In the end of that process, the media reports seemed to suggest that TxDOT and Culberson reneged in some way on Metro's expectations.  Whether those expectations were well-founded or not, I can't say.  

 

While it's nice to have a wider I-10 that is less congested (for awhile, at least), I wish it had been planned so as to provide us with more options in the (inevitable) next phase of redevelopment of that corridor.

[IronTiger]

If memory serves, Metro purchased the MKT freight rail ROW along I-10 before the last I-10 expansion was planned. I didn't follow that planning closely, other than reading in the Chron about it from time to time. But ... I always got the impression that Metro expected to be listened to during the planning process, in return for giving up their ROW for the freeway expansion. In the end of that process, the media reports seemed to suggest that TxDOT and Culberson reneged in some way on Metro's expectations. Whether those expectations were well-founded or not, I can't say.

While it's nice to have a wider I-10 that is less congested (for awhile, at least), I wish it had been planned so as to provide us with more options in the (inevitable) next phase of redevelopment of that corridor.

Due to some spotty Internet, I can't make a longer response nor dig into news archives, but an expansion was planned in the very early 1990s, and as part of that, TXDOT, not Metro, bought the line and allowed trains to continue to run on it until 1997, whereupon the line was dismantled.