The Next West Loop Reconstruction

[citykid09]

The Next West Loop Reconstruction

 

Wouldn't it be nice if the next time the West Loop was reconstructed as a submerged freeway and a park placed at ground level? That would make the area 100% more walkable and would change the way the area is developed for the better. What do you all think? What is your idea of a better design?

[cloud713]

The Next West Loop Reconstruction

 

Wouldn't it be nice if the next time the West Loop was reconstructed as a submerged freeway and a park placed at ground level? That would make the area 100% more walkable and would change the way the area is developed for the better. What do you all think? What is your idea of a better design?

i said this in a thread somewhere before.. whenever the next time they reconstruct the west loop if they submerge/trench the section between Westheimer and San Felipe and built a large deck park over the highway, like the one in Phoenix, it would really connect the booming Uptown district with the up and coming Highland Village/Westcreek/River Oaks Districts and everything else popping up east of the loop. not to mention provide some crucial park space for that area. right now Memorial Park is the closest decent sized park (not that Memorial is very far away.. lol)

[ArchFan]

It would be nice to be able to walk along Westheimer or San Felipe and cross 610 w/o it being a death-defying feat.  Perhaps one day it will be possible, but probably not in my lifetime <sigh> ...

[SkylineView]

Also, I'd vote for more braided (flyover) on /off ramps.  Pretty please.  I don't even care if they make it wider, just get rid of the weave.

[citykid09]

Just Imagine coming into the city from 290 and getting on the 610 Loop west and seeing the uptown skyline then entering the West Loop tunnel. It would be very cool and it would urbanize that side of town and create a sort of Central Park for Uptown and integrate both sides of the freeway. It wouldn't all have to be a park. Some of it could be lowrise buildings over the freeway or some of it could be like the parts of the South West Freeway or the beltway near I-10 that are submergered with bridges.

[plumber2]

People screamed and hollered in the 90's when the last reconstruction of the West Loop was proposed. Even mayor Lanier jumped in with them and said expanding capacity would be a bad idea (Hummph!) They settled on just improving access and exits while keeping the same footprint. But yes, a better walking solution in the area would be good. They could build wide pedestrian ramps over the freeway at certain locations similar to the ones spanning Kirby at Reliant Stadium.

[Subdude]

An obvious fix would be to eliminate the ability to exit to Westheimer, but I suspect that folks at the Galleria wouldn't be too happy at the thought of shoppers being diverted up to San Felipe.

[democide]

I think you submerge the freeway going one way, and above that, you have it going the other direction.  I think that's how you expand/widen the freeway and the submerged freeway can also be used for flood control, for the next big rain storm.  And if widen enough, you can add rail on top I suppose.

That's my plan, double-deck all the freeways and use the bottom lanes for flood control, to help spare the properties around from massive flood damage.  Not pedestrian friendly, I know.

[Marcus Allen]

I wish you guys were filthy rich urban developers for our city. Houston would be uber sic by 2030!

[IronTiger]

How about to reduce ROW buyouts is to remove the frontage roads for expansion AND to avoid weaving? The hotels won't like it, but surrounding roads and buildings can be reconfigured for access.

[Montrose1100]

How about to reduce ROW buyouts is to remove the frontage roads for expansion AND to avoid weaving? The hotels won't like it, but surrounding roads and buildings can be reconfigured for access.

How would you re-direct the on/off traffic? Post Oak? yikes!

[IronTiger]

How would you re-direct the on/off traffic? Post Oak? yikes!

Maybe direct on/off ramps? The main problem is that there are way too many interchanges in that stretch over a relatively short distance. Between 69 and 10 (less than 4 miles):

Memorial, Woodway, Post Oak Boulevard, San Felipe, Westheimer, and Richmond

Like maybe have Post Oak Boulevard not interact with highway traffic at all, and instead have it go over, with traffic redirecting down Post Oak Park or Post Oak Blvd., and/or blast Post Oak Lane down to Post Oak Blvd. so that Woodway could pick up the load.

Enh. It'd be complicated, for sure.

[Montrose1100]

Maybe direct on/off ramps? The main problem is that there are way too many interchanges in that stretch over a relatively short distance. Between 69 and 10 (less than 4 miles):

Memorial, Woodway, Post Oak Boulevard, San Felipe, Westheimer, and Richmond

Like maybe have Post Oak Boulevard not interact with highway traffic at all, and instead have it go over, with traffic redirecting down Post Oak Park or Post Oak Blvd., and/or blast Post Oak Lane down to Post Oak Blvd. so that Woodway could pick up the load.

Enh. It'd be complicated, for sure.

Complicated is an understatement! I began running scenarios in my head and immediately got a headache. But Post Oak Blvd. would have to connect as it is a much easier route to the Galleria (and home for me... sometimes), than taking Westheimer directly.

[cloud713]

Got bored so I sketched out a deck park above 610 between Westheimer and San Felipe.

The park would be 9.7 acres (figuring the highway is 160 ft wide and the park half a mile long), which is about twice the size of Klyde Warren in Dallas.

There would be a few bars/restaurants/concession stands, a sports equipment rental booth, a concert stage/amphitheater, and other typical high end park amenities like a splash pad, a playground, and a dog park.

[citykid09]

Maybe I should have named this thread a little better so more people would understand that its about submerging 610 and building a park etc. above it.

[cloud713]

heh, maybe. im right there with you though. always thought it would be a cool idea to connect those two parts of town, especially after all the developments getting announced on the east side of 610 over the last few years..

you would probably have to eliminate all the overpass on-ramps along side/onto 610 between Westheimer and San Felipe though for a deck park. unless you had gaping holes in a couple portions of the side of the park, which i guess you could figure out a way to engineer. i was thinking if retaining both exits was important, they could pull a Westpark/Beltway style interchange with the underground underpasses that loop around/back up to the surface streets. otherwise you would have to exit at Westheimer for San Felipe going north, and San Felipe for Westheimer going south. and i would eliminate the northern u-turn lane at Westheimer, and southern u-turn lane at San Felipe and make all traffic going around the perimeter of the park have to go through the stop lights for pedestrian safety. also probably lower the speed limit of that portion of the feeder roads to 35 or something to make it safer for pedestrians who are crossing in between Westheimer and San Felipe (there would be new push button/flashing yellow cross walks installed at the points where my paths are laid out connecting developments on either side of the park). i dont think slower speed limits would be much of an issue. its not like many people are able to go 45, or w/e the speed is on the feeder roads in those areas, anyways..

what did you think of the fantasy deck park? i know water is heavy, but i figured they could have really shallow lakes. Phoenix was able to put a lake on their deck park (though the lake may be off to the side of the structure), in a Japanese Garden they have above the highway. damn. i knew i was forgetting something in my park.. meant to include a little garden area (maybe even with a koi pond?). i would probably have that between the dog park and the restaurant closest to Westheimer (i was trying to keep a few portions open space for running around/field games and stuff). i figured the kids stuff like the splash pad and playground can go closest to the amphitheater since it could be noisy on that side of the park during performances, and kids dont really mind noise (they tend to make plenty of it when they are playing, so i figured those facilities well next to each other). and dogs dont care for loud noises, so i figured that made more sense on the side furthest away from the amphitheater. i tried to plan it out appropriately.

[cloud713]

I wish you guys were filthy rich urban developers for our city. Houston would be uber sic by 2030!

Heh, you and me both.. If I ever become rich I'm investing in Houston...

Added in the Japanese Garden and Koi Pond, but then figured that part of the park is too crowded with all those amenities, so the dog park could be shifted north/right across the path, though I was purposely keeping those two fields between the dog park and the middle lake open for stuff like soccer, tossing a football of frisbee, or bocce, flying kites, sprawling out and catching some rays.. But maybe barking dogs don't go with the serenity of a Japanese garden, so the dog park would be better off moving across the path to the north/right. I guess one and a half open segments of park isn't bad.

[Montrose1100]

I would rather see a garden gifted to us by another city. Perhaps one reflecting a different sister city (like the Japanese Garden already in Hermann Park), but maybe by Tampico, Leipzig, Istanbul, Huevla, Taipei or Shenzen. Seeing as some of the other sister cities have similar climates it would be cool to see a proposal with their local topography. 

[cloud713]

that would certainly be neat. i just have always liked Japanese Gardens and the ambiance of them. and Koi Ponds are always neat. heh.. but im down for something gifted from a sister city incorporated into the deck park.

[cloud713]

Designed another deck park and didn't really know where to put it except this thread, even though the location is off.

It's for 59 from Rusk at the north end of GRB CC, possibly extending as far north as Commerce St, but at first would only extend to Congress/the north side of MMP (though this is fantasy so I guess might as well go all out, no money taken into consideration). The park would also extend east between Texas and Preston, over to Bastrop, where the current massive surface parking lots are. Those lots would be consolidated into two garages, one next to MMP and one next to DS. The park would not only help with spurring development in that area, but more importantly provide a crucial link between downtown and eado/the east end. It would also serve as a great spot to host events for sports game days, right in between MMP and Dynamo Stadium. I know DiscoGreen can host game day events, but it's not as close to MMP. Then there will be the eado promenade south of DS for soccer game day events, but a large park over 59 could be beneficial for the other 2 reasons I mentioned. A great connector between two up and coming destinations, and lots of space around it for potential development.. 5 basically full blocks around the perimeter that are either vacant or could easily become vacant by tearing down a couple run down warehouses currently on them. Then there are 3 half blocks that could have narrow Hess Garage Residential Tower-esque highrises built on them/lining the park. So I see the potential for 8 new developments, not counting the condo tower, apartment building, hotel, and restaurant/bar developments I have included with/around the park (i figured retail in the DS parking garage could possibly work too, lining the two sides that face the park). That's a lot of potential prime development and could completely revitalize that area.

[plumber2]

Dog Park. you make me laugh.

[Texasota]

...there is a legitimate need for more dog parks.

[cloud713]

Yeah I agree. What's wrong with a dog park if the area is destined to become a residential/mixed use Mecca (proposed green/garden district over/next to 59), or already is (uptown and the area east of 610).