Texas A&M University College Station Developments

[Highway6]

because "t appears this whole 'vision' thing is because TAMU students are too good to ride a bus. It is not their 'preferred mode of travel'."

Yah.. big load of crap.

Crunch didnt know what she was talking about and a damn highschooler from Bryan certinaly doesnt know what he's talking about.

How many aggies do you know sitting in their off campus housing skipping class because their only available mode of transportation that day was *gasp* a bus ??

It's a college town in a state where everyone owns their own vehicle.

I guarantee 90% of the students own cars. Parking is not nearly the hassle it's been made out to be.

College Station also is small enough that cycling to campus is a fairly easy thing to do.

(i personally biked from Bryan an entire summer that i lived out there)

It's not that the students are snobs, it's that there are several modes of transportation one can choose to get to campus and the easiest way (car) to get to campus is just that - easy

And while the campus is big, it's very walkable, so the on-campus buses are really only needed if you're going from main campus to west campus and you're running late for class. Even then, once you take out the golfcourse, the big perimeter parking lots off GeorgeBush, and the 75% of west campus that isn't academic.. the campus is maybe 3/4 of a mile squared. Easily walkable. Unless you're going out to the George Bush Library, there isn't anywhere on campus you cant walk to in 20 minutes.

The bus system is adequate for the number of people that need to use it.

Why is there a rail component in the vision plan.. i dont know, maybe because it's a vision plan, the nature of which is to dream big. Rail replacing bus will never be needed for CS. It's merely a luxury item on a wish list that will never be realized, and for good reason.

As for Brazos Transit... I admit, i've never heard of it. If it existed 10 yrs ago when i was a student, it certainly wasn't the size network it is today, and it certainly didn't have that much of a presence in CS. It appears to be a good sized network now and in conjunction with the TAMU buses, it probably is used.

Who would use it ? Those that need it... which doesn't include the vast majority of the student body, and employees that have their own car and have zero problem with the amount of parking provided.

Edited May 10, 2009 by Highway6

[Scotch]

I heard LoTrack was building a ditch for the railroad to go through. Any more information on that?

Oh, that's the way the opponents in College Station shut the project down. Bryan, Texas A&M, and most importantly TxDOT had agreed to fund the vast majority of the bill to not only lower the tracks, but lowering Welborn Rd. all the way from Villa Maria in Bryan past 2818(Harvey Mitchell) in College Station. Overpasses would have been built at Villa Maria, Old College/F&B, University, New Main(including a vast pedestrian walkway), Joe Routt, George Bush, either Holleman or Southwest Parkway, maybe both, and 2818.

Instead we are now enduring terribly expensive separate projects at Villa Maria(completed), 2818(underway) and later George Bush. This still leaves railroad crossings and road intersections at four or five places that could have had a grade separation under the LoTrack plan.

I'd say LoTrack wasn't marketed correctly in College Station, but Bryan and Texas A&M both understood it was much more than "a ditch for a train".

[IronTiger]

Oh, that's the way the opponents in College Station shut the project down. Bryan, Texas A&M, and most importantly TxDOT had agreed to fund the vast majority of the bill to not only lower the tracks, but lowering Welborn Rd. all the way from Villa Maria in Bryan past 2818(Harvey Mitchell) in College Station. Overpasses would have been built at Villa Maria, Old College/F&B, University, New Main(including a vast pedestrian walkway), Joe Routt, George Bush, either Holleman or Southwest Parkway, maybe both, and 2818.

Instead we are now enduring terribly expensive separate projects at Villa Maria(completed), 2818(underway) and later George Bush. This still leaves railroad crossings and road intersections at four or five places that could have had a grade separation under the LoTrack plan.

I'd say LoTrack wasn't marketed correctly in College Station, but Bryan and Texas A&M both understood it was much more than "a ditch for a train".

Sounds expensive...but wouldn't the overpass projects be just as expensive? The one thing I could think of is the major build-up of businesses. After all, when LoTrack was proposed, Harvey Mitchell (which was called "FM 2818" exclusively) and Wellborn was just two blinking lights. You know, the four way ones? Those are rapidly becoming extinct. The only one I can think of now is Harvey Mitchell Pkwy. and the Southbound SH-6 Frontage Road (in Bryan). Other defunct ones: Holleman and Glade, Finfeather and F&B.

But the LoTrack wouldn't affect the southern parts (which the crossings, at that time, included North Graham and Cain, I think)

[Scotch]

Well, there is no way they could do LoTrack now, and while it was expensive, TxDOT was footing a huge percentage of the bill. College Station's portion was 3 or 5 million, can't remember which. Even adjusting for inflation, it was a helluva deal.

[zaphod]

Well back to the original post, the proposal was really just a people mover between campus and parking facilities.

When you think about it the whole idea is ridiculous because you are spending a fortune to only feed the problem, that is too many people driving.

For a fraction of the cost of a tram+garage structures, expand the bus system so that people don't need to park on campus in the first place.

I think a couple of public(not TAMU) bus routes that use bigger buses that carry bikes and go around bi-directional loop routes on the major streets would work great here. A few of the stops the big roads could use little pull-off areas for the buses to stop and there would be covered bus shelters and adequate signage.

I've seen this in Boulder near the CU campus. Though they have the advantage of being part of Denver's transit system and don't have to worry about funding....

[aggie0083]

A&M just needs to build more dorms on-campus so less people would have to drive from off-campus.

[zaphod]

Exactly and they don't necessarily have to be directly on campus anyways.

That could be a solution for the old Albertson's. After all it's right across the street. How cool would that be. You'd punch through the E-W streets that currently end there and sort of integrate with everything else. That and perhaps all along the area take the parking lane from University and replace it with a wider sidewalk with trees.

Since this new area would also servce the function of the old married student housing across college main that barracks stuff could be demolished and that land could be assembled with the other tract as one gigantic plot of empty, buildable land right in the middle of town.

[IronTiger]

Yeah, I knew news broke last night, but Elsa Murano has resigned from her duties as A&M University. I think it was a coup within the University system, but...?

What do you think of it all?

[CDeb]

I haven't followed it terribly closely, but from where I sit, the whole kerfluffle appears to be the result of a personality conflict between her and the chancellor of the TAMU system.

[kylejack]

There was some kind of report that said that she was overall very good, but very poor at implementing demands made by the Board of Regents, so yeah I'm going to guess just a power play because she didn't do some thing they wanted her to do.

[IronTiger]

From what I've read in things like Houston Chronicle, Texas A&M will never become a "world-class university" with antics like this. The Murano resignation turned A&M into a laughingstock.

[Scotch]

While I hated how events unfolded, I hardly think this will make A&M a laughing stock.

The flagship university does need to make sure it is strong and independent and not micromanaged by the system any longer. As a former student said recently, this episode was the tail wagging the dog. If that keeps up, then yes, the reputation will take a hit.

[Scotch]

Looks like the Texas A&M faculty want to send a very strong message:

FACULTY SENATE

SPECIAL MEETING

____ AGENDA ____

June 30, 2009

3:15 p.m., 601 Rudder Tower

http://facultysenate.tamu.edu

Call to Order

Guest Speakers

Speaker Comments

New Business

Resolutions concerning the recent actions leading to the resignation of President Murano and the proposals to initiate measures of shared services among TAMUS member universities

Draft Resolution 1

Draft Resolution 2 (full version in link)

Motion of No Confidence in Chancellor Michael D. McKinney, M.D.

Texas A&M University is listed in the top 20 public research universities in the nation. The

university

[NThomas]

Oh, I've seen them. What is being built, is only a modest upgrade from above, IMO.

Anything would be better then that even if you don't like the design on these new buildings.

IMO, they aren't that bad lookin'. If TAMU builds more facilities like "George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy" (GPACWMIFFPAA), where that 70s crap is now, it'd be a better looking campus.

[Scotch]

Historic Military Walk Being Restored

Texas A&M University press release

August 4, 2009

Military Walk, the history-laden passageway in the heart of the Texas A&M University campus, will soon be brought back to life – and on an even grander scale than when thousands of Aggie cadets trod on it daily decades ago.

Located in the central area of campus, Military Walk links the Sbisa Dining Hall area and the northside residence halls to the Rudder/Memorial Student Center Complex on its south end. Along the way, it passes along several historical campus landmarks, such as the Academic Building , Fish Pond and the YMCA Building .

Work is scheduled to begin on the $4 million restoration project later this month. When completed, it is expected to become a major focal point for Aggies – cadets and others – as well as for faculty, staff and visitors.

Military Walk evolved from its original use into a street, which was closed in 1971 and redesigned as a walkway. Current plans call for the walk to be redeveloped to appear similar to the way it looked before 1971 and to once again become the site of academic processions, such as those held during Academic Convocation, and military marches by the Corps of Cadets.

The project is expected to be completed next spring.

[Scotch]

Before and after from Texas A&M Master Plan

(screenshot from a TexAgs poster)

Photos of what Military Walk looked like about 80 years ago-

View from Guion Hall(now the site of Rudder Auditorium) looking toward Sbisa

View from Sbisa looking toward Guion

(Historic photos from Texas A&M archives Flicker pages.)

[IronTiger]

Gee, I kind of like it how it looks now. And once they rebuild Military Walk as pedestrian only, why don't they convert the old sidewalks into grass?

[Scotch]

I agree about getting rid of the other sidewalks, it seems to me most will likely be drawn to the nice, wide Military Walk anyway. Why keep the sidewalks that were often orinally sidewalks for Military Walk when it was more of a street, or that were actually built to replace the walk in 1971? Doesn'y seem to make much sense.

Here are a few renderings from A&M's Facebook Page:

[Scotch]

The MSC is now closed for three years and is fenced off from the rest of campus in hopes that the maximum amount of work can be done. Here are a few links added to the MSC site since this thread was posted:

Fly-by rendering of exterior

MSC basement

MSC first floor

MSC second floor

Edited September 18, 2009 by Scotch

[Scotch]

I love the finished product!

Here are some pictures I took last year of the completed Military Walk:

[Scotch]

A few pictures of the first buildings at the Texas A&M HSC- Bryan:

Edited February 8, 2012 by Scotch

[EllenOlenska]

This construction was on west campus. It looks to be student apartments.

[Luminare]

This construction was on west campus. It looks to be student apartments.

 

Oh good I was wondering how this was coming along. That whole area is going to be a massive new student living area to help pull those who take class on west campus as well as try to get more students in general living on campus.

 

Here is past rendering. I don't know what the current one is though, but I doubt it's changed much.

 

 

 

If there is already a thread for this then please redirect all this to it. If not then I think the thread should be retitled as New Texas A&M West Campus University Apartments...or something to that affect Thanks for getting this pic!

[Luminare]

More renderings per Reslife:

 

New commons area

 

 

 

Other Exterior renders:

 

 

 

Interiors:

 

 

 

 

Other renderings are here:

 

https://reslife.tamu.edu/apartments/whiteCreek/photos

 

[Nate99]

I was cruising through Scotch's imgur album of Kyle Field pics and saw this. It looks like there is a basement component (or another pool) to the expansion off the old weight room area.

 

This place was pretty nice when they opened it in '95, still would be if they kept it up. It's going to be a palace.  Long way from Deware Field House.

 

Edited May 4, 2015 by Nate99

[Nate99]

Here's the site for the project:

 

http://recsports4u.com/

[Scotch]

[Scotch]

[EllenOlenska]

A few things I saw while driving through campus.

 

[Scotch]

Planned development continues in the east side of Bryan. University Dr will be extended east, once it crosses Boonville Rd, it will be entirely within the City of Bryan city limit. 

 

http://www.kbtx.com/content/news/Residential-commercial-Oakmont-neighborhood-coming-to-Bryan-in-2017-389239961.html

 

 

From City of Bryan website:

Quote

Slated for 2017, the residential and commercial development of Oakmont will feature 800 single family homes,  a number of walking trails, and retail spaces. This new development, spearheaded by Adam Development Properties, will be constructed on a new portion of University Drive east of Boonville Road.

 

http://docs.bryantx.gov/planning_development/P&Z/2016/10-20-16/SR-RZ15-03.pdf