METRORail University Line

[TheNiche]

I really hoped I wouldn't be writing this in 2009 but.....when are they planning to break ground on this line? I can find little information on the Metro site and what little I can dig up around the web refers to the still-outstanding issue of federal funds. Would this qualify as a public works project for the Obama adminstration?

METRO is poorly managed. They hedged their fuel prices when fuel prices were high; their financial status is not good and the results are manifested by construction delays. METRO officials (and some other poorly-run transit agencies) are hoping for Federal intervention but it is unclear that they will receive it. Their situation is their own fault after all.

If you live in a municipality that participates in METRO, write your local officials. Ask for dramatic reforms and the replacement of officials. Whether someone is for or against light rail is irrelevant; we need competent leadership.

[lockmat]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/hei...ws/6224829.html

The Metropolitan Transit Authority will host two public meetings to discuss ideas for artwork for the University Corridor light-rail stations.

A workshop to discuss the Almeda, Hutchins, TSU, Tierwester, Scott, UH and Eastwood Transit Center stations will be held from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29, at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, Fellowship Hall, 3826 Wheeler Avenue.

A workshop to discuss the Hillcroft Transit Center, Gulfton, Bellaire, Newcastle, Weslayan, Cummins, Edloe, Kirby, Shepherd, Menil, Montrose and Wheeler stations will be held from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 3511 Yoakum Blvd.

The public is encouraged to attend.

For more information, visit www.metrosolutions.org.

[RedScare]

METRO is poorly managed. They hedged their fuel prices when fuel prices were high; their financial status is not good and the results are manifested by construction delays. METRO officials (and some other poorly-run transit agencies) are hoping for Federal intervention but it is unclear that they will receive it. Their situation is their own fault after all.

Name a private industry that this does not apply to.

[TheNiche]

Name a private industry that this does not apply to.

Well, let's start with Energy. Some firms hedged commodity prices deeply, others almost not at all. And they all engaged in their hedges at varying times over the last several years, resulting in dramatically different outcomes even among those companies that did hedge heavily.

Now I'll ask you a question: how is your question in any way applicable to my point?

[RedScare]

Well, let's start with Energy. Some firms hedged commodity prices deeply, others almost not at all. And they all engaged in their hedges at varying times over the last several years, resulting in dramatically different outcomes even among those companies that did hedge heavily.

You mean like Continental Airlines?

[TexasVines]

I like it when you two argue with yourself

metro is an example of poor government in action they need to figure out a route and go with it....if people wanted the opinion of every idiot that can waddle their big but into a public hearing on an issue then they would have elected that idiot and not another....with all these public hearings why even have anyone in charge and elected just have hearings forever until nothing gets done.....that is how dallas does a lot of things

[TheNiche]

You mean like Continental Airlines?

Please explain how Continental Airlines' crappy hedging is pertinent to a debate about METRO.

[MetroMogul]

METRO is poorly managed. They hedged their fuel prices when fuel prices were high; their financial status is not good and the results are manifested by construction delays. METRO officials (and some other poorly-run transit agencies) are hoping for Federal intervention but it is unclear that they will receive it. Their situation is their own fault after all.

If you live in a municipality that participates in METRO, write your local officials. Ask for dramatic reforms and the replacement of officials. Whether someone is for or against light rail is irrelevant; we need competent leadership.

In most of the Niche vs. Red debates I side with Red, but as a frequent Metro rider I cannot disagree that it has piss poor management. It is constantly sinking money into gimmicks with little return such as the Airport Direct. It constantly grows it's commuter services (which it should) but development to local routes has been stagnant at best. A BRT like route along the busy Bellaire line is entering it's 2nd year of delay, and Metro is pushing ahead with Quickline service along lines that have only moderate ridership at best. Metro scheduling is pathetic. Buses are poorly spaced (the 82 runs every 45 minutes on a weekday, come on!), poorly timed (too much or too little running time), and just piss poor overall. The buses are dangerous to operate with many out of alignment but Metro continues to cram cost intensive gadgets into them (Zonar). Metro bus drivers have low morale which spills over into performance of their jobs and all that excrement rolls down to the riders. I'm paying 25% more for a bus service that has a dismal 59% on time performance. That's Wall Street bad.

Even though I no longer care for light rail, it'd be nice for them to deliver on that at least since a 50% increase in bus service was deemed not necessary. But, besides a few scant blocks on Harrisburg, there is nothing to show for years of legal wrangling and public hearing hell.

[lockmat]

Found this tid bit in the neartown meeting minutes:

-Sue Lovell, City Council, Chair of TIA

-METRO is waiting on funding for the University Rail Line

-she told us the proposed route

-waiting for environmental impact study

-other lines are moving forward

-In November, with new administration, "the whole thing could rewind"

-Montrose will continue to get more hi-rises and more traffic

-to get building permits, one needn't present a whole or final plan; it's possible to get permits piecemeal, which is a way to hide from the City what a developer is up to. Sue is trying to get that changed.

-W. Alabama will become a "major thoroughfare"

-parking garages may come to be

-cabs may become more common

[TheNiche]

-cabs may become more common

I'd like to see that, but I have to wonder whether the cartel will allow it.

[roadrunner]

Found this tid bit in the neartown meeting minutes:

-Sue Lovell, City Council, Chair of TIA

-METRO is waiting on funding for the University Rail Line

-she told us the proposed route

-waiting for environmental impact study

-other lines are moving forward

-In November, with new administration, "the whole thing could rewind"

-Montrose will continue to get more hi-rises and more traffic

-to get building permits, one needn't present a whole or final plan; it's possible to get permits piecemeal, which is a way to hide from the City what a developer is up to. Sue is trying to get that changed.

-W. Alabama will become a "major thoroughfare"

-parking garages may come to be

-cabs may become more common

At this point, I wouldn't be surprised or disappointed if the whole solutions plan got scrapped. Bring in some new people to start making smart decisions. The last couple of years have been a clusterf....

[OkieEric]

-W. Alabama will become a "major thoroughfare"

I guess that means gridlocked?

[TheNiche]

I guess that means gridlocked?

Gridlock was going to happen one way or the other, regardless of what the City calls it, as traffic that had previously used Richmond is displaced to the next best route. Making it a major thoroughfare impacts the road's treatment according to various ordinances as well as with respect to CIP expenditures.

I hope that the City has the foresight to do the same thing to Canal Street and Irvington.

[KinkaidAlum]

I avoid West Alabama right now because it never returned to the good ole days before the new Spur was built.

I am surprised there haven't been more fatal accidents on the stretch between Kirby and Montrose. The turning lane being used as an East or West lane depending upon time clearly confuses people. The no left turn is infuriating for people who actually live in those neighborhoods. The construction currently going on just adds to the confusion. The light at Kirby near the Whole Foods is frightening. People pull illegal turns onto Kirby all of the time and quite a few times people just park themselves in the opposite lanes.

[musicman]

I avoid West Alabama right now because it never returned to the good ole days before the new Spur was built.

there was never any intention of it returning according to the current mayoral leadership.

[JamesL]

I avoid West Alabama right now because it never returned to the good ole days before the new Spur was built.

What was it like before? I wasn't here.

[Subdude]

What was it like before? I wasn't here.

Two lanes, bike paths, and you could make left turns.

I don't have a problem with the reversible middle lane, but I absolutely hate the no left turn thing.

[capnmcbarnacle]

there was never any intention of it returning according to the current mayoral leadership.

Hmmm. I remember going to public meetings on the project where they assured everyone the road would go back to how it was. And everyone at the meetings knowing that was a crock of BS. But the powers that be insisted it would go back. And lo and behold it turned out the public's astonishing premise, that politicians lie, was correct.

[rsb320]

You can make left turns, just not at the traffic signals.

[sidegate]

Hmmm. I remember going to public meetings on the project where they assured everyone the road would go back to how it was. And everyone at the meetings knowing that was a crock of BS. But the powers that be insisted it would go back. And lo and behold it turned out the public's astonishing premise, that politicians lie, was correct.

Not just public meetings - there was a 2003 federal court case presided over by David Hittner in which the Feds gave an undertaking that Alabama would be returned to its former config after the Spur was rebuilt. Nobody bothered to point out that they (the Feds) have no jurisdiction over W Alabama so they could say what they wanted and the COH was not bound to take any notice, which it didn't. Since Whiter-than-White's primary purpose was/is to keep traffic moving from downtown to the burbs and to hell with inner city neighborhoods, there it stands.

All that said, no-one takes any notice of the no left turn thing anyway, or the no turn on red, 3.45 - 7.15 (where's they pull those times from anyway?). Not that I've seen.

[capnmcbarnacle]

Two lanes, bike paths, and you could make left turns.

I don't have a problem with the reversible middle lane, but I absolutely hate the no left turn thing.

What was the alignment before the bike lanes? Wasn't there a middle lane for turns that was not a reversible lane? I remember people moaning about the addition of the bike lane because it took out a lane of traffic. Prior to the "new" reversible lane was it just two auto lanes and a bike lane?

Oh the hell with it.

[sidegate]

Prior to the "new" reversible lane was it just two auto lanes and a bike lane?

That's my recollection. Prior to that there was never any need for those ugly-as-hell, only-in-Houston lane signals. It was a relatively quiet street and not the traffic sink it is now at certain times of the day.

[crunchtastic]

That's my recollection. Prior to that there was never any need for those ugly-as-hell, only-in-Houston lane signals. It was a relatively quiet street and not the traffic sink it is now at certain times of the day.

oh, yes. The olden days.

We used to ride our bikes on Alabama from the fun zone to UH with little traffic and no fear.

[samagon]

What was it like before? I wasn't here.

I seem to recall that there were unicorns lining the sidewalks, leprechauns directing traffic, and nice looking scantily clad women handing out hundred dollar bills at each intersection.

Edited May 1, 2009 by samagon

[sidegate]

The reconfiguration ended at Shepherd. The stretch between Shepherd and where Alabama dead ends at its western extremity is pretty much what it used to look like the whole way. The contra flow east of Shepherd was (and apparently still is) designed to accommodate traffic entering & exiting 59 when the Spur was impassable or at reduced capacity.

The irony of all this of course is that even a cursory glance at the stretch of 59 b/w shepherd and the spur at evening rush hour tells you that it's as much of a train wreck as it ever was.

Edited May 1, 2009 by sidegate

[Random]

‘University Line' rail project closes in on federal funding

[Punx]

‘University Line' rail project closes in on federal funding

Let's just hope that no one in congress objects in the next 10 days.

[ricco67]

Yep.

December 10th is the date to watch.

From what I heard, METRO is already looking at bids and if things go through, they expect dirt to turn over in just over a year.

[kdog08]

Finally.

[RocketSci]

Finally.

"Culberson filed a formal objection with the Federal Transit Authority late Tuesday, ahead of a deadline today for members of Congress to file any concerns."

http://www.chron.com...an/6762340.html