METRORail University Line

[roadrunner]

Yep, but that wasn't disputed. What was at issue was whether the change attributable to the LRT would have been for the better or worse. Ridership in that neighborhood would've been very low and I think that by the end of the debate, there wasn't even a stop planned in AO. If the net difference between now and five years from now is that the lanes have been narrowed, turns across the median have been made more difficult, and that there is a train that regularly blows a whistle that can be heard for up to a half mile at night, and there is no access point within walking distance, then would you honestly expect the AO crowd to be on board with the idea?

I just moved to an apartment complex that is literally right on the Red Line, and I absolutely love it. It is very convenient to go downtown to go to Astros games, to go to bars in Midtown, or even to grab a bite to eat in the Med Center. I only am able to hear the whistle blowing when I'm outside on my balcony at night, and it's really not that bad. Plus, it only runs to midnight on weeknights, and only every 20 minutes or so.

AO needs to realize that this will be a benefit for the neighborhood in the long run.

[TheNiche]

I just moved to an apartment complex that is literally right on the Red Line, and I absolutely love it. It is very convenient to go downtown to go to Astros games, to go to bars in Midtown, or even to grab a bite to eat in the Med Center. I only am able to hear the whistle blowing when I'm outside on my balcony at night, and it's really not that bad. Plus, it only runs to midnight on weeknights, and only every 20 minutes or so.

AO needs to realize that this will be a benefit for the neighborhood in the long run.

1) It will benefit AO in the long run, but only because METRO has already cut that segment of Richmond from the running.

2) If it were still in the running, LRT could not possibly help AO if there were not a stop. AO would have gotten all the negatives and none of the benefit. Shrill and self-interested though they were, you can hardly blame them for being concerned about their own neighborhood.

3) If there were a stop, it would have very low ridership because AO is not sufficiently dense to generate ridership. The extra time involved in decelerating, stopping, and accelerating again would be more of an inconvenience to the passengers getting on and off at other stops than it would be a benefit to the few riders from AO.

4) The Richmond/610 intersection was not built with an LRT crossing in mind and would be prohibitively expensive to retrofit. In contrast, a platform has already been built to connect a future guided rapid transit line to Post Oak Blvd.

IMO, the AO fight is over and just about everybody won...even if not all realize it.

[IHB2]

this got my attention after 3 weeks out of town:

one parcel along the proposed U Line that definitely won't be TOD is the Costco development at the old HISD Admin site at Richmond and Wesleyan. this is something we've known for a while, but the explanation illuminates an important point that folks that are pro-rail for "urbanist" reasons don't like to talk about.

This week's West U Examiner quotes project mgr Craig Cheney re: changing the original plan for a "European style integrated retail, residential, and office complex" to a big-box w/pad sites - "we looked around, and we had all these competing projects with integrated residential, office, and retail, all competing for the same few retailers.... Life is too short to get into that kind of situation." [emphasis mine]

as for the U Line alignment being on Richmond as far west as Wesleyan, according to the Examiner, "Cheney lobbied U.S.Rep. John Culberson to oppose the project, which he said would have dictated a less profitable commercial concept."

finally a local media outlet quotes one of the big boys about the limited appeal of these boutique mixed developments in a market like Houston.

[KinkaidAlum]

this got my attention after 3 weeks out of town:

one parcel along the proposed U Line that definitely won't be TOD is the Costco development at the old HISD Admin site at Richmond and Wesleyan. this is something we've known for a while, but the explanation illuminates an important point that folks that are pro-rail for "urbanist" reasons don't like to talk about.

This week's West U Examiner quotes project mgr Craig Cheney re: changing the original plan for a "European style integrated retail, residential, and office complex" to a big-box w/pad sites - "we looked around, and we had all these competing projects with integrated residential, office, and retail, all competing for the same few retailers.... Life is too short to get into that kind of situation." [emphasis mine]

as for the U Line alignment being on Richmond as far west as Wesleyan, according to the Examiner, "Cheney lobbied U.S.Rep. John Culberson to oppose the project, which he said would have dictated a less profitable commercial concept."

finally a local media outlet quotes one of the big boys about the limited appeal of these boutique mixed developments in a market like Houston.

Of course Cheney is going to paint it that way. His site lacks the high profile corner like Blvd Place or the easy access and visibility of the West Loop site like The Oaks District, or the mega-location of Westheimer at Kirby. His group also lags the others in financial backing and project experience. Plus, with one project already under construction, his project wouldn't be the first up and running.

Additionally, how could anyone honestly know if these centers have limited appeal? There isn't such a center in the area and the closest thing to it is the wildly popular Galleria (offices, shopping, entertainment, hotels, and more all in one development).

Furthermore, once this group caved in and went in the direction of big box stores, surface parking, and pad sites all fronting Richmond Avenue, of course it would follow that they would lobby against light rail! It's in their own self interest. People that go to Costco buy in bulk. Who wants to ride the rail to carry home their 42 pack of Bounty Paper Towels and 20 jars of Jiffy Peanut Butter?

The ONLY way a big box site works is by having ample parking and easy vehicle access.

[TheNiche]

Having done some work a couple months ago on one of these Kinkaid mentioned, and having some insider knowledge on the HISD site, I am in a position to comment that although there is some validity to what Cheney said, the biggest factor influencing the change of plans was that Costco wanted it and paid a lot for it. It came down to either giving Costco the thumbs up, taking a big wad of money practically without any risk that the transaction could fall through, and then being done with a big part of the deal, or going through a painstaking process of getting the thing built spec and then enduring a highly competitive lease-up process where there really were too few tenants to go around. It was ultimately a no-brainer.

His group also lags the others in financial backing and project experience.

Each of the developers are experienced and have tremendous financial backing.

Additionally, how could anyone honestly know if these centers have limited appeal? There isn't such a center in the area and the closest thing to it is the wildly popular Galleria (offices, shopping, entertainment, hotels, and more all in one development).

They'd ask the leasing agent how much interest there is in the marketplace. Those guys don't just sit back and wait for retailers to call them, you know. They're constantly out there talking to prospective tenants.

If the market is pretty well saturated where national lifestyle center tenants are concerned, then a developer might hire a third party leasing consultant to try and bring in high-end boutiques from the coasts and from Europe that would not previously have even thought to expand in Houston. ...but that is expensive, and that such a thing would be done signals the desperation of developers'.

[Ethanra]

Update on University Corridor

[musicman]

Update on University Corridor

with the current leaking issue brought up by TMC, i didn't see any specific statements in the text that i read. i do like how it lists museums and art venues near the corridor and it lists the art museum on heights and the bible in america museum on fondren. kind of a long walk IMO.

[RedScare]

i do like how it lists museums and art venues near the corridor and it lists the art museum on heights and the bible in america museum on fondren. kind of a long walk IMO.

That just shows your anti-rail bias. In other cities, a 3 to 5 mile walk is considered nothing.

[musicman]

That just shows your anti-rail bias. In other cities, a 3 to 5 mile walk is considered nothing.

LOL meet you at the bible museum at noon.

[IHB2]

LOL meet you at the bible museum at noon.

W.W.F.D.?

Frank would institute eminent domain proceedings at the newly announced Fondren Station based on METRO Legal Department's opinion that the agency's current 1500 ft condemnation radius is really 2.5 miles in dog years, which puts the station well within the 3-5 mile pedestrian range of the U Line's actual track terminus at Hillcroft TC.

seriously, rec'd an email from the anti-rail Mobility Coalition Thursday announcing the DEIS and stating that weasel-wording in the METRO U Line FAQ still leaves open the possibility of an all-Richmond alignment west of Main to at least Post Oak.

for a fun time, show up at the western U Line DEIS public meeting on Aug 13. that sound you hear is the sharpening of the long knives.

[Pumapayam]

Update on University Corridor

They wrote a freaking book!

Anyone on here can weed out the good parts and give an idea on the routing?

[musicman]

Anyone on here can weed out the good parts and give an idea on the routing?

the routing hasn't been decided.

[Highway6]

They wrote a freaking book!

Anyone on here can weed out the good parts and give an idea on the routing?

Lazy arse..

ITs the same routes they have had on their site and have been talking about since December.

They look to be leaning towards the Cummins path, i would say, for the west half.

Things i noticed:

They mentioned in the environmental section the amount of trees coming down.. that amount seemed high to me.

Seems to me what they thought hey could peviously work around, or least led us to believe wouldnt be effected, will now be moved.

at Wheeler station, unlike the Rice station, in the schematic diagrams, they do show switches so that trains can go from the university line to the red line.

To me, it seems like they are thinking routes overlap and three-way switch where the two lines meet, not at the rice sttion, - which could lead to a direct connection from one line to the other.

[Pumapayam]

Lazy arse..

I SO am!

At least we will know that by September 17th, all the decisions will be made and our tax dollars can actually be used on the construction and not all this preplanning.

This should come out of the Afton Oaks association dues.

[musicman]

At least we will know that by September 17th, all the decisions will be made and our tax dollars can actually be used on the construction and not all this preplanning.

didn't know planning was a bad thing.

[Pumapayam]

didn't know planning was a bad thing.

Planning is good, excessive redo-ing because of one neighborhood and a stubborn commissioner is bad.

[musicman]

Planning is good, excessive redo-ing because of one neighborhood and a stubborn commissioner is bad.

what has been excessively redone?

[Houston19514]

W.W.F.D.?

Frank would institute eminent domain proceedings at the newly announced Fondren Station based on METRO Legal Department's opinion that the agency's current 1500 ft condemnation radius is really 2.5 miles in dog years, which puts the station well within the 3-5 mile pedestrian range of the U Line's actual track terminus at Hillcroft TC.

seriously, rec'd an email from the anti-rail Mobility Coalition Thursday announcing the DEIS and stating that weasel-wording in the METRO U Line FAQ still leaves open the possibility of an all-Richmond alignment west of Main to at least Post Oak.

for a fun time, show up at the western U Line DEIS public meeting on Aug 13. that sound you hear is the sharpening of the long knives.

Whatever "weasel" words some paranoid group may find in the FAQ, a very quick glance at the DEIS makes it abundantly clear that an all-Richmond alignment west of Main to Post Oak is NOT even being considered and is NOT going to happen.

[wakester]

A good break down by Christof on his blog

[Pumapayam]

what has been excessively redone?

Well, they had a route potentially planned last year on Richmond, and then all the fuss because of Afton Oaks came up, so they essentially had to go back and re-evaluate.

Where have you been all these months?

[ricco67]

That was fascinating reading(as far as government documents go), Wakester, thanks for the link.

On a related note, I had a client in the Montrose just off W. Alabama. She was anxious for the rail to get started and mentioned an odd phone call she got several months back from someone taking a Poll.

When asked on her opinions on the Richmond Rail, she said "I am all for it." There was a slight pause and and person on the phone responded, "even though it would require the taking of the land of some businesses?" She responded with a "To make omelets, you have to break a few eggs." From what was said, it was obvious that the caller didn't hear what he wanted and tried to persuade her to change her answer, but was steadfast.

I about died laughing at the description of the caller getting a bit flustered about it. So much for Neutral polling!

[Pumapayam]

A good break down by Christof on his blog

That is exactly what I wanted, thank you!

[TheNiche]

Well, they had a route potentially planned last year on Richmond, and then all the fuss because of Afton Oaks came up, so they essentially had to go back and re-evaluate.

Where have you been all these months?

If you recall, METRO considered a whole lot of other alignments based on public input and worked their way down to where we are today. At one time, even Westheimer was considered.

[lockmat]

That was fascinating reading(as far as government documents go), Wakester, thanks for the link.

On a related note, I had a client in the Montrose just off W. Alabama. She was anxious for the rail to get started and mentioned an odd phone call she got several months back from someone taking a Poll.

When asked on her opinions on the Richmond Rail, she said "I am all for it." There was a slight pause and and person on the phone responded, "even though it would require the taking of the land of some businesses?" She responded with a "To make omelets, you have to break a few eggs." From what was said, it was obvious that the caller didn't hear what he wanted and tried to persuade her to change her answer, but was steadfast.

I about died laughing at the description of the caller getting a bit flustered about it. So much for Neutral polling!

That's a great story, thanks for sharing. Did she happen to mention the thoughts of other business owners that she might know in the same boat as her?

[musicman]

Well, they had a route potentially planned last year on Richmond, and then all the fuss because of Afton Oaks came up, so they essentially had to go back and re-evaluate.

Where have you been all these months?

after a period of public and private inputs/comments, the three proposed plans are the three most likely candidates. there was NO planned route on richmond, only a proposal for the citizens to provide input.

[wakester]

I like this part about the Culberson (I mean 59 option) route, talking about the traffic impact of having to remove the shoulder on 59 :

The latter would slow down rush hour traffic because people don

[lockmat]

Where complete properties

[Pumapayam]

I just went to RichmondRail.org, and no coverage on this, what gives.

They should be all over this with some feedback.

[IHB2]

interesting meeting last night. METRO had some actual hired-gun experts that could explain things about noise/vibration/light etc enviro impacts that to date no METRO employee has been willing to talk about.

rumors of the night: METRO still has a couple of under-the-table alignments it's considering along with the 3 "finalist" alignments for the U Line west of Main.

[ricco67]

I forgot about last night's meeting until it was too late.

So hopefully I can make the one for the next one.

Did you pick up anything as far as sketches or anything? was there a fairly vocal group arguing against it?