Highway 249 Toll Road North Of Spring Cypress

[MaxConcrete]

What I am saying is that these wish list roads will probably "die on the vine" if he doesn't get re-elected. His opponents have publicly said they oppose building more tollroads, Hell Strayhorn even says it in her commercials.

I disagree about local projects dying on the vine. HCTRA really wants to build all of these projects, but the problem is that TxDOT wants to privatize these projects to squeeze more money out of them. TxDOT's (ie Rick Perry's) plan is basically a "Robinhood" scheme whereby tolls on the new facilities will be high and escalating, and the concession fees will be transferred to other projects to benefit people who don't pay. To some people this is bad and others it is good (those who get their free projects paid for by toll payers). If Perry loses, HCTRA will build most or all of these projects. I expect the Fort Bend and Brazoria toll road authorities to build toll roads in those counties if TxDOT were to return to a more traditional role.

Trans-Texas corridor is almost surely dead if Perry loses. That includes the potential huge I-69 bypass around Houston.

[H-Town Man]

Is there any chance Perry is going to lose? Last I heard he had something like 42%, with none of his opponents over 14%.

Interestingly enough, I told some of my classes at A&M about the toll roads, and most students thought it was a pretty bad idea.

[invincible569]

Someone help 290!! Its getting worse! We are thinking of moving down to katy if it starts to become more miserable. At least I-10 is finally being worked on.

[ENGcons]

I do have a problem with Rick Perry, he is not a good leader for the State of Texas. And I even as a conservative will vote for someone else in this election.

I am not for building tollroads to fund education, I remember that is why the lottery was created in Texas, to fund education. Building tollroads with taxpayer money is illegal I think in Texas so that is one problem, another is getting foreign investors to fund it, I have a problem with Perry putting up a big "For Sale" sign on the State of Texas to build his "Legacy" Texas Trans Corridor, or more tollroads.

You want more highways built? Why, why does it have to be a tollroad? It already costs a fortune to drive with gasoline prices, I prefer the State invest in a Mass Tansit system instead of building more Tollroads, and or Freeways. How about some real rail in Texas?

Houston is soooooo far behind the curve in mass transit it is a freaking joke. Every other major city in America has a legit mass transit system in place, or is building one. Houston is the 4th largest cityin America, that is spread over an enormous area and yet we have a joke of train that runs downtown. And the light rail expansion plan is just idiotic, where's the plan for the daily commuter?

TXDOT and the Gov't is encouraging energy consumption not conservation by building more highways and not investing in Mass Transit. Damnit I hate this you make me sound like an enviromentalist whacko.

[CDeb]

Interestingly enough, I told some of my classes at A&M about the toll roads, and most students thought it was a pretty bad idea.

Wow, you mean students, who typically have small amounts of disposable income, think paying for something is a bad idea??

I'm shocked! Shocked, I tell you!

And the light rail expansion plan is just idiotic, where's the plan for the daily commuter?

Ummm, you did see the METRO solutions map, didn't you? The plan includes several commuter rail lines.

[TheNiche]

Wow, you mean students, who typically have small amounts of disposable income, think paying for something is a bad idea??

I'm shocked! Shocked, I tell you!

Ummm, you did see the METRO solutions map, didn't you? The plan includes several commuter rail lines.

Agreed. And their HOV lanes clearly serve the everyday commuter. Even if you aren't able to use them, they're at least removing a good bit of traffic from the lanes that you are using...not that that necessarily justifies the design/configuration of the LRT/BRT system.

[zaphod]

i read about a toll road from houston to navasota, is this what your talking about?

its interesting, the eagle ran an article about how Brazos and that other county between here and houston(Waller?) would set up a toll road authority to make money for road improvements elsewhere.

[TheNiche]

i read about a toll road from houston to navasota, is this what your talking about?

its interesting, the eagle ran an article about how Brazos and that other county between here and houston(Waller?) would set up a toll road authority to make money for road improvements elsewhere.

Grimes County. If it goes through Fetzer, it'd only be in Waller County for perhaps a mile, probably less.

[Guest Plastic]

When The Northwest Tollway is built it will serve that purpose. It will take people Champions and Tomball area to 290@The Loop.

SInce on their way to work 249 will cross it there's no need to build 249 all the way to DOwntown. If there's need to build 249 East of The Northwest Tollway make it a minihighway like HWY 90 Alt.

[MaxConcrete]

When The Northwest Tollway is built it will serve that purpose. It will take people Champions and Tomball area to 290@The Loop.

SInce on their way to work 249 will cross it there's no need to build 249 all the way to DOwntown. If there's need to build 249 East of The Northwest Tollway make it a minihighway like HWY 90 Alt.

I don't know if I really understand the message you are trying to convey. But I do want to clarify a couple things.

The tollway running parallel to the Northwest Freeway (US 290) will likely be built and has been called the Hempstead Tollway since it will follow Hempstead Road inside Beltway 8.

The tollway which was proposed to follow the railroad corridor from near SH 249 and Beltway 8 to near US 290 and Loop 610 was sometimes called the Northwest Tollway. I think it is safe to assume it is dead, since it has been removed from HCAG's plan due to protest in Oak Forest and the railroad's unwillingness to sell right-of-way.

So anyone going to Houston on SH 249 from Tomball (and desiring to use the Hempstead tollway) would need to take Beltway 8/Sam Houston Tollway from the SH 249 freeway terminus to US 290.

[mrfootball]

Seriously, the solution is quite simple. Finish the freeway to I-45.

[desirous]

Seriously, the solution is quite simple. Finish the freeway to I-45.

Then what on earth is I-45 going to do about it? The North Freeway is a poorly graded freeway that already jams at peculiar times of day; it can't take any more congestion. If we expand 249 to loop 610, then the North Loop will perish. Aha! Extend it past I-45 to the Hardy Toll, which is expanding to downtown anyhow. Magic.

[Trae]

A lot of people from 249 use the North Freeway anyway, so it would be less traffic off of the North Freeway until 610.

[smackypete]

The only way to change people's habits of depending on the automobile is to build high speed transit.

Mass transit to/from where???????

I don't claim to know hundreds or thousands of people, but of all the people I know that commute to another part of town, MT would help none of them because ZERO of them work in the CBD

Here is a sample commute for some that I know...

LIVE -> WORK

Friendswood -> Med Center

Spring -> 290 (inside belt)

Copperfield -> Greenspoint

Humble -> 290 (at belt)

Spring -> 290/610

If they had 10 rail lines running today from IAH, Hobby, Woodlands, Kingwood, East Hou, Katy, Fairfield, Clear Lake, Sugarland, and Pearland all into downtown Houston - it wouldn't help any of those people.

Houston is too spread out and too few people work in the CBD for MT to work. Maybe Houston should encourage businesses to get off 290/Greenspoint/etc. and move downtown.... The more people you have in one place - the easier it is to move those persons.

[westguy]

These projects were on the books long before he was ever there!

I think they should build a freeway along the blue lines.