Housing Demand Near Dart Rail Could Soar

[Houston Retail]

Local News-SW US : TX - Housing demand near DART rail could soar

The shopping list for home buyers hasn't changed much in decades

[UrbaNerd]

I hope the Metro line will fare as well! We just need better city planners!

[saxman66]

I would love to be near a transit line. I'm waiting for the day, when I can go to a station by my house and ride to downtown Houston, or the airport, or even down to Galveston. No more having to drive, pay for parking, or arrange a ride, or a taxi, or figure out a complex bus system. I'm not sure why there are still so many critics, when any type of rail has proven itself around the world.

[Lowbrow]

I know this has been discussed to death but time for my 2 cents worth.

I am a big proponent for the rail system in Houston. The 2 negative aspects in my opinion are: 1) Sprawl, the neighborhoods are so spread out and non-linear in Houston that the economics of hitting them all with a rail is truely daunting, and 2) Houstonions (as a rule) seem to see public transportation as something reserved for the "lower" class.

The first point is anything but simple to resolve. I would think that first building a good backbone on major corridors would be a starting point. I am still trying to figure out exactly why the current route was choosen to start with. Perhaps for doctors that live downtown?? Anyway, I know a few people that get great use out of what is there and I know they have had pretty good numbers riding thusfar. If that line gets extended to along 521 down to 518, I know alot of young medical types in the Shadowcreek and Silverlake areas that would jump on it.

I lived in Boston for a year and I only used my car to go out of town. I even started using trains to get to NYC. They are perfectly set up for public transit lines being prettymuch restricted from growth in 3 directions, so they keep just packing in more and more people, property values keep shooting up, minimal number of lines can service the whole area. Just don't talk to me about the Big Dig.

The second point could be attacked by public messages and incentive programs. On the rails in Boston you are likely to see the full economic spectrum of peoples on any one train. I would guess that I rode the rail 700ish times while I was there and we had 1 accident and only once did I feel uncomfortable due to another rider.

If Houston were to take this rail thing seriously I would definately look into uprooting myself and moving close to a rail line. It's a way of life. It's a huge investment and I think it would work wonders for this city.

[Montrose1100]

This should go in the "Dallas" Section.

[713 To 214]

I know this has been discussed to death but time for my 2 cents worth.

I am a big proponent for the rail system in Houston. The 2 negative aspects in my opinion are: 1) Sprawl, the neighborhoods are so spread out and non-linear in Houston that the economics of hitting them all with a rail is truely daunting, and 2) Houstonions (as a rule) seem to see public transportation as something reserved for the "lower" class.

The first point is anything but simple to resolve. I would think that first building a good backbone on major corridors would be a starting point. I am still trying to figure out exactly why the current route was choosen to start with. Perhaps for doctors that live downtown?? Anyway, I know a few people that get great use out of what is there and I know they have had pretty good numbers riding thusfar. If that line gets extended to along 521 down to 518, I know alot of young medical types in the Shadowcreek and Silverlake areas that would jump on it.

I lived in Boston for a year and I only used my car to go out of town. I even started using trains to get to NYC. They are perfectly set up for public transit lines being prettymuch restricted from growth in 3 directions, so they keep just packing in more and more people, property values keep shooting up, minimal number of lines can service the whole area. Just don't talk to me about the Big Dig.

The second point could be attacked by public messages and incentive programs. On the rails in Boston you are likely to see the full economic spectrum of peoples on any one train. I would guess that I rode the rail 700ish times while I was there and we had 1 accident and only once did I feel uncomfortable due to another rider.

If Houston were to take this rail thing seriously I would definately look into uprooting myself and moving close to a rail line. It's a way of life. It's a huge investment and I think it would work wonders for this city.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I totally agree with your points regarding:

1. Sprawl (if METRO started today, it would take 50+ years before Houston is adequately served with rail); and

2. Perception (the longer it takes to get past the "low class ridership" perception, the longer it will take for Houstonians to fully embrace an accelerated expansion of the stater line).

btw Lowbrow, I think that Metro's starter line (Reliant to Downtown) was selected as the starter because of its potential appeal (at the time) to Olympic, Superbowl and MLB selection committeees. (links destination points in the center of the city). I will agree with you that it probably wasn't the most practical route if you want to have good ridership numbers.