Eckels On Height Railroad Right Of Way

[editor]

HEIGHTS AREA RAILROAD RIGHT OF WAY SHOULD REMAIN IN PUBLIC DOMAIN

The Texas Department of Transportation has indicated it may sell the old MKT Railroad right of way running from IH610 through the Houston Heights to downtown Houston as it is not needed for state projects. "The right of way must remain in the public domain for the benefit of the community," said Harris County Judge Robert Eckels.

The right of way is ideally suited for a recreational or transit use as a hike and bike trail or possible extensions of the Metro Light Rail or other Trolley systems to link the Houston Heights to other communities. In most of the old rail line there is enough right of way for both.

The rail right of way is a continuation of the line purchased by the state for the Katy Freeway project and could connect at the Eureka yard near Loop 610 to the potential Hwy 290 and Hwy 249 commuter rail routes Harris County initiated studies on last year.

In August the Harris County Commissioners Court authorized the Harris County Toll Road Authority to negotiate with the Texas Department of Transportation to purchase the right of way.

"There is no plan to build a toll road through the Heights," said the Judge. "The Toll Road Authority is the only entity in County government that has the resources and the relationships to work with the City of Houston, Houston Metro, TxDot and the community to develop a plan for the right of way." In spite of some rumors that the Toll Road Authority's involvement means high occupancy toll lanes through the neighborhood, Judge Eckels assured Houston Mayor Bill White and neighborhood representatives that there are no such plans.

"I have deep roots in the old Houston Heights," said the Judge. "My grandparents moved into the area over 90 years ago. My mother is a graduate of Reagan High School. My sister won the "good brick" award for historical preservation at her Heights area home in 1992. There is no need for toll lanes beyond the immediate Hwy 290/Loop610/I-10 interchange and I will not support a tollway through this neighborhood," added the Judge.

"The rail right of way can be a tremendous asset to the Heights and, through improving the Heights, to the city and region. All of us at Harris County look forward to working with the community, the City, Metro and the State to build a consensus on the best use of this community treasure."

[Hunter]

I feel that if Metro wants to save money then they should start using all of the old abandoned rail lines such as this one. Also if you drive around town you will see that many of the original trolley line are still in place with there right away. It would not take much to put them back in use with little impact to the areas around them. In fact if the lines are built I am pretty sure the areas will quickly improve in appearance and style.

Why build new trackage rights when we still have lots of places we can still use.

Houston in the early 1900 to the 1940's had an extensive light rail system. Much of this is still in place. So lets redevelop this before we start to build new lines.

[editor]

I feel that if Metro wants to save money then they should start using all of the old abandoned rail lines such as this one. Also if you drive around town you will see that many of the original trolley line are still in place with there right away. It would not take much to put them back in use with little impact to the areas around them. In fact if the lines are built I am pretty sure the areas will quickly improve in appearance and style.

Why build new trackage rights when we still have lots of places we can still use.

Houston in the early 1900 to the 1940's had an extensive light rail system. Much of this is still in place. So lets redevelop this before we start to build new lines.

Is it possible to re-use these old tracks? Are they the same width as modern rail lines? Do they meet the same construction and safety standards? A lot of people don't realize that the old trolley lines used to derail a lot. I don't think I've ever heard of a derailment from one of the new, modern, light rail systems.

[westguy]

Aren't these old tracks only one-way? They'd have to move them to make room for two slimmer trains to pass by one another.

[ssullivan]

There are NO old trolley tracks left in Houston and haven't been for over 60 years. The last tracks were torn out of the streets during World War II for the steel. Even if there were still tracks in the streets, they would be of no use to Metro. Even if the old trolley tracks were the same guage as the modern light rail vehicles, tracks that were put down in the streets before many of your grandparents were even born would be so worn down and unsafe they'd have to be replaced before Metro could use them.

As for the rail line through the Heights, the tracks are for the most part long gone. It's just an abandoned right of way, with a few railroad trestles left and some tracks in the streets where there are crossings. In some areas you have to know where to look to see the former railroad corridor at all. If Metro was to build a rail line in the corridor they would be starting from scratch, just as they would anywhere else.

As for other abandoned freight lines, there are a few around, but again, Metro would likely have to do major construction and rail replacement on those routes as well. In some cases these abdoned tracks have been abandoned and rusting away without maintenance for decades. It's one thing to use a recently decommissioned freight line that's still in good condition for a new light rail line. But using lines that have been abandoned for years is not really a money saving proposition.

[Heights2Bastrop]

There are NO old trolley tracks left in Houston and haven't been for over 60 years. The last tracks were torn out of the streets during World War II for the steel.

Not true!

I

[ssullivan]

According to the Houston Electric book all of the tracks were pulled up during the war. However, it's possible the book is wrong. In any case the tracks are not there now and have not been for a very long time. Even if there are still tracks buried under the asphalt they would not be usable today for light rail traffic.

[Heights2Bastrop]

I didn't say they were usable, only that they were not torn up during WWII.

[editor]

There are still some old freight rails around town buried under the asphalt. Some of them are visible on Sterrett Street downtown. Not that they can be used for anything -- it's just a curiousity.

[H-Town Man]

There was a Chronicle article on this about a decade ago, and it said that there was only one place in the city where you could see the old trolley tracks. I'm not sure where they said it was, but I believe I saw some on a street running parallel to Harrisburg in the East End, on the other side of the freeway from Minute Maid Park. Would that be Sterrett St., editor?

I was always on the lookout for trolley tracks when I was a courier, and never saw any other than there.

[Subdude]

I'm not sure if they're still there, but until very recently you could see the tracks in the Fourth Ward. There were streetcars along Robin and Andrews streets.

[dbigtex56]

"There is no plan to build a toll road through the Heights," said the Judge.  "The Toll Road Authority is the only entity in County government that has the resources and the relationships to work with the City of Houston, Houston Metro, TxDot and the community to develop a plan for the right of way."  In spite of some rumors that the Toll Road Authority's involvement means high occupancy toll lanes through the neighborhood, Judge Eckels assured Houston Mayor Bill White and neighborhood representatives that there are no such plans.

There is no need for toll lanes beyond the immediate Hwy 290/Loop610/I-10 interchange and I will not support a tollway through this neighborhood," added the Judge.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Judge Eckels didn't get to be a judge by choosing his words carelessly. Note that he does not deny that a road might be built on the ROW - only that no toll road will be constructed.

I remain skeptical about the future plans for this land acquistion. Whether it's a toll road or a non-toll connecting stretch, the impact would be the same.

[Astro]

I don't understand how any type of road along this ROW would be of any benefit. If we need to increase traffic capacity between 290 and downtown just add soem direct connector lanes along the existing section of 610 between 290 and I-10, and someday widen I-10 if necessary. Although from what I've heard the Katy freeway inside the loop is underutilized right now, and that's why the HOV lanes weren't extended inside the loop. I don't think there is any necessity to build a parallel roadway at all... and especially through the Heights, one of our most treasured neighborhoods.

[ssullivan]

I'm not sure if they're still there, but until very recently you could see the tracks in the Fourth Ward.  There were streetcars along Robin and Andrews streets.

You still can but you're not actually seeing the tracks. The tracks were removed in the Fourth Ward decades ago but where they once were was filled in with concrete and asphalt. Those streets are brick and the former location of the tracks is visible because the streets have not been resurfaced.

[Hunter]

Not many tracks left anymore but the old right always is still there. A few anyway. I admit that it will cost some to get them ready but not nearly as much if they were starting from scratch. In a few places it will have to be single track but that should not be a problem at all. I used the book Houston Electric to find many of the old tracks and right always and I was very surprised to see that so much was still in place As well as many of the old heavy freight tracks. It really would not take much to relay the tracks and put these lines back in use.

[HeightsGuy]

This is in response to the comments in here about reusing existing tracks: Unfortunatly, any project such as this would entail public money, and anything having to do with public safety would involve tearing it all out and building from scratch. Besides, no engineering firm in their right mind would sign off on a project to rehab an old RR sub-base.

So, any savings mentioned are because of the existing ROW, not for what is in the ROW.

[ricco67]

I'd have to argue a certain point in regards to savings:

I will grant you, that if building on an existing ROW "MIGHT" not save monies for engineering purposes, but it would probably save a substantial amount of money from ACQUIRING new ROW. One of the biggests costs in any public project is buying ROW.

Ricco

"ROW, ROW, ROW your Train..."

Sorry.

[HeightsGuy]

Ricco, maybe it didn't come out that way, but what you said is exactly what I meant.