Houston, TX Transit

[Mr.T]

Here's a similar video "Metro's Greatest Hits".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV2rdGX4JYc
Looks like many of them turned left while in straight only lanes.

[raytylicki]

Say aint that a Union Pacific Truck at 38 seconds into the video?

[Jeff Smith]

Light rail expansion coming, a topic retitle, and some topic mergers!

http://transportationnation.org/2012/06 ... rail-line/

(Houston, TX — KUHF) As work on Houston’s new light rail lines reaches the halfway point, Metro is now looking at plans for the area’s first commuter rail line that would bring people into the city from the suburbs.

Right now Metro is gathering public input on the proposed US 90A/Southwest Rail Corridor. It would be a nine-mile line that would bring commuters from Missouri City to the Fannin South Station. Riders could then hook up with the Red Line that runs through downtown and the Medical Center.

Metro’s Jerome Gray says they’re estimating about 24,000 people a day would use the new line to travel into the city from the southwest. “That corridor, that area, census projections show that we’re going to see quite a population boom, about 25 percent until 2035.”

Gray says they’re looking at two proposed track alignments that would run along Highway 90 and they’re now studying how the rail line would affect the local environment. They also have to figure out how to pay for the project, which is expected to cost about $500 million.

[Jeff Smith]

We all probably know that Houston is the fourth largest city in the US. No commuter rail. One light rail line, recently completed, which motorists keep driving into on the city streets.

I live in Texas, and frankly, I'm amazed at a state that—while it talks a good line about rail transit—doesn't do much to move the situation forward. One wonders if there's an automakers' lobby quashing any rail-oriented initiatives.

So, we're building TOLL ROADS. Now there's the answer!

(Glad I got that off my chest!)

Rock, funny how things change!

And glad to see at least Nationwide is back at the Rock. Will have to make the trek up someday.

[Jeff Smith]

I didn't see a thread on this (searched Galveston), but let me know if there's one out there.

http://www.masstransitmag.com/news/1075 ... be-revived

July 31 — GALVESTON — A Houston-to-Galveston passenger rail line postponed indefinitely after the economy hit bottom in 2009 is getting another chance, but it could be a decade or more before the first spike is driven.

The original plan called for a passenger line carrying 1,000 to 2,000 people per day to be in operation as early as this year, but a series of events starting with Hurricane Ike and the stock market crash in 2008 stalled the project.

"The impact of the economic downturn has taken its toll in so many ways," said Barry Goodman, whose consulting firm, Goodman Corp., is doing the planning. Goodman said the recession affected the rail project more than the storm.

[NIMBYkiller]

Has there been any thought to a commuter line between Houston and Galveston? I could see the following stops at minimum:
Galveston - UT Medical Center
Galveston - Downtown
La Marque
Dickinson
League City
Webster/NASA
Beltway
South Houston
East End
Downtown - University of Houston

[Rockingham Racer]

Here you are:

https://www.txdot.gov/government/report ... -plan.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Short answer: apparently not. And this links to a 2016 report.

[eolesen]

The first priority would be getting the light rail to Hobby and Bush, and neither extension seems to be beyond the long-range planning stages.

[NIMBYkiller]

I accidentally posted about this in a Houston light rail thread without realizing this already existed. Just curious to know if this has been revisited? Where were they proposing the Houston station be and what route were they looking at? I'd probably suggest the station be at UH Downtown with the following stops:

Downtown - UH
East End
South Houston
Beltway
Webster/NASA
League City
Dickinson
La Marque
Galveston - Downtown
Galveston - UT Medical Center
Galveston - UT Medical Center

[NIMBYkiller]

My bad, apparently there was already a thread about this:
viewtopic.php?f=137&t=100601&p=1498260#p1498260" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Agreed though, light rail to the airports is more of a priority.

[electricron]

Has there been any thought to a commuter line between Houston and Galveston? I could see the following stops at minimum:
Galveston - UT Medical Center
Galveston - Downtown
La Marque
Dickinson
League City
Webster/NASA
Beltway
South Houston
East End
Downtown - University of Houston

Yes, there has been studies looking at long range commuter rail lines in the Houston area, including a line toGalveston.
http://www.gcrd.net/docs/crc_report_rev_09112008.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chapter 6, the last two pages of the study, lists several findings and recommendations.
The major difficulty, imho, that made both lists was getting commuter passenger trains into Houston’s core, within Loop 610. Texas Central HSR also ran across this same difficulty, which is one of the reasons why it will stop just north of IH-610.

The solution offered is that someone is going to have to buy a brand new rail corridor through the heart of Houston, using the existing freight railroads is not viable.

This is another reason why Metro continues to advocate and build light rail lines within city owned streets.

[Jeff Smith]

Merged the threads...

[NIMBYkiller]

What's wrong with using the current Amtrak stop, just too much freight traffic on the line?