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U.S. transportation chief: Houston needs to 'get its act together' on light rail

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by da1, Dec 18, 2013.

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  1. da1

    da1 Member

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    U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood likes Houston's light rail that's up and running but warns that regional transit officials have squandered opportunities the past decade by not building greater consensus.

    "The region needs to get its act together," LaHood said during a brief question and answer session after an unrelated news conference Wednesday in Houston.

    Metropolitan Transit Authority board Chairman Gilbert Garcia conceded a tarnished transit image and political opposition has slowed progress, but the past three years have seen Metro make significant progress.

    "It may not go the pace we all want but we've gone very far," he said.

    No more free rides: Metro to add fare enforcement to rail line

    Going further, Garcia said, will take more buy-in from local congressional and statehouse lawmakers.

    Though the Main Street line has been a success, and three more lines are under construction, LaHood said the area is coming up short because more hasn't been done to extend lines to the suburbs where most people live.

    He said he spent the morning in Houston talking about projects to extend transit farther from the downtown area. Suburban taxpayers who supported referendums in 2003 and 2012 especially have demonstrated a desire for development, only to have officials shortchange them.

    "The fact that these people voted for a referendum and are paying these taxes and have never seen any benefit from it is just not right," LaHood said.
    LaHood, who is stepping down as transportation secretary as soon as a successor is confirmed, said in other cities that have won rail funding, it's been because everyone from City Hall to Capitol Hill has shown their support for transit funding. In Houston, that hasn't been the case, and that's going to hamper getting federal funds.

    "If there is not going to be universal agreement then it is not going to happen," LaHood said.

    Politicians are not the only Houston-area people divided on the merits of rail. Many taxpayers inside and outside the city remain skeptical that light rail is right for Houston, and that the investment thus far has paid off. For them, a lack of federal investment is a good thing.

    Others have pressed for greater investment, but have largely not garnered the support to advance projects like the University Line, linking downtown with the Galleria area.

    'Buy America'

    Two of the three light rail lines under construction received a combined $900 million in federal transit funds, via an agreement signed in 2011 that followed Metro nearly losing the money because of "Buy America" provisions tied to the funds.

    The federal agreement followed years of contentious battles about Metro's internal policies and political fights between Houston-focused rail backers and suburban officials that continue.

    Rep. John Culberson, a longtime critic of efforts to run rail down Richmond Avenue westward toward Loop 610, has opposed any federal funds aimed at the University Line because he views the line as unaffordable.

    In a statement, he said he was glad LaHood recognized Houston's light rail deficiencies.

    Culberson weighs in

    "Metro has squandered millions of taxpayer dollars, and they cannot afford to build any more rail beyond the three lines already under construction," Culberson said. "I look forward to the day when Metro publicly admits what they have privately told me: They can't afford to expand light rail in the city."
    Metro officials, meanwhile, think the upcoming lines will help persuade people to put more money toward rail. Garcia, the Metro chairman, predicted the opening next year of the North, East and Southeast lines will allow more people to see the benefits of rail.

    http://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...tation-chief-Houston-needs-to-get-4481101.php
     
    #1 da1, Dec 18, 2013
  2. Haymitch

    Haymitch Custom Title
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    Haymitch: Ray LaHood needs to 'go suck a lemon' right now
     
    #2 Haymitch, Dec 18, 2013
  3. GanjaRocket

    GanjaRocket Member

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    i don't know why they couldn't have built El trains.

    cheap bastards, this makes rush hour traffic worse on OST. Epic fail rail
     
    #3 GanjaRocket, Dec 18, 2013
  4. DonnyMost

    DonnyMost not wrong
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    Typical starve the beast strategy.

    Defund a program to the point where it can't succeed or function, and then proclaim the program a failure and the operators inept, and kill the program.
     
    #4 DonnyMost, Dec 18, 2013
  5. sammy

    sammy Contributing Member

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    In before texx tells us that we all like to drive big trucks with shotguns inside them instead of taking public transportation.
     
    #5 sammy, Dec 18, 2013
  6. GanjaRocket

    GanjaRocket Member

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    are you saying this was a conspiracy from the start?

    im sure our ****ty fail rail is here to stay.. as they keep building more of these fail rails.


    but for everyone's sake, elevate the damn tracks at big intersections! a kid playing with thomas trains knows how to do that for chrissakes.

    but some bigwig engineers with degrees cant even. fck them.
     
    #6 GanjaRocket, Dec 18, 2013
  7. DonnyMost

    DonnyMost not wrong
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    It's not a conspiracy, that's just politics as usual.
     
    #7 DonnyMost, Dec 18, 2013
  8. CrazyDave

    CrazyDave Contributing Member

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    Not that "light rail" would be a bad thing, but he probably owns "light rail stock."
     
    #8 CrazyDave, Dec 18, 2013
    Last edited: Dec 18, 2013
  9. Svpernaut

    Svpernaut Contributing Member

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    You do realize that plenty of politicians and government officials squander opportunities and dollars on their own, right? The FTA gave the city a $900 million grant, and they've come to the realization that much of that has been squandered.
     
    #9 Svpernaut, Dec 18, 2013
  10. Severe Rockets Fan

    Severe Rockets Fan Takin it one stage at a time...

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    Hmmm, I'm on the fence about a light rail...probably bc I know I'd never ride it after the horrible experiences I had riding the rail they have in the medical center. A quick look at Ray LaHood shows he's always been a big proponent of light rail and would probably say it's a good idea even when presented with information like this,

    "No mass transit system in the country charges riders enough to offset the expenses of running trains—much less the cost of capital. Amtrak loses hundreds of millions a year, and it makes an operating profit only on its somewhat high-speed Acela Express between Boston and Washington."

    http://reason.com/archives/2011/04/28/taking-taxpayers-for-a-ride/singlepage

    So basically, when it comes to light rail, if we ever bought a system for it, we'd always be paying for it...even the folks that never ride it. No thanks...

    I'm sure road travelers provide subsides too, but rail isn't above them either...we'll be paying either way...personally I prefer convenience of leaving and coming when I please and not at some conductor's schedule.
     
    #10 Severe Rockets Fan, Dec 18, 2013
  11. GanjaRocket

    GanjaRocket Member

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    in Houston, if you can't make money off of it, its useless. Other places have a literal necessity for good transit. So its worth it, overall economically, to spend the dough.

    just the consequences of so much cheap land and good ol boy lobbies
     
    #11 GanjaRocket, Dec 18, 2013
  12. da1

    da1 Member

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    People should have the option. Roads, particularly highways, lose a lot of money. And have much higher maintenance costs than rail. But nobody ever talks about that.
     
    #12 da1, Dec 18, 2013
  13. GanjaRocket

    GanjaRocket Member

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    its not just about the point of expense..

    think about how much money the roads and highways make for people that have vested interest in government. it comes back to offset the expense through the system
     
    #13 GanjaRocket, Dec 18, 2013
  14. bigtexxx

    bigtexxx Contributing Member

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    light rail is not the answer for Houston
     
    #14 bigtexxx, Dec 18, 2013
  15. BleedRocketsRed

    BleedRocketsRed Contributing Member

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    Hey transportation dofus,

    **** YOU.
     
    #15 BleedRocketsRed, Dec 18, 2013
  16. RedRedemption

    RedRedemption Contributing Member

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    Difference it we use them everyday. Its not just monetary cost, its utility cost. Shoehorning public transportation in a city that doesn't need it yet is going to piss a lot of people off and hurt your own cause.

    In most cities people cry for more/better public transportation infrastructure.
    In Houston we cry for more roads and highways.

    There's a culture difference that prevents public transportation from taking off.
     
    #16 RedRedemption, Dec 18, 2013
  17. bigtexxx

    bigtexxx Contributing Member

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    If you're hurt and need an ambulance, my guess is that you'd prefer to have sufficient highway capacity to allow for the medical crew to arrive in a timely fashion. I doubt you'd want them to take the toy train and make all the stops, lol.
     
    #17 bigtexxx, Dec 18, 2013
  18. Commodore

    Commodore Contributing Member

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    go pound sand DC, get some other suckers to fund your rail boondoggles
     
    #18 Commodore, Dec 18, 2013
  19. BDswangHTX

    BDswangHTX Member

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    light rail was just not the way to go.

    I do understand that some posters here are riders, and good for them, but in reality the other 98% of Houstonians rely on personal transportation; and that's not going to change anytime soon.

    Houston expansion and development behooves it's people to own cars, so that they may drive from the suburbs, into town. Not the case for some, but for most.

    Deal with it.
     
    #19 BDswangHTX, Dec 18, 2013
  20. da1

    da1 Member

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    Rush hour traffic is pretty bad. It would help a lot of people. If you build lines in areas where people travel anyway that would have great ridership.
     
    #20 da1, Dec 18, 2013
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