http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory/1882210 ---- Metro proposed 41 miles of new light rail today, funding it for the most part by eliminating its general mobility fund that helps with local street construction and with hoped-for federal matching dollars. Four new lines would run from the north end of downtown to the Galleria, the East End, Hobby and Greenspoint.
Good! Light rail makes no sense without extending branches from the line they are currently building.
Exactly, I never understood the downtown to medical center line anyway. I guess because its mainstreet, whatever.
i'm not arguing against...so don't get defensive....but does this easy anyone's ride in to work? it certainly doesn't ease mine.
the way the tracks are set up...isn't it dangerous that a car could possibly accidently go into that lane? Only thing that is preventing this is a little line of bumps...
I thought it went downtown to the Astrodome for the Olympic bid. I guess it's the same. They should just replace all HOV lanes with light rail. I live inside the loop and work near Gunspoint...er, Greenspoint. I'd take it every day with a smile on my face!
i would love to see them do that...but it will be years before that happens...if it costs as much as it does to run that 7 mile line down main street, can you imagine what it would cost to run it down the center of the katy freeway out to eldridge or farther?
I'd rather have a train out to Katy than 18 lanes of I-10 heading west. What a nightmare that is going to be. I grew up there but I'll never move back out there.
Well, Main Street intersects significant parts of the city (Med. Center, Reliant Park, Rice U, Midtown, Museum District), and is a nice way (theoretically) to tie all of those areas together w\Downtown. And to hear Metro officials explain it, as the saying goes, 'Ya gotta start somewhere.' I actually wouldn't mind seeing this initial plan expanded out a bit, but it sounds like a good start. I hope it passes during the Fall referendum.
as someone who will never be able to give up his car given his profession...i'll take the 18 lanes, thank you!
I'd vote for it. In a perfect world, I'd NEVER drive my car and always use public transportation. No more road rage! I envy cities like NY where you can just "take the train" to where ever you want to go 24/7. Reading the paper on the way to work. Must be nice...
cities like NY...that grew up around rail a century ago...who didn't force rail over an already sprawled out city...it's like apples and oranges. our mass transit will be more like atlanta's or dallas'. not that that's bad...just controlling your expectations!
I understand that, its just there is no residential area along the route. You still have to drive to get to the rail but I guess, like someone else stated, you have to start somewhere.
that's exactly the point...you still have to drive there...which means you still have to own a car...which means you still have to pay car insurance and a car note...and then you're paying to ride the train...how does that get me out of my car?? it simply doesn't. it's no different than the park 'n' ride they already have...it's just a train instead of a bus...a train that rides "with" the traffic...not elevated above it. they're already talking about closing down some park 'n' ride stations out I-10 because ridership is so low. i'm hopeful...and i've warmed up to the main street rail and its purposes...but i don't think it's ever going to make even the slightest dent in my commutes. fortunately, our lease on our office expires at the end of july and we'll likely move less than a mile from where i live. now that's cutting a commute!! but still, many of my mornings begin with a drive downtown to the courthouse...this won't change that. and likely won't alleviate the traffic i drive with.
More rails is good. Its a matter of where you put them of course. But two stinking rails going to and from the hood are ridiculous. BTW, Mexico City has the BEST damn subway system I've ever riden. The stops are all marked with excellent pictograms for the illiterate and/or indigenous people. You can get everywhere in that vast city on less than a dollar. Has anyone ever riden it? I love the Mexico City subway!
Another HUGE waste of money while every road in the city needs work. Fix our existing roads first before blowing hundreds of Millions on another 6 miles of rail. When the HOV lanes were being built I said we needed rail down the center of the freeways... now all our roads are in disrepair and they want to spend more money for a few more miles of rail? If it comes to a vote, I'll be voting NO.
What I'm hoping for is a web like system. The weblines shooting out of downtown would be predominantly light rail and the weblines that circle downtown would predominantly be buses that take you to a light rail station.
i'm with you..i think that's the only way it works...but do you realize how long that makes a very simple trip! so much for the shortest distance between two points! ultimately, the whole thing seems incredibly inconvenient. if you're taking existing metro riders and converting them to metrorail, that's fine...shouldn't be a problem. but if you're trying to get people out of their cars and off the freeways, i don't think this does it.
