What do yall think about Houston's future loop? Looking at the map, I thought 610 was abysmal in terms of trying to look like a "loop". Beltway-8 did a decent job except for the northside where it's way farther from 610 than the southside. Now looking at the plan for 99, wtf are they thinking. Tbh, it looks more to be an obstacle course rather than a loop. So far, I didn't see anything that said there'd be tolls but you never know. Thoughts? http://www.grandpky.com/home/ See map: Spoiler Zoomed in version: http://www.grandpky.com/images/maps/GP_SegmentStatus_021609.pdf
I don't know what you're expecting- it's a "scenic" loop covering 180+ miles. This isn't comparable to 610 or bw8. Do you propose that they build another loop, perfectly symettrical, inside Houston? Knock down 610 and make it "look more like a loop"?
They've been talking about this since well before I left Houston in 1999. For some reason, I doubt it ever gets built.
Not expecting, but a lot of that area is not developed. I am just curious as to know why it's not an even distance as possible for everyone. Look at Sugar Land. 99 should be closer to Richmond/Rosenburg. What's the point to have highway 6/1960 loop be so damn close to 99?
I can't answer your question specifically, and I'm sure there is some stupidity involved, because if there wasn't, it would be a first, but I am also sure there are legitimate reasons as to why things are being planned as they are. It's not a matter of just drawing a loop on a map. Houston's traffic can definitely suck depending on where you are and when. Nonetheless, compared to a ton of other cities, when looking at Houston's major highways on a map, it looks very logical. We have major highways going pretty much ever direction - north-south, east-west, southeast-northwest, southwest-northeast, plus loops - 610, Beltway 8, Highway 6, 99.
IIRC, isn't the western alignment (from 59 in Sugarland to 59 in Kingwood) supposed to become the I-69 bypass around the city?!? I believe that's why those portions of the highway are being constructed first.
The revamped 1464 is growing like crazy in terms of new homes between Westpark Tollway and SH99. Richmond is primed for commercial businesses, so hopefully it becomes another Houston gem like Sugar Land turned out to be. Right now, it's mostly neighborhoods and huge farmland for sale for commercial sites. Aliana has a bunch of commercial sites on 1464 that have yet to break ground. My only concern is that Aliana developers probably were a bit too ambitious with the project. It seems to have stalled completely due to the economy. There are people buying homes in that area though, so maybe it'll pick up again.
They have to go through other peoples property to make these things. So you're not going to get anything close to a circle. It's going to go along whatever road already exists or whatever land they were able to buy or whatever land they were able to get approved for imminent domain.
It basically means that the greater Houston area gets even uglier. More highways, more strip malls, more pollution, and more sprawl.
they should encourage some more dense commercial/industrial zones ... spread out the population density a bit. I think Houston's one of the few cities with the economy AND
