Hwy 290 expansion in 2011 and a new Hempstead Tollway

The railroad is there, but isn't it still being used for commercial transit purposes? Can they mesh the commercial needs with the hypothetical commuter needs? How easy would it be?

That would be fantastic if it could be pulled off.

 

that railroad is extremely busy. the hempstead corridor is very commercial transportation intense. alot of oil and gas service companies. I wonder how they feel about a new tollway.

 

That's what sh--uh, never mind.

Yeah, that's the same thing we thought when I-10's construction was in its proposal stages. I'd rather be boarding a train from Katy to Downtown Houston using electrical power than a gas-guzzler car or bus. No can do.

 

That's what I thought. I haven't lived in Cypress for almost 10 years now, but I remember constantly hearing trains when I did live there.

If there were some way for commercial and commuter lines to coexist... The commercial lines wouldn't have to change much, but just create a little room in the schedule for a commuter or two...

I have no clue what the logistics are for commuter rails vs commercial rails - I'm just saying in a perfect world, it would be all nice and easy and harmonious.

 

Yeah, maybe that's why I haven't read anything about it in a long time. Maybe the whole idea was killed.

 

Lol, man that's nuts.

 

It is going to be a beast of a burden though when it starts up in 2011 though. Sheesh, that's not that far away and I can count on looking forward to the joys of i-10 expansion when they start around here. :\ lol.

 

Hmm I'm pretty sure I've posted this before or maybe just replied to similar posts. But my in-laws work for Tx-dot and this has been the plan for at least a decade now. In actuality they told me this will be the LAST huge freeway expansion that is free. And that every expansion after this will be done only to build toll roads. I was really unhappy hearing this because I asked about the 45 South freeway to Galveston. And he said "that will be a toll road expansion".

By the Way the I-10 HOV/Toll is built for Rail if they ever wanted to build one.

I hate Toll Roads!!1

 

LOL now that I think about it, I only get on I-10 on the weekends.

Thankfully, I can use Memorial Drive from 610 all the way to Briar Forest for my workday commute. So I never get on I-10 anymore.

Now that I think about it some more, it's probably a good idea for managed toll lanes on 290 like on I-10. That's infinitely many times better than the cluster**** that is the Westpark Tollway.

 

That area was the boondocks back in the mid-90's when I went there. lol. I remember going to a friend's house out there and he was giving me directions. He said something like "you'll be turning about 3 lights down". He didn't say there was like 2 or 3 miles between the lights... or it felt like it anyway.

 

Lol...i guess I live in out in the boondocks! Some people still think where I live is out in the burbs...

 

I agree
Soon you will be paying to drive anywhere
it is like a double tax

Roadways for the Rich

Rocket River

 

IMHO, there is no way to mesh both needs.

Have you ever been to a city that has a decent commuter rail system? The trains run every 10-60 minutes in BOTH directions. Furthermore, I thought I've heard on several occasions that the commercial owners of the Houston rail lines have objected to any Commuter purposes because there is already too much congestion as it is.

If we installed Commuter rail, it needs to be bi-directional (ie ...2 sets of track ...not one). The current Hemstead tracks is one set.

So an ideal setup would be THREE sets of track. Two commuter tracks in either direction and one commercial.

Furthermore, electric commuter is MUCH nicer than diesel because it cuts down on noise for residents that live next to the lines. So the new tracks couldn't share with the existing commercial tracks.

 

Have I been to a city that has a decent commuter rail system? Yes - in England. Do the commuter lines share with the commercial lines? Yes - more so in the suburbs and less populated areas, but it can be done. And they have electric trains too. If the British can do it, I think we can. That's all I'm saying.

 

I've been living down the 290 corridor for well over 20 years. I remember 290 ending on Huffmeister.

Fairbanks N Houston used to look like a suburb. It now just looks like anywhere else. I remember when there was a golf driving range where the current Wal-Mart sits on Tidwell.

Mid 90s? No it wasn't.