gee, why didn't i think of that thats all we need, a snappy marketing campaign will ease Houston's traffic problems! nevermind the fact that building massive freeways and ignoring mass-transit for the last 100 years is the source of our problems
TJ -- you're a master of obfuscation...you should be a lawyer. to clarify: you posted the following: Will someone, ANYONE, please tell me why it is more advantageous for a train to go down Main street rather than a far cheaper bus which does the very same thing? Can anyone do this? I posted specifically about the corridor of Main Street that you asked. That studies indicate that rail bias is a real social phenomenon...and that means that more people would ride the rail rather than the bus in that very same corridor. it's pretty simple..if MORE people ride public transportation in a given corridor because it's rail and not bus...then the argument, whether you agree with it or not, is that's more effective public transportation...which leads back to your original question, "why is it more advantageous for a train to go down Main Street rather than a far cheaper bus." that answers the question directly whether you like the answer or not. You have since tried to stretch it into a debate about traffic corridors other than the one where the rail line was built. looking at your original question i'd say that it's YOU that has abandoned your original point. INSERT GRATUITOUS SMART ASS "DECLARE VICTORY" COMMENT HERE
ya do realize that this line is only the beginning ? And the kind of burbs-to-downtown lines you talked about are planned and will be built?
I suggested the marketing campaign could help to eliminate the rail bias. Houston has not ignored mass transit for the past 100 years. A bus is the most common form of mass transit in America. I'd like for you to go down to the Metro offices and tell Shirley that Metro has "ignored mass transit for the past 100 years". What a joke. Houston could differentiate itself with a more advanced bus system such as that of Curibita, Brazil. Dedicated bus lanes, dedicated bus stations (similar to rail stops) with boarding platforms that are set away from car traffic. The real problem is with people who believe that a train is the only form of mass transit. Ridiculous. I still maintain that a bus can do everything a train can do (given its own dedicated lanes with no car interference) at a tiny fraction of the cost.
I've never been to Brazil. What percentage of Curibita owns cars? The reason I'm asking is because only a small percentage of those who own cars would give it up to ride on a bus lane.
I have determined that the "it looks cool" answer is not only acceptable, but is the only answer necessary for satisfying this question.
Another secondary but nonetheless significant benefit to trains over busses is that they are more environmentally friendly. Trains are more efficient to begin with and the electricity can also be purchased from an environmentally friendly source. Calgary’s C-Train, for example, buys all its electricity from a wind farm, (for which they pay a small premium which ends up being insignificant in comparison to their overall operating cost.) As well as being enviro friendly, this became part of a pretty good marketing campaign. The “Ride the Wind” campaign to promote C-Train use and expansion has gotten a lot of attention and had a lot of appeal for many Calgarians. The C-Train, including its power source, is essentially emissions free now. Compare the emissions from million riders transported yearly by either car or bus with essentially 0 emissions from the C-Train. Impressive eh? http://www.calgarytransit.com/environment/ride_d_wind.html http://www.calgarytransit.com/environment/environment.html
I don't think that dedicated bus lanes could work in this city because obviously there are too many people that have no regard for street signs. Also, it would be ridiculous to equip all our buses with traffic signal overriders, because, this in itself would cause so much traffic. The synchronization of the lights will be constantly thrown off and more people will complain about the traffic problem. Just give rail a chance. Quick hypothetical question: If you had to use public transportation, and there was a train stop located the same distance from your home as the nearest bus stop, would you rather ride the train to work (or close to work), or the bus? Be honest with yourself. I would opt for the train because its a definite route with a pretty rigid schedule and it doesn't depend on the traffic patterns of the road.
METRO has been handicapped in its mission to provide mass transit to Houstonians. This citie's resistance to all solutions not car-centric has finally ended with the past vote. The past METRO solutions of building more freeways and more buses to fill those same over-crowded roads hasn't kept up with Houston's expansion and population growth. That is why Houston needs a real mass-transit solution, not just a more roads and more buses short-sighted solution that has been in place since Metro's inception. I will change "ignored" to "failed" for your sake then
The consequences of the fiscal irresponsibility of building the MetroRail are already manifesting themselves. It looks as though apartment dwellers in Midtown, one of Houston's most dynamic growth and economic development areas, will be extremely inconvenienced by the discontinuation of the trolley service. This discontinuation will surely stunt the growth of the area and r****d the economic re-development of an historic area of town. Expect to see more and more dramatic cuts in transportation programs as Houston attempts to pay for the financial disaster that is MetroRail. Midtown trolley to halt despite protest By LUCAS WALL Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle Despite an outcry from Midtown residents, Metro is enacting its plan to eliminate Trolley B next month. The free trolley connects several apartment complexes on the northwest side of Midtown with downtown, Minute Maid Park and the George R. Brown Convention Center. Trolley riders have fought the proposed discontinuation, speaking out at public hearings and board meetings and gathering hundreds of signatures on a petition. "It's a matter of convenience for them to use the trolley as opposed to the bus," Metro board member Jackie Freeman said after Wednesday's meeting. "What we have shown as alternatives pretty much meets their needs." All six current Metropolitan Transit Authority trolley routes serving downtown will be eliminated Feb. 15 as Metro changes dozens of bus routes to tie into the new Main Street light rail line. Three new trolley routes will serve rail stations at the Downtown Transit Center, Bell and Preston, ferrying train riders east and west from the north-south rail line. There is not a train station close to the cluster of Midtown apartment complexes served by Trolley B, however. Residents there proposed extending one of the new trolley routes into their neighborhood. John Sedlak, the Metro vice president in charge of planning, said existing local bus service through the area can serve the transit needs of those residents. The Route 3 bus, with a $1 per-trip fare, runs along Webster through Midtown, then turns north on Travis to head downtown, turning again eastbound onto Franklin before continuing its journey north. Trolley B operates 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. weekdays; the Route 3 bus runs through Midtown from 5 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. seven days a week. Service is less frequent, however, with buses coming 15 to 20 minutes apart during weekday rush hours and every 30 minutes during off-peak times. Trolleys, on the other hand, run every 10 minutes. Edna Ramos, president of the Downtown and Midtown Residents Association, said many of her neighbors will drive to work instead of waiting for the bus. "Metro's lack of response to critics will undo progress in convincing hundreds of people to leave their cars and use mass transit to get to work and school," she told the board. Arthur Schechter, Metro board chairman, asked staff to ensure the bus is an adequate replacement for the trolley. But since the board does not meet again until after Feb. 15, residents' chances to save Trolley B appear slim.
I live in Midtown, and use this trolley from time to time. Now I will not be able to get downtown conveniently. METRO has just put an additional car (4.6L V8) on the Houston streets as a direct result of the rail. Thanks.
I live in Midtown, and use this trolley from time to time. Now I will not be able to get downtown conveniently. METRO has just put an additional car (4.6L V8) on the Houston streets as a direct result of the rail. Thanks. Only if you're too good to use the bus.
Or the light rail. http://www.ridemetro.org/motion/lrt/mrmap.asp Three stops between 59 and 45. I'm sure you could make it to one of those.
RM - It's 6 blocks from the cluster of apartments the article talks about to the light rail. Too far to walk. Believe me, I am aware of where the light rail stops. Major - I said to get downtown "conveniently". I cannot wait 30 minutes for a bus to arrive when the old trolley was every 10 mins. Metro has failed me.
There are three words that appear in EVERY SINGLE story regarding accidents with the Metro Trains: OK kids say it with me now... illegal left turn That's right boys and girls, and guess what? If you make an illegal left hand turn in front of any moving object and you get hit, be a bicycle or an oil tanker, it's your fault and your an idiot. Carry on.
Major and RM95 *obviously* have very little familiarity with Midtown. Their opinions shall be discounted appropriately.
Major and RM95 *obviously* have very little familiarity with Midtown. Their opinions shall be discounted appropriately. Similarly, T_J has very little familiarity with reality, so your opinion should be discounted on any topics dealing with reality as well.
