Comments on: A Special Kind of Limbo for Metro’s University Line http://swamplot.com/a-special-kind-of-limbo-for-metros-university-line/2012-09-07/ Houston, Texas real estate development, home buying, landscape, and design Tue, 21 May 2013 03:34:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: The mama http://swamplot.com/a-special-kind-of-limbo-for-metros-university-line/2012-09-07/#comment-279071 The mama Wed, 12 Sep 2012 02:35:19 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47105#comment-279071 Ron, do you have any data re: using rail to move people vs. a BRT? Just wondering--I'd like to see it. Roy, a light rail is not going to prevent you from turning left into your neighborhood. Might you have to wait until a more major intersection? Yes. Will it hurt you? Nah. It'll be alright. Ron, do you have any data re: using rail to move people vs. a BRT? Just wondering–I’d like to see it.

Roy, a light rail is not going to prevent you from turning left into your neighborhood. Might you have to wait until a more major intersection? Yes. Will it hurt you? Nah. It’ll be alright.

]]> By: Ron http://swamplot.com/a-special-kind-of-limbo-for-metros-university-line/2012-09-07/#comment-279026 Ron Tue, 11 Sep 2012 22:46:17 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47105#comment-279026 "Why do we need light rail? Wouldn’t a dedicated bus lane be more practical and cheaper? Couldn’t we buy large buses, or just more buses, put up some of those annoying road bumps, and call it a day?" Go the cheap route you get cheap results. BRT's while good in their own is not as efficient on moving people at anytime compare to the rail. Honestly though, I think Houston should have gotten the DC style rail system. But oh well. “Why do we need light rail? Wouldn’t a dedicated bus lane be more practical and cheaper? Couldn’t we buy large buses, or just more buses, put up some of those annoying road bumps, and call it a day?”

Go the cheap route you get cheap results. BRT’s while good in their own is not as efficient on moving people at anytime compare to the rail. Honestly though, I think Houston should have gotten the DC style rail system. But oh well.

]]> By: Cody http://swamplot.com/a-special-kind-of-limbo-for-metros-university-line/2012-09-07/#comment-278996 Cody Tue, 11 Sep 2012 20:24:36 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47105#comment-278996 I personally love to walk down to the rail (bonus: my stop is by Tacos a Go Go) and zip downtown, medical center, herman park, stadium, etc. . The reason I almost never go to the Galleria is the "to hell with that" traffic. If I could zip down via rail, I'd go there much more often. I personally love to walk down to the rail (bonus: my stop is by Tacos a Go Go) and zip downtown, medical center, herman park, stadium, etc.
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The reason I almost never go to the Galleria is the “to hell with that” traffic. If I could zip down via rail, I’d go there much more often.

]]> By: Sara http://swamplot.com/a-special-kind-of-limbo-for-metros-university-line/2012-09-07/#comment-278958 Sara Tue, 11 Sep 2012 17:09:24 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47105#comment-278958 @robertrulez and for whatever it's worth at the end of a very long string of comments, I ride the light rail every day for a few stops & bought a house near the rail for that very purpose. @robertrulez and for whatever it’s worth at the end of a very long string of comments, I ride the light rail every day for a few stops & bought a house near the rail for that very purpose.

]]> By: Sara http://swamplot.com/a-special-kind-of-limbo-for-metros-university-line/2012-09-07/#comment-278957 Sara Tue, 11 Sep 2012 17:07:23 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47105#comment-278957 @robertrulez I wasn't arguing with you at all! I agree with everything you said! I think transit can be used to increase urban density, reduce pollution, grow business, encourage walking, etc. etc. You were spot on. @robertrulez I wasn’t arguing with you at all! I agree with everything you said!
I think transit can be used to increase urban density, reduce pollution, grow business, encourage walking, etc. etc. You were spot on.

]]> By: robertrulez http://swamplot.com/a-special-kind-of-limbo-for-metros-university-line/2012-09-07/#comment-278947 robertrulez Tue, 11 Sep 2012 16:26:27 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47105#comment-278947 @Sara Sorry but you dont speak for everyone. Im really tired of the arguments here ranging from "I dont know anyone that would ride it" to "I wont ride it". Your opinion or personal experience isn't an accurate predictor of daily ridership for the system and believing that it is a fallacy in itself. We can argue on rail design all day but its hard to argue against street level light rail when plenty of cities have implemented the system with success. In addition, the empirical data from the current red line DOES show that plenty of people ride the system meaning that there is most definitely a use for light rise. So this right wing speculation about the university line's failure is inherently flawed. @Sara

Sorry but you dont speak for everyone. Im really tired of the arguments here ranging from “I dont know anyone that would ride it” to “I wont ride it”. Your opinion or personal experience isn’t an accurate predictor of daily ridership for the system and believing that it is a fallacy in itself. We can argue on rail design all day but its hard to argue against street level light rail when plenty of cities have implemented the system with success. In addition, the empirical data from the current red line DOES show that plenty of people ride the system meaning that there is most definitely a use for light rise. So this right wing speculation about the university line’s failure is inherently flawed.

]]> By: jwood http://swamplot.com/a-special-kind-of-limbo-for-metros-university-line/2012-09-07/#comment-278936 jwood Tue, 11 Sep 2012 15:50:38 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47105#comment-278936 Why do we need light rail? Wouldn't a dedicated bus lane be more practical and cheaper? Couldn't we buy large buses, or just more buses, put up some of those annoying road bumps, and call it a day? Why do we need light rail? Wouldn’t a dedicated bus lane be more practical and cheaper? Couldn’t we buy large buses, or just more buses, put up some of those annoying road bumps, and call it a day?

]]> By: K. Houstonian http://swamplot.com/a-special-kind-of-limbo-for-metros-university-line/2012-09-07/#comment-278916 K. Houstonian Tue, 11 Sep 2012 14:44:20 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47105#comment-278916 My gut feeling is that METRO is attempting to lay low on the U. Line while it gets the North/East/Southeast lines to a point where the GOP can't kill 'em. Once that portion of the system is a done deal you can go to the mattresses on the U. Line. Yes, this is basically Culberson's doing. And kjb is completely wrong, the eastern and midwestern cities with rail systems used them as tools for development, and you can find period photographs of elevated trains running past vacant lots... entirely analogous to Midtown today. My gut feeling is that METRO is attempting to lay low on the U. Line while it gets the North/East/Southeast lines to a point where the GOP can’t kill ‘em. Once that portion of the system is a done deal you can go to the mattresses on the U. Line. Yes, this is basically Culberson’s doing.

And kjb is completely wrong, the eastern and midwestern cities with rail systems used them as tools for development, and you can find period photographs of elevated trains running past vacant lots… entirely analogous to Midtown today.

]]> By: Sara http://swamplot.com/a-special-kind-of-limbo-for-metros-university-line/2012-09-07/#comment-278899 Sara Tue, 11 Sep 2012 13:51:07 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47105#comment-278899 To follow up on what robertrulez said: I have lived in several cities with good (I'll reserve great for places not in the US) mass transit. Rarely, if ever, did I ride the full length of a given line. But I sure did hop on/off to get where I needed/wanted to go. And that is the whole point. Person A might get on at stop 1, off at stop 4. Person B, on at stop 2, off at stop 10. And so on. What do they all have in common? They did not use their cars to get there, thus reducing traffic and pollution--benefits that extend to everyone in the area. Those on for the long haul can enjoy a book or some music without worrying about aggressive and distracted drivers. If anyone could make a solid argument for why mass transit is a bad idea, I would listen. But having lived in cities where it works, I don't think I will hold my breath. To follow up on what robertrulez said:
I have lived in several cities with good (I’ll reserve great for places not in the US) mass transit. Rarely, if ever, did I ride the full length of a given line. But I sure did hop on/off to get where I needed/wanted to go. And that is the whole point. Person A might get on at stop 1, off at stop 4. Person B, on at stop 2, off at stop 10. And so on. What do they all have in common? They did not use their cars to get there, thus reducing traffic and pollution–benefits that extend to everyone in the area. Those on for the long haul can enjoy a book or some music without worrying about aggressive and distracted drivers.
If anyone could make a solid argument for why mass transit is a bad idea, I would listen. But having lived in cities where it works, I don’t think I will hold my breath.

]]> By: robertrulez http://swamplot.com/a-special-kind-of-limbo-for-metros-university-line/2012-09-07/#comment-278799 robertrulez Tue, 11 Sep 2012 05:10:54 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47105#comment-278799 @joel You are delusional if you think that the purpose of the university line is to connect the galleria and down. The line would have connected some of the most popular residential neighborhoods to the best this city has to offer in terms of entertainment and employment. The line would have also passed by Gulfton which is by far the most dense and poorest area in the city of houston which would have gave those residents easy access to the city's amenities as well. Considering the explosion of growth occuring inside and just outside the loop, this is a tremendous loss for the city of Houston. As the inner core urbanizes, there will be a demand for mass transit so I doubt this is the last of the university line, it will come back in some shape or form. Maybe not this decade, or even the next, but it will come back and by then you wont be able to stop it. @joel

You are delusional if you think that the purpose of the university line is to connect the galleria and down. The line would have connected some of the most popular residential neighborhoods to the best this city has to offer in terms of entertainment and employment. The line would have also passed by Gulfton which is by far the most dense and poorest area in the city of houston which would have gave those residents easy access to the city’s amenities as well. Considering the explosion of growth occuring inside and just outside the loop, this is a tremendous loss for the city of Houston. As the inner core urbanizes, there will be a demand for mass transit so I doubt this is the last of the university line, it will come back in some shape or form. Maybe not this decade, or even the next, but it will come back and by then you wont be able to stop it.

]]> By: Commonsense http://swamplot.com/a-special-kind-of-limbo-for-metros-university-line/2012-09-07/#comment-278736 Commonsense Tue, 11 Sep 2012 01:06:42 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47105#comment-278736 Houston not world class??? We dominate energy, we have jobs, we have land, we have wealth, and most importantly, we don't give a sh*t what anybody thinks ... "World Class" is afraid of us, we're the Chuck Norris of cities! Houston not world class??? We dominate energy, we have jobs, we have land, we have wealth, and most importantly, we don’t give a sh*t what anybody thinks … “World Class” is afraid of us, we’re the Chuck Norris of cities!

]]> By: Hdtex http://swamplot.com/a-special-kind-of-limbo-for-metros-university-line/2012-09-07/#comment-278735 Hdtex Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:56:15 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47105#comment-278735 BWAHAAAAAA! Infighting is FUNNY! And one of the many reasons Houston will never be world class! BWAHAAAAAA! Infighting is FUNNY! And one of the many reasons Houston will never be world class!

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