POST OAK BRT THAT MUCH CLOSER TO GETTING ITS MONEY 
After a month’s delay to take a longer look at the project, the transportation arm of the Houston-Galveston Area Council finally decided to go ahead and recommend that Uptown receive $62 million in federal funds to pay for the proposed Post Oak Blvd. bus rapid transit system. This is just a provisional step, of course, since 2 actual approvals, not mere recommendations, are needed — but it does move things along. Through tax revenue, Uptown is already paying for about half the estimated $148 million project. The Houston Chronicle’s Dug Begley is reporting that this federal money would help buy up $30 million of land so Post Oak could be widened for the bus lanes. [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot] Drawing: Uptown Management District
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It is just laughable that this area is most likely getting BRT instead of LRT, and the idea that they will convert it to LRT in the future is totally ridiculous, that ain’t happenin’ folks.
Don’t let John Culberson find out…
They’d better get this done this time as the land they’ll need to buy will be either ridiculously expensive or covered by highrises in the future. As long as this line will connect to other lines, people will mostly ignore their disappointment, the humble exterior and feeling like second-class citizens and use it.
The same functionality of light rail at a fraction of the cost? Sounds good to me.
What disappointment? BRT is superior to light rail in EVERY way. What is really laughable is how fast the folks calling the shots in Uptown were able to get this project up and going vs. the time and money METRO has wasted building a few miles of choo-choo trains.
I can think of so many better ways this city could use $62mm. Jeez.
What disappointment? What disappointment?! Dahlink, you CAHN’T be serious! Those ghaastly tires bumping along with that slinkly thing pulling the hordes. BRT might look perfectly acceptable in Brazil, the San Fernando Valley or pulling up to WalMart but NOT beneath my highrise balcony. I’ve been deceived!
Not having Richmond rail, thanks to Culberson and those snotty little neighbors just inside the loop is one reason we left Houston.
LRT or BRT. Who cares as long as I get to work? A bus can get me there just like a train can. I think a lot of people feel that they are above getting on a metro bus. Only a train will do for them.
Curious, what’s going to prohibit drivers from driving in the dedicated bus lane? Sooner or later there will be some jerk wanting to avoid traffic.
Blake, unless they screw up the design monumentally, a median and/or curbs are what will keep selfish drivers from going in the BRT lane. And if someone in his Suburban decides he’s gonna pop the curb with his magical 4-wheel drive, hopefully a fine and/or jail time will discourage him from doing it again.
err the same median that keeps a drives off the rail lane, and the cops that will surely ticket you if they catch you on it maybe
Apparently, they’ll go low-tech on the barriers with “candlesticks” in anticipation ease of converting to rail at some point;
“This BRT service would work similarly, ferrying people up and down Post Oak while protected by candlestick barriers.”
http://swamplot.com/uptowns-not-waiting-for-light-rail-planning-bus-system-along-post-oak-instead/2013-01-17/
What a waste of 62 million!–the ghetto gets light rail and Houston’s premier business address gets Buses–so Houston!–you’d never see this in LA or Atlanta or even Dallas–and how does a bus system cost 160 million!–I can’t stand Culbertson but I hope he puts the breaks on this idiocy in addition aesthetically is hideous–looks like Mexico City
That’s good for Uptown. Too bad the light rail couldn’t get built so we’ll have to settle I suppose.
And to those that say BRT is superior to LRT in every way – how exactly? LRT carries more riders more reliably, and at a cheaper cost per person. It’s more expensive initially but that’s the only way LRT is better – initial capital cost.
Anyway, that University Line needs to get built.
Shannon – the rail in LA is in the ghetto.
If this proceeds as currently designed, it will be a monumental cluster in both the construction and operations phases. Post Oak is the only north-south artery for miles and Westheimer is the busiest artery in Houston.
The Post Oak/Westheimer intersection is congested for many hours every day, so much so, that it slows down 59 OB, 59 IB, 610 SB, and 610 NB.
At grade BRT or LRT will only make this much worse. If you commute within 1 mile of the Galleria on a daily basis, kiss an extra 20 minutes/day of your day goodbye from now until they grade-separate this.
All this shows that METRO has failed – or been killed. It’s a shame. However, I think it’s their shot to get access to the Archery Range on the west side of Memorial Park. They can use that for a bus turn around and place some strategic eateries there – and control that part of the park as their own.
How difficult/expensive would it be to design a bus so it looked exactly like the Metro Rail car inside and out? If people can’t tell the difference, they won’t care if it’s on wheels or a track.
My vote is for utilizing BRT to expand on the Metro Rail already put into place. Use the same design techniques, have the BRT buses look as similar as possible to the train cars, and don’t distinguish bus rapid transit from light rail in any marketing–call it Metro Rapid. People won’t care if it’s a bus or a train if it get’s them to their destination at the same speed for the same price with the same reliability.
“From miss_msry:
Not having Richmond rail, thanks to Culberson and those snotty little neighbors just inside the loop is one reason we left Houston.”
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This doesn’t strike me as a good reason for pulling up stakes and leaving a city. I’m curious where you moved that was so much better.
Since it is in a dedicated lane and will have dedicated vehicles, why not go hybird and use electric buses like San Francisco? We can use all the help we can get with air pollution, and the overhead line could be used for LTR in the future if desired. This seems like a perfect location to test this concept in Houston.
You don’t see buses down Rodeo Dr
From Shannon:
you’d never see this in LA or Atlanta or even Dallas
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Hmmm let’s examine boardings/mile..
LA – 2889
Atlanta – no info avail
Dallas – 1213
Houston – 4987
Our Mayor and Metro are taking way too long with the Uptown & University Lines, so its reassuring to know that the Uptown Management District is taking matters into its own hand. Although I do wish it were LRT instead of BRT, its a step in the right direction. Now all we need is the University Line to make the connections to the Metro LRT Lines.