- 900-Acre Suburban Development Underway in Northwest Houston [HBJ ($)]
- Luxury Apartment Project Breaks Ground in Generation Park [HBJ]
- The Mondrian Condo Project Tops Out in the Museum District [HBJ ($)]
- Delayed by Harvey Flood, Rodeo Goat Ice House Opens Near Minute Maid Park [Houston Chronicle]
- Will Elon Musk Tunnel Under Houston? [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
- What Texas’s Opportunity Zones Might Mean for Revitalization in Houston [The Urban Edge]
- Harris County Commissioners Court To Discuss Flood Control Bond Today [Houston Chronicle]
- Houston Metro Video Shames Drivers Who Crashed into the Light Rail [Houston Chronicle]
- $250,000 Grant To Aid Near Northside with Health Initiatives Like Lead Paint Abatement, Adding Green Space [Houston Public Media]
Photo of construction on The Driscoll highrise planned for River Oaks Shopping Center: Katie Schon
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That Metro video is very confusing though. Multiple cars had turn signals on well in advance and we’re going to clearly pull out in front of the metro rail illegally. It seemed to have no issue coming to a stop after making the collision so just wonder what pro-active measures are being required by the metro and why the trolley isn’t being brought to a stop before any potential collisions.
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I would think someone with a turn blinker on would be sufficient indication that there is potential harm/risk and the rail should be stopped.
Joel, once the precedent is set that people can get it to stop it will be waiting in traffic with the rest of us. It goes back to the question of why it’s at street level in the first place I guess.
Or the Metrorail could just blow the mother of all train horns, and maybe flash some strobe lights, to attempt to get the driver’s attention.
@joel …. while there should be some safety measures that the train “engineer” should take when he sees a potential problem, Metro also has to take into account what injuries their passengers might experience with a sudden, emergency stop. Trains don’t stop very fast and it would take at least one block to do. Fortunately, the person illegally turning in front of the train is financially responsible for all physical damages, but Metro would be responsible for passenger injury lawsuits from a rapid stop.
@J, true that. It’s just confusing because I work in an industry where the intent is to eliminate hazards through design & engineering first and then rely on safety protocols when the hazard can’t be eliminated. Watching that video is just painful because everything about this light rail is the exact opposite of what we should be doing to eliminate hazards and increase traffic mobility.
I don’t understand why these condo towers keep going in @ the Museum District without ANY ground floor retail. The neighborhood could and should be Houston’s cultural crown jewel, with all of the museums, Hermann Park, easy rail access to downtown and the Medical Center… everything. But it’s such an empty shell in terms of restaurants/bars/retail. There are only a few dining options (though granted, Lucille’s and MF Sushi are fantastic), no grocery stores, and very little in the way of boutiques or especially art galleries, which would fit in so perfectly with the neighborhood.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that joel forgot the sarcasm tag or smiley face or whatever the kids are using these days to indicate j/k.
J: “It goes back to the question of why it’s at street level in the first place I guess.”
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Cost
@joel: The trains don’t stop for car blinkers. Car drivers need to learn this. The tracks are clearly marked. Don’t cross them when a train is coming. Don’t expect a train to stop for you.
Wont this Rodeo Goat just get demolished?
There is a trolley barrelling down the tracks.. Down the way of the tracks @joel stands next to a lever– he can operate the lever and save @me on a bike or @membag in an SUV with 5 passengers. @cody is on the train, standing, clinging single handedly to the overhead bar…….
oh dear
Cody-Really? I thought slapping a train in a traffic lane meant we went all out. Learn something new everyday.
As a driver, when you have right of way, do you stop when you see somebody signalling they want to turn left?? I might slow up a tad bit to give myself more time to react in case they pull out, but that’s all. Why should the train behave any differently?
Thanks @WR for at least a honest response. I avoid Main and midtown like the plagues that they are so really don’t know what safety devices they do or don’t have on these intersections and what metro’s policies are. Installing some retractable gates to eliminate these instances seems a bit obvious so it was an honest question to understand why we’d still be having train collisions 14yrs after being commissioned. Wars have been fought and countries have been formed in less time. Understood cost is the concern, but the cost for adequate barriers should have been factored in before we built the boondoggle.
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@Christian, the parallel situation one could draw here is if you would slow down to let someone with a signal merge in on the highway. Certainly many Houstonians wouldn’t as common courtesy on the roads can be difficult for them to grasp, many speed up even.
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There’s a very good reason why we have some of the highest insurance rates in the country (and we can probably add metro to that list), keep up the good work all.