# HOUSTON | Public Transport



## trainrover (May 6, 2006)

diablo234 said:


>


:shocked:


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## zaphod (Dec 8, 2005)

Yeah, because trams running close to buildings is so surprising...

Or are you expressing shock that the houses are behind a wall rather than opening up and forming a real neighborhood facing the street with transit service as it was back in the old days.


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## trainrover (May 6, 2006)

trainrover said:


> :shocked:


=>
level crossing
at a bend
without any concrete barrier (modular fencing there ain't convincing me in the slightest)
alongside today's flimsiest-looking housing stock


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## State of the Union (Jul 12, 2010)

trainrover said:


> =>
> level crossing
> at a bend
> without any concrete barrier (modular fencing there ain't convincing me in the slightest)
> alongside today's flimsiest-looking housing stock


You know Houston doesn't have the money for fancy grade separations. Look at how the current red line was built. What is so surprising?

I already figured the rest of the system will end up a fully at-grade street running LRT....


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## trainrover (May 6, 2006)

State of the Union said:


> What is so surprising?


Its *very* sanctioned lack of protection in this millenium :dunno:


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

trainrover said:


> =>
> level crossing
> at a bend
> without any concrete barrier (modular fencing there ain't convincing me in the slightest)
> alongside today's flimsiest-looking housing stock


You do realize the line is still under construction correct? :nuts:

Although I do agree with you on the housing stock, but thankfully there is more development on the way that will blend into the area more as far as walkability is concerned.


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## trainrover (May 6, 2006)

I realised as opposed to realized ... Walkability? crashability's more the case; you see, I'd have probably not expressed any shock were there those flared, highway concrete barriers protecting the housing each direction from that corner beside the crossing


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

trainrover said:


> I realised as opposed to realized ... Walkability? crashability's more the case; you see, I'd have probably not expressed any shock were there those flared, highway concrete barriers protecting the housing each direction from that corner beside the crossing


Let me get this straight?

Unless I misunderstood your post, you are criticizing this line because it's at street level?

Or are you just criticizing the fence separating the townhouse development from the light rail line?

If it is the latter than I would agree, but if it's the former than you need to keep in mind that plenty of LRT's run at street level in mixed traffic with the Boston Green Line, San Francisco's MUNI Rail, Toronto's Streetcars, and several European tram networks being among a few examples and this line will be no different.


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## trainrover (May 6, 2006)

Straight? by the looks of it, that segment of ROW's right crooked even prior to its outset, since inception :sly: By many of the images, overall, of this rapid-transit project thus far, all I can tell is that *little* out-in-the-field expertise has been drawn on, for its very conception appears more developed in some stale boardroom than anywhere in Houston's outdoor dustiness :dunno:


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## tampasteve (Aug 8, 2007)

Not trying to get into the middle of the argument - however that really looks to be a modular concrete barrier, not plastic/wood, etc. so not really flimsy.

Steve


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## trainrover (May 6, 2006)

There appear too many components to its modular interlocking; it looks too top-heavy too, such that it'd smash to smithereens were a tram to jump its rails from bolting right into some heavy road vehicle (or whatever) ... I'd have probably said *nought* here were the project to have instead made use of barriers like those tall ones found down the centre of, say, the I-476 branch of the Penn Tpk ... but what do I know, right :dunno:


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## Rail_Serbia (May 29, 2009)

http://www.railway-technology.com/news/newsus-allocates-funds-for-houston-light-rail-project
US allocates funds for Houston light rail project
30 November 2011


> US Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has extended a $900m grant to Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) to extend Houston's light rail system by an additional 12 miles.
> The fund will be used to extend the North and Southeast lines, being carried out at cost of $1.6bn.
> North line will be extended by 5.3 miles from its existing endpoint at the University of Houston Downtown to Crosstimbers Street, which will be stretch past the 610 North Loop, while the 6.6-mile Southeast line will stretch from Smith Street in downtown Houston to the Palm Center.
> FTA said Houston METRO's light rail service to the north and the southeast is part of the city's plan to connect Houston's workforce with major downtown employment centers, including the Texas Medical Center and the University of Houston.
> ...


New lines in 2015:cheers: I hope that they will improve safety...


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

Fisheye in the Metro Rail by J-a-x, on Flickr


HOUSTON RAiL STATiON by aJ GAZMEN ツ GucciBeaR, on Flickr


Busy Metro Rail by J-a-x, on Flickr


Downtown Metro Houston, TX by tyl_car, on Flickr


Houston Metro Rail by basselal, on Flickr


Metro at TX Medical Center by txpics, on Flickr


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## Slartibartfas (Aug 15, 2006)

Are Americans a bit paranoid? Why is there a need for concrete barriers in first place? Because a train could possibly derail eventually once?

Well maybe if legislation in the US would not force trains to be built like tanks that would help but in any case this is way over the top. Accidents can happen but also a truck can get lost and crash into a house. You don't force all roads into concrete canyons either, do you?


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## TexasBoi (Jan 7, 2004)

trainrover said:


> Straight? by the looks of it, that segment of ROW's right crooked even prior to its outset, since inception :sly: By many of the images, overall, of this rapid-transit project thus far, all I can tell is that *little* out-in-the-field expertise has been drawn on, for its very conception appears more developed in some stale boardroom than anywhere in Houston's outdoor dustiness :dunno:


This is really nothing more than a streetcar system. It's not really a rapid transit system. It's not very...rapid.


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## TexasBoi (Jan 7, 2004)

BoulderGrad said:


> ^^Is the line serving the New Dynamo stadium under construction yet?


As already told, yep. Here's a couple pictures of construction right next to the stadium.





























> After completion both the lines are expected to carry more than 58,000 passengers a day including more than 13,000 new transit riders a day, by the year 2030.


Something tells me that they will pass this ridership number per day much earlier than 2030.


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## TexasBoi (Jan 7, 2004)

I wonder if that picture is in this video that was just taken last week.


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## State of the Union (Jul 12, 2010)

TexasBoi said:


> This is really nothing more than a streetcar system. It's not really a rapid transit system. It's not very...rapid.


Just because it's at grade doesn't mean it's not a rapid transit system. I bet even this light rail system will have a higher average speed than a NYC subway local train.

It's also built to a higher standard than Boston's Green Line(It actually has many segments where it doesn't have it's own ROW and must share space with cars), yet that still considered a rapid transit system.


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## greg_christine (Jan 25, 2004)

^^ I've been on several light rail lines with segments like this. You can call it "mass transit", but "rapid transit" would be a misnomer.


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## trainrover (May 6, 2006)

:cripes:


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## State of the Union (Jul 12, 2010)

diablo234 said:


> There is no difference between a light rail system and a tram system, they are essentially the same thing.


Not this debate again, LRT systems are NOT in the same class as a tram. I'm sorry, there's just no way I'd put this in the same class as Systems like LA, Seattle, Edmonton, or Salt Lake.

LRT are full sized, semi-low floor/high floor trains. These can have full sized Heavy Rail Metro like stations, grade separations, and speed. Simply put they are "light metro". A tram is nothing but a long verson of Portland/Seattle's streetcar.


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

State of the Union said:


> Not this debate again, LRT systems are NOT in the same class as a tram. I'm sorry, there's just no way I'd put this in the same class as Systems like LA, Seattle, Edmonton, or Salt Lake.
> 
> LRT are full sized, semi-low floor/high floor trains. These can have full sized Heavy Rail Metro like stations, grade separations, and speed. Simply put they are "light metro". A tram is nothing but a long verson of Portland/Seattle's streetcar.


Regarding the new light rail lines under construction in Houston, the North Line already has one grade separated segment and the University Line will (if built as it is currently designed) also have a grade separated segment that is below grade as well.

Anyways most light rail systems are now switching to low floor vehicles as they make boarding easier and speed up the boarding process.


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## trainrover (May 6, 2006)

diablo234 said:


> There is no difference between a light rail system and a tram system, they are essentially the same thing.


We're pegging Houston's trains as tram due to the predominant way at how they interact with vehicular traffic :colbert: Again, the San Diego Trolley represents LRT.


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

trainrover said:


> We're pegging Houston's trains as tram due to the predominant way at how they interact with vehicular traffic :colbert: Again, the San Diego Trolley represents LRT.


Most light rail systems interact with vehicular traffic on some level, that does not mean they are NOT light rail. Look at Phoenix, Boston, Minneapolis, and even Los Angeles blue and expo lines as examples.

Also even though the Dublin LUAS system is reffered to as a tram by some here and by locals it too shares many elements with North American light rail systems including having it's own ROW.

So again there is no real difference between the term "tram" and "light rail".


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## State of the Union (Jul 12, 2010)

diablo234 said:


> Most light rail systems interact with vehicular traffic on some level, that does not mean they are NOT light rail. Look at Phoenix, Boston, Minneapolis, and even Los Angeles blue and expo lines as examples.
> 
> Also even though the Dublin LUAS system is reffered to as a tram by some here and by locals it too shares many elements with North American light rail systems including having it's own ROW.
> 
> So again there is no real difference between the term "tram" and "light rail".


If you seriously think this "wee" little tram...









Is the the same thing as this beast, then I don't know what else to tell you.


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## ssiguy2 (Feb 19, 2005)

Although they have the same technology and have the same basic design there are three main components that differentiate a standard tram/streetcar with an LRT vehicle.
The following are what LRT vehicles have that streetcars/trams don't. 
1} LRT can be coupled together to form longer trains
2} LRT cars have door on BOTH sides of the vehicle
3} LRT vehilces can be run from both ends of the train 
They both may use ROW or not but if the vehicles being used have those components then the system in Light Rail not a standard streetcar route.


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

> Tramways are now included in the wider term "light rail", which also includes segregated systems. Some systems have both segregated and street-running sections, but are usually then referred to as trams, because it is the equipment for street-running which tends to be the decisive factor. Vehicles on wholly segregated light rail systems are generally called trains, although cases have been known of "trains" built for a segregated system being sold to new owners and becoming "trams".
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tram





ssiguy2 said:


> Although they have the same technology and have the same basic design there are three main components that differentiate a standard tram/streetcar with an LRT vehicle.
> The following are what LRT vehicles have that streetcars/trams don't.
> 1} LRT can be coupled together to form longer trains
> 2} LRT cars have door on BOTH sides of the vehicle
> ...


Well Houston's rail system has all of those features so if we use your definitions then it means that *therefore* Houston's light rail is not a tram (not that it really means anything).

Thanks for playing along folks.


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## State of the Union (Jul 12, 2010)

diablo234 said:


> Well Houston's rail system has all of those features so if we use your definitions then it means that *therefore* Houston's light rail is not a tram (not that it really means anything).
> 
> Thanks for playing along folks.


*NOT* if we're talking about those CAF trains Houston just bought. The S70 is an LRV by ssiguy's definition. The CAF trains are *NOT*. You haven't proved anything, and you even have the nerve to use wikipedia.


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## NotTarts (Jan 24, 2012)

I don't see the problem of calling it a tram. The word 'tram', for me, conjures up more romantic images than something like 'light rail', which just sounds like an smaller, or even inferior, form of heavy rail.

In Sydney we have a system called 'Metro Light Rail' but the State Government and the majority of the public just call them 'trams', and it's not difficult to see why.




























Note the signage, and the low-floor design.

Personally I consider any rail vehicle that shares the road, for any portion, to be a tram or streetcar. 'Light rail', as the name implies, should be reserved for a train system with tram-like carriage size that runs on a dedicated grade-separated track (ignoring level crossings).


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## greg_christine (Jan 25, 2004)

I don't care whether you call the trains in Houston trams or LRVs. The fundamental issue is that the system is SLOW. For most of the route length, the speed of the trains will be restricted by the on-street configuration of the tracks. If they had ordered another batch of Siemens S70s, they might have been able to achieve 55 mph on the few grade-separated segments. With the CAF USA vehicles, they will be restricted to 43.5 mph even on those segments that are grade-separated.


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## just_a_guy (Feb 5, 2009)

The problem here I think is that the term "Light Rail" is too vague. I'd say it's best to classify rail lines by their actual design and drop the "Light Rail" term once and for all. And to me Houston has a tram system because the whole system does mainly street-running and obeys street lights. It's basically a BRT system with rails. And like State of the Union and greg say: with the new CAF USA cars it only proves it more because of speed reduction and the inability to hook up more cars if there's demand for it.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Houston's rail is bad or anything, just stating a point. It looks very good and it's great they're expanding.


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## greg_christine (Jan 25, 2004)

Even if I accept the term "light rail" for Houston's system, I still have heartburn. Circa 1990, Houston overtook Philadelphia as the fourth largest city in the United States. Philadelphia has three *heavy* rail metro lines:

Market-Frankford Line 20.8 km
Broad Street Line 18.5 km
PATCO/Lindenwold-Camden Line 23.3 km
--------------------------------------------
Total 62.6 km

This doesn't include the trolley lines that operate in through downtown in the Market Street Tunnel. It also doesn't include the Norristown High-Speed Line and the Red Arrow Lines, which are light rail lines that operate mostly in right of ways separated from motor vehicle traffic. It also doesn't include the River Line that operates north from Camden across the river, and it doesn't include any of the trolley routes that operate on city streets within Philadelphia.

Compare this to Houston. At build-out, the *light* rail system will be as follows:

Red Line (Existing) 12.0 km
Red Line (North Extension) 8.5 km
Purple/Southeast Line 10.0 km
Blue/University Line 18.0 km
Yellow/Uptown Line 8.0 km
Green/East End Line 5.0 km
---------------------------------------------
Total 61.5 km

So, Houston will have a total route length for *light* rail that is similar to what Philadelphia has for *heavy* rail. The point is that Houston is building a system that is designed from the start to be an adjunct to highways. It will have neither the capacity nor the geographic extent to become the core component of the city's transportation network.

I don't want to make this sound overly negative. I am glad that Houston is building something, and Houston is not the worst offender in building light rail where future demand might require heavy rail. On the latter point, Los Angeles is a far worse offender.


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## FM 2258 (Jan 24, 2004)

^^

You're saying heavy rail will be better for Houston? In my opinion (sure I've mentioned this before) I would love to see our big car dependent cities go the route of what Chinese cities are doing. They're taking no time to get underground and build high quality subway systems. With all the money the U.S. is spending overseas due to war, I feel the same cash should be spent on helping cities become less car dependent. Obviously there are some people pulling the strings who don't want this to happen.

I'm not sure how well the system in Dallas is doing but it seems like they're the only city out west to make a quality effort at adding rail to their public transportation system. Austin is a fucking joke. hno:


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## just_a_guy (Feb 5, 2009)

I don't think you could really compare Houston with Philadelphia just in terms of population. Houston is very spread out while Philadelphia isn't as much. It would be extremely difficult for a city like Houston to drop their Freeway network as the core component even with heavy rail lines. The only way to fix that is to start building with density and TOD's, which is exactly what these rail lines are trying to achieve.

On the other hand, I don't think Los Angeles is as bad as you say. Their light rail system could handle the demand of heavy rail, as long as they tunnel or bridge the street running sections and extend platforms to 150 meters to fit 5 car trains some day. A good example of this would be the light rail where i'm from in Guadalajara, Mexico. It uses technology very similar to LA's Light Rail (high floor LRV's) but it runs completely in its own ROW either at grade or underground and has 150 meter long station platforms. It could some day rival big heavy rail lines in terms of ridership and it uses Light Rail technology.

That's why I don't like the term Light Rail. It's so versatile that it could look like a tram or like a heavily used metro.


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## State of the Union (Jul 12, 2010)

greg_christine said:


> I don't want to make this sound overly negative. I am glad that Houston is building something, and Houston is not the worst offender in building light rail where future demand might require heavy rail. On the latter point, Los Angeles is a far worse offender.


Woah, Woah, Woah, back up there sir. Atleast we _*have*_ heavy rail, with a solid plan to build _*more*_. Our Light Rail is in a whole another class from houston's. It has it's share of street running, but I would also say that over 80% is either grade separated or in Private ROW. Let's not forget that the green line is completely grade separated and reaches speeds up to 65. The Green Line is basically Heavy Rail with a pantograph.


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## greg_christine (Jan 25, 2004)

^^ This thread is about Houston, but the situation in Los Angeles is relevant as an example of what Houston mgiht expect in the future.

In Los Angeles, the light rail Blue Line between downtown and Long Beach is already considered to be at capacity during rush hour. The light rail Expo/Aqua Line between downtown and Santa Monica is presently under construction and is expected to be at capacity during rush hour not long after it is completed. In theory, capacity could be increased by lengthening the trains and/or shortening the headways. In practice, there are major complications.

Lengthening the trains would require lengthening the station platforms. This isn't readily feasible due to the distance between cross streets at some stations. Shortening the headways would result in further disruption of motor vehicle traffic at cross street where trains have signal priority. Signal priority could be abandoned, but that would significantly slow the trains. A further problem is that the Blue Line and Expo/Aqua Line share tracks for the last few blocks into Metro Center Station. The time to reverse the trains for two lines at the same station platforms will be a factor in setting headways.

Eventually, the Red/Purple Line metro will reach Santa Monica, which should ease capacity problems on the Expo/Aqua Line. The eventual completion of the downtown connector will allow the Blue Line to continue through downtown to Pasadena and the Expo/Aqua Line to continue through downtown to East Los Angeles. Not having to reverse trains for two lines at the same station will ease the constraint on headways due to the time to reverse trains, but the issue of the impact that short headways have on traffic at cross streets will remain. 

The ultimate solution is to start a program of grade separation, but nothing like that is in present plans.


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## trainrover (May 6, 2006)

diablo234 said:


> there is no real difference between the term "tram" and "light rail".





NotTarts said:


> any rail vehicle that shares the road, *for any portion*, to be a tram or streetcar.


As far my agreeing goes, I guess I'm now finding myself reverting to the rationale I've highlighted within the lower one of the above statements I'm quoting. It doesn't matter to me if 'Houston's current population density doesn't justify separation from vehicular traffic', I still think the city deserves better.


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## State of the Union (Jul 12, 2010)

greg_christine said:


> ^^ This thread is about Houston, but the situation in Los Angeles is relevant as an example of what Houston mgiht expect in the future.
> 
> In Los Angeles, the light rail Blue Line between downtown and Long Beach is already considered to be at capacity during rush hour. The light rail Expo/Aqua Line between downtown and Santa Monica is presently under construction and is expected to be at capacity during rush hour not long after it is completed. In theory, capacity could be increased by lengthening the trains and/or shortening the headways. In practice, there are major complications.
> 
> ...


One thing you have to consider though, is that when they built the Blue Line, the car culture was in full swing. If I was building a new rail line from scratch in the car capital of America, I wouldn't expect ridership to get so high. They were expecting ridership levels less than half of what it is now. So much so that they only built the Blue Line with platforms for 2 cars trains, but quickly had to extend the platforms due high ridership growth just a short time later. 

People complain about the small Pico Platform during Staple Center events: hello when the line was built there was no staples center. Trust me when I say that if RTD knew the Blue Line would be so popular, the downtown segment would have been grade separated. With that said, it still came out allot better than Houston's.


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## greg_christine (Jan 25, 2004)

^^ I agree that the Los Angeles light rail lines are better than Houston's. They are perhaps the best in the nation. They are almost unique in having high-floor platforms that allow level-floor loading of high-floor trains. With upgrades to provide grade-separation, the system could be transformed into a metro.

The growth in the ridership of the Blue Line highlights the need to plan for future capacity needs. When BART and the Washington Metro first opened in the 1970s, three-car light rail trains might have been adequate to carry the passenger load. Anyone who visits Embarcadero Station or L'Enfant Plaza Station during rush hour today would scoff at that notion.


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## TexasBoi (Jan 7, 2004)

State of the Union said:


> Normative or not, this is still a tram. Houston is basically building a European style tram system. I argued against this fact before, but these new vehicle just confirm it. You'd never catch a tram like this on an LRT system like Seattle, Los Angeles or Edmonton, just to name a few.


Well maybe they'll hear it better coming from you. I've said this many times over the years that Houston is basically building a 21st century version of a streetcar or tram. Nothing wrong with that as I think it will encourage density anyway. But an actual rapid transit system on its on row, nah. In fact, I believe DC is building the same type of system. They call it a streetcar.


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

Some new updates of the North Line courtesy of photoLith over at Skyscraperpage.



> The end of the North Line extension, right by that newish Walmart and the Transit Center north of 610.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)




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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)




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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)




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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

Some construction progress of the East End Line.





































Photos courtesy of photoLith


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

Some photos of the recent progress on the North Line.















































































































































































































































































Photos courtesy of Houston Press


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

Some photos of construction progress on the East End/Southeast Line.
































































































































































































































































































































































Photos courtesy of Houston Press


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## joezierer (Jan 16, 2011)

Nothing loaded in your last two posts for me.


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

joezierer said:


> Nothing loaded in your last two posts for me.


That's wierd, they were visible last night when I posted them here?

Anyways there is a link at the bottom where you can view the photos of the construction progress on the light rail lines.


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## Professor L Gee (Aug 10, 2009)

I haven't checked this thread in months. They're coming along down there.


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

Professor L Gee said:


> I haven't checked this thread in months. They're coming along down there.


Yup, they have made alot of progress on the East/Southeast/North lines however thanks to the recent referendum that was passed it seems that the University/Uptown lines will be put on hold until 2025 (which is stupid since those two lines will probably serve more people than the rest of the lines combined and serve numerous employment centers).


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## urbanaturalist (Sep 25, 2005)

^^^ How do yall feel about the last Metro Referendum. The University and Uptown line won't get funding because of the voting results....plus it was considered by many to have confusing wording in it...

What's yall opinions


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

urbanaturalist said:


> ^^^ How do yall feel about the last Metro Referendum. The University and Uptown line won't get funding because of the voting results....plus it was considered by many to have confusing wording in it...
> 
> What's yall opinions


Well speaking for myself I thought it did a huge disservice to the city as those two light rail lines if built would probably be one of the most heavily used in the country but c'est la vie. However the language being used on the referendum was confusing for people since it gave many the impression that the referendum was for expanding transit, not for putting existing projects such as the University/Uptown lines on hold.


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## BoulderGrad (Jun 29, 2005)

^^Green line, Purple line, and the North line extension will still be completed as planned, correct?


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

BoulderGrad said:


> ^^Green line, Purple line, and the North line extension will still be completed as planned, correct?


Yes, since they are already under construction as of right now (with a scheduled completion date of 2014). I actually posted a few construction photos of those lines as well if you are interested.


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## Falubaz (Nov 20, 2004)

Judging from the pics above, the line will go through less populated area. Who will use it? There are just few homes, and a lot of empty space.


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

Falubaz said:


> Judging from the pics above, the line will go through less populated area. Who will use it? There are just few homes, and a lot of empty space.


Well the lines connect several colleges/universities such as HCC, Texas Southern University, and the University of Houston so there is one target demographic that will be using this line. 

Also the East End Line/Southeast Line will be serving the Convention Center, and the BBVA Soccer/Football Stadium so it will be used for sporting/special events as well, and parts of the line run through the EaDo neighborhood which is being revitalized with new residential condominiums and townhomes.


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## BoulderGrad (Jun 29, 2005)

diablo234 said:


> Yes, since they are already under construction as of right now (with a scheduled completion date of 2014). I actually posted a few construction photos of those lines as well if you are interested.


Saw those above, Cheers!

Just the Red Line's intitial segment draws 40,000 ppl/day. So I can imagine that when the other lines are complete, the project will pickup momentum and the money will start rolling in for the other segments.


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

*Uptown’s Not Waiting for Light Rail, Planning Bus System Along Post Oak Instead*



> ...METRO’s Uptown/Gold Line nowhere in sight, the District has developed a $177-million project featuring light rail-like BRT to update Post Oak — a street “that has long outlived its original use,” says John Breeding, the District’s president...














> ...The district includes 23 million sq. ft. of commercial office space, 5 million sq. ft. of retail, and more than 7,000 hotel rooms. In the next 2 years, almost 3,000 residential units will be added, says Breeding...














> ...The BRT system, though, is just one part of the proposed project; the District’s also working with TxDOT to build HOV access lanes to Loop 610 and U.S. 59., which the buses would take to get to and from two proposed transit centers...


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## tommelcom11 (Dec 18, 2012)

*Re:*

thanks for interesting post.




_________________
http://www.stardistribution.us


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## Minato ku (Aug 9, 2005)

Where is the underpass project ? In Downtown ?


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## Tom 958 (Apr 24, 2007)

Minato ku said:


> Where is the underpass project ? In Downtown ?


It's here, a bit east of downtown.


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## Minato ku (Aug 9, 2005)

I see, thank you.


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## Woonsocket54 (May 7, 2005)

Here is a fun graphic of Houston's sprawl heritage









http://blog.chron.com/thetexican/20...-past-three-decades-of-urban-sprawl/?cmpid=ns


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

Some photos of the North Line. Right now they are testing the trains and the East End Line, Southeast Line, and the North Line are expected to be open to the public by December of this year. 

Some photos of the North Line. Right now they are testing the trains and the East End Line, Southeast Line, and the North Line are expected to be open to the public by December. 


























































































































































Photos courtesy of METRO Transit


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

Some recent photos of the East End Line.
































































Photos courtesy of METRO Transit


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

Some photos of the Southeast Line.


















































































Photos courtesy of METRO Transit


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

Some photos of the various rail segments being constructed in Downtown.













































































































*Photos courtesy of METRO Transit*


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

Here is a PDF with a big map of the existing, u/c and planned lines: http://www.gometrorail.org/clients/2491/473439.pdf

here the status of Southeast line:


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## Woonsocket54 (May 7, 2005)

Good updates from Houston


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## FM 2258 (Jan 24, 2004)

This is such an awesome development for Houston. I can't wait to see the day all large cities in the U.S. have local rail lines that rival the old streetcar systems. 

It surprises me that an Oil city like Houston is doing this. It's only a good thing and would love to see it expand more.


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## Woonsocket54 (May 7, 2005)

Source: Houston Press (http://www.houstonpress.com/slidesh...-new-east-end-rail-line-at-1-a-m--40056901/#1)


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## Woonsocket54 (May 7, 2005)

Houston Chronicle
http://blog.chron.com/thehighwayman/2013/08/north-line-testing-continues-on-track-for-december/



> *North Line testing continues on track for December*
> Wednesday, August 14, 2013
> 
> The first train to ride along the new North Line under its own power will do so early next month, Metropolitan Transit Agency officials said.
> ...


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

Some new construction photos of the North Line, which at this point mostly consists of artwork installation and finishing touches being added to the stations. Trains are currently being tested along this line segment.
































































*Photos courtesy of Metro Transit*


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

Some construction photos of the Southeast Line.
































































*Photos courtesy of METRO Transit*


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## ssiguy2 (Feb 19, 2005)

On my recent trip to Mexico City we had to transfer at Houston and I got beautiful views of the Houston areas including the downtown. 

Outside the core towers I could hardly believe my eyes ............ it looked like endless sprawl with almost no development or population between the core and the original ring road. I'm glad to see Houston embracing transit but it makes me wonder how these lines will get ridership in such an incredible spread out city with little inner city population. This is made worse by the fact that the city's freeway system is massive and getting bigger with an unbelievable 3rd ring road. 

I certainly hope I'm wrong.


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

ssiguy2 said:


> On my recent trip to Mexico City we had to transfer at Houston and I got beautiful views of the Houston areas including the downtown.
> 
> Outside the core towers I could hardly believe my eyes ............ it looked like endless sprawl with almost no development or population between the core and the original ring road. I'm glad to see Houston embracing transit but it makes me wonder how these lines will get ridership in such an incredible spread out city with little inner city population. This is made worse by the fact that the city's freeway system is massive and getting bigger with an unbelievable 3rd ring road.
> 
> I certainly hope I'm wrong.


You have to keep in mind that there are still several large nodes/employment districts within the loop (aka I-610) such as Downtown, the Texas Medical Center (which is larger than several US downtowns such as Dallas), and the University of Houston so that alone will ensure that these new light rail lines will be well used (and in fact the current 7.5 mile line already has the second highest ridership per track mile of all light rail systems in the US). If the University Line gets built that will further add new ridership numbers as it will connect to Greenway Plaza and the Galleria which is a major employment/shopping destination in it's own right. 

Also if you check the Houston development thread, you can see for yourself that Houston is going through more infill residential development especially in Downtown, Midtown, Montrose, and the Galleria area in addition to places such as Gulfton which have a high concentration of apartment complexes so inner-city population should not be a factor in determining ridership numbers (by the way the population density within I-610 which is considered to be the "inner city of Houston" is already roughly 521,761 so I would hardly say it is sparsely populated).


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## Woonsocket54 (May 7, 2005)

diablo234 said:


> (by the way the population density within I-610 which is considered to be the "inner city of Houston" is already roughly 521,761 so I would hardly say it is sparsely populated).


521,761 per what unit of area?


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## joezierer (Jan 16, 2011)

A population of 521,761 in 90 sq miles isn't that impressive. That's only 5,797/sq mile or 2,428/sq km.

The entire city of Milwaukee and Philadelphia, not just the inner cities, are better than that. Santa Clara, California, is about equal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_US_cities_by_population


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

diablo234 said:


> *Photos courtesy of Metro Transit*


Non-MUCTD standard sign :bash:


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

Some Houston Metrorail photos from Lee Carlson 


At Bell Station by ebtmikado, on Flickr


Houston Metro Rail Red Line by ebtmikado, on Flickr


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

Some Metrorail Footage , starts at 1:35


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## Woonsocket54 (May 7, 2005)

Woonsocket54 said:


> The exact date in April is not yet determined. The original date of 2015.04.04 is apparently out the window due to being the day before Easter, according to Metro officials cited by local media.
> 
> http://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...ing-demonstrates-rail-progress-6085857.php#/3


Now delayed to May 2015 at the earliest:

http://thedailycougar.com/2015/03/24/metro-delays-rail-opening-until-may/


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## Woonsocket54 (May 7, 2005)

New rail lines open 2015.05.23









http://www.chron.com/opinion/outloo...ail-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-6237429.php


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## Woonsocket54 (May 7, 2005)

The opening of two new rail lines on 2015.05.23 has been officially announced on the official website of Houston Metro. Given all the planned festivities, including a performance by world-famous R&B singer and songwriter Ne-Yo, it looks like this is for real and there will not be any more postponements. The opening day has been designated as RAILFEST 2015. 


















There will be free rides all day, plus the concert at the soccer stadium together with fireworks.










More info here: https://www.ridemetro.org/News/RAILFEST.aspx


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

From Rail Journal:



> http://www.railjournal.com/index.ph...revive-commuter-rail-project.html?channel=535
> 
> *Houston to revive commuter rail project*
> Wednesday, May 20, 2015
> ...


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

Updated map of light rail on urbanrail.net:


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## redspork02 (May 7, 2005)

Didn't you just open a new line Houston?


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## TexasBoi (Jan 7, 2004)

redspork02 said:


> Didn't you just open a new line Houston?


Opened two Saturdays ago.


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

Here is an official map which includes the two new light rail lines.


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)




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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)




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## Bobdreamz (Sep 12, 2002)

diablo234 said:


>


It's amazing how much low density suburban neighborhoods this rail line runs through. There are places where there aren't even sidewalks!


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## diablo234 (Aug 18, 2008)

Bobdreamz said:


> It's amazing how much low density suburban neighborhoods this rail line runs through. There are places where there aren't even sidewalks!


Well that route also serves several major colleges such as the University of Houston and Texas Southern University so there should be plenty of ridership on that line. Anyways there is some redevelopment along that line and the city has been very active in installing new sidewalks throughout that city but particularly in neighborhoods that are adjacent to the new rail line.


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## TexasBoi (Jan 7, 2004)

Bobdreamz said:


> It's amazing how much low density suburban neighborhoods this rail line runs through. There are places where there aren't even sidewalks!


What were you expecting? There isn't many high density areas in Houston to begin with. You may see redevelopment as well in many of these neighborhoods.


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## Buffaboy (Nov 20, 2012)

Interesting and interactive article about Houston's new, improved and efficient bus and light rail system: http://www.vox.com/2015/2/18/8056039/houston-transit-reimagining


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

*Second Quarter Ridership numbers for Houston*

Houston / LRT - 49,000 (2015) : 21.59% + 
Houston / Bus - 221,200 (2015) : -5.97%
Houston / Van Pool - 9,600 (2015) : -0.91%
Houston / Demand Response - 6,100 (2015) : -3.22%


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## zaphod (Dec 8, 2005)

They "improved" the bus system but it seems to have seen a loss. Maybe its going to take a while?

I'm glad they streamlined the bus network and gave it more frequent routes inside the central part of the city. It now feels like a real mass transit system and not just a transportation welfare service.

However, there is still a critical need for that latter function I think. Houston has a lot of less wealthy areas that are in the suburbs and really spread out. Why don't transit agencies, not just in Houston, but all over the US, consider "point deviation" bus routes for skeleton service in low density but low income areas? Basically a point deviation bus route is where you have a few key stops that are guaranteed a bus at a certain time, but the path the bus takes and the stops in makes in between is flexible and depends on if someone requests a pick up or drop off. This is more practical today in 2015 because of gps, routing software, and even low income passengers likely have cell phones they can use to hail a ride.

Create a new brand for this transit and integrate with suburban county agencies. With this you could take the cuts to low ridership suburban conventional routes even further, and focus the most resources on the highest used lines. As that article above states, this creates a virtuous cycle where people discover that riding transit is convenient and will demand more of it.

Paratransit is such a waste when the government could just give money directly to counties or cities buy handicap vans and let volunteers(or people sentenced to community service) drive them. There would be a very lightly funded federal program for places in the sticks.


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## TexasBoi (Jan 7, 2004)

zaphod said:


> They "improved" the bus system but it seems to have seen a loss. Maybe its going to take a while?
> 
> I'm glad they streamlined the bus network and gave it more frequent routes inside the central part of the city. It now feels like a real mass transit system and not just a transportation welfare service.
> 
> ...


Well it says the 2nd quarter. The new bus system routes went into affect in August so we probably won't find out about how well it was used until December or maybe January.


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## [atomic] (Oct 12, 2013)

diablo234 said:


> Here is an official map which includes the two new light rail lines.


I just had a look at the central Stations in Google Earth and they are an entire Block apart. I get the separation of the directions (precious road space:lol but putting the stops of purple/green Line that far away from the red line stop is really inconvenient.
Seems to me like they almost wanted to make it less appealing to peoplehno:


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## zaphod (Dec 8, 2005)

[atomic] said:


> I just had a look at the central Stations in Google Earth and they are an entire Block apart. I get the separation of the directions (precious road space:lol but putting the stops of purple/green Line that far away from the red line stop is really inconvenient.
> Seems to me like they almost wanted to make it less appealing to peoplehno:


There is or was supposed to be a super sized light rail stop at the center of downtown. It was the subject of an architectural design contest.

But then something happened and this fell through.

So I don't know if the configuration of stops there began as temporary and is now permanent, or what the deal is.


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

*3rd Quarter Ridership numbers for Houston*

Houston / LRT - 57,800 (2015) : 35.12% + 
Houston / Bus - 223,000 (2015) : 2.66%
Houston / Van Pool - 9,500 (2015) : -1.30%
Houston / Demand Response - 6,200 (2015) : -1.29%


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## TexasBoi (Jan 7, 2004)

Nexis said:


> *3rd Quarter Ridership numbers for Houston*
> 
> Houston / LRT - 57,800 (2015) : 35.12% +
> Houston / Bus - 223,000 (2015) : 2.66%
> ...


And from the looks of it, the 4th quarter will show better numbers than the 3rd quarter.


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

4th Quarter Ridership numbers for Houston

Houston / LRT - 60,600 (2015) : 37.85% + 
Houston / Bus - 231,000 (2015) : 0.44%
Houston / Van Pool - 8,800 (2015) : -6.17%
Houston / Demand Response - 6,400 (2015) : 1.19%


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## Woonsocket54 (May 7, 2005)

Flooding in Houston.

That's a bus stop sign.










http://swamplot.com/white-oak-dr-bu...s-despite-full-metro-service-halt/2016-04-18/


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## Woonsocket54 (May 7, 2005)

Houston Neighborhood Hit Hard By Flooding Gets New Bus Route

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/...hood-hit-hard-by-flooding-gets-new-bus-route/


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## ()_T (Feb 28, 2009)

*Post Oak Boulevard project starts first phase*



> A rooted resident was evicted June 13, but it didn't have to move too far.
> 
> Uptown Houston unearthed a 75,000-pound, 30-foot southern live oak tree, previously anchored in the middle of a median near the Loop 610 feeder road and Post Oak Boulevard. Onlookers and media members watched as crews used backhoes, inflated tubes and giant metal contraptions to replant the towering tree across the street near two of its relocated old neighbors.
> 
> ...


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## Nexis (Aug 7, 2007)

*1st Quarter Ridership numbers for Houston*

Houston / LRT - 59,300 (2015) : 32.33% + 
Houston / Bus - 223,800 (2015) : 4.79%
Houston / Van Pool - 9,200 (2015) : -7.23%
Houston / Demand Response - 6,400 (2015) : 4.27%


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## ()_T (Feb 28, 2009)

*Houston's bike share program expands to Texas Medical Center, several college campuses*



> It's going to get a little more convenient to get around Houston on a bike — even if you don't own one.
> 
> The expansion will be paid for by a $3.5 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration and $880,000 from Houston Bike Share, the local nonprofit that administers the Houston B-cycle program. When completed, it will bring the total to 102 stations and 793 bikes around Houston.
> 
> ...


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## ()_T (Feb 28, 2009)

*Houston Could Be Closer To Getting Its First Commuter Rail Line*



> GAIL DELAUGHTER | POSTED ON JULY 22, 2016, 9:07 AM (LAST UPDATED: JULY 22, 2016, 11:48 AM)
> 
> The 90A rail project is a proposed commuter line that would come in from Missouri City. It would hook up with the existing Red Line near NRG Stadium. The distance is about nine miles.
> 
> ...


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## ()_T (Feb 28, 2009)

*New bus service launches in Texas with service to 5 cities*



> Shofur, a luxury bus service, launched Monday in Texas with 12 daily trips serving Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Waco.
> 
> Unlike other bus services that own a fleet of coaches, Shofur works with more than 400 companies that operate the buses under the Shofur name, CEO Armir Harris said.
> 
> ...


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## Woonsocket54 (May 7, 2005)

Testing on Green Line eastern extension to Magnolia Park























































https://www.facebook.com/RideMETRO/posts/10154595414864909


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## Woonsocket54 (May 7, 2005)

Testing on Harrisburg overpass. Green Line eastern extension to open by February 2017.










https://twitter.com/christofspieler/status/790944014870585344


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## Woonsocket54 (May 7, 2005)

Extension of Green Line from Altic to Magnolia Park opens tomorrow (2017.01.11).










http://www.ridemetro.org/Pages/GreenLine.aspx

Updated urbanrail.net map:










http://www.urbanrail.net/am/hous/houston.htm


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## FM 2258 (Jan 24, 2004)

Nice, are these all the lines planned for Houston or will there be more?


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## Woonsocket54 (May 7, 2005)

This is it for now. Voters approved several other lines in a 2003 referendum. But there's no funding for now. The uptown line which was approved in 2003 will be BRT. There is also talk of commuter rail to Missouri City. Nothing will be built any time soon.

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...e-Metro-s-East-End-rail-line-set-10846049.php

Photo of the new Magnolia Park Transit Center










https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/...east-end-light-rail-line-is-finally-complete/


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## BoulderGrad (Jun 29, 2005)

FM 2258 said:


> Nice, are these all the lines planned for Houston or will there be more?












This was the original build out proposal. The Blue Line and Uptown Line are currently unfunded.


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## etooley1985 (Aug 7, 2016)

I hope they build the Blue Line and Uptown line as rail. Texas isn't very transit friendly (except Dallas). Houston, a city that I lived in for a year, is very steamy and unexplainable. Houston needs more rail.



BoulderGrad said:


> This was the original build out proposal. The Blue Line and Uptown Line are currently unfunded.


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## mensolú (Jul 27, 2015)

The <urbanrail.net> map is wrong. There is no passenger train service from Houston to San Antonio. The only passenger train that runs thru Houston is the Sunset Limited, and it goes from New Orleans to LA without detouring thru S.A.


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## Woonsocket54 (May 7, 2005)

mensolú said:


> The <urbanrail.net> map is wrong. There is no passenger train service from Houston to San Antonio. The only passenger train that runs thru Houston is the Sunset Limited, and it goes from New Orleans to LA without detouring thru S.A.


It does. Just look at the schedule: https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/699/212/Sunset-Limited-Schedule-110616.pdf


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