The Carbon Footprint concern is baloney.  ALGORE is one of the more blatant abusers, yet he is dealing in these flim flam credits, and making a fortune.

It is futher idiocy to exempt China from the same requirements placed on Americans.  China now manufactures over one-half the world's production!  And they seem to be one of the world's largest polluters, yet the environmentalists want to punish America.

Now, the Atlantic Station TOD.

The site was a EPA designated "Brownfield" so it received state and federal taxpayer money for remediation.  It recieved HUD (federal taxpayers) 108 program funds, and likely other HUD CDBG funds.

Then tere are the special tax abatements from the TIRZ, and the developers were able to issue taxpayer subsidized bonds.

How long can the "producers" who generate the tax revenue continue to subsidize the few who plunder the taxpayer coffers, and the Urban Rail Rober Barons in Atlanta, playing Monopoly with the tax revenues?

This is little different than the wealthy team owners duping voters into approving the taxpayer-subsidized bonds for stadiums, allowing the Neo-Socialists to reap the profits while the taxpayers fund the infastructure and facilities.  And most can never expect to enjoy a single event.

The theory behind the carbon footprint it valid, regardless of the extent to which those who promote it decide to use resources. In other words, our use of baloney affects our environment; in this case, more than just the physical.

Well, at least it does not cost anything to walk.  Except for the clothes make in the Far East.

And you might just have to say "heelo" to a intellegent carbon based life form.

TThat should be "Hello"

Walking is not just about walking. Being a safe pedestrian in a hostile environment means practicing good skills. We don't see much good driving or good walking around here, which is why peds get whacked with alarming regularity.

- don't talk on the cellphone or have earbuds stuffed into your ears; you have to look and listen and pay attention to traffic

- don't cross freeways / tollways! Ever!

- cross at signal lights and crosswalks where possible

- wear reflective clothing items (a safety vest) at night; carry a flashlight, angle the beam toward on-coming cars; they will likely change lanes to avoid you

PWang, another good one to add is for people in the Medical Center:

-wearing a lab coat doesn't make you invincible - cars can still squish you, so cross at the light

having lived many years in two walkable cities (Boston and DC), here's my observation of Houston: the pedestrian amenities are horrible. I live in the Heights, which is walkable in terms of distances - except that sidewalks just stop in the middle of blocks, or are in horrible disrepair; cars park at the ends of driveways, blocking the sidewalks (which would get you towed away anywhere else I've lived); major streets like 20th and Yale have long stretched with no safe place to cross; and in many spots, pushing the "walk" button to get a light to cross doesn't do anything (you never, ever get a walk signal).

i walk every day (walking my dog) and am always discovering some new pitfall.

Weather and scale will always work against Houston as an ideal walking city, but there are lots of spots where walking is reasonable - except for some of these very basic issues. As a point of comparison, I used to regularly walk around my neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia (similar in scale and density to the Heights) and it was very nice - even going up and down hills! - because there was space for pedestrians, places to cross the street, and so on.

And yes, you get to meet your neighbors, which is quite nice.

PWANG,

The "safety" vests should be made of Kevlar.

PW,

Your walking suggestions also apply to rail, where freight or LRT.

Lab Coats, et. al.:

Seems to me the WORST jaywalking is. believe it or not, the TMC.  On some of the streets they have had to put up 42' wire fences to keeps people walking in the right places.

Of course it is - lots of peds, lots of cars, and the walk signals take FOREVER to change.  I would venture it's more densely packed than downtown, and more people have reasons to move from building to building throughout the day (without the benefit of a tunnel system). Add to that the inherent impatience of a lot of the people who work there and it's jaywalking paradise!  

On some of these thrads, you don't need Kelvar; you need Nomex!  (Stuff that protects one from flaming!