Well, I'll believe it when the change happens.

It's frustrating to know METREAUX will squander most of the funds on boondoggle urban rail at a time when Houston needs rubber-tired mobility improvements.

Royko,

     What do you know about this so-called "rubber-tired mobility improvements" thing?  You must be talking about buses, right?

If this is what METRO has to do, then SO BE IT!  We just cannot be a city with at least 1,200 buses (or more) and only one doggone rail line.  What METRO needs to do is to continue to get the ball rolling in terms of having some sort of "intermodal" transportation for Houston.  You'll see it one day---soon.

While METRO needs to deal with any or all forms of rail, PLEASE do NOT forget about the buses---hybrid ones.  I still say they should reconsider getting (Dominic is going to have my head for this) the "A" bus with that thing in the middle.

Cedric:

The "A" bus.  Be my guest.  Need both the A's and the micro's; the micros for circulators and off peak service.

METRO says the A is expesive to maintain.  OK, that is difference.  But what is the cost per passenger maintaining an "A" vs a regular bus?  

My question:  How are they going to replace ALL the NeoPads A's with regular Park and Ride units.  Is that going to increase the overloading of the 290 HOV (even with legal cars)?  Can the two NW Station stops/platforms handle the extra buses.  (NW Sta. has TWO lots:  The original, "A", and the newer "B" lot across the street from Castlebridge.)

Now when ARE we going to see the new 5008 (Or its brothers)?  And not behind the fancing at Fallbrook!

This is way off, but there is a problem with the new QL402 map.  It lists at Sharpstown Mall the 82.  should that be the 81 now?

Now, with this new funding idea, we can get these quicker:

482:  QL Westheimer

456:  QL Airline

425:  QL Richmond

404:  QL Beechnut

4PW:  QL Energy Corridor (Service from 217 lot, down SH 6, to IH-10 and Dairy Ashford, running South to connect to the 53, 82, 25, 4.  Credit Peter Wang for this idea!)

I'm typically opposed to Bush's neo-conservative "Market Based Solutions" to solving societal problems. Allowing so-called "School Choice" would separate kids for kids they should be around. Really, I think that it would separate Black kids from White kids from Hispanic kids from Asian kids from etc...

For health care, I've heard of abuses levied upon those forced to seek medical insurance on the open market. It's impossible to get insurance if you have a pre-existing condition. It's impossible to get health care without insurance. So you're just stuck. Further, society has an interest in its members being healthy. Society should pay for its members' health care.

However, the reliance of individuals on transportation by private car is an irresponsible and unsustainable choice that can only be discouraged by making it expensive. What if drivers in Katy had to pay a higher cost per mile driven? They wouldn't drive as much.

Meanwhile, those same drivers in Katy would argue that my use of public transit should be paid for by me, with no subsidy paid for by them. Do they think that I-10 was free?

Every lane on I-10 should be a toll lane. There is no other way to move people back to town from Katy.

I wish they would let us know when the QL 445 Tidwell is going to be in transition because the neighborhood where I live really needs it right now. Also I really wish they could reconsider splitting the 45 Tidwell Crosstown into two branches with one on it's regular route and one that goes straight down Tidwell Rd. from Mesa TC all the way a little past Fairbanks/N. Houston. One last thing that they might want to consider is adding a bus to run east/west on Pinemont Dr.

More money - more routes/rail lines.

This all that I'm concerned about.

In the meantime, while we're waiting on the full hybrid fleet replacement, can we get some more of those retrofitted hybrids like the 410x that run out of Polk?

Re: Quickline

I've seen the new shelters. They're pretty and shiny like the ones by the Galleria. If I had any reason to ride the 402, I'd be excited.

And yes, a QL 482 would be nice, but I'd rather see the regular 82(as of this Sunday) have a higher frequency. But I'll go into that on the post about the 82.

Re: QL Tidwell

I'm betting it'll arrive in January with the next set of schedule changes. And I didn't think there was that much crowding on there. I rode it once, and it was full, but not jam-packed like the 82.

And there used to be a route that ran on Pinemont. It was the 43-Pinemont Plaza Crosstown. Went from Northwest TC to Acres Homes TC via Silber. They got rid of it in 2005 due to low ridership.

I hate Metro's "scared swimmer" approach to service expansions.  It will toss billions into multiple rail routes but when it comes time for new bus service they want to dip a pinky toe into the water.  You'd think this was a rail company just getting into the bus business and not the other way around.  Instead of releasing the tepid QL Bellaire (which is actually somehow slower than the 2 - Bellaire on Sunday [which stops at EVERY stop] and poorly timed [4 minutes from Sharpstown to Fondren!?]) they should have had a blitz of well scheduled and timed QL buses to hit the streets at once (Bellaire, Bissonnet, Westheimer, Richmond, Beechnut, Tidwell) with more in development.  The 500 - Airport Direct should have been a service that served both airports with branch service to Greenway/Galleria/Uptown areas as well with 24/7 service.  Then the $15 fare would be more than justified.  Right now what you are giving me is the old 112 - Bush/IAH Direct with $14 added onto it.  

And when is your scheduling department going to fix the 2 - Bellaire Sunday Schedule?  Why is there no service to Westchase on the 25 on Sundays?  At least if you are wary about Mission Bend have the bus short turn at Westchase P&R lot.

The bus stops in the Uptown area look as if they were from the sets of the various MAD MAX movies.  ("We don't need another hero..." was from ....BEYOND THUNDERDOME!)