Mary,

I sincerely hope you and your family are safe and sound from the effects of Ike. I just got my power back last night, so I can understand a lot of the problems. Some people I know are still out of power. I'm sure you understand the fustration from all the ridership of METRO, based on the past posts.  But the lack of response and updates from METRO (on their own sites - both ridemetro.org and Metroresponds.org)leaves a very sour pill to swallow.  Does not the METRO employees take the P&R's to work?  Did not they have any words of complaint?  If they had to be at work last Tuesday, how did they handle the lack of HOV?

Again, just curious...

Just to set the record straight and let people know, I am a big backer of public transportation and I worked for a public agency previously.  But the past few years here in Houston, and most recently, it's been a disaster.

This is a crock...my car has headlights and you can open the gates without power.  We drive from Texas City to Downtown.  A lot of people come from the NASA area and do the same.  Had to leave at 5:15 am this morning to beat the traffic and avoid a 2 hour commute.  Do you really think an overhead blinking signal is that detrimental to safety on a one way street?  You missed this one again.

I sincerely appreciate the update on the I45 South HOV lane.  It would be encouraging to know that Metro expects to get the lane operational by Monday, September 29th?

Our school districts suffered multiple school damages throughout the school district but yet they are expecting to have their schools opened by Monday, September 29th.  I admire the school districts CONFIDENCE AND DETERMINATION on making sure this happens as thousands of students head back to school.

With that being said, it will be a relief to know that the HOV lane will be open so I will not have to drop my child off in the dark at school one hour early so that I can get to work on time.

I sincerely hope you appreciate and understand the importance and reliance of the HOV lane on the Gulf Freeway.

Thank you for all your hard work in getting Houston moving again.

Do you have any idea when the I-45 Gulf HOV lane will be open?  Can you give us an idea how long it will be before it is operational?  I don't think the power outage is going to cause any harm to drive on the lane.  Thank you.

Ok.  6 police.  Take the generators from the 290 HOV that were never used.  MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN.  The signs and gates are NOT DAMAGED ENOUGH TO RENDER THE HOV USELESS.  

I tell you what.  The day you -- TOM LAMBERT -- commute to your 8am job from NASA to downtown is the day you can tell us there will be some delay in opening the HOV.  Until then, public sentiment is that you are useless and should resign.  You are a disgrace to Metro and the face of Houston.

Many CCISD schools were severely damaged.  They will reopen before the HOV opens.  And they required REAL work.  That is a sad state of affairs.

I knew Metro Police were incompetent an useless.  Manually opening the gates at both ends and having a Metro cop at each end does not require rocket science.

"I knew Metro Police were incompetent an useless.  Manually opening the gates at both ends and having a Metro cop at each end does not require rocket science."

No.  But it does require brains.  And brains in management, at that.  And it's kinda obvious METRO mgmt. has none of those.  The drones under mgmt just fowllow orders.  No brains, no orders.

Wondering if complaining to Judge Emmet's office may be WAYYYYYYY more productive than complaining to Metro.  Seems it takes them to get Metro to do anything anyway.....

judge.emmett@cjo.hctx.net

In no way do I want to belittle the hard working men and women who have to follow the orders (or lack thereof) from the powers that be. They are out there scrapping for their pennies just like all the rest of us. I salute you!

The powers that be, on the other hand, deserve the criticism. Even sometimes when it's unwarranted and offbase. That's one of the reasons you get paid the big bucks. You also are paid to make decisions and take action. And deciding to do nothing and place the blame on Centerpoint, and TXDot, etc. etc. etc. is a lazy copout.

I completely agree that complaints should be directed to those who are accountable to the people. That is how things will get done. Those secure in their ivory tower will not be looking out for the welfare of the community, but will instead be holed away in meetings, debating whether to use eggshell or beige as the color of the new interoffice stationary.

The continued closure of I-45 Gulf Freeway HOV lane is pathetic given the excuses provided by Metro Management.  The gates can be opened and closed manually.  The overhead sign excuse is a totally smoke screen.  If no electricity is the reason for the overhead signs, who cares right now about that; some people still don’t have electricity at their homes, but are having to go back to work.  If the issue of the overhead signs is related to their structural integrity, then that’s a bunch of bull as well too since no main lanes are restricted on the Gulf Freeway (north or south) to prevent motorist from being injured by a falling sign (pieces of objects don’t always land direct below where they stand, sometimes pieces get shoved sideways too).  What other issues could there be!?  Metro Management needs to get with the program and open up the I-45 Gulf Freeway HOV lane so us southsiders don’t have to spend twice as much time trying to get to work.  Metro Management, great job maximizing the tax dollars we pay that afford you a means of employment.

Generators are not that expensive compared to the gas being wasted by commuters.  If you are too cheap to buy generators GET OFF YOUR LAZY HIND SIDES AND OPEN THE GATES MANUALLY!

What a crock - Metro Police Chief Tom Lambert in his quote says - "but we will not sacrifice people's safety for convenience. As we did with the 290, US 59 and other HOV lanes, we will open the I-45 South HOV when it is safe to do so."  Since when is the HOV lane a CONVENIENCE??????   I thought we built them with our taxpayer money as a NECESSITY to alleviate traffic congestion.    Metro execs need to read their job descriptions.  Get your Metro police guys out there to direct traffic...it's not that hard.

Tom -- Please drive to NASA today at 5pm.   I bet, if you do, you'll figure out a way to have the Gulf Freeway HOV open by tomorrow a.m.  

Don't go for a ride in a car... don't have a driver.  YOU DRIVE to NASA from Downtown.

It's times like these that you WILL find inspiration to do what you should have done over a week ago.

I know why Metro Cops can't handle getting the HOV open.  They're not *real* cops!!

Hello -- earn your keep!!!

Name THOMAS LAMBERT

Title SR VP PUBLIC SAFETY CHF POLICE

Agency METRO

Department PUBLIC SAFETY

Base $165,902

Overtime $0

Car Allowance $0

Incentive $9,176

===============>Total Pay $175,078

Frank J. Wilson

President & Chief Executive Officer

713-739-4832

Name FRANK WILSON

Title PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXEC OFFICER

Agency METRO

Department EXECUTIVE

Base $299,900

Overtime $0

Car Allowance $12,360

Incentive $0

GET A LOAD OF THIS!==============>>>>>Total Pay $312,260

Now remember, folks, the HOV lane is just a 'convenience'.

Wow -- I have a suggestion to save the taxpayes a LOT of money.  Mr. Wilson gave me the idea.

Car Allowance $12,360

Are you seriously kidding me??  A car allowance??  Have him TAKE THE BUS!  Don't they get to do that for FREE????

Tom and Frank take the bus?????  Be serious - - - they have car allowances and chauffeurs - you will NEVER see them on a bus or the ticky tacky train to nowhere.

Save $12k?  I have an idea that can save nearly $500k......

Wow, there's a lot of hate here.

Earl Green,

          I 2nd that.  Who cares how much these METRO guys make?  What does that have to do with the HOV debacle?

They sure as hell get paid a lot of public funds for not doing anything during this crisis.

What have they done -- in a time effective manner -- to remedy anything?  NOTHING.  There has been NOTHING timely about what they have done, and and still NEED to do.

And the free advice given on this blog -- it's not rocket science.  They could figure this out.

What is nearly $500k between them getting us?

Come one Earl.  You a METRO exec or something?

I'd be fearful.....

Mr. Collins,

You are correct. It should not matter what they make, if they are doing their job. The problem is, there are no answers coming and no accountability being taken, and therefore people are resorting to what they can do to relieve the stress and anxiety. They are venting, complaining, getting it off their chests. They can't do it by phone because no one is listening, (not that anyone is reading these except those of us doing the venting...).

Anyone who actually ridicules the cops for the HOV being closed are absolute MORONS!

The officers dont make these decisions!

Anyone that stupid doesnt need to be driving anyway!    

While I concede there may be damage that isn't visible to the human eye, it sure looks to me like everything is intact.  The lights even flash between downtown and East Loop - not sure about all the way out.  Metro seems intent on an all-or-nothing deal.  If the damage is really so bad at the far southern end of the lane (which I seriously doubt), why not open the lane between downtown and the East Loop?  Why not open the lane to Hobby Airport?

Sorry to be so suspicious here but I can't help but to believe the problems are more about adequate staffing or somebody trying to make a point about manpower shortages.

How dangerous can an enclosed single lane of traffic be when compared to multiple lanes stuffed full of stressed out people - some whi can't drive faster than 45 and others that can't drive slower than 85?

Really!  I keep checking my shoes, because I smell a load of crap and I keep thinking I must have stepped in some of it.

Frank Wilson makes about $340,000 in total compensation after his "nominal" 21% cost of living raise.  Let's not sell the guy short.

I'm thinking the late Robert McClennan made what, half of that?

Metro Police Chief Tom Lambert is incompetent and should be terminated for his lack of understanding and inability to communicate effectively. This city deserves better than the effort he has demonstrated in restoring service on the I45-S HOV.

No news on if the I45 South HOV lane will open tonight?  How about Monday?  would be nice to know something.

Its not only the car poolers that are suffering with the HOV closure. It is taking over an hour from the Bay Area park and pool to get to work in the mornings and getting home is taking nearly 1.5 hours, just getting to the bus stop. The buses are full at 6am to get to work by 7am.  Everyone is getting to the stop earlier and when they get to the park and pool, even though there are 40+ people waiting to get on a bus, only 10 to 15 get on because the bus is full from the other stop.  Metro needs to get going on this. Today. There are a million electrical engineers in Houston now, and it would only take a few to fix the problems on the HOV.Why isnt it getting fixed?