The Five-Year Countdown: How METRO Plans to Meet its Deadline

re: The Five-Year Countdown: How METRO Plans to Meet its Deadline

DominicMazoch — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 00:34:29 GMT

Has anybody thought of using self propelled LRT's. They are like the present units except the central unit had a diesel-electric unit. That way, you can have LRT without the overhead (wire), at least to begin with. NJ Transit has such a line.

re: The Five-Year Countdown: How METRO Plans to Meet its Deadline

Cedric Collins — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 23:01:38 GMT

All I have to say is---thank GOD METRO didn't choose the BRT thing because with many people who may want to ride, it would be a waste of time trying to convert when it would be done anyways. Good luck to METRO and hopefully they can try to perform the same feat they did the bike racks thing. That would be nice.

re: The Five-Year Countdown: How METRO Plans to Meet its Deadline

barbara shaidnagle — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 13:35:48 GMT

Mary, the Q card is not ready for the general public, I found out Friday and if I missed it here, oh, well, my husband and I enjoyed the ride to the Lee Brown bldg and back home.

re: The Five-Year Countdown: How METRO Plans to Meet its Deadline

ChloeMireille — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:20:29 GMT

Godspeed, Metro. I'm looking forward to becoming even less car-dependent than I am now.

re: The Five-Year Countdown: How METRO Plans to Meet its Deadline

Cedric Collins — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 17:47:04 GMT

"Does that wish include stripping Mr. Wilson of his enormous monthly CAR allowance even though, according to channel 13, he lives a mere stones throw from a park & pillage lot?"

That just doesn't make not one ounce of sense. What are you talking about? NOTE: Not that I care but inqiuring minds want to know. People like me just doesn't care about what the news thinks because they, too doesn't have the final say in things around here---and I do mean ANYTHING!

Deal with it and move on!

re: The Five-Year Countdown: How METRO Plans to Meet its Deadline

Colleen — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 19:39:56 GMT

Does anyone know if the new plan has the option of driving cars and bikes along side the rail, or will they totally tear up the streets so only the light rail will be able to go through?

re: The Five-Year Countdown: How METRO Plans to Meet its Deadline

txilya — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 21:46:48 GMT

Indeed, Frank Wilson's $1,030 per month car allowance is way too big!

re: The Five-Year Countdown: How METRO Plans to Meet its Deadline

wi11ie — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 02:53:02 GMT

Well let's see.....

Like gas through a funnel?

Like eggs through a hen?

Even without stopping cross traffic I can still beat the rail...

But I am good at what I do.

Something that I have wanted to ask is: Why synchronise the lights in the downtown area if MAIN is usually the bottleneck going east/west on every street as the rail puts the lights at odds with all the others on the same street?Master plan? I didn't think so..

wi11ie

re: The Five-Year Countdown: How METRO Plans to Meet its Deadline

txilya — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:33:28 GMT

I always enjoy reading Don G and wi11ie's comments on this blog - interesting and well stated, never offensive to other people.

I wish Metro's blog had a "Recommend" button for each comment like many other blogs. Just a thought... I know I know - it costs extra and some people don't care about bells and whistles... As far as the extra cost - maybe Frank Wilson could spare some money from his excessive monthly car allowance?..

re: The Five-Year Countdown: How METRO Plans to Meet its Deadline

Mary Sit — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 17:29:30 GMT

twilya,

I like this photo, too. It was taken by a contract photographer. In general, unless it's stock photography or a photo taken by our staff photographer, I try to credit the source. For example, Ernest Chou, our senior community rep, enjoys photography and has taken photos for the blog - and in that instance, I credit him.

re: The Five-Year Countdown: How METRO Plans to Meet its Deadline

txilya — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 17:44:46 GMT

Thanks for the clarification, Ms. Sit.

txilya

re: The Five-Year Countdown: How METRO Plans to Meet its Deadline

JohnTx — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 18:17:19 GMT

Does anyone here remember the comments made by Metro when they removed that old 55 Kingwood PR - Greenspoint via Bush IAH route several years ago (only lived for 3 months)?

Several people in the neighborhood by FM 1960 And West Lake Houston Pkwy complained about the route going through the area, and Metro response was something like (if my mind recalls) - we don't want to go where we are wanted". Business owners among Richmond and else where don't like the rail coming in, yet Metro wants to force the businesses to close or struggle to get by while the construction is going on like what happened during the regular Main line.

I remember voting yes several years ago on the Metro board issue, but I voted YES for extra bus routes (like the Louetta and the Willowbrook to NW Station PR/Hwy6 routes). I wished I voted NO on it.

http://www.yesterland.com/images-tomorrowland/monorail3.jpg

Or this one;

http://www.travelblog.org/Photos/655776.html

Here;s Sydneys and a street as well as a walkway;

http://butchhoward.com/photos/monorail_640.jpg

Again, by fully grade separating transit, you remove all other limits to speed and you remove all possibilities of collisions and accidents with all other modes as well as pedestrians.

If you read online and click on my name at the top of my posts, it will take you to a discussion group that has been talking about elevated transit for Houston.

http://www.technologyinnovator.com/images/Kl-Monorail.JPG

One of the finest representations of how a fully elevated monorail line could be used say on Richmond is this shot of the Malaysia design. The rail line is in the esplanade with roadways on both sides (cannot be seen in this photo. This was proposed as a viable solution for Houston where the land under the guideways could have had walkways, bikeways and landscaping;

http://de.structurae.de/photos/index.cfm?JP=173

re: The Five-Year Countdown: How METRO Plans to Meet its Deadline

Don G — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 02:20:02 GMT

Cedric really needs to learn how to quote and give correct credit to who wrote what.

I was replying to txilya and concurred with her suggestion that photos have credit given to the source. It adds value to many of us who are interested in these things and also gives credit to the producer of the item, as is usually done in newspapers.

My comment (and not txilya's) was a jab at humor since whomever shot the footage of the tram was hopefully not a Metro employee and it would be interesting to see who in Metro decided to run it on their website.

SInce it shows illegal crossing of the rail line by riders, it provides proof that the inherent design of the rail line offers easy opportunity to walk onto the tracks where one is not supposed to.

I for one, have seen many a person run across the street and jump up onto the platform at the center as well.

re: The Five-Year Countdown: How METRO Plans to Meet its Deadline

Don G — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 20:42:28 GMT

txilya said:

Don G,

Thanks for the helpfule links (where is that "Recommend" button?). My personal preferences are also in favor of the elevated rail design.

And FYI - I am a male, so it would be his - not "her suggestion". ;)

Sorry about that! Figured it was Texas ilya and guessed wrong. That is a classic case of how people can get the wrong feelings or thoughts on a person by the way they type messages or express themselves.

Did you just join the MET Houston group last week? If so, drop me a line over there.

As I have stated before, my dislike for what Metro represents came when I wrote a very simple and serious quesstion to John Sedlak way back prior to any decision to build the Main St tram line.

He lied to me then and most of us who ask serious questions or ask for information are forced to use the Texas Freedom of Information laws to get information out of them.

My question was basically, Why not save time and money and reissue the 1991MIS done by Metro instead of completely going onto another tangent (aka at-grade, in-the-street trolley car lines).

Bombardier alone spent well over $1 Million on their proposal for 1991 and on talking to a senoir engineer there, they said they would avoid Houston based on the false procedures and basic waste of time.

That same engineer had done at grade as well at monorail designs and was heavily involved with the Disney design and construction.

I remember asking him which design would make the most long-term money for a company and without hesitation, said at grade would create far more profits.

Soooo many people will say "Oh, Disney's monorail is just an amusement park ride". Well, what would you prefer to ride in, something that amuses you or something that is at grade and slow?

Disney's one line in Florida hauls over 150,000 people, on average, every single day and all without any incidents with other modes or pedestrians...all on a wee little 6 station line.

What-Where is the 'recommend' button you referred to?

re: The Five-Year Countdown: How METRO Plans to Meet its Deadline

Cedric Collins — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 01:42:28 GMT

"Cedric really needs to learn how to quote and give correct credit to who wrote what."

Don G really needs to learn more about somebody before he wants to cross the line and endanger what he says because he make NO sense whatsoever! What you have to say about that?! ALL inquiring minds would request to know.

You don't know a *** thing about me so you need to turn your brain back on and do that. If so, I'd be happy. Got that? Thank you for cooperation in advance!

re: The Five-Year Countdown: How METRO Plans to Meet its Deadline

txilya — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 02:48:17 GMT

My previous comment said: "...I like reading other people’s comments..."

I'd like to add: ...well, most of them...

re: The Five-Year Countdown: How METRO Plans to Meet its Deadline

Cedric Collins — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 03:48:15 GMT

(loud yawns) Obviously, people must of forgotten how to ignore what they don't want to read so if anybody wants to tackle that word, please---enighten us all. The word is "ignore," BTW. I have my fair share of enemies on this God-for-saking planet but do you know what I say to those folks? WHO CARES ABOUT YOU! I can go at this all alone. I don't need any help. I can say what I want to say and that's the end of it---unless I request to keep this going. You will NOT silence me so stop trying, for God's sake.

I have a problem with you; you have a problem with me. What's the point? You have the right to hate me. Kudos to you for that.

YES, I have said this once before and to get certain people's brains working again (sorry but I won't name names here), I'll say this once again.

Here it is (probably different from what I said last time): If you have a definite problem with what the heck I say (since I have the right to do so---no matter how hurtful it is towards other people), then you (whoever you are) need to personally write to Ms. Mary Sit, Mr. Frank J. WIlson and to anybody else at METRO about me (Cedric Collins) and tell them how you feel about me and how you're trying to silence me.

Now I can fully understand what people like METRO feels in any situation. I just hope that they can keep their heads up and do what's right for the community and for people like me who ride their buses and trains everyday of the work week.

KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK, METRO!!