Don’t Hold Back: Web Chat This Friday

re: Don’t Hold Back: Web Chat This Friday

wi11ie — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:51:10 GMT

Mary,

The comments I hear are,

"Must be nice to pick and choose fluff questions to answer!Wish I could do that at my job!"

"How about a face to face without all the Gestapo-like presence? Is this guy making such bad/poor decisions that he must be surrounded like the freaking President of the USA?"

It goes on and on.

I have spoken to Mr.Wilson on several occasions and when he is not being rushed to the next meeting, and he is a pretty decent guy. Can be irreverent and funny. Just needs to loosen his tie a bit, roll up his sleeves, forget the endless useless meetings with people who are here to kiss his butt and keep him from seeing whats going on for real.

Just an opinion.. not worth much.. but there it is!

wi11ie

re: Don’t Hold Back: Web Chat This Friday

DominicMazoch — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:01:34 GMT

How do you present a question in advance? Contact the blogger?

re: Don’t Hold Back: Web Chat This Friday

Mary Sit — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:33:54 GMT

Dominic,

You can post your question here on this blog and I'll make sure it's submitted for our Web chat.

re: Don’t Hold Back: Web Chat This Friday

Charles Hernandez — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:04:56 GMT

If the rail running along Richmond and connecting UofH, TSU and Richmond all the way west was a good idea, then why hasn't bus service been put on this route to show how valuable it would be.

re: Don’t Hold Back: Web Chat This Friday

Charles Hernandez — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:14:17 GMT

Whay hasn't Metro taken some type of active role in improving eastbound safety at Elgin and Main. The HCC campus often has vehicles parked in the no parking area in front of the building (Armored Trucks, FedEx, people dropping off people)stopping the right lane, while no center lane for people turning left into the HCC parking garage has the left lane stopped. Often this leads to traffic suddenly stopped across the rail.

re: Don’t Hold Back: Web Chat This Friday

Cedric Collins — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:27:11 GMT

Charles Hernandez said: "Whay hasn't Metro taken some type of active role in improving eastbound safety at Elgin and Main. The HCC campus often has vehicles parked in the no parking area in front of the building (Armored Trucks, FedEx, people dropping off people)stopping the right lane, while no center lane for people turning left into the HCC parking garage has the left lane stopped. Often this leads to traffic suddenly stopped across the rail."

HOLD IT! That may be an HCC location but that is NOT a campus where regular college students go---unless they want to deal with Culinary Arts or Real Estate. It's actually an administration builing. Furthermore, HCC is not the only "tenants" of the building. In fact, I'm there right now. My job is at this location.

The closest HCC "campus" is the HCC-Central Campus---which is on Holam Street---AWAY from the METRORail line.

In addition, I don't really think that's METRO's problem. METRO should only deal with the rail line and to get cops there to enforce the "no left turn" deal. I think that's the problem of both the City of Houston and HCC to work out.

Charles Hernandez said: "Bike racks...where is the information on how to use them, and bike routes..I looked and couldn't find the information on this blog or on RideMetro.org it may be there but if it buried how is that helpful."

Have you tried to first search for it? I did and found it in less than five seconds. Near the top of the home page (at the right), type in "bike rack" and you'll be in a gold mine. To help you out so you won't have to search for it, here's the URL you need to look at (http://www.ridemetro.org/Services/Bus/Bikesonbuses.aspx). Good luck on looking at it.

re: Don’t Hold Back: Web Chat This Friday

CHRIS — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 22:13:46 GMT

I AM VERY SORRY I MISSED THE MARCH DEADLINE FOR EXCHANGING MY MAGNETIC CARD TO THE Q CARD. PLEAS MAKE AN EXCEPTION AND TRANSFER MY $100 PLUS CARD. I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE THIS.

re: Don’t Hold Back: Web Chat This Friday

DominicMazoch — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:48:29 GMT

OK, Here goes my (82 Westheimer length) question:

I have noticed that Bogata in South America has BRT lanes which look like the HOT lanes on the Katy, but are for buses only, and have transit stations, with crosswalks over the mainlanes.

METRO can put 60 buses an hour each way on the HOT. Has METRO considered getting air rights from the HCTRA/TexDOT, and placing overhead BRT stations over the HOT in the future to provide more guideway transit on that corridor, and/or 290?

Thanks,

Dominic Mazoch

re: Don’t Hold Back: Web Chat This Friday

Urban Commuter — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:35:51 GMT

Charles Hernandez,

Here is the link to the Houston Bikeways map (a city, not a Metro service):

http://www.publicworks.houstontx.gov/bikeways/docs/bikeways_map_network.pdf

Please note there are very view actual bike lanes or paths - a lot of those routes are shared bikeways which only means the cars are supposed to look out for you. Don't let that stop you, though!

re: Don’t Hold Back: Web Chat This Friday

J. Liggins — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:28:03 GMT

I actually prefer the zig zag routes as they cover more area than the current grid routes that are being introduced ver so often. First, the zig-zag routes are the oldest and more established routes meaning more ridership and thus, more service. Many of the grid routes are newer and have less service. Also, I don't trust Metro to operate a grid system properly as timely transfers are a necessity and Metro can't get that right at this point.

re: Don’t Hold Back: Web Chat This Friday

Mary Sit — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:48:41 GMT

CHRIS,

To start the process, please call our Customer Information Center at 713.635.4000. Tranferring balances past the deadline will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Thanks.

re: Don’t Hold Back: Web Chat This Friday

Cedric Collins — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:27:12 GMT

Clue,

There's a thing called "common sense." That would need to be used before commenting or asking questions that may NOT have anything to do with METRO. The traffic problem he mentioned at the interscetion of Main @ Elgin is a prime example (will explain laterz). Just a friendly tip.

What I say stands. Just because there's a METRO rail line that crosses Elgin along Main Street doesn't mean METRO can solve any problems people have about traffic troubles at that location.

Do you work there? I DO! I see that kind of problem almost everyday and I still say that's the problem either the City of Houston or HCC would need to solve. The only thing METRO can do is to try to keep people from blocking the tracks---especially when a train is coming. Perhaps METRO can put crossing arms at each intersection along the rail line and not just at certain spots? That would be great.

Thank you!

re: Don’t Hold Back: Web Chat This Friday

Part-Time 286 Rider — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:24:46 GMT

I know that 286 is the lowest performing P&R route from previous posts. But since we are now using the Q-card Metro should be able to track where riders are transferring. I am a part-time rider because if I make it to W Little York P&R by 7:30am I ride if not I drive. But it seems that when I do ride in the evening almost everyone gets off at Northwest Transit Center. Either to the 217, 214 or 298. Now that Metro has the Q-card info would this not justify extending a few trips out to Northwest or Cypress P&R. I know you can transfer at NTC but with no HOV out to Cypress the 217 sits on 290 main lanes before the HOV. I have missed the transfer many times because of this. My question is will Metro extend the 286 route or when will the HOV be extended to Cypress?

re: Don’t Hold Back: Web Chat This Friday

Ms. Pants — Fri, 02 May 2008 14:59:40 GMT

Cedric,

I find that you generally have good info to share in your comments. However, I have also noticed that you're becoming more and more cranky in your comments recently and I do think it unfortunately undermines the helpful information that you generally put forth. When people see vitriol, they shut down and stop reading immediately, or at the very least, assume that anything following the vitriol is without merit. As someone who works for Metro, you've got a firsthand insight that most of us don't have the benefit of getting. Getting snarky with people really only reinforces the negative opinions about Metro all around, which I don't think is really your goal.

re: Don’t Hold Back: Web Chat This Friday

DominicMazoch — Tue, 06 May 2008 03:24:36 GMT

Sometimes, I use the 286 after the shutdown of the 210. Most of the ttaffic seems to be from Greenway/Uptown to the NWTC. Guess people don't want to deal with the turtle slow 33. I still say the 286 could run to the TMC TC, and gain a HUGE ridership from that point.

I still think the 298 could still work, if the route would run:

K'dahl P&R

N. Shep P&R

Enter HOV

Leave HOV at IH-10

IH-10 West to Heights.

SB at Heights

Stop at American General at Allen Parkway (Bat Bridge)

Stop at Westheimer (Catch 82)

Go to Montrose, SB

Stop at Alabama (Univ. St. Thomas)

Stop at Richmond (Catch 25)

Stop at Rice Univ.

Stop at TMC TC/and or loop TMC.