East End Groundbreaking Celebrates Beginning of Light-Rail Line

re: East End Groundbreaking Celebrates Beginning of Light-Rail Line

DominicMazoch — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:16:51 GMT

Well, at least Harrisburg will go over the old HB&T East Belt Subdivision. Should have been years ago. Error....DECADES ago. At least Wayside and 69th/Sargent Garcia goes under the GH&H just southof Sears.

re: East End Groundbreaking Celebrates Beginning of Light-Rail Line

Royko — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:53:36 GMT

Ms. Sit,

Did taxpayers have to pay for all those METREAUX highly-paid "consultants" such as Carol Alvarado, et al, to attend the "ground breaking" as one of the requirements in thier scope of work?

re: East End Groundbreaking Celebrates Beginning of Light-Rail Line

ChloeMireille — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:57:45 GMT

About time.

Now let's see if any of this will actually get done by 2012.

re: East End Groundbreaking Celebrates Beginning of Light-Rail Line

Cedric Collins — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:19:56 GMT

What does that have to do with anything transit-related? NOTHING! Anyhoo, I'm hopeful METRO can get this done before then but I'll go on ahead and deal with the 2012 deadline because of the long road ahead for METRO and Houston. Good luck!

re: East End Groundbreaking Celebrates Beginning of Light-Rail Line

Cedric Collins — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:57:10 GMT

I REST MY CASE!

re: East End Groundbreaking Celebrates Beginning of Light-Rail Line

DominicMazoch — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 22:58:53 GMT

.....and there is always Murphy's Law........

re: East End Groundbreaking Celebrates Beginning of Light-Rail Line

K. Banks — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 12:23:51 GMT

It will be interesting to see if small-disadvantaged businesses will "get a piece of the pie." Do you have to be a business associated with a City/METRO insider to obtain bids to work on the rail.

re: East End Groundbreaking Celebrates Beginning of Light-Rail Line

ChloeMireille — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:46:31 GMT

Steve Palmer said:

"Under other circumstances, I would be as skeptical as you are, but given that Metro DID manage to finish the Red Line exactly on time, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt (although I realize that building several lines at once is a far more ambitious undertaking)."

It may actually be easier since the East End line isn't going to Magnolia TC right now due to issues with the railroad. However, the problems I'm foreseeing are mainly with the University line, since it's the only line still getting news coverage. People on the Westpark end have finally stopped their whining, but now the University end, specifically people on Wheeler, have started up.

Now don't get me wrong, Wheeler is a lovely street. However, based on what I see, it's next to impossible to move to another street without completely bypassing TSU. Last time I checked, that was part of the point of the University line.

This is just standard hypocrisy sitting in the way of progress. People want mass transit, but not if it has to come down THEIR street.

That's why I think it's going to take longer than 2012.

re: East End Groundbreaking Celebrates Beginning of Light-Rail Line

Royko — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:44:38 GMT

Mr. Palmer,

METREAUX's contractor did finish the Red Line on time, although they rushed to tear up the entire right-of-way, so as to ensure the courts would not stop them, and, to bolster the argument for the 2003 referendum, that too much money would be wasted if voters did not approve the scheme.

What taxpayers received was a shoddily built system, leaking stray current. METREAUX has spent millions, without the contractor being forced to reimburse METRO for the testing and repairs, and there is a pending lawsuit concerning the damage the tram is causing to the Texas Medical Center infrastructure.

Now METREAUX has hurried agin to break ground for the Harrisburg boondoggle, without a contractor, no engineering or proper design.

A recipe for "Deja Vu all over again!"