Tag Archives: light rail

Still tweaking the Metro referendum

Posted on July 24, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Extending one rail line to Hobby Airport instead of two has generated some savings in the projected cost, which can then allow for other things to be done. The expected price of extending the Green Line and Purple Line light … Continue reading →

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Metro and the Mayor’s race

Posted on June 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This went pretty much as one would expect. Delivering his fourth State of Mobility speech to Transportation Advocacy Group-Houston Chapter, Mayor Sylvester Turner echoed previous years, noting the region needs more options than solo driving if it is to handle … Continue reading →

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What if we didn’t expand I-45?

Posted on June 24, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s an awful lot of money that comes with a ton of negative effects and which, if the I-10 expansion is any guide, will have short-lived positive effects. So maybe we should just, like, not do it? A massive remake … Continue reading →

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Metro’s driverless shuttle finally debuts

Posted on June 20, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Nice to have good weather. TSU’s Tiger Walk isn’t just for pedestrians anymore. The region’s first autonomous shuttle to carry passengers debuted Wednesday along the tree-lined walk, the center of the Texas Southern University campus. Operated by Metropolitan Transit Authority, … Continue reading →

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Metro still talking how to get to Hobby

Posted on June 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

At some point, we gotta make a final call. Transit and city officials took turns Tuesday trading barbs over the best way to route light rail from Houston’s East End to Hobby Airport. In a sometimes-testy back and forth, District … Continue reading →

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The timeline for driverless cars

Posted on June 3, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We know they’re coming, but how long it takes them to get here really matters. For Elon Musk, the driverless car is always right around the corner. At an investor day event last month focused on Tesla’s autonomous driving technology, the … Continue reading →

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Still working on the light rail options for MetroNEXT

Posted on May 28, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The most interesting part of this discussion of where a proposed extension of the Green and/or Purple lines to Hobby Airport may go is unfortunately not on the drawing board at this time. Speaking before the METRO board, District I … Continue reading →

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How secure is the future of ridesharing?

Posted on May 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Just a couple of recent stories that got me thinking. Item One: Uber’s business model isn’t all there: While there’s optimism about elements of the core business, the company lost more than $3 billion on operations in 2018, revenue growth slowed … Continue reading →

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Metro’s challenge

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s all about BRT. Houston transit officials are betting on bus rapid transit as a big part of the region’s long-term plans, at times going as far as calling it the “wave of the future.” If seeing is believing, however, … Continue reading →

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Why is allowing ads on Metro buses so hard?

Posted on April 25, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron editorial board weighs in. The Metropolitan Transit Authority should proceed cautiously as it considers lifting its ban on commercial advertising on buses, rail cars, stations and shelters. That prohibition has served Houston well over the years, working together … Continue reading →

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We are still talking about Metro maybe allowing ads

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This is one of the longer ongoing story lines I’ve followed on this blog. The red and blue stripes on Metro’s buses and trains soon could be joined by advertisements for Red Lobster and Blue Bell, a nod to the … Continue reading →

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How many rail lines to Hobby do we need?

Posted on April 7, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe just one. Metropolitan Transit Authority board members on Thursday agreed to plan on one light rail line to Hobby Airport, as opposed to the two initially proposed as part of the agency’s long-term transportation plan. The first draft of … Continue reading →

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The Harris County poll you didn’t really need

Posted on March 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Sponsored by HRBC, a survey was released today that reveals many insights into Harris County voters and their feelings towards political leaders and important issues facing Harris County. “While Harris County voters feel very differently about various … Continue reading →

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There is no longer a ban on federal funds for rail on Richmond

Posted on February 19, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This is about as bittersweet as it gets. There are no plans to build light rail on Richmond, but for the first time in a long time there is nothing stopping Metro from asking for federal funds to help pay … Continue reading →

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From the “Elections have consequences”, Metro referendum edition

Posted on February 11, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Sometimes, consequences are good things. METRO will get more federal support for public transportation projects if Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher has anything to say about it. The freshman lawmaker wants to use her new seat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure … Continue reading →

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More details on the Metro referendum

Posted on January 20, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Still a work in progress. A planned 110 miles of two-way HOV along major freeways with eight new park and ride stations is expected to cost $1.37 billion, with another $383 million in improvements to operate 25 percent more bus … Continue reading →

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Metro moving forward on 2019 referendum

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I’m ready for it. The Metropolitan Transit Authority is expected to ask voters next fall for more than $3 billion in borrowing authority to implement its next wave of transit projects. The 20-year plan laid out by Metro officials includes … Continue reading →

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More Metro regional transit plan meetings planned

Posted on November 28, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

There’s more to talk about now. After gathering input over the past year on how to expand public transportation in the region, METRO says it will soon hold another series of meetings to see what people think of their draft Regional Transit Plan. … Continue reading →

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Metro’s post-Culberson future

Posted on November 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

You might not be aware of this, but famously anti-Metro Congressman John Culberson lost his bid for re-election on Tuesday. What might that mean for Metro? In one of the more stunning defeats of incumbent Republicans on Tuesday night, Lizzie … Continue reading →

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Second look at Metro’s long range transit plan

Posted on September 16, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Still a work in progress, but there’s beginning to be some focus. Transit officials inched closer Wednesday to asking voters next year for up to $3 billion for two-way express bus service along many Houston freeways, along with a few … Continue reading →

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The autonomous cars/mass transit debate

Posted on August 18, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Seems to me this should be a “both-and” rather than an “either-or”, but you know how I get. Autonomous vehicles that will outperform buses, cost less than Uber and travel faster than cars stuck in traffic today are two years … Continue reading →

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First look at Metro’s long range plan

Posted on August 2, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s big, with smaller components that could be done as lower-cost alternatives. After a bus system overhaul that garnered the attention of other cities looking to do the same, Houston’s transit agency is in the midst of creating its long-range plan, MetroNEXT, to take the … Continue reading →

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The World Cup and its possible infrastructure effects

Posted on July 16, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Assuming Houston does get to be a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, that could spur some major projects, for transportation and recreation and who knows what else. Houston will not receive final word on the bid until … Continue reading →

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Enabling better transit

Posted on May 30, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This is great. For less than the cost of a single bus, however, Metro might be the first transit agency in the country to take a significant step across an entire bus system that could open riding options to scores … Continue reading →

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No Metro vote this year

Posted on May 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

One thing that won’t be on your ballot this fall. Voters will have to wait a few more months to decide Houston’s transit future, as Metro officials said Monday they are taking a more deliberative approach to developing a long-term … Continue reading →

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Metro will pilot automated vehicle shuttle at TSU

Posted on May 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

from the inbox: Texas Southern University students may have another transportation option on campus in the fall semester: an autonomous shuttle. Today, METRO’s Board of Directors gave the nod to the autonomous vehicle (AV) project, a first for the agency.  Although the … Continue reading →

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The possible Houston high speed rail stations

Posted on December 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From Swamplot: ONE OF THESE 3 spots revealed in a report from the Federal Railroad Administration will be the planned site for the Houston-Dallas high-speed rail line’s Houston terminal. All 3 are near the intersection of the 610 Loop and … Continue reading →

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Lamenting the lost rail opportunity

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

What could have been. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett’s speech Tuesday may have included jabs at state lawmakers, but it was a hit with transit advocates for a single line. “We cannot go back in time and undo some poor … Continue reading →

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What Houston is showing to Amazon

Posted on October 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Meet the Innovation Corridor. Houston leaders hope to entice Amazon with a spot somewhere within the four-mile stretch of the Metro rail line that runs from downtown to the Texas Medical Center, an area they’re calling the Innovation Corridor – … Continue reading →

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Houston signs memorandum of understanding with Texas Central

Posted on August 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This makes a lot of sense. At City Hall, Houston and Texas Central Partners announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding, which commits both sides to share environmental surveys, utility analysis and engineering related to the project and surrounding … Continue reading →

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Can we share these lanes?

Posted on August 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Metro is rethinking how the light rail lines run in parts of downtown. Traffic woes and collisions along the newest light-rail lines in downtown have Metro leaders toying with the idea of backpedaling on their promise not to close parts … Continue reading →

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Culberson does his Culberson thing to Metro again

Posted on July 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It is what it is. But maybe, just maybe, there’s now a sell-by date on it. Houston may have stopped building light rail lines, but the fight over them rages on — right to Washington where Rep. John Culberson again … Continue reading →

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Help Metro figure out its Regional Transit Plan

Posted on June 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s your chance to get involved and shape the direction of transit in the greater Houston area going forward. What is your vision for transit service in the Greater Houston region? METRO needs your help in creating a bold vision … Continue reading →

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No Metro vote this year

Posted on May 27, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

One less to worry about. Agency officials expect to begin public meetings to gather input on where expanded bus and rail lines might go in late June. But the critical public response – the money to fund preferred projects via … Continue reading →

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