Tag Archives: Main Street line

Tell Rep. Culberson how you feel about rail on Richmond

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From RichmondRail.org: We’ve learned recently that US Congressman John Culberson is soliciting input regarding the planned METRO rail line on Richmond Avenue. While the Congressman has directed his request to property owners and occupants on Richmond Ave., rail transit on … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Metro’s new trains

Posted on October 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Last week, Metro announced that it had received delivery of a new train, the first of a batch of new light rail vehicles (LRVs) scheduled to arrive in town. Gilbert Garcia, METRO board chairman, said the light-rail Siemens S70 represents … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Take the train to your dining destination

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Katharine Shilcutt writes about how she gets to some of her favorite restaurants. When owner Staci Davis decided on a location for her restaurant, Radical Eats, one thing was extremely important to her above all: Davis wanted her vegan paradise to … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Open house meetings for US90A/Southwest Rail Corridor project

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

From Metro: The New METRO is continuing work on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the US90A/Southwest Rail Corridor Project with meetings to inform the public about alternatives that will be considered as part of this federal process. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Open house meetings for US90A/Southwest Rail Corridor project

Houston Central Station

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This is pretty cool. [Last Tuesday], the Houston Downtown Management District hosted a competition featuring designs from five award-winning architectural firms. The challenge: to design an iconic new Central Station – Main on Main Street between Capitol and Rusk. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Thinking outside the box on the city’s finances

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve seen the ideas generated by the Long Term Financial Management Task Force, which I thought lacked a certain amount of breadth to its perspective. Here’s a taste of what else might be out there to think about. Good Jobs … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

You need more than more miles to get more riders

Posted on December 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The new 28-mile Green Line in Dallas has begun full service, and it is expected to add about 30,000 daily boardings, bringing DART’s total rail ridership to about 90,000 per day. That’s for 72 miles of rail lines, which is … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Midtown development

Posted on June 9, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Sunday Chron had a look at some new development coming to Main Street near the Ensemble/HCC station. In it was this observation about what had previously been built in the area: When the Main Street light rail line opened … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Metro approves study of Fort Bend commuter rail line

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

In the last act for several Metro board members, we get a step forward on another commuter rail line. Moving to extend Metro’s reach into Fort Bend County, the agency’s board agreed Thursday to spend up to $500,000 on environmental … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A few words with David Wolff

Posted on December 11, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron talks to David Wolff, the soon-to-be-former Chair of Metro, about the state of the agency. Q: Why has it taken six years to build new light rail lines when the Main Street line was built so quickly? A: … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A few words with David Wolff

Streetcar-mania

Posted on November 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Streetcars may be coming to a street near you in many cities. What links Boise, Cincinnati and Charlotte — and Salt Lake City, Dallas, Atlanta and Kansas City, where streetcar tracks abandoned in 1953 still poke through the city’s weathered … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Wolff speaks about Metro

Posted on September 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s Metro board chair David Wolff giving a state of the system address in the op-ed pages. I suppose it’s a counter, if not a response to Bill King’s piece from two weeks ago; it offers a defense of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Wolff speaks about Metro

If they can do it, why can’t we?

Posted on September 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The city of Phoenix loves its new light rail line. The light rail here, which opened in December, has been a greater success than its proponents thought it would be, but not quite the way they envisioned. Unlike the rest … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Bonding Metro

Posted on August 27, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

It wouldn’t be Metro if there weren’t drama. Metro has not obtained performance or payment bonds to cover all the planned construction of four new light rail lines, and some officials say that could put taxpayer dollars at risk. Metro … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A solution in search of a problem

Posted on August 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We were out of town over the weekend, so I managed to miss this Bill King op-ed about the “need” to elevate the Main Street line on Fannin in the Medical Center area. Having now read it, I have three … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Metro light rail groundbreaking

Posted on July 13, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Asa we know, today was groundbreaking day for Metro on the North and Southeast lines. Here’s the coverage I could find: an oddly negative story from KTRK, stories from Fox and KHOU, and a story from Texas Cable News that … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The new Hermann Park train

Posted on April 19, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

All aboard! Hermann Park Conservancy on Saturday will formally unveil $14 million in park improvements, including a new miniature train station, dramatically landscaped grounds and a lakeside plaza featuring a restaurant, gift shop and rest­rooms. Among other project highlights for … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The new Hermann Park train

Metro approves contract with Parsons

Posted on March 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Metropolitan Transit Authority board of directors on Wednesday unanimously approved a $1.46 billion contract for four new light rail lines, which would add 20 miles to its lone seven-mile line along Main Street. Under the contract, which came … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Metro approves contract with Parsons

ULI Mayoral candidate forum report

Posted on February 23, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

As I am not a member of the Urban Land Institute of Houston, I did not get an invitation to their members-only Mayoral candidate forum on Thursday, which got a brief mention in the Chron on Friday. Fortunately, Andrew Burleson … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on ULI Mayoral candidate forum report