Tag Archives: BRT

Texas Transportation Commission continues to be obstinate

Posted on September 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This continues to be ridiculous. Continued disagreement about certain features of a planned Uptown bus rapid transit system prompted a Texas transportation official to suggest Thursday that $25 million in state funding should be redirected. The comments by Texas Transportation … Continue reading →

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No one gets to dictate that the Uptown line must be BRT forever

Posted on August 27, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

So as we know, the Uptown line is moving ahead as BRT. It will be paid for with a variety of funds, coming from the city, from an Uptown/Memorial TIRZ, from grants, and so forth. A key component of this … Continue reading →

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A step forward for Uptown BRT

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Progress. Texas transportation officials Thursday kicked in $25 million to build a dedicated bus lane along Loop 610, ensuring the second piece of a planned bus rapid transit corridor in the Uptown area. As part of a larger statewide transportation … Continue reading →

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Uptown BRT update

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From Swamplot: HERE ARE SOME of the purty watercolor renderings the Uptown District has been presenting of what Post Oak Blvd. will look like after the addition of 2 dedicated bus lanes down its middle. The proposed changes to the … Continue reading →

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Uptown transit plan gets key funding approval

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. Plans for bus-only lanes along Post Oak Boulevard in the Uptown area moved forward Thursday when a key committee recommended spending $62 million in federal funds. Members of the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s transportation improvement program subcommittee approved the … Continue reading →

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The Uptown plan is as much about HOV as it is BRT

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe more. Most discussion of the Uptown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone’s plan, which goes before City Council this week, has been about a proposal to annex Memorial Park into the zone and spend $100 million restoring the drought-stricken park. The … Continue reading →

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For the Uptown/Memorial TIRZ

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Ed Wulfe never mentions Mattress Mack or his recent diatribe in the Chron about the proposed Uptown/Memorial Park TIRZ, but his op-ed in the Chron is clearly aimed at countering naysayers like Mattress Mack. Uptown is one of the most … Continue reading →

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Mattress Mack’s Uptown rant

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot missing from Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale’s screed in the Sunday op-ed pages. When you get right down to it, the recent announcement that the Uptown Houston Management District wants to spend $177.5 million to “redesign and widen” … Continue reading →

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The Uptown/Memorial TIRZ

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Big projects, big plans, big funding mechanism. Transit and trees – things that make urban areas move quickly and look pretty – are the centerpieces of a $500 million project that would remake the Uptown area and reinvigorate Memorial Park. … Continue reading →

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Uptown BRT

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting news from Swamplot. The driving force of a project that Uptown Houston District has proposed to the city to transform Post Oak Blvd.? Big beautiful buses. With both residential and commercial developments like Skanska’s 20-story office building popping up … Continue reading →

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San Antonio approves long term transit plan

Posted on July 31, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The board of VIA Metropolitan Transit, the transit agency for San Antonio, has unanimously approved a long term roadmap that will bring rail construction to the city. San Antonio is the largest city in the U.S. with a bus-only transit … Continue reading →

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San Antonio streetcar study

Posted on January 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Fort Worth may have punted on streetcars, but San Antonio is still moving ahead. It’s not a green light, but it is a boost nonetheless for VIA Metropolitan Transit’s plans to build two streetcar lines downtown. The transit agency recently … Continue reading →

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BRT for San Antonio?

Posted on May 27, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, San Antonio is seeking federal funds to build a streetcar line emanating from downtown. That’s not their only big transit plan in the works. As the On the Move blog reports, VIA has proposed changing one of … Continue reading →

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More on Metro’s finances

Posted on March 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron takes a closer look at Metro’s finances and the recently expressed doubts about their ability to pay for the University and Uptown lines. Mayor Annise Parker said last week that she wasn’t convinced the Metropolitan Transit Authority would … Continue reading →

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Crosstown (rail) traffic

Posted on March 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Approving the construction contract with Parsons is a big step forward for the long-awaited light rail expansion in Houston. But there’s still a lot more to be done. The Metropolitan Transit Authority will look to the Federal Transit Administration for … Continue reading →

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The whys and wherefores of bus rapid transit

Posted on February 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Mean Green Cougar Red has a good discussion of what bus rapid transit (BRT) is and isn’t, and what its pros and cons are. The two main points: 1. The definition of “true” BRT is important. A lot of bus … Continue reading →

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More transportation conversation

Posted on February 11, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Some good comments and followup to my earlier post about traffic in the inner core. I want to address Cory’s questions regarding BRT. The short answer is that I have no particular objection to BRT – it’s a perfectly fine … Continue reading →

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