Tag Archives: TxDOT

I-45 Coalition gives its feedback to TxDOT

Posted on May 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Jim Weston of the I-45 Coalition sent the following feedback to TxDOT regarding their plans for remaking I-45 in and around downtown. Through-out all Segments: 1.1 – All existing sound barrier walls must be replaced. Past agreements to install sound … Continue reading →

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How the East End got its rail line

Posted on May 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

A great overview of how we got here with the Harrisburg and Southeast lines, the genesis of which go back a lot farther than the 2003 Metro Solutions referendum. The working- and middle-class Mexican-American residents of the East End lacked … Continue reading →

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Bullet train budget rider battle continues

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The budget rider to derail the high speed train is still under contention as the conference committee completes its work. Tucked in Page 682 of the budget passed by the Senate in April is Rider 48, a provision that would … Continue reading →

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One more shot at killing the high speed rail line

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Never forget that the tricksiest maneuvers in the legislative handbook come in the budget. Texas’ prospects of having the first high-speed train line in the nation hinge on two sentences in a proposed state budget that lawmakers in the House … Continue reading →

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Will the high speed rail opponents get a bill passed?

Posted on May 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Seems unlikely at this point, but I wouldn’t count them out. “The vast majority of the folks between Dallas and Houston are against it,” said Kyle Workman, president of the recently formed Texans Against High-Speed Rail. “They don’t want their … Continue reading →

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More I-45 stuff

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From The Highwayman: Public meetings meant to debut the massive plan to remake Houston’s downtown freeway system might be coming to an end, but it’s hardly the last chance residents will have to poke and prod the plans. Years of … Continue reading →

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Pierce Skypark

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

How’s this for a big idea? “Imagine something big,” says John Cryer, an architect at Page Southerland Page. “Really big.” He’s talking about the Pierce Elevated Freeway, the raised stretch of I-45 that hooks around the west side of downtown … Continue reading →

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Driverless car bill is dead

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

So much for that. A bill to update Texas law for the age of driverless cars has stalled due to two serious roadblocks: Google and major car manufacturers. Both the technology giant and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, an industry … Continue reading →

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TxDOT reveals its I-45 plan

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. Just, wow. A massive reconstruction of Interstate 45 through most of Houston would topple one of downtown’s most frustrating barriers – the Pierce Elevated – and move the freeway east of the central business district. That’s just one of … Continue reading →

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Lone Star Rail District update

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Haven’t heard from these guys in awhile. According to [Lone Star Rail District], the [proposed rail line] will provide essential relief from the I-35 highway congestion. The express trip from downtown Austin to downtown San Antonio would take 75 minutes. … Continue reading →

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Widening I-10 to San Antonio

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Like, all the way. The roughly 200-mile stretch of Interstate 10 from San Antonio to Houston could become more spacious, as the Texas Department of Transportation has raised the idea of adding a third lane to the highway in each … Continue reading →

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Beautifying Broadway

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Sounds like a good idea to me. Broadway between Hobby Airport and Interstate 45 may offer a first impression of Houston to first-time visitors, but not the one many civic boosters would like. The 2 miles along the main road … Continue reading →

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Driverless car legislative update

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Like just about everything else under the sun, there were bills filed last week to deal with driverless cars. As self-driving cars move from futuristic concept to plausible technology, the Texas Legislature is looking to become a magnet for the … Continue reading →

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One sticker for all has begun

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Hope it wasn’t too confusing for you if you had to deal with it this week. On Monday – the first full day under the new system for registering cars, trucks, trailers and motorcycles in Texas – drivers trying to … Continue reading →

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Transportation Commission approves funds for Uptown BRT

Posted on February 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Finally. Dedicated bus lanes along Loop 610 remain a part of planned transit service in the Uptown area after state officials kept $25 million allocated to an upcoming project. After months of discussions about the project’s purpose and agreements between … Continue reading →

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Another I-45 public meeting should be scheduled soon

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From Jim Weston of the I-45 Coalition: TxDOT will soon be holding another public meeting! TxDOT has been working for years to come up with a plan to ‘relieve’ the congestion on I-45. After several years, TxDOT is getting closer … Continue reading →

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Opposition to the high speed rail line gets organized

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

You had to figure something like this was coming. I was recently informed of NoTexasCentral.com, and I’ll let them introduce themselves: Texas Central Railway (TCR), a Japanese funded Texas-based private railroad company, is set to build and operate a high … Continue reading →

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2015 Mayoral manifesto: Transportation

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Preliminaries Please note that I have called this part of my manifesto “Transportation” and not “Traffic”. I agree that traffic sucks and that the Mayoral candidates ought to have some ideas for how to deal with it. It’s my opinion … Continue reading →

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There’s more than one player in the Texas high speed rail game

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. A company that operates France’s national high-speed rail network is exploring possible involvement in Texas bullet trains. “We’re here to listen, learn and evaluate,” Alain Leray, president and chief executive of SNCF America Inc., said Monday during a visit … Continue reading →

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Small fix, big (we hope) effect

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This would be nice. Take the entrance ramp from Allen Parkway to southbound Interstate 45. Everyone from drivers to transportation officials knows it is a problem. “At this location there are entrance ramps from both Memorial Drive and from Allen … Continue reading →

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Uptown BRT lurches forward

Posted on February 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

One staggering step at a time. After some uncertainty, fears about rail development in Uptown appear less likely to delay a planned express bus project along Post Oak. Metropolitan Transit Authority’s board meets Thursday morning, and is scheduled to discuss … Continue reading →

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Hyperloops

Posted on January 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a hyperloop! Entrepreneur Elon Musk announced Thursday that he wants to build a “test track” for his idea for a futuristic high-speed transportation system called the Hyperloop, adding … Continue reading →

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A very brief I-45 update

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Way at the bottom of this overview of transit projects and milestones for 2015 are these three paragraphs: The freeway project likely to attract the most attention in the Houston area – widening Interstate 45 from the Sam Houston Tollway … Continue reading →

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More concerns about the high speed rail route

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Some people who live not far from me are not very happy about the high speed rail line possibly running through their neighborhood. The prospect of a high-speed train crossing through First Ward into downtown Houston has residents scrambling to … Continue reading →

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The Woodlands wants to be on the high speed rail route

Posted on November 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t blame ’em. The Woodlands Township is urging federal and state officials to take another look at the potential benefits of adding a high-speed rail corridor along Interstate 45. Last month, the Federal Railway Administration and the Texas Department of … Continue reading →

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Connecting the high-speed rail line to Fort Worth

Posted on November 18, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This is encouraging. State transportation officials this week are unveiling early plans for a high-speed train line from Dallas to Fort Worth. Like Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s plans to expand transit service in downtown, the project is an attempt to … Continue reading →

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Uptown BRT moving forward again

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. Tensions are easing over plans to develop dedicated bus lanes in Uptown, where community leaders want to give commuters and shoppers more transportation options and relieve worsening congestion. “We’re there and ready to make this project happen,” said … Continue reading →

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Who needs managed lanes?

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Not TxDOT, and not on 290. State transportation officials have changed plans for widening U.S. 290, increasing capacity for people driving alone but reducing opportunities for alternatives to solo driving. After initially planning four or five general use lanes in … Continue reading →

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TxDOT still screwing with Metro

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

WTF? Given powerful support from local and state transportation officials, the more of the parkway comes together, the more likely the last phases will fall into place. The project that remains far less certain is the planned dedicated bus lanes … Continue reading →

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Location, location, location

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

At the first public meeting about the proposed Dallas-Houston high speed railroad line, the main focus was the endpoints. More than 100 people were in attendance on Tuesday for the first of six public meetings being held jointly by the … Continue reading →

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Time to comment on the proposed high speed rail routes

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Check ’em out, and tell ’em what you think. Observers have long known that only a few options were available for the route of the privately funded high-speed train line between Houston and Dallas. Now a firmer picture of where … Continue reading →

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Public meetings coming for Texas Central Railway

Posted on September 26, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Part of the process of getting the Houston-to-Dallas line built. A proposed high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston, already the subject of a federal environmental review, will soon be the focus of a series of public meetings in Texas, … Continue reading →

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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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Rearranging the traffic

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure how much of an effect this will have. Among the 200,000 motorists who traverse Interstate 45 just south of downtown every day, a fair number find themselves weaving frantically from lane to lane as they approach the connection … Continue reading →

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