HOUSTON | METRO Transit Development News

[diablo234]

Figures I should create a thread here to highlight any construction progress on the expansion of Houston's light rail system. Anyways currently outside of the existing 7.5 mile Red Line, two more lines (the East End and Southeast Lines), and an extension of the current Red Line to the north are currently underway, with the other two lines (University Line and Uptown Line) still in planning stages.



Some construction photos of the East Line.





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And a video showing the route of the new lines.

[diablo234]

This video illustrates how In-Road warning lights are being used at signalized intersections along the light rail route to provide notice to approaching motorists of the oncoming light rail trains.

[WesTexas]

Thats pretty cool. DART needs to steal this.

[diablo234]

More progress on the Southeast Line.

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East Downtown LRT by Transit Nerds, on Flickr

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East Downtown LRT by Transit Nerds, on Flickr

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East Downtown LRT by Transit Nerds, on Flickr

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EDO Light Rail Construction by Transit Nerds, on Flickr

[diablo234]

Some photos of construction progress on the North Line.

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North Corridor Construction by Transit Nerds, on Flickr

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North Corridor Affordable Housing by Transit Nerds, on Flickr

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North Corridor Construction by Transit Nerds, on Flickr

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North Corridor Construction by Transit Nerds, on Flickr

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North Corridor Affordable Housing by Transit Nerds, on Flickr

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North Corridor Construction by Transit Nerds, on Flickr

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North Corridor Construction by Transit Nerds, on Flickr

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North Corridor Construction by Transit Nerds, on Flickr

[soup or man]

Am I alone in thinking that there needs to be a better connection between downtown and uptown? Why wasn't the East Line extended west into Montrose or even all the way to uptown? Is there no room along the bayou?

[diablo234]

Originally Posted by soup or man

Am I alone in thinking that there needs to be a better connection between downtown and uptown? Why wasn't the East Line extended west into Montrose or even all the way to uptown? Is there no room along the bayou?

Good question, honestly I have no idea why the planners did not consider extending the line along say Washington Ave and then connect with the Uptown Line.

That being said I don't think building a rail line along the bayou is a good idea consider the flooding problems.

[Talbot]

I dig the bike path along the Southeast Line.

[diablo234]

Metro Ridership Has Increased from an email the Editor of HAIF received

More people are riding METRO buses and rail more often.

METRO ridership is on the rise for a sixth consecutive month, recording a 5.2 percent increase to 6,357,131 boardings in January 2012 compared to 6,043,280 in January 2011.

“Thanks to our focus on smart service and service changes to improve the system, we have been able to take advantage of the improving economy to deliver first-class transit to our community,” said METRO President & CEO George Greanias.

Upward METRO Ridership Trend Continues for Sixth Consecutive Month

Local bus and Park & Ride - January, 2011: 5,277,229
Local bus and Park & Ride - January, 2012: 5,455,106

MetroRAIL - January, 2011: 766,051
MetroRAIL - January, 2012: 902,025

METRORail ridership posted a 17.7 percent increase to 902,025 boardings compared to the 766,051 recorded in the same month last year. Park & Ride and local bus service jumped to 5,455,106 boardings versus 5,277,229 in January 2011.

..

[diablo234]

Some construction updates courtesy of photoLith at SSP.

[FM 2258]

Originally Posted by soup or man

Am I alone in thinking that there needs to be a better connection between downtown and uptown? Why wasn't the East Line extended west into Montrose or even all the way to uptown? Is there no room along the bayou?

The same question came to mind. Plus routing the line through Memorial Park makes a lot of sense too.

[diablo234]

Some news on swamplot regarding a possible extension of the existing lightrail line to Missouri City.

Missouri City Rail Route: To Bellfort or Not To Bellfort?
http://swamplot.com/



A public meeting at the Together We Stand Christian Church tonight is the third of 4 Metro has scheduled to discuss the possible route of a new 9-mile light-rail leg connecting Missouri City to the southernmost stop on the existing light-rail line, roughly paralleling US Route 90A. Metro isn’t anticipating construction of the extension before 2017, but there are a couple of kinks to consider: The main difference between the 2 route alternatives being considered is the northeast end of the journey. The first alternative (above) jogs off 90A to follow Bellfort into the existing Fannin South rail station, while the second (below) takes the Holmes Rd. route in:

[diablo234]

Some more construction pictures of the North Line.

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Houston Metro Rail Northline construction highest point facing North on N.Main St. by Vinson2000, on Flickr

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Houston Metro Rail Northline rail snaking thru business on N.Main St by Vinson2000, on Flickr

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Metro6 by Vinson2000, on Flickr

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Metro6 by Vinson2000, on Flickr

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Top of Tunnel view construction Metro Rail Northline by Vinson2000, on Flickr

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Metro Rail/UHD Tunnel crossing for Pedestrian/Student access by Vinson2000, on Flickr

[diablo234]

Some recent construction pics of the North, East, and Southeast lines from Skyscraperpage.





























Photos courtesy of photoLith

[diablo234]

Thought some of you might find this to be interesting.

Here is a powerpoint presentation that mentions plans for Washington Avenue to get it's own streetcar or light rail line along with putting the existing freight rail line into a trench along with adding bike paths along the corridor.

Transportation Master Plan

[FM 2258]

Great updates Diablo and I like the master plan presentation.

It looks like there aren't any plans to connect the airports to rail any time in the near future. I think a connection to IAH and HOU to the rail network is vital to the systems success. Maybe I missed that in the presentation.

[diablo234]

Originally Posted by FM 2258

Great updates Diablo and I like the master plan presentation.

It looks like there aren't any plans to connect the airports to rail any time in the near future. I think a connection to IAH and HOU to the rail network is vital to the systems success. Maybe I missed that in the presentation.

There are plans for the rail system to eventually reach both Hobby and IAH but as of right now it seems that Metro's main focus is to start work on the Uptown and University Lines.

[diablo234]

Houston-Galveston passenger rail may be revived
By Harvey Rice
Updated 11:07 p.m., Monday, July 30, 2012
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-te...ed-3747946.php

GALVESTON - A Houston-to-Galveston passenger rail line postponed indefinitely after the economy hit bottom in 2009 is getting another chance, but it could be a decade or more before the first spike is driven.

The original plan called for a passenger line carrying 1,000 to 2,000 people per day to be in operation as early as this year, but a series of events starting with Hurricane Ike and the stock market crash in 2008 stalled the project.

"The impact of the economic downturn has taken its toll in so many ways," said Barry Goodman, whose consulting firm, Goodman Corp., is doing the planning. Goodman said the recession affected the rail project more than the storm.

Price tag balloons

The price tag had risen from an estimated $415 million in 2007 to $650 million, and local governments were unable to provide the 40 to 50 percent contribution typical for such projects, Goodman said.

Enthusiasm remains high for the plan among officials and residents in Galveston County's 13 cities, so Goodman Corp. is redrawing the plans to accommodate the new financial reality, said John Carrara, senior vice president.

The revamped plan calls for starting more modestly with expanded park-and-ride and express bus services in the Houston-Galveston corridor.

The more measured approach could provide immediate benefits, said Alan Clark, transportation planning director for the Houston-Galveston Area Council.

The council, which coordinates planning for local governments in the region, will consider making the Goodman Corp. plan part of the regional transportation plan, Clark said.

The first phase was completed this year with the opening of bus service, operated by local governments, from Galveston to a park-and-ride lot at the University of Texas Medical Branch's clinic in League City on Interstate 45, Carrara said. One of several other routes could be running by 2014 and another could be added each year, he said.

Details are being worked out for an express bus from Galveston to downtown Houston and another route to downtown Houston that would stop in Dickinson, Texas City and La Marque, he said.

Click here to read more .......

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[diablo234]

UH, Metro come to terms on rail line route

Construction of a light-rail line that would cross University of Houston property can continue now that UH and Metro officials settled differences that threatened to delay the project.

UH announced in a statement Tuesday that university officials have agreed to allow the Metropolitan Transit Authority to start the next phase of construction of the southeast line along Wheeler Avenue. In exchange, Metro will address concerns involving access to UH's facilities.

The Metro board has agreed to pay $1.5 million to take the steps included in the agreement, according to spokesman Jerome Gray.

"We have worked diligently together to reach an agreement," UH President Renu Khator said in a statement. "We have come to a resolution that both the university and Metro are happy with and that is in the best interests of the community."

...

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-te...te-3751395.php

[diablo234]

Some new updates of the North Line courtesy of photoLith over at Skyscraperpage.

The end of the North Line extension, right by that newish Walmart and the Transit Center north of 610.
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A long elevated stretch of the North Line over a railroad track. Theres two elevated sections of this extension, so thats pretty sweet.

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Just the rest of that elevated stretch from above.