18-lane highway going up in Houston

[BalWash]

Policies like this are what's wrong with America. I hope the Feds aren't giving them a cent.

When oil runs out, Houston will be fucked both ways: they don't have mass transit and their oil economy will go down the shitter. They'll definately suffer the biggest hit of all American cities.

[chicagogeorge]

Oil won't be running out anytime soon, but I agree with you that Houston is basically a one business town (oil).



There are billions upon billions barrels of oil shale deposits in North America alone, not to mention unknown quantities of oil deposits in the oceans. All they need to do is figure out how to refine it in a cost efficient manner. In 25 years, I still wouldn't be surprised if we will be paying 8 or 9 bucks a gallon.

[BalWash]

Oil has been running out since the day we started using it. So I stand by my original statement. As gas prices soar and when world oil consumption peaks, Houston will be fucked.

[chicagogeorge]

Originally Posted by BalWash

Oil has been running out since the day we started using it.

And we constantly find new deposits.

Originally Posted by BalWash

So I stand by my original statement. As gas prices soar and when world oil consumption peaks, Houston will be fucked.

Houston's economy will be fucked if gas prices soar, but same with the rest of auto dependent America.

[jmancuso]

2 of the 18 lanes are (i beleive) feeder roads and there was talk of the new expansion being able to be retrofitted with a commuter rail. the expansion goes from the 610 (the loop) and then extends for about a few miles westwards here it bottlenecks with commuters headed to and from katy and the westside.

houston's health no longer rests entirely in the hands of the oil indistry and it wasn't fucked when gas prices shot up to 3 bucks a gallon last summer.

[ajoutz]

Originally Posted by chicagogeorge

And we constantly find new deposits.

Yeah but the it's not as if the new deposits were just created. The amount of oil (unknown and known) has been decreasing, so he was technically correct. However, oil is not going to run out anytime soon. The thing is, the higher the prices go, the more oil can be extracted for a profit, so even if prices soar, the oil industry is not gonna collapse anytime soon.

[chicagogeorge]

Originally Posted by jmancuso

houston's health no longer rests entirely in the hands of the oil indistry and it wasn't fucked when gas prices shot up to 3 bucks a gallon last summer.

I sure hope that Houston's economy does diversify, but were not talking about 3 dollars a gallon. What about 6 or 7 dollars a gallon? That closer to what people pay for gas in Europe and Japan.

Originally Posted by ajoutz

Yeah but the it's not as if the new deposits were just created. The amount of oil (unknown and known) has been decreasing, so he was technically correct.

Well, known oil reserves have been decreasing probably at an accelerating rate, but we do not know how many unknown reserves exist. The Gulf Coast, Alaska, deep ocean reserves. Technology in the near future will allow for very deep extraction. The problem is can we get to it in time before the known oil reserves run dry?

Originally Posted by ajoutz

However, oil is not going to run out anytime soon. The thing is, the higher the prices go, the more oil can be extracted for a profit, so even if prices soar, the oil industry is not gonna collapse anytime soon.

That's my point. Also, I suspect that the oil industry will lead the way in transitioning to alternative fuel. It's not like Shell, Exxon Mobile, or BP will just go broke.

[BPT]

M30 Highway in Madrid-Spain:

I can see 19 lanes

[fernan]

[Greens!]

What this article does not mention is that this is not only one freeway. There will be a tollway making up the middle 4 lanes. The outer lanes will be a frontage road, serving local businesses. Here is the plan:


As you can see, this is not just a freeway but a road serving several purposes that will be built in the freeway's right of way. Before we start bitching about those foolish Texans and their freeways, be sure to look for anything important that the article might have "accidentally" left out. This plan was needed to help the traffic.

As far as the diamond lanes, I have no idea, but it will be easy as cake to turn those middle lanes into rail when the time comes, all Houston highways have them. Also, I have seen wider interstates in Toronto, LA, and Atlanta.

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

4x2=8
8x2=16, not 18

I realized that and I had hoped to work with powers of two's but the 18 made that impossible. if Houston had planned a 16 lane highway, i would have been more succesful.

[Greens!]

Originally Posted by chicagogeorge

I sure hope that Houston's economy does diversify, but were not talking about 3 dollars a gallon. What about 6 or 7 dollars a gallon? That closer to what people pay for gas in Europe and Japan.






Well, known oil reserves have been decreasing probably at an accelerating rate, but we do not know how many unknown reserves exist. The Gulf Coast, Alaska, deep ocean reserves. Technology in the near future will allow for very deep extraction. The problem is can we get to it in time before the known oil reserves run dry?







That's my point. Also, I suspect that the oil industry will lead the way in transitioning to alternative fuel. It's not like Shell, Exxon Mobile, or BP will just go broke.

Our economy is diverse, most of the plants along the ship channel make plastics and other byproducts of oil, not to mention that the city is very much into medicine. While oil started the city, Houston does not depend on it as much anymore.

[Sabretooth]

Either way you cut it, good or bad, it's sadly indicative of our auto-centric culture.

[yerfdog]

doesn't houston also have one of the country's busiest ports?

[Greens!]

Indicative of our auto centric culture? Not necessarily. Houston grows by ~ 120,000 people every year. Since the current freeway was built when the city was around half the size that it is now, it is understandable that they would want to improve the existing structure.

West Houston is also the city's fastest growing corridor, especially with new developments in the Memorial City Medical District and Katy.

Even with rail, unless it went down every busy street in every neighborhood in every city in the country, there would still be a need to expand our freeways. That is what happens when a 1960's era freeway that should have been redone years ago becomes outdated.

[Xusein]

Let's not be that hard on Houston...

While most aren't that gigantic, every large metro in the US has a highway monster like this, in it's own way. Lets not forget that even NYC, probably the least oil dependent area in the US, has it's own monsters like this...

Like the Trans-Manhattan Expressway (I-95) after the George Washington Bridge, which clocks in at 12 lanes maximum cutting through Manhattan from east to west. Or the giant NJ turnpike which gets to 14 lanes just outside the city.

I'm not blaming other cities, but other than the size, this really isn't giant news.

[jmancuso]

Originally Posted by Greens!

What this article does not mention is that this is not only one freeway. There will be a tollway making up the middle 4 lanes. The outer lanes will be a frontage road, serving local businesses. Here is the plan:


As you can see, this is not just a freeway but a road serving several purposes that will be built in the freeway's right of way. Before we start bitching about those foolish Texans and their freeways, be sure to look for anything important that the article might have "accidentally" left out. This plan was needed to help the traffic.

As far as the diamond lanes, I have no idea, but it will be easy as cake to turn those middle lanes into rail when the time comes, all Houston highways have them. Also, I have seen wider interstates in Toronto, LA, and Atlanta.

diamond lanes = HOV & car pool lanes.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by Greens!

What this article does not mention is that this is not only one freeway. There will be a tollway making up the middle 4 lanes. The outer lanes will be a frontage road, serving local businesses. Here is the plan:


As you can see, this is not just a freeway but a road serving several purposes that will be built in the freeway's right of way. Before we start bitching about those foolish Texans and their freeways, be sure to look for anything important that the article might have "accidentally" left out. This plan was needed to help the traffic.

As far as the diamond lanes, I have no idea, but it will be easy as cake to turn those middle lanes into rail when the time comes, all Houston highways have them. Also, I have seen wider interstates in Toronto, LA, and Atlanta.

thanks for the Map. By the way i dont think their are any freeways in LA that have that many lanes.

[BalWash]

The biggest highway in Washington that I know of is 14 lanes...even that is embarassingly big.

[DrT]

Sprawled or dense, there are just too many people.
Anyone for zero population growth?