Tag Archives: Uptown Management District

Connecting Uptown and Memorial Park

Posted on November 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I approve of this. The overwhelming task of getting to Memorial Park from Uptown by bike or on foot is poised to vastly improve, provided a $22 million project for a bridge across Buffalo Bayou and underpass of Loop 610 … Continue reading →

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Uptown BRT pushed back to July

Posted on January 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Sigh. Opening day for Houston’s first bus rapid transit line has been pushed back to mid-summer as construction enters the final steps along most of the route before reaching a three-month testing period. Service is expected to start no earlier … Continue reading →

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Meet MetroRapid

Posted on July 21, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the new, official name for the Uptown BRT line. Station names along the Post Oak dedicated bus lanes will have a familiar ring for riders, transit and Uptown officials decided, as they inch toward opening the region’s first foray … Continue reading →

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HOV for Uptown BRT update

Posted on June 2, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Checking in on this long-time project. Uptown’s bet on buses is getting a lift from TxDOT in a first-of-its-kind venture that has state highway dollars going to a mass transit project along one of Houston’s most clogged freeways. Come next … Continue reading →

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Uptown update

Posted on December 1, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The work is ending, the work continues. The end is near for construction that has clogged Post Oak and delayed drivers, but the buses at the center of the project will not start rolling for at least another year as … Continue reading →

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Metro to buy buses for Uptown BRT

Posted on February 19, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Another step forward. Metro officials next week are set to spend at least $11.2 million on buses for bus rapid transit service along Post Oak, committing the agency to spending on the controversial project after years of discussion. Metropolitan Transit … Continue reading →

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Another step in the Uptown BRT process

Posted on December 15, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Gotta build those bus lanes on the Loop, too. A bus guideway along Loop 610 will cost slightly more than anticipated, based on bids opened Wednesday in Austin. Williams Brothers Construction, a mainstay of highway building in the area, was … Continue reading →

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People who oppose the Uptown Line continue to oppose the Uptown Line

Posted on October 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Film at 11. A plan for faster bus service along Post Oak, the centerpiece of a larger project to remake Uptown’s Main Street, continues to divide its supporters and transit skeptics, even as work accelerates and commuters brace for limited … Continue reading →

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Uptown lawsuit filed

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I suppose we should have expected something like this. The city’s Uptown Development Authority and the economic development zone that feeds it were created in violation of the Texas Constitution, two critics allege in a lawsuit that seeks to void … Continue reading →

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The latest attempt to kill the Uptown BRT line

Posted on June 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever. “See this right turn lane filled up?” asked consultant Wayne Dolcefino to about a dozen angry Uptown residents, standing along Post Oak Boulevard near the intersection with San Felipe Street on Monday morning. “That’s going away. The right lane … Continue reading →

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Uptown BRT construction officially begins

Posted on June 12, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. Crews are relocating trees in preparation for two years of construction, starting in July. The Uptown Dedicated Bus Lanes Project will unfold in three phases, moving from north to south and starting with the West Loop to … Continue reading →

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Criminal complaint filed over Uptown land acquisition

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

All righty then. A consultant who represents property owners in the Galleria area has filed a criminal complaint with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, alleging the Uptown Development Authority and related entities broke state open meetings and disclosure laws … Continue reading →

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Paxton opines on Uptown BRT

Posted on December 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

AG Ken Paxton was asked for an opinion on whether or not Metro could work with the Uptown Management District on its proposed BRT line. The opinion has been given, though it doesn’t really settle anything. In the ruling, Paxton … Continue reading →

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Uptown living

Posted on November 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a thing that is happening. Home to the city’s glittering epicenter of retail, with a dramatic skyline dominated by the towering Williams Tower and other office buildings, Uptown Houston is best known for the places where people work and … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit against Uptown line dismissed

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We haven’t heard the last of this, of that you can be certain. A judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging a dedicated bus lane project in Houston’s Uptown area, but the ruling is not a final resolution of the dispute. … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed over Uptown line

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

All things considered, I suppose this was inevitable. A homeowner’s association is suing Metro over its involvement in plans to run bus lanes along Post Oak Boulevard, saying the project puts the agency at odds with a 2003 referendum that … Continue reading →

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Uptown BRT construction begins

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I’m really rooting for this to succeed. Dignitaries will gather Monday to symbolically start construction of wider sidewalks and dedicated bus lanes meant to enhance Post Oak Boulevard and offer improved transit service, even as some residents and business owners … Continue reading →

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The latest Uptown fuss

Posted on June 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I suppose I need to say something about this. Two members of an economic development board pushing a plan to run a center bus lane along Uptown’s Post Oak Boulevard have financial ties to companies that will be paid for … Continue reading →

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Save Uptown from what?

Posted on May 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From Swamplot: The Uptown Property and Business Owners Coalition is out today with a new website (portrayed here) meant to drum up opposition to the Uptown District and Metro’s plans to install dedicated bus lanes down Post Oak Blvd. The … Continue reading →

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What kind of Memorial Park do you want?

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Council is set to vote on the Memorial Park Conservancy plan, whether you like it or not. Joe Turner does not want more drawings gathering dust on a shelf. Houston’s parks and recreation director inherited more than a few unrealized … Continue reading →

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An Uptown BRT skeptic

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s one guy who doesn’t like the idea. Ridership models developed by the Uptown TIRZ board project that the new bus route will carry 10,000 riders per day in 2018. This estimate is outrageously inflated, given that the more than … 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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Uptown needs bikes

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

So says this op-ed. Always susceptible to gridlock, especially at Christmastime, the traffic jams now happen year-round and last longer each day. Clearly, Uptown badly needs convenient, reliable alternatives to cars for the tens of thousands of workers and residents … Continue reading →

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Metro board approves reimagining

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

On to implementation. Metro’s board gave unanimous, final approval to the so-called reimagining plan, authorizing agency staff to plan public meetings to explain the changes. Between now and August, Metro must replace every sign at every bus stop, revise every … Continue reading →

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On streetcars and BRT

Posted on January 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Offcite considers some alternatives to light rail. Two new light rail lines set to start service early next year will drastically expand Houston’s rail network, but our city will remain dreadfully underserved by the system. Many neighborhoods seeing a greater … 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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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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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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Chron favors Uptown transit plan

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good to see, and I think they make a decent point. We’re glad that Houston-area transportation officials have approved federal funds for an Uptown bus rapid transit (BRT) system. […] But we’re struck by [Harris County Judge Ed] Emmett’s vote … Continue reading →

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On using B-Cycle

Posted on July 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron had a nice lifestyle section story about B-Cycle last week. B-cycles are appearing all over downtown and Midtown. You may have seen them, parked at racks with self-serve kiosks, where riders are able to enter their payment information, … Continue reading →

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H-GAC approves Uptown transportation funding

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Houston-area transportation officials approved a plan Friday to use $61.8 million in federal funds to help build bus-only lanes along Post Oak Boulevard in the Uptown area. […] The project, sponsored by the Uptown Management District, widens Post Oak … Continue reading →

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