Category Archives: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

RIP, Graffiti Park

Posted on June 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is such a Houston story. A piece of Houston’s cultural identity and history is being erased. This week, demolition crews began tearing down two buildings on Leeland Street as part of the Texas Department of Transportation’s I-45 North Houston … Continue reading →

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A look at the Tesla robotaxi rollout

Posted on June 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Because I have an unhealthy obsession with this cursed topic, here’s a brief roundup of news stories about how the first day of Tesla’s long-expected robotaxi rollout in Austin went. First, you should know that only pro-Tesla influencers were invited … Continue reading →

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Tesla launches its robotaxi service in Austin

Posted on June 23, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Not quite as they wanted, but it is going. After driverless Tesla Model Ys were spotted traversing Austin, Texas streets on Sunday morning, CEO Elon Musk posted on his social platform X that Tesla’s “robotaxi launch” would start this afternoon … Continue reading →

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San Antonio to start construction on its first BRT line

Posted on June 17, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Exciting times. Work starts next month on VIA Metropolitan Transit’s biggest construction project to date — a system of corridors designed to get riders faster to their destination using dedicated bus lanes, prioritized traffic signals, and more frequent pickups and … Continue reading →

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A closer look at Waymo and Tesla

Posted on June 14, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Slate’s Henry Grabar takes a closer look at how the two main robotaxi ventures differ in approach and likely effect. Waymo is now clocking more than 250,000 paid rides a week, on track to double last year’s total. It currently … Continue reading →

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The stakes of the Tesla robotaxi debut in Austin sure are higher now

Posted on June 10, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck, Elmo. You’re gonna need it. Tesla’s long-awaited entry into the robotaxi market — expected later this month — is coming to Austin, Texas, which has emerged as a key battleground for self-driving technology. CEO Elon Musk wrote in … Continue reading →

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Wisk gives a virtual demo

Posted on June 8, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I’d want to see the real thing, but I suppose that wasn’t practical under the circumstances. Saemi Poelma eagerly posed for a photo Tuesday inside a model autonomous air taxi, impressed by the possibility of a new way of traveling … Continue reading →

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Waymo “road trip” coming

Posted on May 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Company’s coming. Houstonians have the opportunity to see driverless vehicles in action. Google’s autonomous-driver sister company, Waymo, announced Tuesday that it’s initiating road trips this summer for testing and exploration in Houston, Orlando and San Antonio. The road trip consists … Continue reading →

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The case against rooting for Tesla to fail

Posted on May 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

From Inside Climate News. While some people may be pleased to see Tesla and Musk struggle, and most of the damage was self-inflicted, Tesla’s swoon is probably bad for the U.S. EV market. It helps to have a sense of … Continue reading →

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What’s next for Aurora’s driverless trucks

Posted on May 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Expansion coming soon. Autonomous vehicle technology company Aurora Innovation plans to expand on the success of its first driverless commercial launch and add night driving to its operations. Aurora said Thursday that in the second half of 2025, it will … Continue reading →

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Tesla robotaxis to arrive in Austin in June

Posted on May 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t use them, I say. Make Elon cry. Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the company will have robotaxis on the streets of Austin, Texas, by the end of June. In an interview with CNBC’s David Faber on Tuesday at … Continue reading →

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That Waymo is watching you

Posted on May 23, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Huh. The Los Angeles Police Department obtained video footage from a Waymo driverless car as part of its investigation into a hit-and-run in which a separate, human-driven car hit a pedestrian. The LAPD published the footage, which has a note … Continue reading →

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Who’s really using Polk Street?

Posted on May 7, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

The people who would be most affected by a proposed street closure are trying to quantify the effect of said closure. Armed with clipboards, pencils and determination, a group of volunteers gathered early Wednesday morning at intersections around the George … Continue reading →

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Twenty years later, we’re still studying rail into Fort Bend

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Everything old is new again. More than 120,000 people work at the Texas Medical Center – many of whom commute from Sugar Land and the surrounding areas in Fort Bend County. The Houston-Galveston Area Council is studying ways to help … Continue reading →

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Driverless taxis coming to Arlington

Posted on May 4, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Second city in Texas to get them. Startup May Mobility plans to deploy its autonomous vehicles on the Uber platform by the end of 2025, starting in Arlington, Texas, as part of a multi-year partnership. The tie-up with Uber offers … Continue reading →

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Waymo brings its self-driving tech to Toyota

Posted on May 3, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I just like to keep an eye on the driverless car scene. Alphabet-owned Waymo and Toyota on Tuesday announced a preliminary partnership to explore bringing robotaxi tech to personally-owned vehicles. “The companies will explore how to leverage Waymo’s autonomous technology … Continue reading →

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One more thing about microtransit in the Heights

Posted on April 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is from the latest edition of the Woodland Heights Civic Association newsletter, which I got in my inbox late on Friday. METRO recently announced a new micro-transit service (in partnership with the City of Houston and Evolve Houston) to provide an … Continue reading →

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I got those unwanted speed trap blues

Posted on April 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Fascinating. Daragh John Carter hates a speed trap near his home so much he began posting about it on Facebook before eventually escalating to standing near it and warning passing motorists it was coming. His actions frustrated a Houston police … Continue reading →

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What is this microtransit for, anyway?

Posted on April 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Since I first blogged about the arrival of those Evolve Houston microtransit shuttles in the Heights a week or so ago, I have seen one of those shuttles three times. The first time it was in motion and presumably in … Continue reading →

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More on the Aurora rollout

Posted on April 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

From Axios. Drivers along a 200-mile stretch of I-45 between Dallas and Houston should get ready for something new: The semi-truck in the next lane might not have anyone in the driver’s seat. […] What they’re saying: “Everybody is looking at … Continue reading →

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Federal grant to Amtrak for Texas high speed rail planning rescinded

Posted on April 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

My reaction to this was “bad”, but I might be wrong. President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday terminated a federal grant to help fund a long-sought high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston — saying that if the embattled project … Continue reading →

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Microtransit comes to the Heights

Posted on April 17, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Whoopie. Houston transit officials on Monday said on-demand microtransit would expand to provide rides in the Heights. Metro, with the city of Houston and Evolve Houston, expanded the Community Connector service, which has been serving downtown Houston, Second Ward and … Continue reading →

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Fully autonomous trucks set to hit the road

Posted on April 15, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

For realsies. Autonomous freight trucks are slated to hit the Dallas highways this month. The self-driving heavy-duty semi-trucks running on technology formulated by Aurora, a Pittsburgh-based self-driving vehicle tech company, will roll back and forth along the Interstate 45 corridor connecting Dallas … Continue reading →

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Just make up your damn mind about West 11th already

Posted on April 9, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I swear, I am so sick of this. After Houston Mayor John Whitmire’s administration removed cyclist protections along Heights Boulevard and Austin Street in March, advocates for a contentious safety project on 11th Street in the Heights neighborhood are worried it could be next on … Continue reading →

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More on Austin Street, Whitmire, and bike lanes

Posted on April 6, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Gonna do this as a link roundup so I can get this out of my system. See here for the starting point. Whitmire stresses maintaining public safety as fears grow over future of Houston’s bike lanes. Emphasizing his priority toward … Continue reading →

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Why are we now tearing up bike lanes?

Posted on April 1, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is bullshit. Without prior announcement, the city of Houston has begun removing the dedicated bike lane on a key street, raising concerns among residents about transparency and the city’s commitment to pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. The potential loss of … Continue reading →

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Modified Montrose construction to begin on Monday

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Ready or not, here it comes. Workers will break ground Monday on the first phase of a hotly debated plan to revamp Montrose Boulevard from Allen Parkway to West Clay Street. The final roadmap retains the original intent to include an expansive … Continue reading →

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The Polk Street connection

Posted on March 16, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Closing off streets is a tough thing to do. On Feb. 1, signs went up announcing the city’s plan to abandon Polk Street between St. Emanuel and Hamilton streets. The closure is part of Houston First Corporation’s $2 billion overhaul … Continue reading →

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Waymo robotaxis are now officially available in Austin

Posted on March 8, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

If that’s the sort of thing you’re into. Uber will shift into a new gear in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday when its ride-hailing service will begin dispatching self-driving cars to pick up passengers. The autonomous option is being provided through … Continue reading →

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Amtrak seeks additional partner for high speed rail line

Posted on March 3, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Amtrak is seeking an additional business partner as it moves ahead with a proposed high-speed rail route between Dallas and Houston. The passenger railroad company — which took over as the project’s lead agency in 2023 and secured a … Continue reading →

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MetroNow

Posted on February 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the Temu version of MetroNext. The Metropolitan Transit Authority unveiled new details Monday on its MetroNow initiative, the seeming replacement for the voter-approved MetroNext plan. MetroNow first was announced as part of budget discussions for fiscal 2025 when the … Continue reading →

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Lyft gets into the robotaxi business

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Of course they are. Ride-hail giant Lyft plans to bring fully autonomous robotaxis, powered by Mobileye, to its app “as soon as 2026” in Dallas, with more markets to follow, TechCrunch has exclusively learned. The news comes a day before … Continue reading →

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Uber teams up with Waymo in Austin

Posted on February 10, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Okay. Uber customers in Austin may notice a new offer when they open the app and hail a ride: an invitation to signal their interest in a Waymo robotaxi. For now, this doesn’t translate into a Waymo picking them up. … Continue reading →

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2024 was a bad year for traffic deaths in Houston

Posted on February 9, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Not really a surprise, unfortunately. Asked amid a flurry of design changes and shifts in street policy whether he was abandoning Houston’s goal of eliminating vehicle deaths by 2030, Mayor John Whitmire in February 2024 said a goal for the future … Continue reading →

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