Category Archives: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Appeals court rules that Texas Central is in fact a railroad

Posted on May 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Seems obvious, but these things are more complicated than you’d think. Planners of a Houston-to-Dallas bullet train scored a victory in Corpus Christi Thursday when a state appeals court said the company — despite not operating yet — is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The city’s vision for I-45

Posted on April 29, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I like the way this is shaping up. The city of Houston is prepared to ask for major changes in state plans to rebuild Interstate 45 that potentially could scale back the planned widening of the freeway and put a … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The city’s vision for I-45

Driving may be down, but traffic fatalities are not down as much

Posted on April 27, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a bit of a conundrum. COVID-19 can keep millions of Texans at home and cut vehicle travel roughly in half in many cities, but cannot keep hundreds from dying on state roads — continuing a stubborn trend of carnage … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Texas Central opponents see an opportunity

Posted on April 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Never waste an opportunity. Examination of a planned high-speed rail line between Houston and Dallas should be halted as the country addresses the new coronavirus pandemic and the company rethinks its financial shape, 30 elected officials in Texas told federal … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Goodbye, Greenlink

Posted on April 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Another version of Metro’s downtown trolley system is shut down due to coronavirus, and likely won’t come back, at least not in that format. Downtown Houston’s free shuttle may have hauled its last passenger, a victim of the central district’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Goodbye, Greenlink

Coronavirus and driving

Posted on April 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

There are a lot fewer cars on the road now, though the decrease may not be quite as much as you’d think. Traffic around the country has plummeted since governments began enacting stay-at-home orders amid the coronavirus outbreak, but data … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Metro will get some stimulus money

Posted on April 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Transit agencies in southeastern Texas are set to receive more than $300 million to stem revenue losses linked to COVID-19, federal officials announced Thursday, most of it coming to Houston. As part of the first round of Congress-approved stimulus … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Metro will get some stimulus money

Is it finally going to be Infrastructure Week?

Posted on April 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this: Lawmakers have been talking about striking a deal to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure for years. It might take a pandemic to finally get them to do it, and Texas officials are already … Continue reading →

Posted in National news, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Metro slows its roll on system improvements

Posted on March 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise. Houston-area transit officials will wait out a little more of the coronavirus crisis before soliciting bids on five of the first projects in their $7 billion construction bonanza for bus and rail upgrades. “Moving this by a … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Metro suspends fare collections

Posted on March 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Among other things. Transit in Houston will be free starting Monday and passengers will use the rear door to board and exit buses to limit exposure to drivers and other riders, Metropolitan Transit Authority officials announced Friday. The changes are … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Les traffic, easier construction

Posted on March 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll be talking about the knock-on effects of the coronavirus pandemic for years to come. A lighter load on Houston-area freeways and COVID-19 concerns have not slowed the heavy machinery making way for more lanes or new ramps along many … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Texas Central hopes to start construction this year

Posted on March 14, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It would be best for them if they get going before the Lege can take any action against them. After an economic impact statement and safety rules are completed, the Texas High-Speed Train may begin construction before the end of … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Improved bus corridors are coming

Posted on March 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Sounds promising. Metropolitan Transit Authority is set to upgrade a pair of Houston bus routes, hoping that raising the quality of bus service will prove the key to increasing transit use. The 54 Scott and the 56 Montrose/Airline routes will … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Improved bus corridors are coming

The people who oppose the high speed rail line still oppose the high speed rail line

Posted on March 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

In case you were wondering. In the same room where many mobilized against the proposed Trans-Texas Corridor freeway project 15 years ago, critics of a proposed Houston-to-Dallas bullet train promised to shoot that down, too. No matter how long that … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Nuro set to roll out

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Ready or not, here they come. Self-driving delivery vehicles that carry no humans will hit Houston roads next month. Nuro, a San Francisco technology company, is planning to deploy its next-generation autonomous delivery vehicles in Houston after receiving federal approval. … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

There’s still (a little) time to affect the I-45 design

Posted on February 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

There’s stuff happening this week. After that, it gets harder. City officials and consultants will spend the coming weeks finalizing a few ways to turn the region’s largest and most controversial freeway rebuild of recent years into an Interstate 45 … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on There’s still (a little) time to affect the I-45 design

A better way to do I-45

Posted on February 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From Michael Skelley on Facebook: Here’s a new vision for I-45. -saves money -no displacement in low income areas -no destruction of White Oak Bayou -prevents TxDOT vandalization of EaDo -downtown amenities if we want to fund those ourselves This … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Metro’s robot security guards

Posted on February 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Not a character from a dystopian action movie, I promise. Robot security guards are coming to a Houston-area transit center, park and ride lot and rail station in the coming months, after the Metropolitan Transit Authority board approved a $270,000 … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Another scooter injury study

Posted on February 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Keep ’em coming. Electric scooter injuries have surged along with their popularity in the United States, nearly tripling over four years, researchers said in a study published Wednesday. Nearly 40,000 broken bones, head injuries, cuts and bruises resulting from scooter … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Another scooter injury study

Crunch time for I-45

Posted on January 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The rubber is meeting the road, as it were. Three Houston Planning Department meetings scheduled for this week, days prior to a key state deadline, could prove pivotal in shaping how Interstate 45 is rebuilt — with ramifications for years … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Crunch time for I-45

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 →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Uptown BRT pushed back to July

It’s the year 2020…

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

But where are the flying cars? And hyperloops? And other things we were promised? Uber will deploy flying cars When Uber Technologies Inc. pledged to deliver on a promise of the Jetsons, it gave itself just three years to do so. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on It’s the year 2020…

No free fares

Posted on January 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

For the best, I’d say. Free fares appear to be a hard sell for Houston area transit officials, who said while they are open to exploring discounts, people boarding buses and trains will need to fork over $1.25 for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Back to the no-fares question

Posted on January 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I remain skeptical, but we’ll see. As it stands right now, most of METRO’s operating funds don’t come from the fares. The transit agency gets most of its money from a one-cent sales tax, which caught the attention of Harris … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How Nuro is mapping Houston

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Really interesting story. On the muggy streets of suburban Houston, amid McMansions, bright green lawns and stately oak trees, a futuristic race is quietly afoot. The contestants are not people but late-model Toyota Priuses outfitted with an array of sophisticated … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on How Nuro is mapping Houston

Bus service in new places

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This is a good first step, which I hope begets a second step. Harris County has extended bus service to Channelview, Cloverleaf and Sheldon, using $3.8 million in Hurricane Harvey disaster recovery money to jump-start the new routes. Service started … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Uptown BRT line update

Posted on December 16, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s coming, it’s coming. Hold your horses. The new year will come with a new sight in Houston: Big gray buses bounding along a dedicated lane on Post Oak through Uptown. For the first few weeks, however, people will not … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Uptown BRT line update

Texas Central and Lone Star Rail

Posted on December 1, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Noted for the record. In South Central Texas, 20 state legislators have revived talk of a San Antonio to Austin passenger rail line. Area lawmakers signed a letter in August asking Transportation Committee chair and state Rep. Terry Canales (D-Edinburg) to study … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Texas Central and Lone Star Rail

Metro moves towards cashless fares (maybe)

Posted on November 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We started with this. The Metropolitan Transit Authority on Thursday will consider the first in a series of agreements to revamp its fare payment system that eventually could offer riders the option of using smartphones, credit cards and electronic wallets … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Metro Wi-Fi

Posted on October 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. Metro riders now can access free Wi-Fi on select buses and trains through a pilot program funded by Microsoft, the transit agency announced Monday. Buses on Route 54, which passes by the University of Houston and Texas Southern University … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Metro Wi-Fi

Someone is opposing the Metro referendum

Posted on September 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I suppose it was too optimistic to hope that the Metro referendum would not get any organized opposition. Opponents of Metro’s $3.5 billion bond referendum have formed a political action committee to lead a grass-roots campaign to curtail what they … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Texas Central signs a manufacturing deal

Posted on September 20, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

For your information. The bullet train planned between Houston and Dallas has a builder. Texas Central, the private company developing the Texas Bullet Train, announced Friday morning it signed a deal with Salini Impregilo, the Italian construction giant, and its … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

What can we really do about I-45?

Posted on September 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Urban planner Jeff Speck is once again warning us about the negative effects of widening I-45. TxDOT cites three principal motivations for advancing the I-45 project: reducing traffic congestion, improving driver safety, and improving air quality. These laudable goals are … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Interview with Carrin Patman

Posted on September 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve talked a lot about the METRO Next referendum on the 2019 ballot. The referendum, the first time METRO has gone to the voters to ask for bonding authority since 2003, is intended to fund a significant expansion of transit … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Interview with Carrin Patman