Category Archives: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Better sidewalks needs to be everyone’s job

Posted on December 28, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s the only way we’re going to make progress. Houstonians annoyed by cracked, missing or buckled sidewalks along their streets may be surprised to learn that city rules make residents responsible for fixing them. At the urging of council members … Continue reading →

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Metro moving forward on 2019 referendum

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I’m ready for it. The Metropolitan Transit Authority is expected to ask voters next fall for more than $3 billion in borrowing authority to implement its next wave of transit projects. The 20-year plan laid out by Metro officials includes … Continue reading →

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The next eminent domain fight

Posted on December 18, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Coming to a Lege near you. Holly Reed, Texas Central’s managing director of external affairs, said the company prefers not to use eminent domain “at all” and would rather work out amicable sales agreements for the thousands of parcels needed … Continue reading →

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Here come the e-bikes

Posted on December 17, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

To Dallas. Uber is about to jump into Dallas with a brand-new rent-a-ride for this market: rechargeable electric bikes. Jump, which Uber bought in April for $200 million, has filed an application with Dallas City Hall to bring 2,000 stationless … Continue reading →

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Driverless taxis have arrived

Posted on December 12, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

In Phoenix. Google offshoot Waymo announced it is launching the nation’s first commercial driverless taxi service in this and other Phoenix suburbs. The 24/7 service, dubbed Waymo One, will let customers summon self-driving minivans by a smartphone app, a la … Continue reading →

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Are we ready for Texas Central?

Posted on December 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This is more about the experience than anything else. Texas Central said it will break ground late next year on the first bullet train line in the United States, which will connect Dallas to Houston, and the train, technology and … 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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More Metro regional transit plan meetings planned

Posted on November 28, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

There’s more to talk about now. After gathering input over the past year on how to expand public transportation in the region, METRO says it will soon hold another series of meetings to see what people think of their draft Regional Transit Plan. … Continue reading →

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Metro’s autonomous vehicle pilot to start in January

Posted on November 21, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Here it comes, TSU. Last spring, METRO announced a plan to run an autonomous bus along TSU’s Tiger Walk, a shared-use path that cuts across the campus. Now, the transit agency said it will start a pilot program in January. METRO CEO Tom … Continue reading →

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The state of the high speed rail line

Posted on November 12, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

A good long read from the Trib. Private developer Texas Central Partners LLC plans to build a train that will shuttle people between Dallas and Houston in 90 minutes along a 240-mile route roughly parallel to a highway corridor that … Continue reading →

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Metro’s post-Culberson future

Posted on November 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

You might not be aware of this, but famously anti-Metro Congressman John Culberson lost his bid for re-election on Tuesday. What might that mean for Metro? In one of the more stunning defeats of incumbent Republicans on Tuesday night, Lizzie … Continue reading →

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When train companies fight

Posted on September 23, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t we all just get along? A competitor of the company trying to build a Dallas-to-Houston bullet-train connection has blasted the notion that a high-speed rail line can be built without public money. “The whole thing is just a dream,” … Continue reading →

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Second look at Metro’s long range transit plan

Posted on September 16, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Still a work in progress, but there’s beginning to be some focus. Transit officials inched closer Wednesday to asking voters next year for up to $3 billion for two-way express bus service along many Houston freeways, along with a few … Continue reading →

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Speed kills

Posted on September 11, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good long read from the Chron about our dangerous roads and highways. There’s too much to cover here, so I just want to focus on the why we all speed so much. Houston drivers likely speed, at least in part, … Continue reading →

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“The Rise and Fall of Dockless Bike Sharing in Dallas”

Posted on September 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Amazing story. Several dockless bike-share companies first converged on Dallas last August after promising local officials that their services would come at no cost to taxpayers, and the impact was immediate. The dockless feature allowed bike-share companies to distribute its … Continue reading →

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Autonomous cars in Arlington

Posted on September 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Who wants a robot to drive them to a Cowboys game? Arlington visitors and residents will soon be able to request an autonomous vehicle on demand in the city’s entertainment district. The city approved a one-year contract with Silicon Valley-based … Continue reading →

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The autonomous cars/mass transit debate

Posted on August 18, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Seems to me this should be a “both-and” rather than an “either-or”, but you know how I get. Autonomous vehicles that will outperform buses, cost less than Uber and travel faster than cars stuck in traffic today are two years … Continue reading →

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San Antonio looking at driverless car pilot program

Posted on August 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Driverless cars could be sharing the road with San Antonio motorists in the not-too-distant future. The City is requesting information about a potential autonomous vehicle pilot program that would inform how driverless cars are eventually used and regulated. “As … Continue reading →

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First look at Metro’s long range plan

Posted on August 2, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s big, with smaller components that could be done as lower-cost alternatives. After a bus system overhaul that garnered the attention of other cities looking to do the same, Houston’s transit agency is in the midst of creating its long-range plan, MetroNEXT, to take the … Continue reading →

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Uber scooters

Posted on July 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Somehow, you knew something like this was going to happen. Uber is getting into the scooter-rental business. The ride-hailing company said Monday that it is investing in Lime, a startup based in San Mateo, California. “Our investment and partnership in … Continue reading →

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Dallas hyperlooping

Posted on July 14, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

North Texas takes the lead for this super sexy but possibly vaporware transportation technology. The Regional Transportation Council announced Wednesday that it will consider the feasibility of a hyperloop as a way to connect Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington. The … Continue reading →

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I got those “too many traffic lights between Houston and Austin” blues

Posted on July 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

But maybe not for long. Depending on which route you drive. [T]he Texas Department of Transportation is in the final stages of a decadeslong effort to at least make that 170-mile trip from Austin to Houston free of traffic lights. … Continue reading →

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Mayor makes Metro appointments

Posted on July 7, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Only one change, but it’s a big one. Mayor Sylvester Turner has nominated Teresa “Terry” R. Morales to serve in Position 5 of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) board of directors, for a term that expires April … Continue reading →

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Scooters come to San Antonio

Posted on June 26, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Beware, y’all. Electric scooters started popping up on the streets of San Antonio early Friday morning as part of an initiative by Los Angeles-based scooter-sharing company Bird to provide an alternative mode of transportation, mostly for those downtown. The scooters, … Continue reading →

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Waymo moves forward on a self-driving car service

Posted on June 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Get ready, because they’re coming. Waymo, the driverless-technology company spun out of Google, has agreed to purchase as many as 62,000 minivans from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles for use in a ride-hailing service set to begin commercial operations later this year. … Continue reading →

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Who’s gonna clean up that self-driving car?

Posted on June 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a question I hadn’t pondered before. Who will clean self-driving vehicles? I found myself wondering this recently as my son and I tidied the family car after a road trip. We’d been driving for only five hours, but we … Continue reading →

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Enabling better transit

Posted on May 30, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This is great. For less than the cost of a single bus, however, Metro might be the first transit agency in the country to take a significant step across an entire bus system that could open riding options to scores … Continue reading →

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Let’s kill fewer pedestrians and bicyclists

Posted on May 29, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Crazy idea, right? Houston officials will find the 10 most dangerous intersections in the city and make safety adjustments where possible following a series of fatal bicycle crashes in 2018. Mayor Sylvester Turner announced the initiative on Bike to Work … Continue reading →

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NASA to test Uber’s flying cars

Posted on May 19, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Just simulations, thankfully. NASA will soon begin testing in Dallas how Uber’s on-demand air-taxi concept would affect crowded areas. Uber is in the midst of designing an air-taxi service, called UberAIR. Officials hope to conduct flight demonstrations starting in 2020 … Continue reading →

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Texas Central and Amtrak

Posted on May 18, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Connectivity is good. Amtrak and Texas Central announced a partnership Friday to link the proposed bullet train from Dallas to Houston to the national passenger rail network. Passengers will be able to book their bullet train trips through Amtrak. The partnership … Continue reading →

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Zipcars and parking

Posted on May 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s sort this out. A plan to allow more on-street parking spaces for cars Houstonians could rent by the hour hit a bump Wednesday, when city council members balked at moving beyond the pilot program they approved nearly two years … Continue reading →

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Self-driving car service coming to North Texas

Posted on May 13, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Coming to the city of Frisco in July, a public-private venture pairing up with a California-based outfit called Drive.ai, for something that’s a little like shuttle service and a little like mass transit on a small scale. The initial service … Continue reading →

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No Metro vote this year

Posted on May 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

One thing that won’t be on your ballot this fall. Voters will have to wait a few more months to decide Houston’s transit future, as Metro officials said Monday they are taking a more deliberative approach to developing a long-term … Continue reading →

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Time for an update on that other high speed rail line

Posted on May 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s been awhile. Backers continue to move along on plans to build a bullet-train route between Dallas and Houston, but it’s not the only high-speed passenger rail project on Texas drawing boards. With a proposal to run between cities such … Continue reading →

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