Category Archives: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

What’s going on with Metro’s ridership numbers?

Posted on December 23, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I have no idea what to make of this. Houston’s heralded bus system redesign – garnering kudos from local riders and transit supporters around the country – is running into the reality that nothing can boost transit when fewer people … Continue reading →

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Driverless Ubers arrive in San Francisco

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Here they come, ready or not. Uber has always had a special relationship with this city. The ride-hailing company was founded and headquartered here. In its early days, one of the towns where Uber grew fastest was its hometown. On … Continue reading →

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Council approves Uber deal

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I’d forgotten about this. Uber will remain operating in Houston at least through the Super Bowl, after City Council approved changes to the city’s paid ride rules ironed out between the popular ride-hailing service and Mayor Sylvester Turner. Council members, … Continue reading →

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Yale Street bridge reopening sooner than expected

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Hooray! Christmas 2017 is coming very early for Heights area commuters, now that transportation officials have confirmed that the new Yale Street bridge will open in early February – roughly 10 months ahead of the previous schedule. “They’re working fast,” … Continue reading →

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More bayou bike trails

Posted on December 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. Laying out the particulars for a new trail section along White Oak Bayou, Chip Place saw something out of place where the trail crossed the Heights Hike and Bike Trail near T C Jester. It was the stairs connecting … Continue reading →

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Next B-Cycle expansion approved

Posted on December 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Expansion of Houston’s bike sharing system is pretty much in high gear after City Council on Wednesday signed off on a $4.1 million plan to roughly triple the number of bikes and kiosks. With the agreement in place, local … Continue reading →

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As go gas prices, so goes interest in transit

Posted on December 4, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It is what it is. Cheap gasoline has Texans driving more, indicating that efforts to promote mass transit or bicycle commuting are falling short, a new statewide poll suggests. As folks hit the road, though, they are increasingly supportive of … Continue reading →

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Trump’s toll roads

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Who wants more toll roads? Part of president-elect Donald Trump’s promise to create new jobs for Americans relies on a “deficit-neutral plan” to spend $1 trillion on public works projects, including hundreds of billions for roads and rail. But the … Continue reading →

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Plano for high speed rail

Posted on November 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

More support for Texas Central. The Plano City Council has lent it support to a 240-mile high-speed rail project that would run from Dallas to Houston. The council voted 7-1 Monday night to adopt a resolution supporting the project, with … Continue reading →

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Uber wants back in Austin

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s how they get back that’s the question. The ride-hailing company Uber may return to the state’s capital despite leaving Austin in May after a bruising fight with the city over regulation of the industry, according to Trevor Theunissen, the … Continue reading →

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City reaches deal with Uber

Posted on November 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Mayor Sylvester Turner today announced a comprehensive strategy to streamline the City’s vehicle-for-hire licensing process to ensure that Uber remains in Houston and that Houstonians and visitors have as many transportation options as possible during the upcoming … Continue reading →

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Texas Central releases ridership study

Posted on November 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From their website: A comprehensive ridership study conducted by L.E.K Consulting has confirmed that Texas is ready for a privately developed Bullet Train line serving North Texas, the greater Brazos Valley and The Greater Houston Metro areas. According to this … Continue reading →

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Council approves city cab-hailing app development

Posted on October 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Here it comes. Houston residents soon will be able to hail a city cab via smartphone app, after City Council signed off on a plan Wednesday to consolidate dispatching in a single program. The Arro app, already operating in New … Continue reading →

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How’s that Uber driverless car pilot going?

Posted on October 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

A few bumps in the road, as it were. Uber driver Nathan Stachelek was pulled off to the side of the road when he saw the self-driving car turn the wrong way. It was the night of Sept. 26 and … Continue reading →

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The State of Metro

Posted on October 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Metro Chair Carrin Patman gave a “State of Metro” speech at the Greater Houston Partnership this week, and among other things she said that another referendum is in the works to finish some tasks from the 2003 vote and to … Continue reading →

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Other rideshare companies sued over lack of access for disabled people

Posted on October 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Noted for the record. A state disability rights group has sued the ride-hailing apps Get Me and Fare in federal court, arguing that because the apps only partially offer text-to-speech software, they are unusable for blind people and therefore in violation … Continue reading →

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Early eminent domain dispute for Texas Central

Posted on September 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It was over before it started. Lawyers for a proposed high-speed rail line between Houston and Dallas withdrew their request for entry to a local landowner’s property, after opponents and the landowner opposed it in front of a Harris County … Continue reading →

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Coming back to the US90A rail extension

Posted on September 28, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of talk, and a case for action sooner rather than later. A Metro rail extension from southern Houston to Missouri City is gaining momentum, fueled by rare near-unanimous support from local, state and federal officials who represent the area. … Continue reading →

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The city cab app

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Meet Arro. Houston’s fractured taxi market is headed toward a rare bit of unity, with a push by the city toward how people hail cabs in the 21st century. As the taxi and limo industry adjusts to new ways of … Continue reading →

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Abbott says something about high speed rail

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Something vague, and a bit confusing. Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday expressed caution about high-speed rail in Texas, warning that any investment in transportation must not be a “money-losing proposition.” It was one of several notable topics that came up … Continue reading →

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Who’s afraid of Uber’s driverless car test?

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Transportation safety officials, at least some of them. Uber’s decision to bring self-driving taxis to the streets of Pittsburgh this week is raising alarms among a swath of safety experts who say that the technology is not nearly ready for … Continue reading →

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Google enters the rideshare market

Posted on September 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This will be worth watching. Google is moving onto Uber Technologies Inc.’s turf with a ride-sharing service to help San Francisco commuters join carpools, a person familiar with the matter said, jumping into a booming but fiercely competitive market. Google, … Continue reading →

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Harris County to fix some Houston roads

Posted on September 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news from the inbox: As part of an agreement approved by Houston City Council today, Harris County Precinct 1 will pay for additional street improvements worth millions of dollars within the Houston city limits by year’s end. This … Continue reading →

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How do other states regulate ridesharing?

Posted on September 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Legislature would like to know. As Texas lawmakers consider filing legislation next year related to ride-hailing companies, they learned Tuesday that more than 30 states have passed laws calling for some level of regulation of companies like Uber … Continue reading →

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Rideshare companies in Austin are complying with its fingerprint requirements

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Well, what do you know? All eight of the ride-hailing companies operating in Austin met a city requirement to have at least half of the rides they provided in July come from drivers who passed fingerprint-based background checks, according to … Continue reading →

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Next B-Cycle expansion announced

Posted on August 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Houston’s bike share system, Houston B-cycle, will more than triple in size over the next two years, adding 71 stations with 568 bikes. The expansion will be paid for with federal grant dollars. “The expansion of the … Continue reading →

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Driverless taxis debut in Singapore

Posted on August 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Not fast enough, Uber. The world’s first self-driving taxis will be picking up passengers in Singapore starting Thursday. Select members of the public will be able to hail a free ride through their smartphones in taxis operated by nuTonomy, an … Continue reading →

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Driverless Ubers

Posted on August 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Ready or not, here they come. The option to hail a ride in a self-driving car, which was science fiction just a few years ago, will soon be available to Uber users in Pittsburgh, the first time the technology has … Continue reading →

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SH 130 operator to give up its ownership stake

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Another step on the road to bankruptcy. SH 130 Concession Co. filed a bankruptcy reorganization plan Friday that proposes transferring company ownership to its largest lenders, which include the Federal Highway Administration and a group of European banks. The company … Continue reading →

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New study questions Uber effect on DUI

Posted on August 20, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. The introduction of ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft hasn’t had any impact on the number of fatalities related to drunken driving, a newly published study finds. Researchers at the University of Southern California and Oxford University looked … Continue reading →

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Metro celebrates ridership increase one year after new bus network rollout

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Leah Binkovitz reports. From September 2015 (the first full month after the switch was implemented) to July 2016 (the most recent complete month), METRO saw its ridership on local bus and light-rail add an additional 4.5 million boardings — a … Continue reading →

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Land acquisition for the high speed rail line

Posted on August 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s going great, according to the CEO of Texas Central High Speed Railway. Realty News Report: When will Texas’ first high-speed passenger railway between Dallas and Houston actually begin service? Tim B. Keith: We expect to begin construction on the … Continue reading →

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El Paso revises its rideshare rules

Posted on August 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Uber gets its preferred regimen. The El Paso City Council approved an ordinance designed to ease regulations and fees on taxis and ride-sharing companies like Uber. Amendments to the Transportation for Hire Ordinance, which Council approved unanimously on Tuesday, requires … Continue reading →

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Grimes County takes its own steps against Texas Central

Posted on August 12, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Another day, another obstacle. In a rebuke of a private firm’s plans to build a bullet train between Houston and Dallas, local officials in rural southeastern Texas moved Tuesday to restrict high-speed rail development in their corner of the state. … Continue reading →

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