Category Archives: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

UberACCESS debuts in Houston

Posted on April 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good to see. A partnership that has helped disabled people connect with a popular ride service launched in Houston at midnight. Uber officials confirmed UberACCESS, which offers wheelchair-accessible rides for the same price as UberX, began service Wednesday. Like all … Continue reading →

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Meet the toucan light

Posted on April 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The first of its kind in Houston, though maybe not the last. The new traffic signal suspended above Appel at Yale and Seventh is a first for Texas, but also an adjustment for residents – some of whom are unsure … Continue reading →

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Take transit to the game

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

If you can, you should. The transformation of downtown from a work place that empties after dark to a true community is finally underway in earnest, with residents, retail shops, and restaurants that remain open long after the lunch rush. … Continue reading →

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Lots of money being spent on the Austin Uber/Lyft ordinance referendum

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. David Butts, meet Goliath. Campaign finance reports filed Thursday for Austin’s ride-hailing services election show a beyond-massive lead in money for Ridesharing Works for Austin, the Uber- and Lyft-backed political action committee supporting a proposed ordinance that would become … Continue reading →

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Uber settles California fingerprints lawsuit

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Noted for the record. Ride-hailing company Uber will pay at least $10 million to settle allegations by California prosecutors that it misled passengers about the quality of its driver background checks. The settlement was signed Thursday in San Francisco, where … Continue reading →

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Yale Street Bridge to be closed for construction

Posted on April 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Three words: Find alternate routes. There’s about to be a lot of yelling about Yale Street, as the historic span makes way for a modern replacement. Crews will close the bridge carrying the road over White Oak bayou on April … Continue reading →

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Lots of people took the train to the games

Posted on April 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. After handling more than a quarter-million rail trips over the four-day NCAA Final Four period, Metro is calling it a slam dunk. “These are numbers are fantastic for us,” spokesman Jerome Gray said. Metro said 255,700 rail boardings occurred … Continue reading →

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Reimagining public transportation is hard work

Posted on April 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Noted for the record. Four years ago, Helsinki launched an innovative bus service as part of a long-term plan to make cars irrelevant. It was called Kutsuplus—Finnish for “call plus.” And it was one of the world’s first attempts to … Continue reading →

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Japan rules, please

Posted on April 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The people behind the proposed high-speed rail line in Texas would like for it to be built under the same rules as existing Japanese high-speed rail lines. Railway operator JR Tokai and an American partner will petition federal regulators to … Continue reading →

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Gilbert Garcia will be a tough act to follow at Metro

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Let me bid an early and fond farewell to outgoing Metro Board Chair Gilbert Garcia. With only weeks to go as chairman of Metro, Gilbert Garcia bounds down the hallway to his transit agency office greeting workers, talking about how … Continue reading →

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Lubbock to consider rideshare ordinance

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

You know what that means. Uber drivers may soon be required to have background checks and operational permits in the city of Lubbock, a move that in the past has prompted the company to pull out of some Texas cities. … Continue reading →

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What do you do with a problem like I-10?

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From a conversation that Cite Editor Raj Mankad conducted with Andrew Albers and Ernesto Alfaro, who co-teach a survey of landscape architecture at the Rice School of Architecture. Mankad: Let’s come back to I-10 and the failure of its… Alfaro: … Continue reading →

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More speed bumps coming

Posted on March 23, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Like ’em or not. Houston officials are speeding up the process of slowing down residential street traffic. A laborious process to improve traffic and safety by installing traffic calming devices such as speed humps is radically streamlined in a new … Continue reading →

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The Purple City plan for I-45

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Check it out. Should a major freeway plan consider the needs of cyclists? Of transit riders? And if we’re going to tear down and reconstruct the entire downtown freeway network of the fourth-largest city in America, shouldn’t the final result … Continue reading →

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More Metro appointments for Mayor Turner

Posted on March 20, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron editorial board gets its wish. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Friday named two new Metro board members and reappointed two others – taking a more moderate course than his predecessor, who replaced all five of the city’s appointees. Disability … Continue reading →

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Plane sharing

Posted on March 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Sure, why not? Ken Haney has flown in the cockpit of military and commercial planes for more than 35 years. His business partner Steve Geldmacher has logged more than 4 million miles as a traveler. Both say they have watched … Continue reading →

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Electric bikes

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know. Hundreds of local residents over the weekend strapped on helmets to ride motorized bikes as a way to showcase yet another way for Houstonians to traverse the city’s often congested streets. The free promotional rides at Rice … Continue reading →

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Will driverless cars fix Houston’s traffic problems?

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Tory Gattis thinks they might. The second step is understanding the ramifications of coming new technologies — specifically self-driving cars. While the general vehicle fleet will take decades to turn over as people slowly replace their cars, we can expect … Continue reading →

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Supreme Court declines to intervene in Austin Uber referendum

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Who knew they could do that? The Texas Supreme Court on Monday declined to order the Austin City Council to rewrite the ballot language on the proposed ride-hailing ordinance that will go before voters May 7. Austin music manager Samantha … Continue reading →

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Uber to abandon Corpus Christi

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Another one bites the dust. In what has become a familiar move for Uber, the vehicle-for-hire company announced Wednesday it will cease operations in Corpus Christi, pointing to “unnecessary” regulations recently adopted by the city. Corpus Christi’s City Council approved … Continue reading →

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Supreme Court asked to weigh in on Austin rideshare referendum

Posted on March 12, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Of course it is. The Texas Supreme Court has been pulled into the ongoing battle between Uber and the City of Austin. An Austin resident, supported by Uber, has asked the Supreme Court to weigh in on the ballot language … Continue reading →

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More on the draft bike plan

Posted on March 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the Chron. The Houston Bike Plan identifies $300 million to $500 million in improvements aimed at encouraging cycling and bringing more accessibility to every corner of the city via paths, off-street trails and safer lanes where cyclists share the … Continue reading →

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Year 2 for “One Sticker”

Posted on March 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Surely this year will go more smoothly. Texas dropped its familiar green safety inspection sticker a year ago, creating confusion for millions of vehicle and trailer owners in the state. Though inspections didn’t change – but might soon, as some … Continue reading →

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Mayor Turner appoints new Metro board chair

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good choice. Former Metro board member Carrin Patman will return to the transit agency as chairwoman, Mayor Sylvester Turner announced Friday. Patman, 59, is a partner at Houston-based law firm Bracewell, where she has represented major corporate clients in fraud … Continue reading →

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High speed rail opponents sue TxDOT and AG’s office

Posted on March 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

They seek information that they say they have been denied so far. A group opposed to a private firm’s plans to build a bullet train stretching from Dallas to Houston has filed a lawsuit against the Texas Department of Transportation … Continue reading →

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SH 130 operator files for bankruptcy

Posted on March 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Boom. A private company that operates part of the Texas toll road with the highest speed limit in the country filed for bankruptcy Wednesday, fewer than three years after the section of the road it oversees first opened. The SH … Continue reading →

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Metro smartphone payment system debuts

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Progress marches onward. Metro riders will be able to board a bus or train without a fare card or cash within a few days, just in time for some of the transit agency’s heaviest use during the Houston Livestock Show … Continue reading →

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The draft bike plan is out

Posted on February 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Here it is, in all its glory. I encourage you to look at the draft plan and play with the interactive map. Then, when you start to feel overwhelmed and wish someone would explain it all to you, go read … Continue reading →

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New parking meters coming

Posted on February 20, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

No more paper receipts to clutter up your dashboard. Some things about street parking in downtown Houston are unlikely to change: It will always require a keen eye for available spots and the courage and skill to wedge your car … Continue reading →

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Lone Star Rail setback

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Bummer. Union Pacific dealt a major blow to a proposal to connect San Antonio and Austin with passenger rail by pulling one of its tracks from a possible plan. UP ended its agreement with the Lone Star Rail District to … Continue reading →

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Turner wants to rethink transportation

Posted on February 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I like the way he’s thinking. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, in less than a month on the job, has hit the streets at full speed. First he tackled potholes. Last week he tackled a state transportation department that’s spent the … Continue reading →

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Austin will vote on rideshare ordinance revision

Posted on February 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The month of May just got a lot more interesting. Let the people choose how to regulate Uber and Lyft, a divided Austin City Council decided late Thursday. The council, on a 2-8-1 vote, declined to adopt an ordinance underlying … Continue reading →

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Driverless car technology update

Posted on February 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I have a personal stake in this story. James Kuffner, the head of Google’s robotics division and one of the original team of ten who started its self-driving car work, has left the company for a job at Toyota’s $1 … Continue reading →

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Harrisburg line overpass delayed again

Posted on February 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. Just, ugh. A rail overpass vital to completion of the East End light rail line that has divided neighbors and eroded public confidence will be delayed another four months, Metro officials confirmed Monday. “It has been the project from … Continue reading →

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