Category Archives: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Red lights on the Green line

Posted on November 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Alas. Light rail is up and running along Harrisburg on the city’s east side, but Metro’s construction continues to be a sore spot with area residents because it seems at every turn the work is taking longer than promised. The … Continue reading →

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The FRA releases its alignment analysis for the high speed rail line

Posted on November 14, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

There will be no downtown Houston station, that much is for sure. The area around U.S. 290 and Loop 610, anchored by Northwest Mall, is likely to be the end of the line for a proposed Houston-to-Dallas high speed passenger … Continue reading →

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Another review of Metro’s bus system reimagining

Posted on November 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This time from the Chron: Nearly three months into what many consider the most significant operational change any American transit system has made in three decades, Houston transit officials and supporters are calling the new bus network a rousing success. … Continue reading →

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Where things stand with bus ridership

Posted on November 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Jarrett Walker, one of the consultants who helped design the new Metro bus network, looks at the most recent stats from Metro and tells us what they mean. It’s now been about two months since Houston METRO implemented their New … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit against Uptown line dismissed

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We haven’t heard the last of this, of that you can be certain. A judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging a dedicated bus lane project in Houston’s Uptown area, but the ruling is not a final resolution of the dispute. … Continue reading →

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The Prop 7 funds are already being claimed

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Get ready for a lot more road construction in the near future. Voters have a little more than a week to decide whether to give Texas highways a $2.75 billion annual funding boost, but Houston-area officials are already making plans … Continue reading →

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The (mostly) high speed rail extension to Fort Worth

Posted on October 25, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I hope they can make this happen. A proposed high-speed rail route cutting through Dallas-Fort Worth would go slower than previously planned but would include a station south of DFW Airport, according to a newly unveiled plan. The proposal, which … Continue reading →

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Uber returns to San Antonio

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

They’re back. The ink had barely dried on the signed operating agreement when ride-hailing firm Uber restarted operations in San Antonio Tuesday, ahead of competitor Lyft, which agreed to a deal in August but has yet to implement services here. … Continue reading →

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Metro once again considers advertising

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

And I once again say go for it. Thursday, Metropolitan Transit Authority board members will consider researching options for putting ads inside buses and trains, as well as text-based ads for those who use the system’s next-bus texting service. Metro … Continue reading →

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The economic impact of the high speed rail line

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It could be a lot, if one study is to be believed. An analysis of a planned high-speed line between Houston and Dallas shows the $10 billion-plus project will have an economic impact roughly three times its expected price tag, … Continue reading →

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A new Uber competitor enters the scene

Posted on October 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s Get Me. Less than two years after Uber disrupted Houston’s taxi market – with most of that time spent largely competition-free – the company now finds itself the established player facing upstart competition. Get Me, a Dallas-based company that … Continue reading →

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Uber and Lyft versus fingerprints

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

They prefer to do their own background checks, which of course do not require fingerprint checks. Houston, San Antonio and Austin currently take different approaches to a key regulatory issue: whether vehicle-for-hire app drivers must undergo fingerprint background checks. The … Continue reading →

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Uber update, part 4

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the last installment of the Chron/Al Jazeera analysis of how Uber is operating in Houston. Most of the story is about what parts of town have better service from Uber – short answer, inside the Loop – and how … Continue reading →

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Uber update, parts 2 and 3

Posted on September 29, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Driving for Uber is a tough way to make a living. One hundred job applications and still nothing. Jennifer Cantrell, 34, partway through a master’s degree in social work, had depleted her savings and needed a new plan. Through Facebook, … Continue reading →

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Uber update, part 1

Posted on September 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron, in conjunction with Al Jazeera Americas, gives the first of what should be a four-part look at how Uber is doing in Houson. Less than a year after Houston began regulating so-called transportation network companies, questions persist about … Continue reading →

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San Antonio implements Vision Zero

Posted on September 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. Tuesday marked the official launch of San Antonio’s Vision Zero, a multi-national awareness and educational initiative that calls for zero traffic fatalities. It’s a lofty goal, but proponents of the plan say these deaths, especially those of … Continue reading →

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B-Cycle expansion coming

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Houston area officials are investing hundreds of millions of dollars into widening Interstate 45, and they could be paying much more for even larger upcoming projects along the corridor. But a comparatively-paltry sum is about to boost bike sharing … Continue reading →

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No way to run a road bond election

Posted on September 25, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Am I a bad person for being unreasonably amused by this? A special prosecutor has been assigned to determine whether behind-the-scenes negotiations could void a last-minute deal struck by Montgomery County commissioners to get a scaled-back $270 million road bond … Continue reading →

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Checking in on Texas Central

Posted on September 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s still going. The private firm hoping to build a high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston has been celebrating a summer of successes: completing a successful round of fundraising, seeing a key federal study move forward, surviving the legislative … Continue reading →

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August ridership numbers for the new rail lines

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Again, don’t get too excited just yet. Use of Houston’s two newest rail lines increased in August, though it took a strong late showing and free rides to finally meet the ridership expectations Metro officials outlined in May. According to … Continue reading →

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Uber wants to add more drivers here

Posted on September 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

An Uber surge is coming. Eighteen months after launching in Houston, Uber, the popular ride-sharing service known for its conflicts with regulators, plans to add 5,000 drivers in the area over the next year. Uber leaders, staff of the nonprofit … Continue reading →

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Lone Star Rail updates

Posted on September 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From last week, San Antonio City Council gets set to make a financial commitment to the Lone Star Rail line. San Antonio is expected to make its first financial commitment to building the Lone Star Rail line next week when … Continue reading →

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Yes, there are some people complaining about the new bus routes

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Houston Press talks to a few of them. The 87 still runs—just not right here. While the previous bus network had 89 routes, the new one has 79—and as a result, low-income communities like Hersey’s lost access to 12 … Continue reading →

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Three I-45 updates

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From The Highwayman: Texas Transportation Commission members on Thursday approved a $3.6 million contract with Main Lane Industries, based in Houston, to replace the entrance ramp from Allen Parkway to southbound I-45. The ramp, which whips drivers through a steep … Continue reading →

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On cellphones and school zones

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I guess I need to talk about this. Six years ago, state lawmakers hoping to protect students banned drivers from texting and talking on hand-held cellphones in school zones. The ban, however, has never been enforced in Houston. City and … Continue reading →

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Uber’s class action lawsuit woes

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. Uber’s business model is on the rocks late Tuesday after a federal judge granted class-action status to a lawsuit targeting the company’s treatment of drivers as independent contractors. The case is one of several high-profile suits brought by … Continue reading →

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More on Uber and drunk driving

Posted on September 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We have a study. In this work, we investigate how the entry of the driving service Uber influences the rate of alcohol related motor vehicle homicides. While significant debate has surrounded the entry of driving services like Uber and Lyft, … Continue reading →

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The Press on the high speed rail line

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Press devotes a cover story to the proposed Houston-Dallas high speed rail line. Most of what’s there will be familiar to anyone who has been following this along with me, but this bit from the story caught my eye. … Continue reading →

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Three Metro updates

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Metro board has its first meeting post-system reimagining, and gets some feedback on the new routes. At Metro’s first board meeting following the launch of the new network, officials heard about two hours of public comment from unhappy riders. … Continue reading →

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Feds approve a preferred corridor for the high speed rail line

Posted on August 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

One more step in the process. The Federal Railroad Administration announced this month that the general route preferred by the project developer of a high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston is indeed the best choice. Known as the “utility … Continue reading →

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Three views of traffic in Texas

Posted on August 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s getting worse. Houston-area leaders love to trumpet the region’s affordable cost of living and low taxes, but the costs of sitting in traffic are taking a record share of workers’ incomes, according to a comprehensive annual study. The average … Continue reading →

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Tweaking the Houston rideshare ordinance

Posted on August 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From KUHF: A task force looking into improvements to the city of Houston’s ordinance regulating vehicles for hire, including Uber and other ride-share companies, made recommendations to a city council committee Tuesday. A key proposal is to adjust the requirement … Continue reading →

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Why that empty private toll road has been so empty

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Someone did a study to try to answer that question. In the Austin area, more than 220,000 vehicles travel on I-35 on a daily basis. In contrast, SH 130, the tolled bypass around Austin only carries 40,000 vehicles daily. Why … Continue reading →

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Metro still dealing with CAF problems

Posted on August 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The more things change… Metro and the maker of its newest light rail cars have had many costly and time-consuming conflicts. The latest is forcing the transit agency to spend $1 million so its mechanics can lift the vehicles. The … Continue reading →

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