Category Archives: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

More Uber safety debating

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a topic that’s not going away. With the new, smartphone-based services, drivers and passengers said, the relationship between the person behind the wheel and the person paying for the trip is unique: “It’s just you and them,” one driver … Continue reading →

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Uber and background checks

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Uber is back in the news again, and as has often been the case it’s not in a good way. Houston officials discovered crimes ranging from aggravated robbery to driving on a suspended license when they checked the backgrounds of … Continue reading →

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Senate bill to kill high speed rail advances

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Didn’t know there was one of these. The Senate Transportation Committee voted 5-4 to pass out Senate Bill 1601, from state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, which would strip firms developing high-speed rail projects from eminent domain authority. Texas Central High-Speed … Continue reading →

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Do we need a statewide solution for Uber and Lyft?

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Bill Hammond of the Texas Association of Business thinks so. Fans of apps like Uber and Lyft may find that the rules governing their operations in one city differ dramatically from those in a community down the street or across … Continue reading →

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Texas Central Railway to hold “informational” meetings

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I hope this effort isn’t too little, too late for them. Backers of a high-speed rail line plan a series of meetings this month in rural areas where the proposed Houston-to-Dallas tracks could cross, setting up discussions with some of … Continue reading →

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News flash: Traffic is getting worse

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I know, I’m as shocked as you are. It’s a common dilemma for Houston motorists. Congestion in Houston increased sharply from 2013 to 2014, according to a report released Tuesday by TomTom, developer of the mapping and traffic data fed … Continue reading →

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Uber officially departs San Antonio

Posted on April 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. Uber’s ride in the Alamo City ended Wednesday as the ride-share company has stopped operating within San Antonio city limits. The decision to end all operations in San Antonio stems from the city council’s vote to approve a … Continue reading →

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One way to lower speed limits

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Purple City makes an interesting observation. One of the quieter actions of the late Parker administration has been to slowly alter speed limits from 35 or 40mph to 30mph. These reductions aren’t based on an engineering study or field measurements, … Continue reading →

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Metro writes off old light rail studies

Posted on March 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

What might have been. Houston transit officials Thursday wrote off $104 million wasted on multiple studies related to the controversial University and Uptown light rail projects that ultimately stalled due to a lack of funding and fierce opposition from the … Continue reading →

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Uber and Lyft for the San Antonio suburbs

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

If the rules in the big city aren’t amenable, maybe the rules in the smaller nearby cities will be. San Antonio’s new rules for rideshare companies go into effect April 1 and controversy over the regulation of transportation network companies … Continue reading →

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Metro board seeks to expand

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s change that has been anticipated since the 2010 Census data was released. With all indications pointing to more people in the Metropolitan Transit Authority service area living outside Houston than inside the city, Metro officials are asking to accelerate … Continue reading →

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On Uber and DWI

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This was from a few weeks ago, and I just hadn’t gotten around to finishing the draft post I’d started till now. The entrance of app-based transportation companies in American cities decreases the likelihood that people living there drive drunk, … Continue reading →

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Overpass groundbreaking

Posted on March 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Progress. After years of conflict among community members and leaders, construction of Metro’s new Harrisburg overpass is officially underway in Houston’s East End. “It’s not just a bridge; it’s going to be a landmark in the city,” Metropolitan Transit Authority … Continue reading →

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Taxi companies federal lawsuit against Uber and Lyft can proceed

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Part of it, anyway. Taxi companies in Houston and San Antonio that took their turf war with two online companies to federal court by accusing Uber and Lyft of operating illegally and skimming money from cab firms can continue pursuing … Continue reading →

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Vehicle registration renewal error notice

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The following is a public service announcement. From the inbox: 320,000 Texas Drivers Receive Error in Renewal Notice Mike Sullivan wants to ensure Harris County drivers are aware of issue Tax Assessor-Collector Mike Sullivan wants to ensure Harris County drivers … Continue reading →

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Uber’s lobbying efforts

Posted on March 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Cry havoc, and let slip the lobbyists of, um, lobbying! After spending months securing a spot on Houston’s roadways, Uber is stepping on the gas in Austin: hiring at least 23 lobbyists and paying them as much as $700,000 to … Continue reading →

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An Uptown BRT skeptic

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s one guy who doesn’t like the idea. Ridership models developed by the Uptown TIRZ board project that the new bus route will carry 10,000 riders per day in 2018. This estimate is outrageously inflated, given that the more than … Continue reading →

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Revised SA vehicles for hire ordinance not good enough for Uber

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

That would be a nope. With an impending council decision, efforts by the city to revise its vehicles-for-hire ordinance to convince the ride-hailing companies Lyft and Uber to remain in San Antonio appear to have only left both sides in … Continue reading →

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One sticker for all has begun

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Hope it wasn’t too confusing for you if you had to deal with it this week. On Monday – the first full day under the new system for registering cars, trucks, trailers and motorcycles in Texas – drivers trying to … Continue reading →

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System reimagining is hard work

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Jarrett Walker, who consulted with Metro on bus system reimagining, wants you to know that it was harder than it looked. These no-new-resources restructurings always involve cutting some low-ridership services to add higher-ridership ones, and these can be incredibly painful … Continue reading →

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Transportation Commission approves funds for Uptown BRT

Posted on February 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Finally. Dedicated bus lanes along Loop 610 remain a part of planned transit service in the Uptown area after state officials kept $25 million allocated to an upcoming project. After months of discussions about the project’s purpose and agreements between … Continue reading →

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Bill filed to kill high speed rail line

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Given all that’s been going on lately, I suppose this was inevitable. A lawmaker whose district sits near the proposed route for a planned bullet train connecting Houston and Dallas filed a bill Wednesday that could stop the project in … Continue reading →

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More on San Antonio’s vehicles for hire re-try

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

There are multiple issues to be resolved. Uber and Lyft representatives are cautiously optimistic about what will come out of the small group of City officials that continue to work on a rideshare ordinance that softens the regulatory blow to … Continue reading →

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Uptown needs bikes

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

So says this op-ed. Always susceptible to gridlock, especially at Christmastime, the traffic jams now happen year-round and last longer each day. Clearly, Uptown badly needs convenient, reliable alternatives to cars for the tens of thousands of workers and residents … Continue reading →

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Metro’s new rail station

Posted on February 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Houston Central Station is finally open, though in a much less impressive form than it might have been. Houston’s first new rail station in nearly 14 months [opened] Wednesday, but it won’t serve its main purpose – connecting riders on … Continue reading →

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San Antonio may try again on vehicles for hire

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting. Key players at City Hall are crafting an eleventh-hour amended ordinance to stop Uber from leaving San Antonio, 10 days after the rideshare company announced plans to end service here if one of the nation’s most restrictive ordinances … Continue reading →

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Texas Central chooses a corridor

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We have a single preferred route for the Houston to Dallas high speed rail line. Texas Central High-Speed Railway (TCR) today informed the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) that it recommends narrowing the consideration of potential high-speed rail corridors between Houston … Continue reading →

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Another I-45 public meeting should be scheduled soon

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From Jim Weston of the I-45 Coalition: TxDOT will soon be holding another public meeting! TxDOT has been working for years to come up with a plan to ‘relieve’ the congestion on I-45. After several years, TxDOT is getting closer … Continue reading →

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On driving the empty private toll road

Posted on February 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Robert Rivard takes a ride on the lonely private toll road SH 130. Let me explain: SH 130, completed in October 2012, runs from an intersection just east of Seguin on I-10 to an intersection just north of Georgetown on … Continue reading →

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Metro board approves reimagining

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

On to implementation. Metro’s board gave unanimous, final approval to the so-called reimagining plan, authorizing agency staff to plan public meetings to explain the changes. Between now and August, Metro must replace every sign at every bus stop, revise every … Continue reading →

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System reimagining time

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Big day today, hopefully. A once-in-a-generation change to Houston bus service – shifting from a downtown-focused, hub-and-spoke design to a broader network reflecting new ways people move around – could receive final approval by Metro’s board Wednesday. Officials say the … Continue reading →

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Opposition to the high speed rail line gets organized

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

You had to figure something like this was coming. I was recently informed of NoTexasCentral.com, and I’ll let them introduce themselves: Texas Central Railway (TCR), a Japanese funded Texas-based private railroad company, is set to build and operate a high … Continue reading →

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Uber to leave San Antonio

Posted on February 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Not unexpected. Uber management sent a letter to Mayor Ivy Taylor and City Council Wednesday, warning that the rideshare service will leave San Antonio on March 1 unless the recently-passed existing is modified or repealed. Uber representatives say the new … Continue reading →

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Sticker reduction coming

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Harris County is gearing up for a new Texas Two Step. Beginning March 1, 2015, the state will no longer issue vehicle inspection stickers and will move to a “Two Steps, One Sticker” program. Under the new … Continue reading →

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