Category Archives: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Metro signs Full Funding Grant Agreement

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Full speed ahead. The head of the Federal Transit Administration on Monday signed $900 million in grant agreements to help pay for two Houston light-rail lines under construction by the Metropolitan Transit Authority. The grants, the first federal funds ever … Continue reading →

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There’s congestion on I-10: Film at 11

Posted on November 26, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sure you will be completely unsurprised to hear that I-10 has bad traffic congestion. You may be surprised to hear where the worst of it is, however. Just in time for Thanksgiving travel, a new study has found that … Continue reading →

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Parking feedback

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

A couple of weeks ago I noted that the city is undergoing a review of its 1989 Off Street Parking ordinance. The idea is to recognize some changes in the real estate market, especially having to do with entertainment and … Continue reading →

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I-45 again

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I went to the open house for I-45 on Tuesday night to see what was going on, since we didn’t have much information about what the current state of TxDOT’s thinking is about this. Apparently, there isn’t a set plan … Continue reading →

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Signing date for Full Funding Grant Agreement announced

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the Metro blog: On Monday, Nov. 28, METRO will be joined by federal officials, along with members of Houston’s congressional delegation, to sign the long-awaited Full Funding Grant Agreements (FFGA) for the North and Southwest light-rail lines. President & … Continue reading →

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Construction pains

Posted on November 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I feel for the people and businesses that are being affected by Metro’s light rail construction. I wish that these large construction projects could be done without that kind of disruption, but it happens, and it sucks. What amazed me … Continue reading →

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Get them while they’re HOT

Posted on November 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Metro is set to open its HOV lanes to single occupancy vehicles, but you’ll pay for the privilege if you choose it. The Metropolitan Transit Authority board Thursday set a range of tolls from $1 to $10, depending on the … Continue reading →

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I-45 is back on the agenda

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: After several years of the I-45 project being on hold, public meetings are now being scheduled by TxDOT. TxDOT is about to significantly change the I-45 project TxDOT has provided NO advance information on exactly what the … Continue reading →

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San Antonio moves forward with streetcar plan

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

San Antonio City Council has voted to approve funding for a five-year transit expansion plan that includes a streetcar line. The vote all but guarantees construction of the city’s first urban rail project since San Antonio ended its electric streetcar … Continue reading →

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There’s an app for reporting handicapped parking space violators

Posted on October 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

In Austin, anyway. Ever see someone parked illegally and wanted to do something about it? Your chance might be coming. A new smartphone app could allow people in Austin to report illegal parking in spots reserved for people with disabilities. … Continue reading →

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San Antonio B-Cycle expands

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Seven months after beginning, San Antonio’s bike sharing program has completed an expansion. B-cycle, San Antonio’s bike share program, now boasts 20 docking stations and 200 bikes. […] Yearly memberships for $30 are still available by visiting sanantonio.bcycle.com and using … Continue reading →

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New parking regulations

Posted on October 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Hair Balls last week had a good discussion of a proposal by the city to revamp its 1989 Off Street Parking ordinance. Currently, bars — which are defined as having alcohol make up more than 75 percent of their sales … Continue reading →

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There’s an app for finding a bus

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. Imagine this: You are walking around the Galleria and want to go to Discovery Green for a concert. But you’re not sure what bus to take. In a few months, you’ll be able use your smart phone to … Continue reading →

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Downtown shuttle service to return

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Do you miss the free trolleys that used to run downtown? A new version of that service is set to debut in the spring. The Houston Downtown Management District, funded through tax assessments on downtown properties, plans to launch a … Continue reading →

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Biking to work

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

More Houstonians than before are riding their bikes to work, though in absolute terms it’s still a pretty small number. Figures from the League of American Bicyclists show a 62 percent increase in the number of Houston residents who commute … Continue reading →

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Round Rock to get red light cameras

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I’m actually a little surprised that some places are still going forward with these things. Round Rock city officials presented for the final time [Wednesday] the locations of soon-to-be-installed red light cameras throughout the city to a city council-selected committee … Continue reading →

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On spending and jobs

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

What exactly was the point of this story? About 600 workers already are on the job building the North, Southeast and East End lines, according Metro. “This is an opportunity for Metro to create thousands of jobs in Houston for … Continue reading →

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Bike sharing comes to New York

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

You’d have thought – or at least, I’d have thought – that New York City would have been a very early adopter of bike sharing. Turns out they’re just getting started now. At a press conference [last Wednesday] afternoon, the … Continue reading →

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Hempstead commuter rail update

Posted on September 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a look at how commuter rail along 290 might work. Commuter trains from Hempstead to Houston could start running by 2019 if the Gulf Coast Rail District can secure $300 million and if Union Pacific Railroad lets passenger cars … Continue reading →

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Where the congestion is

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the On The Move blog: Dallas motorists suffer the most highly congested road conditions in Texas, says a recent report from the Texas Department of Transportation. The state’s top three bottlenecks are all located in Dallas County, according to … Continue reading →

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Metro officially back on track with the FTA

Posted on September 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The “Buy America” nightmare is now history for Metro. In September 2010, the FTA announced that the process Metro had used to award a rail car contract to CAF USA, the U.S. subsidiary of a Spanish company, violated federal law … Continue reading →

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Dallas-Houston high speed rail update

Posted on September 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The people working on this sure do sound optimistic, even if what they’ve got is still basically vaporware. A trip from Houston to Dallas could take travelers 90 minutes if former Harris County Judge Robert Eckels, president of Lone Star … Continue reading →

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On paying for insurance at the pump

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Dallas Transportation blog comes out in favor of an old favorite. Our newspaper ran an editorial today about fighting the problem of uninsured motorists, those miserable characters who have complicated many of our lives. The news peg was a … Continue reading →

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HuffPo on the Grand Parkway

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Huffington Post take a look at that great boondoggle in northwest Harris County, the Grand Parkway Segment E extension from I-10 to 290. Texas faces a transportation funding gap of $315 billion over the next 20 years, according to … Continue reading →

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DPS Megacenters

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure what I think about this. With a $63 million infusion from the Legislature, state officials hope to cut the legendary long lines and irritating red tape at driver’s license centers across Texas with upgraded technology and new “megacenters” … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed to stop Grand Parkway

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how it goes. The Sierra Club has filed a lawsuit to block construction of the Grand Parkway in west Harris County until federal and state officials conduct a new analysis of the flooding consequences. The environmental group says … Continue reading →

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Access to transit in Houston

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the Chron’s Newswatch blog: Houston ranks third from the bottom among the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas in the number of households with no cars and no access to public transit, according to a new report from the Brookings … Continue reading →

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Hardy Toll Road extension gets final OK

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

After many years of planning, a project to extend the Hardy Toll Road all the way into downtown is finally headed to the drawing board. The Harris County Toll Road Authority is seeking the court’s permission to begin final negotiations … Continue reading →

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Roads don’t pay for themselves

Posted on August 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Ezra Klein: The 18.4-cents-per-gallon tax is already inadequate to fund current infrastructure obligations, not least because, in recent years, Americans have been driving less and buying more fuel-efficient cars. The good news is that we’re using less gasoline. The bad … Continue reading →

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Laying track

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This has been a long time coming. For the first time in 10 years, workers this morning poured concrete for a new section of Metro light-rail track. The 80-foot section of steel rail will be part of the 6.6-mile Southeast … Continue reading →

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Greanias’ return

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Metro CEO George Greanias is back on the job after serving a week’s suspension for viewing adult websites on his laptop while connected to Metro’s WiFi network. Since the surprising announcement 10 days ago, Greanias has been publicly silent, spending … Continue reading →

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Some questions about the airport deal

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron stumped for the Terminal B expansion deal on Friday. Under the proposal by United, which merged with Continental this year, the Chicago-based airline would spend $686 million to expand and renovate Terminal B. The city is being asked … Continue reading →

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Chron story on the Terminal B expansion

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the Chron story on that Terminal B expansion at IAH that I mentioned on Sunday. It fills in some blanks. United Airlines would pay $686 million to expand and renovate Bush Intercontinental Airport’s Terminal B and gain control over … Continue reading →

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Terminal B expansion on the menu

Posted on July 31, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

In late May, the city announced that Terminal B expansion at IAH would go forward. Houston Mayor Annise Parker, the Houston Airport System (HAS), and United Continental Holdings, Inc. Airlines, reaffirm a commitment to overhaul Terminal B at George Bush … Continue reading →

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