Category Archives: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

San Antonio approves long term transit plan

Posted on July 31, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The board of VIA Metropolitan Transit, the transit agency for San Antonio, has unanimously approved a long term roadmap that will bring rail construction to the city. San Antonio is the largest city in the U.S. with a bus-only transit … Continue reading →

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Greanias’ suspension

Posted on July 30, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I’m as shocked by this as you are. The Metropolitan Transit Authority’s efforts to rebuild public confidence suffered a setback Thursday with the announcement that President and CEO George Greanias, the public face of the “new Metro,” has been suspended … Continue reading →

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Airport Direct on the way out

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

You can’t say they didn’t try. Metropolitan Transit Authority officials have decided to eliminate express bus service to George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Canceling the airport service was one of a dozen suggested route changes that were discussed at a public … Continue reading →

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City asks Metro for Harrisburg underpass

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the Inbox: Houston Mayor and METRO Seek Common Ground on East End Line Resolution of Harrisburg/Hughes Streets Over/Under Question Becomes a Milestone The city of Houston has concluded there is “strong sentiment” within the East End community for an … Continue reading →

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Red light camera tickets begin again tomorrow

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Drive appropriately. You have been warned. Houston police will begin issuing red-light camera citations Sunday at 50 intersections around the city, the latest maneuver in a protracted court battle over the controversial but lucrative traffic surveillance system. Police Chief Charles … Continue reading →

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Texas accepts grant for high speed rail study

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Awesome. Texas accepted a $15 million grant from the Federal High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program to fund the preliminary engineering and NEPA studies for the Dallas to Houston corridor. This money was made available by Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida’s … Continue reading →

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San Antonio rail progress

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I’m glad to see them continue to move forward. VIA Metropolitan Transit has hired a program manager to oversee its high-capacity transit initiative, a move that board and staff members say will help usher in the agency’s plans for an … Continue reading →

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Bike sharing in London

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Write On Metro notes the one-year anniversary of London’s bike sharing program. In London’s first year of operating a bike-share program, it has proven so popular that riders can’t always find a bike, and when they finish their trip, often … Continue reading →

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Grand Parkway news

Posted on July 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From Houston Tomorrow: The Sierra Club lawsuit to stop construction of the proposed SH99 toll road over the Katy Prairie will see its day in court by September,according to KUHF. The Sierra Club filed suit against “the Federal Highway Administration … Continue reading →

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Red light cameras to be turned back on

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

For now, at least. The city of Houston will turn its red-light cameras back on today, Mayor Annise Parker announced after this morning’s City Council meeting. According to a statement from the mayor’s office, tickets will be issued after a … Continue reading →

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Who wants to help build the Grand Parkway?

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The State of Texas wants to know. The Texas Department of Transportation, which has responsibility for the parkway in Harris, Montgomery and Chambers Counties, is moving toward use of a public-private partnership to get faster funding for the multibillion-dollar, 184-mile … Continue reading →

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Metro gets more light rail funds

Posted on July 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the US Department of Transit: U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced $1.58 billion for 27 transit projects nationwide that will improve public transportation access for millions of Americans while reducing our dependence on foreign oil and curbing air … Continue reading →

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Kubosh files appeal in red light camera lawsuit

Posted on July 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Mary Benton has the story and the appeal documents. Relevant quote: In the Kubosh appeal attorneys argue, among other points, “if government by the people, of the people, and for the people is to have meaning in Houston, this Court … Continue reading →

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No Metro redistricting for now

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Back in January there was a Chron story that pointed out a state law that would require the Metro board to add two more members if the non-Houston population of Metro’s service area made up 75% or more of the … Continue reading →

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Response from the city on the red light camera ruling

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Previously, I wrote that I had asked the city about the possibility of appealing the ruling in the red light camera lawsuit. I received the following response from the Mayor’s office yesterday: This was what’s known as an interlocutory order … Continue reading →

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ATS wants a decision on the cameras

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This is just a mess. An Arizona firm says if City Hall agrees, it can turn Houston’s contentious red-light camera system back on by Aug. 1, eight months after voters rejected the surveillance operation in an election. American Traffic Solutions … Continue reading →

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Connecting bike trails

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Marty Hajovsky makes a keen observation. Bike trails in the Houston area are all-too-frequently a joke at best and dangerous, hazardous, life-threatening situations at the worst.  I’m sorry, but painting a solid white line in the drain gutter on a … Continue reading →

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East End community meeting to consider Harrisburg grade separation

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the Inbox: East End community meeting to consider Harrisburg grade separation Wednesday, June 15 Union Pacific’s East Belt rail subdivision is one of the busiest in the city, carrying more than 30 freight trains a day through Houston’s East … Continue reading →

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Metro still trying to figure out Airport Direct

Posted on June 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Good news: Ridership on Metro’s Airport Direct service is way up. Bad news: Thanks to the reduced fare, revenue is down. Launched in 2008, Airport Direct has always lost money. The service costs about $1.9 million a year to operate, … Continue reading →

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A short post about airport WiFi

Posted on June 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport now has free WiFi service. Maybe after the Terminal B construction is finally done, IAH can have it, too.

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Grand Parkway protest

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Misplaced priorities: $4.8 billion to advance SH-99 while US-290 commuters sit in traffic Coalition to protest Grand Parkway as poster child of all that’s wrong with Texas transportation policy (Houston, TX) – As TxDOT hosts the final … Continue reading →

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How would you spend $350 million of TxDOT’s money?

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

David Crossley would like to know. Let’s say you found $350 million to do a great transportation project for the Houston region. Would you use it to build a 400-foot-wide, 15-mile-long segment of brand-new highway across the Katy Prairie wetlands … Continue reading →

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TxDOT gets more high speed rail money

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Still not much, but every little bit counts. The Texas Department of Transportation will receive $15 million to begin engineering and environmental work on a high-speed rail link between Houston and Dallas, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced [last week]. … Continue reading →

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Check your Metro Q card

Posted on May 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Your Metro Q card may be set to expire at the end of the month. Here’s some information about that, via press release: Is your METRO Q® Fare Card expiring?  Flip it over to the back and check the serial … Continue reading →

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Accidents down overall in Houston

Posted on May 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I know I said I was done litigating the red light camera question, and I am, I swear it, but I can’t let this pass without comment. Automobile accidents on Houston streets have declined 13 percent in the last five … Continue reading →

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Accidents down at former red light camera intersections

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I guess some arguments are never going to go away. In the five months after Houston voters forced city officials to turn off a camera surveillance system that fined motorists for running red lights, traffic accidents at those 50 intersections … Continue reading →

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Grand Parkway gets state funding

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

No money for schools, but there is money for this. The Texas Transportation Commission [Thursday] morning unanimously approved allocation of $350 million for construction of the Grand Parkway’s Segment E in west Harris County. […] The $350 million approved [Thursday] … Continue reading →

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Austin wants to get on the bike sharing bandwagon

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. San Antonio became the first city in Texas to install a bike-share system last month, when it opened 14 B-cycle stations within a few miles of downtown. Now Austin is considering spending about $1.8 million, plus operating … Continue reading →

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ATS says red light violations have gone up

Posted on April 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

CultureMap: Anti-big brother Houstonians rejoiced when a referendum passed last November to take down the city’s network of red light cameras. Nearly six months later, data collected by the camera service provider, Phoenix-based ATS, suggests that citizens’ temporarily cautious attitude towards … Continue reading →

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Texas asks for some of Florida’s rejected high speed rail funds

Posted on April 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is hoping to snag a portion of Florida’s unwanted high-speed rail money. TxDOT, which submitted its application to the Federal Railroad Administration this week, is hoping to secure nearly $43 million of the … Continue reading →

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The Austin rail debate

Posted on April 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The city of Austin is gearing up for another debate about how and where – and if – to build more rail there. This is the third time since 2000 that they’ve gone through such a debate. This AusChron story … Continue reading →

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San Antonio bike share

Posted on April 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I love the idea of B-Cycle, San Antonio’s new bike sharing program, I’m just not sure how well it will work. “I think it will encourage faster infrastructure for bike lanes and all the things we need because suddenly it’s … Continue reading →

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TPC splits the difference

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Bike advocates get a partial victory as the Transportation Policy Council voted to keep the last $12.8 million of unallocated federal funds on alternate mode projects instead of redirecting it towards roads. “Whatever we do in this room is supposed … Continue reading →

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I-10 service road update

Posted on March 26, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From Ultimate Heights: Two of six planned detention ponds are under construction near Interstate 10 east of Patterson Street, along with new feeder roads between Shepherd and Taylor. Work on the project began in October, with the first two detention … Continue reading →

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