Tag Archives: downtown

A very brief I-45 update

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Way at the bottom of this overview of transit projects and milestones for 2015 are these three paragraphs: The freeway project likely to attract the most attention in the Houston area – widening Interstate 45 from the Sam Houston Tollway … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A very brief I-45 update

HSPVA groundbreaking

Posted on December 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Looking forward to seeing how this turns out. A slab of cracked cement painted over with yellow parking lines sits at the corner of Rusk and Austin – with downtown skyscrapers looming overhead. Come Tuesday, the cement will be ripped … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HSPVA groundbreaking

A chance to help the sobering center

Posted on December 5, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a good cause. When the Houston Recovery Center turns to the public in coming months for the first time and asks for help, the request will likely seem small and perhaps odd: The city-backed sobering unit wants to raise … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A chance to help the sobering center

More concerns about the high speed rail route

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Some people who live not far from me are not very happy about the high speed rail line possibly running through their neighborhood. The prospect of a high-speed train crossing through First Ward into downtown Houston has residents scrambling to … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More concerns about the high speed rail route

The Woodlands wants to be on the high speed rail route

Posted on November 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t blame ’em. The Woodlands Township is urging federal and state officials to take another look at the potential benefits of adding a high-speed rail corridor along Interstate 45. Last month, the Federal Railway Administration and the Texas Department of … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Woodlands wants to be on the high speed rail route

Bringing the high speed rail line downtown

Posted on November 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Building that high speed rail line from Dallas to Houston is one thing. Bringing it to a centrally-located terminal is another. Plans for a high-speed rail line between Houston and Dallas are moving relatively quickly beyond a recent initial round … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Bringing the high speed rail line downtown

Downtown dedicated bike lane delayed a bit

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Aiming for the end of the year now. Conversion of a traffic lane on Lamar into Houston’s main bike route through downtown has been delayed as officials finalize plans and wait for in-demand humps known as “armadillos” to arrive. Department … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Downtown dedicated bike lane delayed a bit

Food trucks arrive downtown

Posted on September 28, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Welcome. Houston’s foodie community rejoiced Friday as Mayor Annise Parker welcomed propane-fueled food trucks downtown after a years-long ban, but more plans to loosen the city’s mobile unit rules are not likely to meet the same fanfare at City Council … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Food trucks arrive downtown

Southeast and Harrisburg line openings delayed again

Posted on September 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

sigh Metro acknowledged Wednesday that it will be unable to open its two new light rail lines this year as promised, the latest in a series of delays and controversies associated with the rail system. Less than two months ago, … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Southeast and Harrisburg line openings delayed again

Rearranging the traffic

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure how much of an effect this will have. Among the 200,000 motorists who traverse Interstate 45 just south of downtown every day, a fair number find themselves weaving frantically from lane to lane as they approach the connection … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Rearranging the traffic

The trouble with the Southwest Freeway

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I think the problem is easy enough to identify. The solution is another matter. Houston-area transportation planners are considering some novel strategies – at least for Texas – for managing traffic to ease congestion on U.S. 59 between downtown Houston … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The trouble with the Southwest Freeway

A bike lane to connect to bike trails

Posted on September 6, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Makes sense. Houston may get its first protected on-street bike route as early as October, as city officials prepare to convert a lane of Lamar Street downtown into a two-way cycling path connecting the popular Buffalo Bayou trails west of … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A bike lane to connect to bike trails

The downside to downtown’s boom

Posted on August 25, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

More traffic, less parking, and lots of construction. Where have we heard those complaints before? Construction crews are clearing city blocks once dedicated to surface parking, readying the sites for multistory office buildings, hotels and residential towers. Adjacent sidewalks and … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Bringing commuter rail into downtown

Posted on August 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From The Highwayman: As has been reported, the Gulf Coast Rail District is studying the best possible routes for commuter rail in the Houston area, and one of the biggest challenges is bringing the trains into downtown. From the looks … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Bringing commuter rail into downtown

And we (finally) circle back to food trucks

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve done HERO, we’ve done vehicles for hire, what other high profile issues are there out there? Oh yeah, food trucks. I’d almost forgotten they were still an agenda item, but they’re back and they should be getting a vote … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on And we (finally) circle back to food trucks

Transforming the GRB Convention Center

Posted on August 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t think I’d realized that there was a renovation of the George R. Brown Convention Center in the works, but after reading this story, I’m excited about it. By late next year, people strolling the George R. Brown Convention … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Transforming the GRB Convention Center

Commuter rail status

Posted on July 27, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

There’s still a push for commuter rail in Houston. With freight trains on Houston area tracks teeming with cargo, supporters of commuter rail to the suburbs are focusing on three spots where they can potentially build their own lines for … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Commuter rail status

B-Cycle keeps racking up good numbers

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Great to see. From meager beginnings, Houston’s bikesharing program has blossomed into a big draw for visitors and locals looking for a quick ride. For the first six months of 2014, Houston B-Cycle logged 43,530 checkouts, according to agency data. … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on B-Cycle keeps racking up good numbers

Astrodome Park: The population isn’t the problem

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Greg Wythe addresses one of the central questions about the proposed Astrodome Park in this comment that I thought was worth highlighting on the front page. As it turns out, there are a number of apartments situated to the east … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Could Astrodome Park actually work?

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Lisa Gray asks a good question about the proposal to turn the Astrodome into green space. Could that really be a park like Discovery Green? It’s easy to imagine that green space being useful, say, for a Super Bowl party, … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Could Astrodome Park actually work?

City drops bid for downtown post office

Posted on May 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

So much for that. The city of Houston has withdrawn from bidding on the downtown post office, Mayor Annise Parker wrote in a letter to City Council members Tuesday. City officials said they wanted to keep their options open in … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Metro unveils draft bus re-imagining

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s your proposed new bus system. Transit planners kicked off a major shift in Houston bus service Thursday, betting that the benefit of faster service on key routes will outweigh riders’ concerns about adjusting to new schedules and service patterns. … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The city and the downtown post office

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure what all the fuss about this is about. Developers eager to purchase the high-profile U.S. Postal Service site downtown – envisioned in recent years as a park, outdoor amphitheater or a development with housing and entertainment venues – … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

More demolitions coming

Posted on April 27, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Houston next week will launch an effort to scoop up dangerous properties left to rot in so many aging neighborhoods, raze them and resell the land. Officials say the program, approved unanimously Wednesday by the City Council, could more … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on More demolitions coming

The downtown lifestyle

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Demand for residences in downtown Houston is up. For Krishnan Iyer, moving downtown meant a lot of things: Not having to use his car in auto-dependent Houston, being able to walk to work, to restaurants, to the movies. The 34-year-old … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Super Bowl is making us get stuff done

Posted on April 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Nothing like a deadline to focus the mind. The 2017 Super Bowl not only will drive thousands of football fans to Houston, it will put a hard deadline on projects from office and hotel construction to a light-rail extension, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Zipcar expands in Houston

Posted on March 28, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Very cool. A car-sharing service on Wednesday expanded from spots on the Rice University campus to other locations in Houston, providing city residents with another option for transportation. Zipcar is making available 25 vehicles in 10 different locations in Houston … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Zipcar expands in Houston

Finally doing that front door facelift

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Better late than never. Renovations started this week on the historic Sunset Coffee Building at Allen’s Landing on the north end of downtown. The more than 100-year-old structure, now behind a fence as construction begins, is getting a $5.3 million … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Finally doing that front door facelift

End of year B-Cycle report

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

B-Cycle has been in Houston for nine months, having launched in early April. So far, it’s done pretty well. The B-Cycle system’s 29th station was christened earlier this month in front of Clayton Homes. Officials said they hoped to provide … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The new justice complex

Posted on December 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a big deal. Houston leaders are in the early stages of planning a new police headquarters and courthouse complex that Mayor Annise Parker said could be the most important project on which she will work during her six-year tenure. … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The new justice complex

More security cameras coming

Posted on December 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

You’re being recorded, like it or not. Houston is adding 180 downtown surveillance cameras despite shrinking national security grants and research showing that video feeds only sometimes improve public safety. By early next year, the Houston Police Department will have … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Drinking al fresco

Posted on December 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From the Things You Might Not Have Realized department. “It is a commonly-held belief that it’s illegal to walk down the street drinking a beer in Texas. However, that is not always the case.” Those words, which we recently happened … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Austin B-Cycle coming

Posted on December 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Took ’em long enough. Service will launch Dec. 21 with 110 bikes and 11 stations, including one sponsored by the Chronicle. The full project will be completed by March 1, 2014, with expanded stations planned to service the UT-Austin campus, … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Austin B-Cycle coming

The lost canopy

Posted on December 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Very disappointing. Metro officials on Thursday scaled back plans for an iconic downtown Houston transit hub where three rail lines will cross after board members grew frustrated with what they called inexcusable delays and cost overruns. “This has been mismanaged … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments