IronTiger

I think one way to do it since a lot of the infrastructure strain is due to newcomers to Texas--a tax that slowly decreases depending on how long you've been a resident. This way, you avoid the sticky issues of punishing rich people and/or poor people, and you don't affect the people who are used to low taxes all that much.

Texas needs to raise the gas tax, as much as bad publicity it would be. That way, it's more of "invisible" (installing tolling facilities ain't free), everyone pays for it (provided they drive), and it encourages more efficient vehicles. Funds go to maintaining the roads, and the roads stay free. Sounds like a win-win for everybody.

The 18 wheelers do enormous damage to highways (moreso than cars), but remember that tolls are done usually by axles anyway. Finally, remember that truckers are a significant lobby in this type of things (just like the NRA). It has been suggested on HAIF that the teamsters would rather have trucks on the road than have freight trains go the distance. not hospitals specifically, but the fact that a lot of the high-paying companies are moving to the suburbs.

Yeah, that way companies would be incentivized to move out to the suburbs, like hospitals in Cypress or that new Exxon campus in the Woodlands. Besides, you do know that Rick Perry and his pals were heading in this direction anyway, right?

Not necessarily, it would be up to states, and for specific purposes (reconstruction, etc.). Any change isn't for years away (barring lawsuits, etc.)

There is, it's based on BMI (height/weight/gender). Being overweight may not especially obvious and can be hidden to some extent (shapewear for women, larger t-shirts in general--the less convincing it is, the fatter they are)

OK, Haifers: If you had a time machine and could spare three buildings anywhere within the City Limits of Houston so that they'd be viable today, which three would you spare? (General rules, three structures only, so unfortunately you can't spare Astroworld, the building would remain in the same place, any consequences would happen--if I wanted to save something on the Interstate 10 corridor, then other buildings would have to be demolished to make up for it, if I save something downtown then redevelopment won't happen) 1. The Shamrock Hotel (leaves possibility for reopening under new names) 2. The McDonald's at University of Houston (truly unique!) 3. That first air conditioning house seen on Swamplot that's being torn down for townhomes Maybe my choices are pretty poor, but I want to hear yours.

The current set-up makes sense if you follow down US-59. Uptown at 610 (roughly), Neartown [Montrose] further up, Midtown closer to Interstate 45, then Downtown. This makes about as much sense as the Main progression, since Old Uptown was south of Downtown. Hopefully developers won't rename Sharpstown as Far Uptown (that's just silly) or Fifth Ward as Far Downtown. But seriously though, how do you pronounce EaDo? One of the four above is right...maybe.

While I tend to be in favor of this idea, how are people going to access businesses on Westheimer during this time?

Wait, shouldn't it be the other way around or something? Even if the highest number was true (38%, I think?) that's still not a majority. A majority, by definition, is anything over 50%. The actual number rests around 25%, maybe, and "obese" by definition doesn't actually mean morbidly obese.

It doesn't even look all much like an Exxon, decor's all wrong.

There's a website called PortingTeam (the interface is just like HAIF's) that creates wrappers for Windows games (no Windows required!), but it's a sorta-janky workaround and may have issues (give it a try?)

Many of the "high ridership" numbers, especially in other countries, are going to be extremely crowded. However, a quick browse down Richmond on Street View had an empty bus shelter along the way with no recent bus in sight. Just a brief snapshot indicates that the Richmond corridor isn't as desperate as you paint it to be. While I think that your numbers are off, to put it kindly, I believe there is some pent-up demand for the line that would increase. (Just like all modes of transportation, like freeways)

You made up some lofty ridership numbers, swore up and down by them, and then when some statistics are actually offered, you switch to "That's impossible" and start rambling on about obesity rates. So...you admit you were wrong?

Sorry, the bus terminal doesn't count. Wow, one thing from a glossy magazine mentions it, who knows how old it is. It also attempts to relate the obesity level with the lack of a good mass transit system, right up your alley. No wonder you like using this source.

According to the 2014 USA Today numbers, Houston area isn't even in the top 10. Who said that 9500 people will go in one direction in one hour? Are there really dozens of people crowding each bus stop on the Richmond corridor?

There was an "Exxon Express" at Kuykendahl and FM 1960, here is a picture I found (West Houston Archives) of it from 2008, in its since-closed state link It has since been demo'd.

- My experiences on College Station's Pancho's (from College Station Roads & Retail), they traumatized ME as a kid, so I can't say anything good about any other locations. It looks like Price Club only lasted maybe less than a year, opening in 1992 and pulling out just under a year later (it could be worse--College Station's Weingarten store lasted for maybe 2-3 months). I still think it's weird that Price Club and Costco merge, they shutter the Houston location, and nearly a full decade later, build a similar sized and shaped store less than a mile east of the old one. Go figure.

According to this article, the current standard 40' buses fit 37 seating, 65 standing (that's presumably a "safe" estimate, more could be crammed on). The new articulated 60' buses have 62/85 people. Peak capacity of 19,500/hour takes into a lot of factors that you're not considering: • That "19,500" figure comes into play in Istanbul, wherein both their woefully underbuilt highways and the fact that their BRT is super-crammed (the standing figures, according to livincinco's link, is 3 people/one square meter). Assuming that's one way, that's 100 people on a bus (197 buses running at peak time), which makes sense since countries overseas are not known for a lot of safety/fire code limitations and it is peak times. • Unless it functions as a point A to point B commuter bus, it accounts to who gets on and off, leading to a greater number. 300 people are not going to hop on and off every minute. That's how ridership numbers often get screwed around is because of this oversight. • Assuming that it is just one line, the bus runs both ways, which would lessen that. • If your "the bus needs to run every 2 minutes to meet demand" theory is true than that means that assuming we were using 40' buses at 60 people, there would need to be a crowd of at least two dozen at the absolute minimum seconds after the last bus leaves. Test this theory for yourself: drive down the Richmond, and count how many people are waiting for a bus at each stop? I remember at the airport, southbound JFK near Beltway 8 (or World Houston Parkway), across from Hot Biscuit, there were maybe 5-6 people there. Granted, it's not the University Line, but check it out for a ballpark estimate. Like my notes on "studies" that you constantly quote, in terms of math, does your answer make sense?

I think Uptown was used because Hines didn't want people to use "Galleria" as a description for the area. EaDo makes no sense, it's a bad rip off of San Francisco and New York (SoHo, "South of Houston", though the New Yorkers pronounce it all strange; SoMa, south of Market). How do you pronounce it? Is it E.A. Doo? E.A. Dough? Ee-doo? Ee-dough? Ee-yado?

49000 weekday boardings in 2030. That's not "right now" by any means.

That was disproved, and the many posts which explain things to you you've ignored, and a lot of people have given up. Your strategy is pretty good: post a bunch of random links that support your viewpoint, ignore any and all criticisms and counter arguments, then throw in some fabrications, wait until people call you out, and annoy people until they leave the thread (or HAIF). Congratulations, you "win".

If it's "their taxpayer dollars", why is money going away if it's not being used for rail? Why can't it be used to upgrade the aging bus fleet, or make improvements to city roads?

Yes, I pointed that out in the "giant cross" thread. For some, rail mass transit is Serious Business and they won't have it any other way. It's certainly not unique, fandoms of franchises can be set off by the most innocuous thing said.

Purportedly. I wouldn't bet my career on it, though. If I recall, you grossly mis-quoted the ridership ("they'd have to run buses every two minutes due to demand right now!"), and even allowing the possibility that you just mis-read something (an honest mistake), you also started to fabricate reasons to argue your position ("Afton Oaks residents are racists!")