IronTiger

I don't (by the way, you've ignored counter-links, so don't be a hypocrite). I did read it, and once again, it paints Culberson as anti-rail, when he actually doesn't want it on Richmond (which is a valid complaint), and that caused all the pro-transit rail to accuse him of being "anti-rail". You probably think of me as anti-rail (click here to read my views on the subject, which explains how I'm not anti-rail but am rather opinionated) I also remember when you went berserk because I pointed out an article that was an extended interview with Peter Brown disguised as legitimate journalism.

Pro-transit people would rather manipulate cars, roads and highways rather than natural growth and density necessitate rail. It's crap like that why I tend to dislike transit in general, even though I tend to like rail-based transportation. It's a shame it's been co-opted by radicals!

Modern Paris originates out of the Haussmann renovation which tore down medieval-era slums (extremely overcrowded, rampant diseases and crime) for wide, modern boulevards and the now-iconic Parisian buildings surrounding them, much like how planned freeways changed American cities and similarly took out areas, many of which were slums. It's a shame that Galveston has pretty lousy beaches, which is a result of the tides of the Gulf of Mexico washing everything back up to Galveston instead of taking it out to sea. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, due to these tides, the atrocious crimes of Royce Zeigler and Kimberly Trenor would have been lost.

I saw that article. It's the typical hack piece on transit. When I saw the related articles on things like "making driving less appealing", it confirmed my suspicions. Nevertheless, I predict that this thread will be "de-railed" and go on for another 7 pages.

Your "studies" consist of various pro-transit links and observations on usually one system with highways and transit systems. I'm sure you've been to college, so you should know that real studies use control variables (a helpful link in case you've forgotten) and more than one comparison (as in, you can't look at one thing and make a conclusion).

I found it! It was the TinselTown 24 at Westpark and Beltway 8, opening in 1997 and closing in 2008 (January of both years, I believe). Looking back at old HAIF posts, the theater was physically run-down and very "ghetto" by the the late 2000s. And I now how quickly these sorts of entertainment venues can get run down. At Katy Freeway and Witte, there's a Chase call center (if I read correctly) that appears to be (from Google Maps) an old Costco before it moved east, but that's probably not the case. It was a large store of some sort though...

Wasn't "Neartown" attempted for Montrose?

Now that you mention it, I seem to recall a movie theater closed and demolished about the same time Memorial City Mall's came inline. Somewhere in west Houston.

Speculation on transit numbers that could've been is pretty fun to play around with, but it doesn't mean anything in the long run. If I said "we'd have seen less traffic on I-45 if TX-35 and/or TX-125 went through", that may or may not be true. I certainly wouldn't hold a grudge against those that fought against it.

Shamrock would go in downtown? Man. Not only is that a cheap-looking Inner Loop style tower (turrets, really?), it also so badly wants to ape the legacy of the late Shamrock Hotel. Let the past remain in the past...

No one said steam locomotives failed miserably, it's that a true subway system would probably not be around for centuries, at least without major modifications. Furthermore, although abandoned freight lines isn't the strongest argument, the fact that you have repeatedly argued in favor of freeway removal (a far less common occurrence) "derails" your second point.

The Woodlands is a master planned community, drawn up by developers to artificially create a new city from scratch. That said, it's nice that you recognized that, as (and this has been stated) many say they want this idealistic, walkable urban paradise, but what they want is some of New Urbanism-style master planned community.

Luckily, there are interior pictures (black and white of course). Who wants to see them?

One only needs to find the myriad of abandoned rails across the country for this.

Your freeway/light rail good/evil comparison really is laughable and again, has been discussed many times. To you (and others), light rails and freeways can be categorized as such. Development associated with them NIMBYs to them Freeways Corrupt politicians in cahoots with developers True American heroes Light rail Squeaky clean Racist cads

The surroundings do have to do with it. People look at Vancouver, see its majestic bay, mountains, and forests surrounding it, and are tricked into thinking its a beautiful city. If you take out those elements, it's a rather average-looking city. Orlando is popular because Disney pioneered essentially a new industry by reinventing the theme park. Remove Disney World and the myriad of hotels and theme parks that followed and you'll get nothing. Las Vegas has casinos. We (being Houston, that is) are not Las Vegas or Orlando. Furthermore, your question, "Anyway why is houston so against change?" is nonsense because it contradicts everything else talked about and happening. People have complained on HAIF about the loss of buildings and the need for preservation, and have been saddened as their neighborhoods gentrify. The change the Heights and Montrose have gone through in the last 5-6 years alone, much less the last decade, is enormous.

Playing around with the distances of MARTA, their Red Line goes about the same distance from what would be the southern termius of Houston's Red Line, while the east-west distance barely goes the diameter of Beltway 8. Discounting the density issue (their east side is a lot less dense, enough that MARTA can travel on surface), it is also hardly a regional solution for the greater area.

First off, I was exploring a hypothetical situation where MARTA-type subways were in place and there'd still be complaints. It's been discussed thoroughly that Culberson isn't the only obstacle in the light rail future (METRO's incompetence, which you ignore because that's an inconvenient fact), and it's also laughable that you take the high ground with engineers who have more knowledge on the subject, because while that is true, you also have these theories like how the Pierce Elevated isn't needed or some other wacky scenario that run contrary to the very thing you claim to support.

I believe those were wiped off the map (along with the east part of Spencer, east of Bass) for the Yale Street Marketplace project, which incorporates the former San Jacinto Stone property and will include Sprouts, LA Fitness, and Guitar Center. Remember, these posts are all 5+ years old, and the area looked completely different then (abandoned railroad spur, apartments, etc.) If these people were aware that a Walmart would be going up in that property, they'd go berserk (and they did--a very long thread that goes on for at least two dozen pages was created around 2009 and finally leveled off around 2011, it's now locked) It looks like the houses were demolished about a year ago (Swamplot daily demolition reports)

Anyone know what the end-game plan is for this? From Google Earth, it looks like the median of Rittenhouse to I-45 is all torn up. Noticed: - Rittenhouse's crossing is torn up, but they seem to be rebuilding the intersection. - Millville's crossing closed, and another turnaround just north of it. - Another turnaround torn up (access to back of Joe V's) - Shepherd Pr 2 Drive's crossing closed - Entrance to the HOV lane from the southbound I-45 frontage road closed. All this was as of February of this year.

Um...Public resistance, lack of funds, lack of space, unfeasible studies...the list goes on and on.

Well, by 1998, the whole center had gone under, but in the same article it mentioned that "When it opened almost a decade ago, the Commons at Greenspoint center was initially occupied by Sportstown, PharMor, Childrens Palace and Computer City, said Lee Jeane of Trammell Crow, who has been managing the center." There was also Highland Superstore, but that closed in 1993...and Media Play was already gone in 1996.

The 2007 shots (both here and Houston) look a lot cruddier (image quality-wise) than I remember (I think I have screenshots, and while they weren't great, they were better overall)

While 500k riders a day does seem awfully optimistic, I have a feeling that they'll still be people who demand some sort of light rail to "get around the city" or somesuch and blame local politicians for it not happening.

I thought I looked up the address on Google Maps and it didn't find it. Plus I remember seeing some demolished site on Beltway 8 (west). That is cool that it's still there...