mfastx Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 Sadly, I'd be surprised if either airport gets rail service within the next 30-40 years or so, METRO seems to be abandoning their rail plans. Or they've kept quiet about any long range plans at least. I doubt that 2007 master plan is still in play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 I highly highly doubt they're "abandoning" their rail plans. Like is throw some hella scrilla that they're not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 And that, friends, is about the most basic stop possible - no ticket machine, no canopy, no benches, nada. Which makes sense when one realizes that it is at the end of that particular line, and is on the wrong side of the street to double up with busses. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luminare Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 My guess is that it's a temporary stop until the line extends westward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Huge Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Saw a train running West earlier... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post BigFootsSocks Posted January 21, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted January 21, 2015 Ayyy don't act like you didn't wanna just show off the Porsche 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryDierker Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Front passenger tire might need a little air. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 My guess is that it's a temporary stop until the line extends westward. Or perhaps just temporarily barren 'til then. On the next block of Rusk, across from the Federal Building, is a full fledged, canopied, benched, ticket machined stop. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Huge Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Ayyy don't act like you didn't wanna just show off the Porsche That was a subtle "I drive a Porsche" post 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 That was a subtle "I drive a Porsche" post Subtle? You clearly focused the picture on the center of the steering wheel. tsk tsk. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Huge Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Subtle? You clearly focused the picture on the center of the steering wheel. tsk tsk.Lmao, no I didnt! I was focused on the train! You wouldnt be sayin that if the steering wheel said Nissan, come on, give me a break! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post downtownian Posted January 21, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted January 21, 2015 A couple of shots of the train turning from Main Street to Rusk. Sorry for the poor quality, I was in my car. 23 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Huge Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 A couple of shots of the train turning from Main Street to Rusk. Sorry for the poor quality, I was in my car. LMAO!!!!!!!! IM DEAD, YOU KILLED ME!!!!!!!! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdotwill84 Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 I foresee soooo many accidents ahead for these new lines. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparrow Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 A couple of shots of the train turning from Main Street to Rusk. Sorry for the poor quality, I was in my car.This turn won't be made often once daily service starts, no? I would assume only to move trains from one line to another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 This turn won't be made often once daily service starts, no? I would assume only to move trains from one line to another. That's my understanding of the current reason for the switches. However, if there is some future need or desire for direct, no transfer service from the Northside down towards, say Hobby (when/if that extension gets built), there's no reason why we couldn't have a Magenta Line making the turn from Red to Purple there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfastx Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Thanks for the photo updates guys. Quick question from an out-of-towner, is the lane the train is on separated from traffic at all like the Main street line, or can you drive on the tracks when the train isn't there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Huge Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 (edited) Thanks for the photo updates guys. Quick question from an out-of-towner, is the lane the train is on separated from traffic at all like the Main street line, or can you drive on the tracks when the train isn't there?Nah, you can drive all up in dem tracks.... Edited January 22, 2015 by Howard Huge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UtterlyUrban Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Thanks for the photo updates guys. Quick question from an out-of-towner, is the lane the train is on separated from traffic at all like the Main street line, or can you drive on the tracks when the train isn't there?Wide open to drive on.As such, I think that metros biggest challenge to running the trains on time will initially be the number of car-train collisions. I expect the learning curve for houston drivers will be higher than on main (which, as I understand, had a "lot" of accidents initially). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illusionescape Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 I read somewhere that this line won't have priority at intersections within downtown. That's gonna suck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 I haven't paid attention to the signage, but I would assume it's going to be the same as for the buses where the lanes are shared. Diamond lane markers. no vehicles in lane unless turning. I would be strange if they don't do the same for the rail as they do for buses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 While diamond lanes for the tracks would make tons of sense, there's no sign of that yet - and no reason not to already have it in place. Intuitively it seems like having the trains follow the same signals as the rest of traffic ought to integrate them a bit better. The conflict I foresee is at the parking garage exits - some of them have pretty crummy sight lines. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F4shionablecha0s Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 So they appear to have learned nothing from the design mistakes made on the Red Line... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illusionescape Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Metro is about to award the $30m contract for the Hughes overpass to McCarthy. The company is being given 18 months to build it with incentives to finish earlier. At some point, Harrisburg (from Caylor to 66th) will need to be closed for 4 months. Traffic will be routed to Navigation. http://blog.chron.com/thehighwayman/2015/01/harrisburg-overpass-construction-pending-along-with-painful-closures/?cmpid=houmhcat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 I disagree. I think having the red line street level, semi separated, and juggling up the traffic light timing likely adds to the mayhem. Without doing a study on my own, the perception I have is that the bulk of the incidents have been at intersections - either people making an already illegal left across the front of the train coming up behind them, or blowing a light. One of the more recent was a METRO bus blowing a light approaching the bloomin' transit center, with a clear view of the train from blocks away. I'd welcome correction or confirmation by someone who can drill down to the statistics, but my perception is that there haven't been nearly as many incidents in the Med Center, which has denser traffic (both foot and motorized) and private vehicles driving on the tracks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 I have a feeling that even though there aren't diamonds painted on the lanes, the tracks will probably scare most drivers away from being in those lanes unless they are turning. However, I've seen no end of people who turn (for whatever reason) from the second most left lane, rather than getting in the left lane. It's obvious they don't pay attention, first, because they are turning from the wrong lane, and second, because they've cut right across me and I've had to stand on my brakes (which has the unintended consequence of standing on the horn). I imagine the first accident on these lines will be a car turning left from the second most left lane, and not seeing the huge train in the left lane. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 I have a feeling that even though there aren't diamonds painted on the lanes, the tracks will probably scare most drivers away from being in those lanes unless they are turning. However, I've seen no end of people who turn (for whatever reason) from the second most left lane, rather than getting in the left lane. It's obvious they don't pay attention, first, because they are turning from the wrong lane, and second, because they've cut right across me and I've had to stand on my brakes (which has the unintended consequence of standing on the horn). I imagine the first accident on these lines will be a car turning left from the second most left lane, and not seeing the huge train in the left lane. Sounds about right... though that can't really be blamed on the train being there. Such yahoos people who have neither mirrors nor heads that turn would also cut across in front of a truck or bus. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Vik Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 So dumb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 Sounds about right... though that can't really be blamed on the train being there. Such yahoos people who have neither mirrors nor heads that turn would also cut across in front of a truck or bus. There's a great video on YouTube called "Metro's Greatest Hits" from testing the line back in 2003. The number of people who made illegal left turns into the train is mindboggling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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