Urbannizer Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Increased parking along Allen Parkway, realignment of the Parkway with I-45 ramp improvements now scheduled by TxDot, elimination of the dangerous left lane merge to I-45 South, and additional traffic signals to west bound traffic. 141209_DRA_BOD_Meeting_Minutes.pdf 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UtterlyUrban Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Additional traffic signals? They will need to rename it "Allen Street" 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 At least they're eliminating that highway entrance. It's a good start for Pierce Elevated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barracuda Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 With the improvements to Buffalo Bayou Park and the increase in visitors, this makes sense. I'd love to see Allen Parkway become more of a street and less of a high-speed thoroughfare. We already have Memorial Drive for pass through traffic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UtterlyUrban Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 With the improvements to Buffalo Bayou Park and the increase in visitors, this makes sense. I'd love to see Allen Parkway become more of a street and less of a high-speed thoroughfare. We already have Memorial Drive for pass through traffic.But given the connectivity of downtown to buffalo bayou and onto memorial park, if one of the two thoroughfares was going to turn into a slower speed street, would not memorial drive make more sense?Memorial drive is a straight shot to memorial park and already has lots of signals on it. Slowing it down east of Shepard would not be a big deal.Allen parkway, east of Shepard has large office tower complexes that likely need less lights to move traffic.If one or the other was to turn into a street, to me, it would be memorial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 But given the connectivity of downtown to buffalo bayou and onto memorial park, if one of the two thoroughfares was going to turn into a slower speed street, would not memorial drive make more sense?Memorial drive is a straight shot to memorial park and already has lots of signals on it. Slowing it down east of Shepard would not be a big deal.Allen parkway, east of Shepard has large office tower complexes that likely need less lights to move traffic.If one or the other was to turn into a street, to me, it would be memorial.How dare you. Memorial is a great alternative when the freeways are clogged. It only gets super congested by Bayou Bends, and then close to the loop. That being said improvements could be done to both. Both are dated and need to get in on this bayou revitalization/beautification. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luminare Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 (edited) I agree with Montrose. I love how fast these thoroughfares are, and quite frankly I wish we had more of these to help our inner city infrastructure, but they are extremely dated and are from an era that doesn't represent the direction Houston is going. These roads can be more than just thoroughfares. They could be the new main street which both celebrates the bayou and can become a way to stitch back together the surrounding neighborhoods which have been sliced and diced by these two parkways for so long. I think a compromise can be made to keep elements of the old (make the inner most lanes speed lanes that go under intersections and have the outer ones engage more with the bayou and rest of the Houston framework). Edited January 22, 2015 by Luminare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 At least they're eliminating that highway entrance. It's a good start for Pierce Elevated. I don't think they are eliminating any highway entrances, just reconfiguring/relocating it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
innerlooper Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 (edited) Allen Pway to southbound 45 is one of the best heart-pounding, white-knuckle experiences to be had in our otherwise bland city. For best effect, make the trip when 45 traffic is light and really moving, and have a raging guy with doolies on your back bumper. Im gonna miss it. Edited January 22, 2015 by innerlooper 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Allen Pway to southbound 45 is one of the best heart-pounding, white-knuckle experiences to be had in our otherwise bland city. For best effect, make the trip when 45 traffic is light and really moving, and have a raging guy with doolies on your back bumper. Im gonna miss it. It was even more fun in an old school, air cooled VW with its forty or so raging horsepower, and a zero to 60 time best measured with a sundial. Then again, nobody had cell phones then - just a legal longneck in the cupholder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator Purify Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Looks like Allen Parkway will become our version of Austin's Riverside Drive. Looks great. A pedestrian bridge into the Fourth Ward is still sorely needed. It would do wonders for that community and Midtown. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terra002 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Definitely better access to Buffalo Bayou from Taft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skwatra Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 I am torn on this one. I think this is an important thoroughfare for commuters from Upper Kirby, River Oaks, and Montrose to get to downtown, 45, 59N and 10E. The one light at Taft that is red for a short time causes a backup of 20+ cars all morning long. Downtown commuters could shift over to W Dallas which could handle some traffic. But it would make freeway access really painful. On the other hand I have a 6 month old, and having better access to walk to the bayou would be nice. Last weekend with the dog park opening, people were parked along Stanford and other side streets, and it was great to see people parking and actually walking more then a block or two. But knowing Houstonians, I'm sure people were annoyed and it turned them off, cause God forbid not being able to park 20' from your destination in Houston. Ideally I would want to beautify Allen Parkway to reflect the work on the trails, attempt to squeeze in some parking, and add a pedestrian bridge over Taft, create a safer ped crossing at Montrose, but keep the stop lights limited. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 (edited) I am torn on this one. I think this is an important thoroughfare for commuters from Upper Kirby, River Oaks, and Montrose to get to downtown, 45, 59N and 10E. The one light at Taft that is red for a short time causes a backup of 20+ cars all morning long. Downtown commuters could shift over to W Dallas which could handle some traffic. But it would make freeway access really painful. On the other hand I have a 6 month old, and having better access to walk to the bayou would be nice. Last weekend with the dog park opening, people were parked along Stanford and other side streets, and it was great to see people parking and actually walking more then a block or two. But knowing Houstonians, I'm sure people were annoyed and it turned them off, cause God forbid not being able to park 20' from your destination in Houston. Ideally I would want to beautify Allen Parkway to reflect the work on the trails, attempt to squeeze in some parking, and add a pedestrian bridge over Taft, create a safer ped crossing at Montrose, but keep the stop lights limited. Agreed with most of your points. And the desire to keep at least one of the roads more of a parkway.. I just think Allen Pkwy makes more sense to do this removation to than Memorial. Allen has a large residential population just to the south who would probably like to cross Allen safely to get to Buffalo Bayou, so additional lights (a pedestrian bridge or two across Allen would still be cool, a la the Tolerance Bridge connectivity to the north side of Memorial) might not be too terrible. But all of this made me think of a design for an upper Kirby to Memorial rail connection I made a while back in my mass transit/improvement fantasies for Houston.Trench 2 lanes of Kirby/Allen, under the Shepherd/Kirby intersection.. One in each direction. (This part I'm not sure of. The 2 bypass lanes might have to come up through the middle of Allen instead of on the north side) While still underground/trenched on the east side of Shepherd veer the 2 lanes northeast and out from under Allen (or up the middle of Allen?), spanning a 2 lane bridge across the bayou (obviously somewhat controversial.. But there really isn't much to Buffalo Bayou Park past Lost Lake except the trails, which can go under/over) before joining up with Memorial Drive and heading straight into downtown. We get much better connectivity to the Bayou from Allen "Drive", and we still maintain a parkway for the people of River Oaks/Upper Kirby have an even straighter shot into downtown by means of Memorial "Parkway". Ignore the red BBP-MP boardwalk trail, along with the Memorial Line west of the split/junction with this new Allen-Memorial connector bridge. Those were part of my pedestrian & mass transit improvement plans that don't relate. Edited January 23, 2015 by cloud713 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skwatra Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 we still maintain a parkway for the people of River Oaks/Upper Kirby have an even straighter shot into downtown by means of Memorial "Parkway". Interesting ideas, in a lot of ways it does seem make sense to have Memorial be the main parkway if we were to only have one. The big thing that would be missing is a direct entrance ramp to 45. I take Allen pkwy every morning, and I would say about half the people head to 45 and half downtown. My other concern is that fact that there isn't much access (none whatsoever from the south) to Memorial east of Waugh, so all of the residential near Allen/Montrose/Taft/Gray would have to backtrack to get to Memorial, or take surface streets that are already congested to get downtown and for 45 access. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota79 Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 While they are at it, how about a pedestrian/bike bridge (or three) so we can cross safely from south of Allen Parkway to the newly renovated Bayou parks. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pragmatist Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 While they are at it, how about a pedestrian/bike bridge (or three) so we can cross safely from south of Allen Parkway to the newly renovated Bayou parks. That sounds like one of those goofy neighborhood nicknames: South of Allen Parkway (SOAP). 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddt Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 I'd like to see Allen Parkway closed, or at least reduced to two lanes, and extend the park into Montrose. Closed/repurposed roads make incredible public spaces. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UtterlyUrban Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 While they are at it, how about a pedestrian/bike bridge (or three) so we can cross safely from south of Allen Parkway to the newly renovated Bayou parks.May I ask a question? I honestly don't know the answer......Why would not only minor pedestrian improvements to the existing overpasses be sufficient? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasota Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 May I ask a question? I honestly don't know the answer......Why would not only minor pedestrian improvements to the existing overpasses be sufficient? Well, for one thing, the only existing overpasses are at Montrose and Waugh, which leaves two large sections of the bayou without access across Allen. For another, both Waugh and Montrose are somewhat problematic (safety-wise) for casual cyclists. I am hoping that the bicycle plan adds bike lanes to Waugh, but in the meantime, Taft, Stanford and Dunlavy are all much more natural access points to the bayou for people who actually live in the neighborhoods, and all three dead end into the parkway. For another thing, Allen's twin Memorial has a number of pedestrian overpasses. Us south of the bayou folk get jealous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plumber2 Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 An early thoroughfare plan showed Allen Parkway continuing west of Sheperd (inside River Oaks) then crossing Buffalo Bayou connecting with Memorial Drive in the curve below the Delpelchin Girl's Home. I'm sure the Tiel Way residents in River Oaks stopped that plan dead in it's tracks before it got too much traction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrLan34 Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 141209_DRA_BOD_Meeting_Minutes.pdf This is the Taft street entrance correct? The pedestrian crosswalk and traffic light should make it a lot easier to cross in the future. Looks good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rechlin Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Amusing that the dent in the railing from when a car hit it about a year or two ago is still visible on the left side of the rendering... 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luminare Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Amusing that the dent in the railing from when a car hit it about a year or two ago is still visible on the left side of the rendering... Hey dude that dent is historic! I appreciate these guys preserving our local history... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 The dent is in keeping with the scruffy, faded, mid-00s GM-ish looking coprolite in the foreground and what appears to be a cop car behind the tree. All of this pays homage to this being a park FOR the people... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luminare Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 While we are poking fun at the render. Look at the way the people are running lol. They are jogging in the most impossible way. How normal people run: How render people run: Feet direction Feet direction | | \ \ | | | | V V Direction Direction Moving Moving 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkultra25 Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 The dent is in keeping with the scruffy, faded, mid-00s GM-ish looking coprolite in the foreground and what appears to be a cop car behind the tree. All of this pays homage to this being a park FOR the people... It never occurred to me previously, but I find it a little surprising that "coprolite" hasn't been a more frequently-used term on an architecture forum that tends toward the critical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJVilla Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 (edited) Allen Pway to southbound 45 is one of the best heart-pounding, white-knuckle experiences to be had in our otherwise bland city. For best effect, make the trip when 45 traffic is light and really moving, and have a raging guy with doolies on your back bumper. Im gonna miss it. Funny you mention this because when I bought a nice sporty car that's where I was taken on the test drive and the second time. It definitely sold me on the drive and car! Edited January 29, 2015 by JJVilla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trymahjong Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 from Cohen's enewsletteThe Downtown Redevelopment Authority (TIRZ #3) will host a public meeting to discuss their proposal for improvements to Allen Parkway and Buffalo Bayou Park. Through the TIRZ's capital improvement project list, they hope to enhance the traffic flow, functionality, aesthetics, and pedestrian and auto safety of Allen Parkway. They also seek to create better access to Buffalo Bayou Park through the implementation of protected crosswalks and the creation of additional parking. The meeting will take place on Thursday, February 5th at 6:00PM at the Neighborhood Resource Center Auditorium.r 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Woah. What parts of Buffalo Bayou Park are we talking g here, just the areas in downtown? I'd love to give input if I'm in the area Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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