Houston Chronicle
January 15, 2010
Metro's University light rail line and other local public transportation projects stand to benefit from revised federal rules for funding new rapid transit systems, officials said.
The new rules could put Houston in a stronger competitive position because the planned expansion of its light rail system focuses on moving people among major urban activity centers — such as downtown, Uptown and the Texas Medical Center — rather than on commuter trips from urban workplaces to suburban homes, transportation experts said.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said this week that the Obama administration would consider “livability issues,” such as environmental benefits or economic development, in its evaluations of requests for federal money for new rail or bus rapid-transit systems.
The formula used by the Bush administration, LaHood said, essentially weighed the costs of new projects against time saved and distance traveled for commuters.
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Showing posts with label Houston Metro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Houston Metro. Show all posts
Monday, January 25, 2010
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Houston: Texas Sized Sprawl
From: NPR
By: Steve Inskeep // September 17, 2009
Listen to the Story
By: Steve Inskeep // September 17, 2009
Listen to the Story
Houston is the latest stop on the Urban Frontier, Morning Edition's occasional look at how cities change and grow.
Houston is a swiftly growing city; it has added a million residents this decade. No doubt, some of those newcomers drive on Interstate 10, which roars in front of Houston's own version of Mount Rushmore — giant white busts of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and two founders of modern Texas, Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin.
Since it overlooks the freeway, the spot is known as Mount Rush Hour. And it reminds visitors of a couple of things about Houston: one, that it's a little quirkier than you might realize; and two, that it is huge.
The highways radiate out to a giant seaport, oil companies, skyscrapers, and miles and miles and miles of suburban neighborhoods.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Houston - Groundbreaking marks MetroRail Expansion
From; TAMU Real Estate Center
July 13, 2009
Houston's light rail is expanding. METRO held groundbreaking on two additional light rail lines - one on the southeast side of town, and the other up north.
The newly built north corridor is expected to run more than five miles from University of Houston-Downtown to Northline Mall.
On the southeast side, the new line will stretch 6.5 miles, running from downtown, past Texas Southern University and University of Houston to Palm Center.
The $150 million tab is being picked up by the federal government.
METRO Chairman David Wolff says Houstonians should celebrate that. "In the president's budget, there are only five light rail projects in the U.S. that got into that budget. Of those five, two of them are ours,” Wolff said.
The $1.4 billion vision for Houston's light rail is to add the east end, university and uptown lines by 2013.
The addition of the north and southeast rail lines will give 60,000 Houstonians jobs.
July 13, 2009
Houston's light rail is expanding. METRO held groundbreaking on two additional light rail lines - one on the southeast side of town, and the other up north.
The newly built north corridor is expected to run more than five miles from University of Houston-Downtown to Northline Mall.
On the southeast side, the new line will stretch 6.5 miles, running from downtown, past Texas Southern University and University of Houston to Palm Center.
The $150 million tab is being picked up by the federal government.
METRO Chairman David Wolff says Houstonians should celebrate that. "In the president's budget, there are only five light rail projects in the U.S. that got into that budget. Of those five, two of them are ours,” Wolff said.
The $1.4 billion vision for Houston's light rail is to add the east end, university and uptown lines by 2013.
The addition of the north and southeast rail lines will give 60,000 Houstonians jobs.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Houston -- New rail lines closer to reality
New rail lines closer to reality
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- It has been five years since METRO unveiled its light rail, and plans to expand beyond the seven and a half mile line have been in the works ever since. But now the new lines are one step closer to becoming reality.
The Main Street line might finally have some company. The north and south lines, which have been in the works for a long time, are actually scheduled to be under construction next month. It's all because the federal government is slated to give METRO up to $150 million to build those two lines.
While METRO officials are very excited to get this project underway, along the routes where the trains are scheduled to be running soon, opinions are still mixed. ...
Houston Metro firms up funding for Light Rail
Houston Metro firms up funding for Light Rail
12:30 PM CDT on Friday, May 22, 2009
HOUSTON—Metro plans to break ground on three new Light Rail lines in June.
The agency firmed up the necessary funding Thursday to get the projects started.
The East Line will be paid for entirely with local tax dollars.
The North and Southeast Line will be paid for half with local tax dollars and half with federal money.
Metro will get hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal government – the most ever for a transportation project in Texas.
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