THE INSITE RIDES ATLANTA'S PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM!
This is one of those posts I forgot to write when I came back from Atlanta last month. So here goes: I was just wondering out loud why is Houston's public transportation system so behind the times in the 4th largest city in America. I realize we're making strides but for those who live just outside the city limits - public transportation is hard to come by. The light rail goes from downtown to the Medical Center area. Imagine if it would go to Katy or The Woodlands or Kingwood or what about Conroe. Now that would be the bomb. I'm told plans are in the works to extend the line but will we see it in our life times. It could save me hundreds of dollars each year on gas if public transportation came up to my area. But I haven't really used the public transportation system anywhere since I learned to drive in my hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I can remember a time when Carl 'Got Game' Daniels and I used to both ride the city bus to high school in Baton Rouge. It was fun back in those days. In BR we lived up north and our high school was down south. So it was bus passes and transfers. The Insite recently had a chance to experience that again in Atlanta. I jumped on the MARTA and then a bus to get to where I wanted to go. It took me less than a hour to get to my destination. I was really impressed with the public transportation system in Atlanta. Everything is automated, the signs and postings direct you well and if that isn't good enough there are a few live customer service workers at the main train stops. It was very cool. As a first time lone rider of the MARTA I was able to get to where I needed to go without bothering my hosts while staying in Atlanta. I can't wait for the day when Houston gets a public transportation system that's worthy of the 4th largest city in America!
Preach brother!!! I have had those same feeling since I have been to the ATL myself. I would never drive if I could just jump on the train to get across town quickly and efficiently. While in Atlanta I did not need to bother my hosts either because I could get around on my own never being there before. It bothers that my own city of Houston would not make this a reality and enhance our city's transportation issues. This would also help with community development in the way that more people could travel and experience other areas, get jobs and many other exciting things. I think that we are behind in more ways than one. Peace
ReplyDeleteFirst Houston is behind because all of these rich homeowners want it built in someone else's backyard - not theirs.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, Texans love our vehicles. We hate to give them up.
But i agree with you. Take a look at Washington D.C, Chicago, Atlanta etc; you can visit those cities and in most cases ride the train from the airport to your hotel (or very close to it)
In those cities you can also hop on the rail and ride to all of the major destinations.
Houston needs to get on track!
I am 100% behind what you said Isiah. Last time I visited Atlanta (2006) I rode MARTA pretty much everywhere I went, and I was thinking the same thing, when I go to Houston I want to ride a transit system like Dallas and Atlanta have. Why doesn't Houston have one? And I don't consider that "toy" that runs downtown to the med to be a real transit system. Rail needs its own right of way like the one you experienced in Atlanta. I so glad you decided to mention this because you have the power to get the word out. It would be great if you could do a story about it on fox26 and keep updates on the INSITE BLOG. Oh, and there are plans to go out into the suburbs with rail, but it won't be the light rail you see with the current line. The suburban lines will be commuter rail similar to MARTA in Atlanta. Also I think the new METRO park & ride in Cypress is supposed to be a future commuter rail station.
ReplyDeleteYes we are very behind!!! But that's Houston, I still love my city, but look how long it took us to get put on the map!!! Even with us being the 4th largest City, when ppl think of Texas they think Dallas, it has only been up until the last five years or so, that we have got on the map!!! We do need to catch up! And I do love the MOVING AMERICANS RAPIDLY THROUGH ATLANTA (MARTA) it is so easy, unlike the system in D.C.
ReplyDeleteLight rail is comming to various parts of Houston people, just got to be patient. Outside of Atlanta there is nothing else to talk about the state of Georgia.
ReplyDeleteWhen people talk about Texas its not just Houston, its Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso. Texas is so much more than just one city like Atlanta. We just like to take our time here.
People forget, domed stadiums were invented here. The first word from the moon was Houston right.
jolo, I think Houston has been patient long enough. Its time for a true rail system, not like the one downtown to the medical center, thats a souped up tolley. If Houston wants to be called a world class city that can hang with the big dogs, Houston needs to have world class facilites. Buses are great complementing rail, but not as your main transit.
ReplyDeleteThe people that aren't being patient are the tree huggers. (Who proably wouldn't use rail themseves)
ReplyDeleteMost people in Houston would rather drive their own cars to work while talking on their cellphones with the air conditioning cranked in the middle of summer, not being packed into a train for a 1 hr commute in the middle of summer with people who don't have the best of body odors.
People forget that New York, Chicago and Boston have great rail systems because THE INFRASTRUCTURE HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS.
And also they have the population density to sustain it. Houston doesn't have near the density.
Running the line from the airports Katy, and parts south towards NASA would make sense for those who chose to use the rail and it would eliminate those commuter buses and save gas,
but in the long run because its so dam hot in the summer here most people WITH cars aren't going to sweat it out waiting for the train to come.
Well, I am a Transplant Texas from Chicago and I must say that Houston is well behind when it comes to mass transit. One of the things I see that most people don't is that the mass transit infrastrcuture is already set in Houston. Those HOV lanes that should support High Occoupants during rush periods but generally don't, are a superb way to instill mass transit along those freeways that have them. Just remove the dividers, lay some tracks and voila!! mass transit. What I mean is they can take the place of the HOV bus routes that clog the freeways and feeder roads every morning and evening, transport thousands more passengers per week with less vehicles and emissions and accomodate a growing census of families re-locating to Houston for economic reasons. I happen to work for the Up railroad in Houston and also see where high speed rail could accomodate passengers in the San Antonio and Ft. Worth areas to increase tourism and the economy in Houston. With this said, now you know why Houston will never host another superbowl here. Because people want to be able to move when they want to, mass transit does that, scheduled bus routes that don't run after 9pm don't.
ReplyDeleteI am so sick of hearing the same ol' "Houstonians love their cars too much" bull. The only reason people drive so much in Houston is because of the limited alternatives to the automobile. If the option to catch a high speed train from The Woodlands mall or Intercontinental Airport to Downtown existed, people would use that option. The only reason it isn't done now is because the option doesn't exist. Anyone who belives with these gas prices and toll increases, people wouldn't ride a train from Katy to downtown or the Galleria because "Houstonians love their cars to much" is a FOOL!
ReplyDeleteThe "Conservative thought" has retarted certain aspects about Houston and one of the most prominent is our transportation system and the benefits of a extensive rail network. Vocal powerful people who can't see beyond their own interest or the moment their in, has placed Houston in the position it is with regard to transportation. THE WORLD, including third world countries, rides the train, yet Houston, the 4th largest city in the world's most powerful country has 7 miles of rail. THAT in of itself says a lot.
What percentage of all dollars going toward transportation in this area is going toward road expansion and what percentage is going toward rail? Is that number even close to being balanced?
At this point, "Houston loves cars too much" for a rail system is a exuse and a tired one.