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16 August 2008
Grand Parkway F-2 segment FEIS ready
The Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Grand Parkway's F-2 segment (the section that runs from SH-249 to I-45) is complete and comments are now being accepted.
Scroll down for the links on this page of the Grand Parkway's website.
PREVIOUSLY: Grand Parkway archives
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway F-2 segment FEIS ready"> 08/16/08 07:21 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (7)
03 October 2004
The Grand Parkway
The Grand Parkway has turned into a grand brouhaha, in north Harris County, as opponents of the segment slated to be built through Spring fear it will be fast-tracked. The Chronicle reports on a meeting state Sen. Jon Lindsay held recently with Grand Parkway supporters:
Lindsay said he is doing what it takes to get the Grand Parkway built expeditiously through the Spring area, and it may mean taking the state transportation department out of the equation. He said he is not worried it will move to Montgomery County.
"We brought the developers together to make sure everyone was on the same page," Lindsay said. "There was some discussion about different routes and how they would affect developments, but everyone there agreed we need to do the project."
Opponents would like to see the project rerouted through Montgomery County, something that is being studied by TxDOT now. Supporters who want to see the Grand Parkway built in Spring say the meeting was held only to gauge support for the project.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway"> 10/03/04 05:58 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (0)
16 April 2007
New county judge wants Grand Parkway to be completed
Rad Sallee's Q & A with Harris County's new (appointed) judge Ed Emmett contained this depressing bit of info:
Q: What projects do you especially want to push through?
A: The completion of the Grand Parkway (outer freeway loop) has got to occur, and the northeast section of Beltway 8, and the Hardy Toll Road into downtown.
That's not going to win him many votes in the Spring/Tomball area. If he even cares.
PREVIOUSLY: blogHOUSTON's Grand Parkway archives
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway to be completed"> 04/16/07 08:06 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (5)
15 December 2005
Joe Nixon opposes Grand Parkway Spring F2 segment
I received this email today:
Statement by Rep. Joe Nixon on Grand Parkway:
“I favor the original route through Montgomery County, north of where it is now planned.”
Excellent! With two of the four SD 7 candidates coming out strongly against the F2 segment running through Spring, I am now hopeful that state Rep. Debbie Riddle won't be a lone voice in the wilderness, fighting for the residents in far North Harris County.
PREVIOUSLY: Ellis opposes Grand Parkway through Spring
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway Spring F2 segment"> 12/15/05 08:20 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (9)
28 October 2007
Grand Parkway is by developers, for developers
A few days ago, the Chron ran a (fawning) Q & A with the Gulf Coast Institute's David Crossley, and if we set aside most of the New Urbanism dreaming, he did make a good observation:
Q: Do you have the sense that Houston will get greener?
A: I think for five or 10 years we will lose massive amounts of green space, but I think at some point we will stop. There are 10 years of projects in the hopper and those projects are horrible; they are beyond belief and they are going up so fast they will probably devour as much as 1,000 square miles of land in the 10 to 15 years. But a lot of people are saying wait a minute, we don't have to accept that. We don't have to build those things. ... Of course if we don't build the Grand Parkway, most of that stuff doesn't happen. If we do build the Grand Parkway, all of it happens.
Q: So the Grand Parkway [a proposed 180 or so miles of highway circling greater Houston, a portion of which has already been built] is the great evil?
A: Actually it is. It's the worst project on the table. It is not a transportation project. If you look at the map of where it goes, no people live there. ... It is putting a road in rural places and saying, "Now you can go develop subdivisions."
Something we agree on! To elaborate on his statement that it's not a transportation project, but it IS a developers' project, the Grand Parkway was tabled decades ago as unnecessary for mobility, then brought back to life by developers (Billy Burge is president of the Grand Parkway Association) who see it as a golden opportunity to build subdivisions and retail centers.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway is by developers, for developers"> 10/28/07 12:23 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (7)
14 February 2005
Grand Parkway over I-10 shutting down tonight
Starting at midnight tonight, the Grand Parkway bridge over I-10 will be closed as part of the ongoing Katy Freeway project. The closure should last several weeks:
The northbound and southbound frontage roads of SH 99/Grand Parkway will be reconstructed as part of the Katy Freeway Reconstruction Program.
In the new configuration, the frontage roads of SH 99 will go underneath the mainlanes of I-10.[snip]
From the north side of I-10 motorists destined for SH 99 southbound will be detoured via the I-10 westbound frontage road to u-turn at Katy-Fort Bend Road onto the I-10 eastbound frontage road to access SH 99 southbound.
From the south side of I-10, motorists destined for SH 99 northbound, will be detoured via the I-10 eastbound frontage road to Mason Road to turn back onto the I-10 westbound frontage road, to make a right on Westside Parkway, a left on Colonial Parkway and a final right onto SH 99 northbound.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway over I-10 shutting down tonight"> 02/14/05 10:54 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (4)
05 December 2007
More on public-private Grand Parkway proposal
Following-up on yesterday's post about the county considering an unsolicited proposal to complete the Grand Parkway as a public-private partnership, here's Bill Murphy's latest reporting:
In other business, the court authorized employees to study an unsolicited offer for the county to enter a public-private partnership to build and operate the 197-mile Grand Parkway as a toll road.
County Judge Ed Emmett said he would like the county to control the road and have its profits benefit the region rather than the rest of the state.
Studying the plan put forward by Grand Parkway Constructors is prudent, but should not be taken as support for the concept, he said.
The Texas Department of Transportation has the final say over who builds and controls the Grand Parkway, the outermost ring around Houston. Grand Parkway Constructors' principals are Williams Brothers Construction and Dannenbaum Engineering.
We already know where Judge Emmett stands on the Grand Parkway. How it gets done is another matter.
Charles Bacarrise, who will be running against Emmett in the Republican primary for county judge, has sent along his reaction to the "Grand Parkway Constructors" proposal:
NO public private partnerships needs to be used in our region when the Harris County Toll Road Authority is sitting on a $700 million-plus cash reserve, with over $360 million in annual revenue income — and that’s BEFORE the $60 million Emmett toll tax increase went into effect in September. Second, the project presents an obvious conflict of interest based on the parties involved. Engineer Jim Dannenbaum and Doug Pitcock, CEO of Williams Bros, are major contributors to every member of commissioners court. Now they come to this body and ask them to give them an annuity? If I were county judge, I would lead the fight to reject this outright.
The "Constructors" proposal does raise eyebrows.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway proposal"> 12/05/07 05:00 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (8)
14 December 2005
Ellis opposes Grand Parkway through Spring
Recently I mentioned that I had written to SD 7 candidates asking where they stood on the F2 segment of the Grand Parkway:
I also have not heard from Joe Nixon's or Mark Ellis' campaigns, but I have heard from Dan Patrick's campaign. He is taking the time to get himself up to speed on the issue and will announce where he stands on the F2 segment soon.
UPDATE: I have now been contacted by Mark Ellis' campaign. When I get more information, I will pass it on.
Today I received an email from the Mark Ellis campaign:
Mark Ellis is opposed to any plan that would destroy the quality of life of our neighborhoods in Harris County.
Thus he is in favor of moving the Grand Parkway project north to Montgomery County.
Many Spring residents would like to see the F2 segment routed through The Woodlands (if it must be built), perhaps connecting with 242, since residents of The Woodlands will gain the most benefit from the new highway. Of course, The Woodlands favors the Grand Parkway being built through Spring.
So, here's the current scorecard: Peggy Hamric apparently favors the F2 segment being built through Tomball and Spring; Mark Ellis opposes it; Dan Patrick is still studying it (I assume, since I haven't heard anything more from his campaign); and I have no idea where Joe Nixon stands on the issue.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway through Spring"> 12/14/05 10:37 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (2)
23 February 2006
Grand Parkway H and I-1 segments ready for public input
Segments H and I-1 are the subject of two “public scoping hearings” slated for Tuesday in Dayton and Wednesday in Mont Belvieu.
The segments, which are being considered together, would run approximately 36 miles from Interstate 59 in the northwest part of the greater Houston region to Interstate 10 between FM 2100 and state Highway 146. The segments will run through Montgomery, Harris, Liberty and Chambers counties.
The meetings are meant to solicit public input in advance of Environmental Impact Statement on the segments which will be prepared by the Texas Department of Public Transportation and the Grand Parkway Association.
Gornet said members of the public are encouraged to provide information on areas that the finalized route should avoid, such as parks and schools.
The two segments are planned as a four-lane, limited-access toll road with a 400-foot wide right-of-way.
Unlike the F-2 segment up here in Spring, I don't know if there's much opposition to the H and I-1 segments. I imagine we'll soon find out.
RELATED: Grand Parkway segments map
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway H and I-1 segments ready for public input"> 02/23/06 07:06 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (1)
02 November 2008
In anticipation of the the Grand Parkway's F-2 segment...
...a Dallas developer has bought a chunk of land at Spring Steubner and Kuykendahl for a new retail center:
The undeveloped land bought by Hopkins Commercial Real Estate Inc. is located at the southeast corner of Kuykendahl and Spring Stuebner, just north of Houston. The property was purchased last month from three separate owners for an undisclosed amount. Most of the property was previously earmarked for residential construction.
Steve Gregory, president of Dallas-based Hopkins Commercial, said the site is a long-term investment for a retail center that will be built, possibly in one to three years. The site is attractive to the company because a leg of the Grand Parkway that will start construction in late 2010 will go by the 56 acres.
Swell.
PREVIOUSLY: Grand Parkway archives
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway's F-2 segment..."> 11/02/08 12:13 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (4)
06 May 2005
Tolled overpasses for Grand Parkway scrapped in Fort Bend County
Chris Elam points to this story on Fort Bend County's Grand Parkway that says TxDOT has decided not to build tolled overpasses, due to the negative reaction from Katy residents:
Pressure from Katy-area residents led transportation officials to scrap plans to add tolled overpasses on the Grand Parkway in north Fort Bend County.
The Texas Department of Transportation canceled a public hearing for Wednesday evening, and will be going back to the drawing board to decide on a plan to fund additional lanes to the existing portion of the Grand Parkway.
[snip]
Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers said he prefers a free road, but has supported the idea of tolling new lanes to speed up the construction process.
Meyers said some residents in Cinco Ranch and Katy opposed the plan, equating the tolled lanes to "double taxation."
Later, Commissioner Andy Meyers commented about this on Chris' blog:
About 5 years ago TxDOT began mentioning the Grand Parkway in terms of it being a toll road. I met with Highway Commissioners Johnson and Nichols and they confirmed that any new construction on the Grand Parkway would be tolled, including any overpasses.
Three years ago when I was elected Chairman of H-GAC I formed a Committee to look at the possibility of the seven counties through which the Grand Parkway is to run jointly building the Grand Parkway as a toll road.
Shortly thereafter Harris County proposed that it build the entire Grand Parkway as a toll road.
[snip]
My proposal for Fort Bend County to build the overpasses and segment C was becasue I believed that the county could build the Grand Parkway quicker and for less money. In addition, the county would allow more access to and from the Grand Parkway than would TxDOT to accomodate more commercial development along the Grand Parkway.
The problem here is that toll road authorities CAN build much quicker and no doubt for less money, but they can also run roughshod over local citizens and municipalities, as state Sen. Jon Lindsay and Harris County are trying to do up in Spring.
And Commissioner Meyers says this:
TxDOT did decide not to toll the overpasses and it now appears that new additional construction of the Grand Parkway is stalled because of the lack of funds and resistance to tolling by state officials. Several bills have been introduced in the legislature to prevent TxDOT from tolling "existing" roads with the definition of "existing" being rather broad to include all roads on which some type of work had already begun and that would include much of the Grand Parkway. The bills actually becomming law is still up in the air as the legistature is still in session.
Yeah, well, there is also at least one bill that would allow a state road to be transferred to a toll road authority for completion whereupon it would be transferred back to the state. That is Sen. Lindsay's way of getting the Grand Parkway built through Spring while circumventing the local citizenry's efforts to get it moved. Unfortunately, Sen. Lindsay's bill would have a much greater impact than just on little ol' Spring.
If tolled overpasses are the best idea for the Fort Bend County section of the Grand Parkway, then so be it. But there are plenty of us who are not in favor of legislation or precedents that would make it easier for Fort Bend County to get what it wants, if it would also make it easier for Harris County to do what Sen. Lindsay wants to do in Spring.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway scrapped in Fort Bend County"> 05/06/05 07:49 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (0)
30 September 2005
HCTRA suspends Grand Parkway project development
In the ongoing battle between far North Harris County residents and the Grand Parkway project, the Harris County Toll Road Authority has suspended all of its development efforts:
In a letter to Commissioners Court dated Sept 21, 2005, Art Storey, PE, wrote:
"Dear Court Members:
As I have reported before, TxDOT has suggested that Harris County join them in a general agreement for sharing toll road revenues when HCTRA constructs a toll road in TxDOT right-of-way or on an alignment within the TxDOT highway system. With the support of county staff and our toll road legal and investment consultants, I have been working on such an agreement for several months.
The negotiations have been difficult, and more time and effort is needed before we can expect to reach agreement. Accordingly, I have instructed HCTRA to stop work on so- called "future" projects until either such an agreement is in hand or the requirement for one is eliminated. Projects affected include the Grand Parkway and the U.S. 290 corridor (Hempstead Road).
And Art Storey wrote this to HCTRA Director Mike Strech:
Please instruct our staff and consultants to suspend immediately all work on the proposed Grand Parkway. That means surveying, right-of-way definition, schematic designs, conversations, everything. We will resume from this point (or from some other one) if and when we have successfully negotiated an agreement with TxDOT to do so. I will inform eommissioners Court accordingly at their next meeting on September 27th."
The suspension may only be temporary, but we'll take it.
Thanks to Connie for the heads up -- and Connie also received a letter from Grand Parkway Association Executive Director David Gornet in which he admitted that residential and commercial development continues at a brisk pace along the proposed Grand Parkway F-2 route with little regard for transportation planning.
Apparently developers haven't been consulting with (soon-to-be-outta-there) state Sen. Jon Lindsay.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway project development"> 09/30/05 09:51 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (0)
30 June 2006
Grand Parkway F-2 segment public hearing scheduled
Finally the Revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement is available for public viewing and public hearings are scheduled for July 11 and 12 (7 p.m.) at Klein Collins High School in Spring.
I'll be there!
RELATED: Houston Architecture Forum
PREVIOUSLY: blogHOUSTON archives
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway F-2 segment public hearing scheduled"> 06/30/06 06:28 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (3)
19 November 2004
Opposition to the Grand Parkway
State Rep. Debbie Riddle has spoken out strongly against the Grand Parkway section that is scheduled to be built through Spring:
Rep. Debbie Riddle, R-Houston, used the Grand Parkway Association's 20th annual report to the Texas Transportation Commission to state concerns the proposed route between Texas 249 and Interstate 45 "would just decimate the property values" in the Spring area and "import traffic into my district."
She pointed out several subdivisions and a Catholic school the highway would wipe out.
"There is tremendous concern over what this would do to Spring," she said. "Because of the tremendous growth in our area, so many lives are going to be disrupted."
After two hearings produced overwhelming public opposition to the proposed 12-mile segment, the Texas Department of Transportation declined in July to proceed on final environmental reviews. It directed the association to conduct a supplemental study re-evaluating other routes. That review is due by spring.
On the other hand, state Sen. Jon Lindsay appears to be working to get the segment fast-tracked, as noted here previously.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway"> 11/19/04 08:06 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (0)
25 May 2005
Grand Parkway meeting tonight
Tonight, Spring/Tomball residents have an opportunity to meet and hear from officials regarding the Grand Parkway:
Please join us for a Town Hall meeting
to address current developments with the Grand Parkway through Spring and the Tomball area (I-45 to FM 249):Klein Collins High School Auditorium
20811 Ella Blvd., Spring, TX. 77388May 25, 2005, 7:00 P.M.
And this is from Kim Jackson's Chronicle story last week:
Several Harris County and TxDOT officials said they plan to attend the meeting and address residents' concerns.
"Since there is confusion about the status and future of the proposed Grand Parkway, I agree that a public update is a good idea and will attend ... " said Art Storey, executive director of the Harris County's Public Infrastructure Department, in an e-mail sent to the Spring coalition and the Houston Chronicle.
Storey said he would clarify several points at the meeting, including the fact that the Grand Parkway project is under TxDOT's jurisdiction, and the state, not Harris County, would decide " ... when, whether, where, and by whom that facility will be constructed ... ."
"The current role of the Harris County Toll Road Authority is to evaluate, in response to TxDOT's invitation, whether we would propose to be TxDOT's implementing partner for construction and operation of that highway as a toll road," Storey said.
Storey said Mike Strech, Harris County Toll Road Authority director, or his representative, also would be at the meeting to show residents the particular route or routes the toll road authority is studying and how those routes relate to TxDOT's study.
David Gornet, executive director of the Grand Parkway Association, said his message at the meeting would be that the association continues work on a supplemental environmental study on the F-2 segment.
I am trying to attend the meeting, depending on how child care works itself out.
And a big thank you to Charles Kuffner for also posting on this.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway meeting tonight"> 05/25/05 09:07 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (3)
08 December 2005
Grand Parkway musings (updated)
Over at the Houston Architecture Forum, pineda has posted an interesting hypothetical question:
Say that you were told that a major road would be going within 500' of your local high school, with the intermediate and elementary schools adjacent to that school. Say that there's nothing you can do to stop it because (a) you don't have the money, (cool.gif you don't have the political clout, and © you don't own the land being condemned, although you do live in the adjoining neighborhood and your children attend those schools. Say that you're given a choice of either having the major road (we'll call it the Grand Parkway for demonstration purposes) depressed under the intersecting 2-lane roadway (we'll call that road Northcrest) or done as an overpass with no off/on ramps.
The question is should it be an underpass or an overpass? I'd prefer an underpass, IF it must be done.
As an aside, I emailed all four of the candidates running for Jon Lindsay's SD 7 seat, asking if they have a position on the Grand Parkway F2 segment up here in Spring. I also included links to background information, in case they weren't familiar with the subject. I have since learned that Peggy Hamric came out in favor of the F2 segment a while back, but I have not received a response from her campaign. I also have not heard from Joe Nixon's or Mark Ellis' campaigns, but I have heard from Dan Patrick's campaign. He is taking the time to get himself up to speed on the issue and will announce where he stands on the F2 segment soon.
UPDATE: I have now been contacted by Mark Ellis' campaign. When I get more information, I will pass it on.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway musings (updated)"> 12/08/05 09:40 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (7)
21 August 2008
Grand Parkway F-2 segment will require condemning many homes
Some new residents in Spring have just discovered what many of us have been railing against for a while now: The Grand Parkway F-2 segment is going to require the demolition of many homes (via the Chron):
Plans for the Grand Parkway have been on the books for 25 years, but only 28 of its proposed 185 miles have been built. Environmental and neighborhood groups have opposed the project.
It would include 11 segments traversing seven counties. The 12.1-mile Segment F2 would cut directly through the Lakes of Avalon Village, a subdivision with several hundred homes located on FM 2920 just west of Kuykendahl Road.
About 60 homes are in the right-of-way and would have to be demolished to make way for the parkway once construction began, Gornet said. Other homes, like Martin's, are just outside the right-of-way.
Houston's Planning Commission and Harris County's Public Infrastructure Department could not deny the developers the right to subdivide the land and sell houses on it because no government agency had committed to build the segment, officials said.
Developers sued the city in 1994 after they were denied the right to subdivide land that fell within a different section of the parkway's proposed alignment. They won $1.3 million in a case that was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The current F2 alignment was chosen in 2005 and was included in a draft environmental impact study the association published the following year, Gornet said. The developer applied to the Houston Planning Commission for the plat in late 2005 and received approval in 2006, he said.
Gornet said he met early last year with representatives from the Friendswood Development Company, a Lennar subsidiary that bought all the lots from Hudson, and told them the Grand Parkway would pose a problem for homes being built in its right-of-way.
The 60 homes mentioned in this story are only a portion of the homes in the way of the current F-2 alignment. There are many others, particularly in the Mossy Oaks subdivision, which will have to be demolished.
As for the developers, since the land was never bought up by TxDOT or HCTRA, there was no reason for developers to sit on perfectly usable land, waiting for something that might never happen. As the Chron's story notes, the current alignment was only chosen in 2005. While the subdivision in this story may not have been constructed then, there were many other homes in the way of the F-2 segment when the alignment was chosen. The Grand Parkway Association knows that and doesn't care.
And then there's the whole issue of whether or not this parkway is needed. Most of us who live in the Tomball/Spring/Klein area say no. Finish widening Kuykendahl, improve FM 2920, whatever. There are other options, rather than us having to sacrifice our communities.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway F-2 segment will require condemning many homes"> 08/21/08 05:40 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (9)
04 December 2007
Private firms try to push construction of Grand Parkway
Without a lot of fanfare, something popped up on the latest Commissioners Court agenda:
Recommendation that an unsolicited proposal by Grand Parkway Constructors be subjected to review and fact-finding negotiations by county staff and consultants for a public-private partnership for a project delivery system for the Grand Parkway for the county's Toll Road Authority.
"Unsolicited." Nice.
Today the Chron's Bill Murphy has more information:
A joint venture led by a road construction company and an engineering firm has asked Harris County to enter into a public-private partnership to build and operate the 197-mile Grand Parkway as a toll road.
Commissioners Court will consider today whether it wants to study the unsolicited offer to undertake the $5.3 billion project to build an outermost ring skirting the metropolitan area.
"It's intriguing because we have not seen details of the proposal," said Art Storey, director of the county's public infrastructure department.
"It appears that it would allow us to retain some control of the project, (rely on) the local construction community and get financing for the project guaranteed."
If the court decides to go ahead with a partnership between the county and Grand Parkway Constructors, the joint venture would need approval from the Texas Department of Transportation.
Grand Parkway Constructors' principals are Williams Brothers Construction and Dannenbaum Engineering.
Executives at both companies did not return calls Monday.
Storey said the joint venture proposal envisions the Harris County Toll Road Authority serving as the project's managing partner.
Under a partnership, the county and the joint venture could agree to have the toll road authority operate the Grand Parkway and retain some of the revenue, Storey said.
The idea of a Grand Parkway encircling the metropolitan area outside Highway 6 has been around for decades. Critics long have contended that it is a highway sought by road builders and developers who intend to build subdivisions and strip malls in the still undeveloped areas.
Regardless of one's stance in that debate, the Legislature and TxDOT have decided the Grand Parkway will be built.
Delvin Dennis, TxDOT's deputy district engineer in the Houston area, said some areas where the highway would be built are rural now, but will not be in 10 to 20 years.
Critics contend it's being pushed by developers, because...it's being pushed by developers! Billy Burge is the president of the Grand Parkway Association, and former state Sen. Jon Lindsay held meetings with developers in an effort to further the project. Goodness knows what he's been up to these days, since he now has some free time on his hands.
As for the assertion that some areas are rural now, but won't be in a decade or two, Mr. Dennis should come and visit the Spring area where the F-2 segment has been mapped out. It's already a whole lot less rural than it was even a couple of years ago, and running a big highway through it will be devastating.
Judge Emmett has already said that completion of the Grand Parkway must occur, but I can't recall seeing where the other candidates for county judge stand on the issue.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway"> 12/04/07 05:08 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (5)
12 July 2006
Recapping the Grand Parkway F-2 public meetings
Last night and tonight were the public's opportunity to comment on the "new" route of the Grand Parkway F-2 segment, which will bulldoze its way through Spring.
Connie O'Donnell went last night and you can read her summary of events here. It sounds like quite a time was had, with some VIP appearances.
I followed up with a comment on tonight's meeting.
Big thanks go out to Jerry Thomas, of United to Save Our Spring, Connie O'Donnell, state Rep. Debbie Riddle, and state Rep. Corbin Van Arsdale for keeping the fight alive.
Big boos go out to retiring state Sen. Jon Lindsay for whining that it's taking too long to build the F-2 segment. Why doesn't he just go back to tree farming and leave the rest of us alone?
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway F-2 public meetings"> 07/12/06 09:51 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (20)
17 May 2005
Grand Parkway meeting (Spring/Tomball area)
Several groups that are trying to save Spring from being bulldozed by the Grand Parkway are holding a meeting on May 25 at Klein Collins High School:
Please join us for a Town Hall meeting
to address current developments with the Grand Parkway through Spring and the Tomball area (I-45 to FM 249):Klein Collins High School Auditorium
20811 Ella Blvd., Spring, TX. 77388May 25, 2005, 7:00 P.M.
Invited Panel Guests Include:
Harris County Judge Robert Eckels
Harris Cty Pct 4 Commissioner Jerry Eversole
Harris Cty Toll Road Auth Dir. Mike Strech
TxDOT Houston Dist Engineer Gary Trietsch
USOS President Jerry Thomas
Texas State Rep. Debbie Riddle
Texas State Rep. Corbin Van Arsdale
Texas State Rep. Peggy Hamric
U.S. Congressman Ted Poe
U.S. Congressman Mike McCaul
In our forum, Connie (who reminded me to post this!) says that Art Storey, HCTRA's executive director, and Commissioner Jerry Eversole will attend the meeting. (Strangely, it doesn't appear that state Sen. Jon Lindsay will be attending.)
This is a great opportunity for residents to meet with and hear from Harris County and TxDOT officials.
RELATED: Is the Toll Road Authority taking control of the Grand Parkway? (blogHOUSTON), Is the Toll Road Authority feeling a bit defensive? (blogHOUSTON)
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway meeting (Spring/Tomball area)"> 05/17/05 04:35 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (0)
13 April 2005
Now Fort Bend County wants to take over its part of the Grand Parkway
Following up on these posts about state Sen. Jon Lindsay's bill that would allow a county toll road authority to take over a TXDoT project to expedite construction and then transfer the property back to the state when it is complete, check out this Chronicle story about Fort Bend County trying to take over portions of the Grand Parkway:
If Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers has his way, a series of overpasses planned for the Grand Parkway through Fort Bend County would be built and managed by the Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority.
Under Meyers' plan, surplus revenue from tolls would be reinvested by the county to build the parkway south of U.S. 59.
As many as 11 overpasses would be built along the Grand Parkway between Interstate 10 and U.S. 59.
[snip]
"TxDOT has been a very good partner with the two tollroads we did build. We want to maintain that relationship," Meyers said.
Meyers thinks it is possible to maintain that relationship by having the Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority take over the Grand Parkway and commit to build tolled overpasses.
The surplus tolls would be used to continue building the Grand Parkway , he said.
Having the county authority maintain and continue to build the Grand Parkway would take a burden off the state, Meyers said.
The county can build the road quicker and less expensively because it doesn't have to meet all the requirements the state does, he said.
[snip]
Meyers said that TxDOT has expressed concern about having Fort Bend County operate the tolled overpasses because state funds were used to construct the existing portions of the Grand Parkway .
One issue to be resolved is whether the state would want the county to pay back the $50 million to $60 million it spent building the highway.
As Charles Kuffner points out, the main problem with toll road authorities is that municipalities have no legal avenue to do anything about a toll road authority project. TRA's practically have a build-at-will capability.
RELATED: Grand Parkway Segment C, from US 59 to SH 288.
UPDATE: This Katy Times story says that not everyone supports the move:
"This new proposal would create a convoluted mix of both tolled facilities and free roads, which is both confusing and an unecessary burden to all drivers," [State Rep. Glenn Hegar] said.
He said the conversion to a toll road is an effort to provide funding for the project and an attempt to speed up the construction timeline.
Hegar is encouraging Katy residents to attend a TxDOT meeting scheduled for 6-8 p.m. May 4 in the Cinco Ranch High School Ninth Grade Center.
"It is important that the people who live and work in Katy and Fort Bend County, and who will be affected most by this proposal, let the Department of Transportation know just how they feel about essentially be asked to pay for these highway improvements twice, first with their tax dollars and now with tolls," he said.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway"> 04/13/05 02:50 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (2)
12 April 2005
HCTRA fulfilling developers' dreams with Grand Parkway
Some Spring residents who are in the path of the proposed Grand Parkway are receiving survey notices from the Harris County Toll Road Authority:
Homes in north Harris County could soon be up for sale without their owners consent. That's because the properties may be in the path of the expanded Grand Parkway, Houston's proposed super loop.
[snip]
"They're ruining the whole landscape of Spring," said Sheryl Badoni, homeowner.
Badoni fears the potential path of the Grand Parkway will take what has been home to her family for seven years. "They're supposed to take our whole property, come right though our house and right through our property," she said.
Badoni and several of her neighbors are upset about the letters from the Harris County Toll Road Authority, requesting permission to survey their property.
"It says they want to conduct a survey for the acquisition of right-of-way and design of the Grand Parkway," Badoni said as she read part of the letter.
But the Grand Parkway Association said the final decision on where the road will go has not been made.
"If I can find a route that doesn't take anybody's home, that doesn't take any wetlands, that's the route I'm going to pick," said Robin Sterry, Grand Parkway Association. "I don't like having impacts if I can avoid them."
"I think we can't believe a word they say," said Badoni.
With state Sen. Jon Lindsay pushing the project and the HCTRA trying to take it over from TxDOT, residents have good reason not to trust what the Grand Parkway Association says. Also, Lindsay has introduced a bill that would appear to allow the HCTRA (which has the power to build at will) to build this segment of the Grand Parkway and then transfer it back to the state when completed. Follow this link to read commenter Bill F's interpretation of Lindsay's bill.
(Billy Burge is the president of the Grand Parkway Association and his over-the-top performance the other day doesn't give me any confidence that he'll be looking out for the best interests of Spring residents.)
The Grand Parkway Association said some subdivisions didn't exist when the project first started. And that's why many homeowners in those areas said they want the Grand Parkway moved a lot farther north, where there are fewer people to impact.
Proponents of the Grand Parkway like to say that the road was proposed back in the 1960's. What they fail to add is that the plan was basically dropped until a group of developers revived it in the 1980's, as a Chronicle story from last year describes:
The concept for the parkway route has been around for 40 years. In the early 1960s, planners envisioned an expressway extending from the southwest corner of Loop 610 all the way to Matagorda County. The huge South Post Oak off-ramps that cross Brays Bayou stand as testament to that plan.
It was never realized. The state, with money tight, had bigger freeway priorities. Planners anticipated resident opposition to an alignment slightly west of South Post Oak through Westbury.
The issue was dead until the early 1980s, when a different set of landowners in a different part of town came up with a master stroke.
West Houston interests convinced the state to allow them to assemble and donate land for the state to build a highway - in this case, the Grand Parkway - and pump up the value of their property. The state would get a route it wanted anyway, but much more quickly and without any right-of-way costs.
Not one to beat around the bush, future Houston Mayor Bob Lanier said "avarice and greed" were the most natural and effective ways to get the project done. When he said it, he was chairman of the state highway commission and a landowner on the proposed route.
So when Commissioner Jerry Eversole says the Grand Parkway "has nothing to do with selling homes or building shopping centers," I respectfully have to reply that he's full of you-know-what.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway"> 04/12/05 04:57 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (6)
08 June 2005
Did Jerry Eversole HAVE to vote for the Grand Parkway?
Rick Casey's column today is enlightening, but probably not in the way he intended. He discussed who has the power within Harris County -- the judge or the commissioners:
The judge may be elected countywide, and his $137,424 salary may be about $7,000 more than the commissioners, whose turf is a quarter of the county, but neither the area of the turf nor the amount of the salary defines power.
Consider this: On countywide issues, such as determining the budget of the hospital district or the sheriff's office, the county judge and the commissioners each have one vote.
But when it comes to building parks or roads or other matters within each of the four commissioner precincts, the commissioner is king.
"I prefer 'czarina,' " says Commissioner Sylvia Garcia.
State Sen. Jon Lindsay, R-Houston, who was county judge for 20 years, summed it up: "The commissioners in Harris County are the most powerful politicians in the state other than statewide officials."
And if anyone would know about power, it's Sen. Lindsay.
Here is the really good part:
The power each commissioner exercises over these budgets is as absolute as it can get in a democracy. That's because each commissioner respects the turf of the others and expects his or her turf to be respected in return.
"El Franco Lee knows his precinct better than I do," Radack said. "If he has the money and wants to do something, I'm not going to second-guess him."
Not only do they get to decide what roads will be built and parks enhanced, individual commissioners have considerable power over what engineering and architectural firms will be hired in their precincts.
Now, why did that interest me? Because at that Grand Parkway meeting a couple of weeks ago, Commissioner Jerry Eversole said he HAD to vote for HCTRA's study of the Spring segment because the other commissioners were in favor of the Grand Parkway. He said if he voted against it, he wouldn't have a say in the route, so he was really doing Spring residents a favor by voting for it.
Tsk, tsk. Commissioner Eversole fed us a bodacious bucket of blarney.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway?"> 06/08/05 05:30 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (26)
25 January 2005
Is the Toll Road Authority taking control of the Grand Parkway?
Spring residents have lost a battle in the fight over the Grand Parkway:
Despite pleas from a group of Spring residents who oppose the road, Commissioners Court gave the Harris County Toll Road Authority permission today to spend $5.6 million to plot out a 52-mile section of the Grand Parkway in north Houston.
The county has yet to commit to building the section of the Grand Parkway, a 182-mile super loop around Houston that has been planned for decades. The Texas Department of Transportation will make final decisions on expansion of the Grand Parkway, and the county would need TxDot's approval before it could build the section.
The Spring residents say one proposed route for the toll road would divide subdivisions in their town, cut across a high school baseball field and provide no relief to congestion on local roads.
"The more I know, the less I like," said Connie O'Donnell, a member of United to Save Our Spring. "I think it is and always has been a developer's dream of a highway."
Commissioner Jerry Eversole, whose Precinct 4 includes Spring and most of the other areas where the section would be built, said the road is needed to provide solutions to the area's current and future traffic needs.
"It still goes back to I think it's the right thing to do. It has nothing to do with selling homes or building shopping centers," Eversole said. "The solution will be to build the road, to take the consequences and, if it means my defeat, then it means my defeat."
I am suspicious of Eversole's assertion that the Grand Parkway has nothing to do with new developments. (I should also disclose, again, that I live in the area that would be impacted by this segment of the Grand Parkway, and I am opposed to the project. Also, this topic is being discussed more in our forum.) It would appear that this project has quite a lot to do with selling homes and building shopping centers. Otherwise, why would State Sen. Jon Lindsay, a big proponent of the parkway, have held a private meeting with developers to discuss Grand Parkway plans?
Recently there was a rumor that a toll road might be built through the Heights area. The outrage that immediately followed had Harris County Judge Robert Eckels running for media outlets to declare his opposition to that idea. It is interesting to note that Judge Eckels is in full support of the Grand Parkway project. Spring residents and business owners are not getting the same consideration from Judge Eckels that Heights residents received.
It's clear that if the Harris County Toll Road Authority takes control of the project, no more public input will have to be considered and no more environmental impact reports will be done. The HCTRA does not have to meet the same requirements as TxDOT.
UPDATE: The Chronicle has a new story posted with more details, including some information about State Sen. Jon Lindsay that demonstrates not just his support of the project, but his efforts to get the project completed:
County officials rejected state Sen. Jon Lindsay's offer to work for the county as a consultant who would try to persuade north Harris County developers to donate land for the project.
Lindsay, a Republican who represents much of the area where the segment would be built, has long supported the Grand Parkway.
He said he met last year with 14 developers who own land between Texas 249 and I-45. About 10 of the developers agreed to donate land to the county for the toll road, Lindsay said.
With that land, the toll road could have been built without traversing as many Spring residential areas as called for under TxDOT plans, he said.
Lindsay said he met with Eversole and other officials in the fall and tried to sell them on hiring him as a consultant.
He would have asked the county to pay him about $5,000 or $6,000 a month for his services, Lindsay said.
"I told them I was not going to do it gratis. It was too much work," he said.
County officials balked at the proposal, saying it could appear to be improper for the county to hire a state senator to lobby developers who were his business acquaintances or friends and who would benefit from the highway's construction, Lindsay said. "I did not understand where the conflict of interest was, just because I was a senator," he said.
Phew! He's something.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway?"> 01/25/05 07:02 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (10)
22 January 2005
Trying to preserve that rural feeling in Spring
Here are a couple of stories from far North Harris County. The first is an update on the Grand Parkway, which may become a county project through the Toll Road Authority. Some residents in Spring who oppose this segment of the Grand Parkway, have fought TxDOT over where this section should be built. The current placement would put it through a rural area of Spring populated with family farms and older subdivisions that could literally be cut in half by the parkway.
State Sen. Jon Lindsay is in favor of the project along with Harris County and some developers, while state Rep. Debbie Riddle is working on behalf of residents to fight the current placement of the parkway. But if the county takes over the project from the state, then residents who oppose the project will be out of luck, because the county does not have the same requirements, as the state does, to do environmental impact studies or to hold public meetings to discuss projects, as this recent KHOU-11 story pointed out:
What many may not know is the Harris County Toll Road Authority, unlike TxDOT, can build a toll road anywhere it wants without public approval.
[snip]
The Toll Road Authority said even though it doesn't have open forums, it has never gone against public outcry to build a project.
Grand Parkway opponents may test the Toll Road Authority on that.
Full disclosure time: I live in this area and I am not in favor of the Grand Parkway, if it runs through our little community. But, the realist in me believes the parkway will be built, right through our quiet little area and we will say goodbye to that nice sleepy quality that makes this community so enjoyable. After it is built, commuters from The Woodlands will flood Gosling Rd. and Kuykendahl Rd. to get to the parkway and both roads will have to be widened. Then new businesses and housing developments will spring up all along those feeder roads and the parkway itself. Ahhh, progress.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/22/05 05:35 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (28)
26 May 2005
Chron's story on Grand Parkway meeting
I was able to attend the Grand Parkway meeting last night and I'll get a post written up later today. For now, though, here's the Chronicle's story, by Kim Jackson:
State transportation officials assured Spring-area residents Wednesday night that TxDOT, and not the Harris County Toll Road Authority, is overseeing a project that would run through the rapidly developing north Harris County suburb.
[snip]
Residents are concerned that, if the project is turned over to the toll road authority, they would not have an opportunity to make public comments on the environmental and social impacts the chosen route would have on neighborhoods.
"We are looking at (the toll road authority) as a potential funding partner," Trietsch said. "We will select that route with the least amount of impacts. There are no routes available, however, that have zero impacts."
It was great to see this in today's "City & State" section, since I was expecting a story to appear in next week's "This Week" section. It's nice to be wrong!
KTRK-13 has a small blurb on the concerns of residents and KRIV-26 had a camera crew at the meeting. I have no idea if anything ran on KRIV last night since I was still at the meeting.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway meeting"> 05/26/05 08:32 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (18)
10 March 2009
CTC: HCTRA land development bad; METRO land development good
The CTC's Robin Holzer, one of METRO's biggest light rail cheerleaders, recently sent out a Grand Parkway action alert:
When you pay tolls on the busy Westpark and Sam Houston toll roads, do you ever think about what your tolls should pay for? For several years now, Harris County has "pooled" toll dollars from busy toll roads to fund other important transportation projects, like the Hardy extension from 610 to Downtown.
But this Tuesday, our toll dollars may start funding land development, at least if the County moves forward on Grand Parkway segment E without a traffic and revenue study. Read on for details...
Robin Holzer, Chair
Gasp!
Of course, METRO has been unabashedly working on land development for years, but we can't recall a CTC alert about that -- which is especially odd since METRO has the power to condemn privately-owned property within a 1,500 foot radius of any transit station.
Now, longtime readers know that I am no fan of the Grand Parkway because I think it's unnecessary, and it's being pushed by developers. However, one would hope the head of the "Citizens' Transportation Coalition" would show some consistency by demanding accountability (or transparency, or slowness of action, or whatever) from ALL local transportation agencies, not just the evil toll road-building one.
END NOTE: Here's Holzer on METRORail via the Chronicle:
Robin Holzer, chairwoman of Houston’s Citizens’ Transportation Coalition, told the Chronicle, “There’s a lot in this agreement to show that Metro has been listening to the community and trying to accommodate our concerns. The transportation infrastructure we build has a dramatic effect on the quality of life in our neighborhoods and people have a right to be involved.”
Here's Holzer on HCTRA via the Chronicle:
“Harris County has a responsibility to every toll road user in our region to slow down and do this right,” said Holzer, whose mobility advocacy group argues that Segment E will do little to address pressing traffic concerns while helping developers get rich building sprawling subdivisions on the Katy Prairie.
By the way, here's just one example of how METRO's been listening to the community and accommodating concerns.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 03/10/09 07:06 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (7)
15 December 2005
Grand Parkway F2 segment DEIS is ready
In the forum here, connie passes on the news that the Second Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Study for the Grand Parkway's F2 segment will be presented at a public hearing at the end of January.
My information is that the study has already been presented to a group of higher-up muckety-mucks within the last couple of weeks or so, which is annoying if you think about it. Why should movers and shakers (any developers in there?) get to see it before the citizen taxpayers who will be bulldozed by the new road? Was our (outgoing!) state Senator Jon Lindsay in attendance?
I'll be very curious to see what the report says, as will many folks up here. I expect local elected officials (and those running for a certain state senate seat) will send reps to the meetings, or even show up themselves to work the voting crowd (hint, hint).
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway F2 segment DEIS is ready"> 12/15/05 07:29 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (2)
18 January 2006
Lindsay to endorse Hamric
Sedosi notes that state Sen. Jon Linsday will endorse Rep. Peggy Hamric for SD 7, which makes absolute perfect sense to me. Hamric is in favor of the Grand Parkway F2 segment being built through Spring instead of further north. Every other candidate (including Dan Patrick, I am told) is opposed to F2 paving over Spring.
Getting Lindsay's endorsement will not be helpful to Hamric in this part of SD 7.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/18/06 10:07 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (6)
02 February 2008
Metro's backward Solutions
This story in the Katy Times is (unintentionally) enlightening about the widening gulf between what Metro officials want vs. what Metro customers/taxpayers need:
On Monday, Metro opened its 222 Grand Parkway Park and Ride in the Cinemark Movie Theater parking lot.
The facility's impact was immediate.
"We had 392 boardings, which was our second highest first day boardings," Rosie Torres, Metro spokeswoman said.
Only the Cypress park-and-ride had more first day boardings, 478, when it opened in January 2007.
The park-and-ride can be found in a designated area at the Cinemark Movie theater lot, 1030 W. Grand Parkway North. Metro has a long-term lease on 500 spaces in the theater's lot. Torres said additional spaces could be added should the need arise.
The need for the new facility stems from a word commonly heard in Katy - growth.
"The park-and-ride at Kingsland seems to get filled-up all the time," Torres said. Torres said the new lot also helps Metro fulfil its mission to reduce traffic congestion along the areas major arteries.
The new lot will provide direct service between the Grand Parkway and downtown Houston. Buses will depart every 15 minutes between 5:30 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. and return every 15 minutes between 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
For patrons transferring, a one block connection to Metro's light rail will be available from a stop adjacent to the Downtown Transit Center in the mornings and afternoons. "This makes it easy for people traveling to the medical center and other places along the light rail," Torres said.
Talk about illustrating the need for commuter rail. Instead, Metro has focused on creating a heavily subsidized, world-class, inner-loop taxi service. So now Metro has had to open new Park and Ride lots (that use buses!!) in areas that should be getting commuter rail lines. The very last quote is the most ridiculous of all when the Metro spokeswoman says transfers to light rail will be easy for all those stops along the 7.5 miles of light rail. Wow! That was surely a half billion dollars well-spent.
As we've suggested before, Metro did this whole thing backwards: Commuter rail should have been built first, ending at a transit center near downtown, where customers could then catch buses to their final destinations. Buses have much greater flexibility to get customers closer to where they need to go, but Metro and rail supporters frown on buses, and buses aren't as cool as light rail trains.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 02/02/08 11:47 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (12)
16 May 2005
The effort to make toll road authorities more accountable
Kristen Mack highlights the Citizens Transportation Coalition's efforts to make toll road authorities more accountable to local citizenry:
The coalition wants road-building entities, such as the Harris County Toll Road Authority, to seek approval of their projects from affected residents or municipalities and hold at least three public meetings — day, evening and weekend.
Those changes aren't likely to happen soon, lawmakers say, so the group is taking what it can get.
Rep. Martha Wong, R-Houston, has passed a bill requiring longer public notice about upcoming hearings. Toll road hearings are conducted as part of regular Harris County Commissioners Court meetings, which are held downtown every other Tuesday morning.
This has been a bone of contention with Grand Parkway opponents in Spring. It is not easy to communicate with Harris County commissioners or HCTRA officials, and having to head downtown on a weekday morning is out of the question for most folks. I suggested that if HCTRA was really interested in hearing public input -- as it likes to say it is-- it should hold regular, evening meetings in Spring, right where state Sen. Jon Lindsay wants the Grand Parkway built.
Of course, it doesn't take much to guess that HCTRA is fighting any proposed changes to how it conducts business. Saying you are open to public input and actually being forced to be open to public input are two entirely different things.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 05/16/05 05:12 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (4)
23 April 2005
Spring residents meet with HCTRA officials -- finally
Grand Parkway opponents in Spring had a chance to meet with some Harris County Toll Road Authority officials last week -- for the first time. The meeting was prompted by residents receiving survey notices from a HCTRA-contracted company:
For the first time since announcing their opposition four years ago, members of a coalition opposed to the Grand Parkway running through Spring met with transportation officials to resolve issues on the proposed highway projects.
United to Save Our Spring coalition member Connie O'Donnell said the coalition pushed for this meeting because several residents who live in the study area were sent letters last week from a Harris County Toll Road Authority consultant seeking access to their properties for a right-of-way study.
"It was time to get all of the issues on the table with all of the people involved in the project," O'Donnell said.
Remember, HCTRA officials LOVE to tell local media that HCTRA invites public input:
The Toll Road Authority said even though it doesn't have open forums, it has never gone against public outcry to build a project.
And:
Eckels goes on to say the public has a chance to give input on these toll roads at the county commissioners' meeting every two weeks.
And:
Jonnie Bryant, public information officer for the Harris County Toll Road Authority, said that while the toll road authority is not required to hold public hearings, it invites public comment.
"We always welcome comments," Bryant said. "We have an open-door policy, and individuals or groups can meet with our director, Mike Strech."
But this was the first time Spring residents and others interested in the Grand Parkway had been able to meet with HCTRA officials, and according to a first hand account, Art Storey and Mike Strech of HCTRA weren't thrilled at having the meeting. AND state Sen. Jon Lindsay has never met with Grand Parkway opponents, even though they are his constituents.
More of the Chronicle's story is in the extended entry. I get the feeling that HCTRA is a bit defensive and is attempting to keep the focus on TxDOT -- by continuing to say that the project remains in the hands of TxDOT and that no decisions have been made. Of course, opponents aren't buying that. Why else would HCTRA be spending $5.6 million to study the Grand Parkway if it didn't have a good idea that it wants to build the segment through Spring?
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 04/23/05 02:52 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (2)
15 October 2009
Are there any editors left at the local newspaper?
Yesterday, the Chron ran one of its most amusing corrections since the latest recipe debacle:
A story about funding for a segment of the Grand Parkway on Page B1 Saturday misspelled the name of the chair of the Citizens Transportation Coalition, an advocacy group. She is Robin Holzer.
The newspaper only seems to have the same three or four sources on mobility issues. It's sad when they can't even get those limited, go-to sources right.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/15/09 07:44 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (1)
02 September 2007
Grand Parkway Segment C generates opposition
The Grand Parkway continues to stir up opposition -- this time in Fort Bend and Brazoria Counties. Last week, a public meeting was held to solicit input for Segment C, "a 26-mile four-lane controlled access toll road with intermittent frontage roads from US 59 (Southwest Freeway) to SH 288 through Fort Bend and Brazoria Counties."
Folks in that area are not in favor of the project (via the Fort Bend Herald-Coaster):
But the vast majority of residents and others who attended Thursday's meeting said they never want to see the 26-mile, four-lane, controlled-access highway built. Many who spoke during the public hearing were critical of the project, with some using the "no toll, no road" slogan in opposition to the highway, which would be a toll road.
Some of the main reasons cited for the opposition:
€ The highway is being expanded for traffic that does not exist.
€ The project is too costly, and money used for the highway could be better spent elsewhere.
€ The highway could damage quality of life for people who live near construction sites.
€ Noise will increase and air quality will decline.
€ The project is essentially a way for developers to make money and for politicians to profit.
€ Plus numerous environment issues.
Patrons were each given three minutes to talk, and more than a dozen people spoke while others had a chance to give written comments. Only two people spoke in direct support of the project.
These concerns are similar to the concerns Spring/Tomball residents have regarding the F-2 segment that I have blogged about previously: it would be environmentally devastating; developers are the main beneficiaries at the expense of local residents and business owners; and, up here in the Spring area, many people would lose their property for the unnecessary road.
Few if any in the audience agreed with Gornet's assessment. Jesse Cuellar of Richmond won the loudest cheers after he spoke. He was concerned about - among other things - environmental issues, water runoff, property values and quality of life. Cuellar said he thinks the reasons given for the project amount to a lie - and that it is being built for entities with commercial interests.
Jerry Carpenter of Greatwood said before the meeting that he was against the project because he didn't think it would alleviate traffic problems and that the project is being done to benefit developers - and he's upset that the project would be so close to Brazos Bend State Park.
People from special interest groups were there, including Brandt Mannchen, chairman of the air quality committee for the Sierra Club's Houston region, who shared his environmental concerns. Robin Holzer, chairwoman of the board of the Houston-based Citizens' Transportation Coalition, said the project is a bad use of transportation money.
Oh look, Robin Holzer found a transportation project she's against. Honestly, if Robin wants to see a bad use of transportation money, she should look at the billions Metro wants to waste on rail transit that will do nothing to alleviate congestion, but will do lots to increase it, and will enrich developers.
I wish the folks who will be affected by Segment C all the luck in the world fighting the Grand Parkway Association and TxDOT.
And I would like to know where the three gentlemen running for Harris County judge stand on the issue of the F-2 segment.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway Segment C generates opposition"> 09/02/07 08:46 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (6)
27 April 2005
Is the Toll Road Authority feeling a bit defensive?
The Harris County Toll Road Authority has sent out a press release trying to temper the idea that it is taking over the Spring segment of the Grand Parkway. I'll reprint the entire release in the extended entry and highlight one paragraph here:
The Harris County Toll Road Authority has no plans to circumvent the right of the public to be heard in this matter, and restates that the Grand Parkway project is still under the state’s jurisdiction and is subject to their public hearing guidelines. As HCTRA is a department under the authority of Harris County Commissioners’ Court, the public does have the opportunity to address their comments and concerns on this or any other issue directly to Commissioners at regularly scheduled Commissioners’ Court meetings. Dates and times for these meetings are available on the internet, as is the contact number to schedule appearances before the Court.
Right. The current spate of publicity pointing out that HCTRA can do practically whatever it wants, whenever it wants must be unwelcome.
But since HCTRA says it is open to public input, let's put that to the test: HCTRA should begin holding monthly, evening meetings at Klein Oak High School which is in the path of one proposed Grand Parkway alignment, so the local citizens who would be most affected by the Grand Parkway can voice their opinions. And don't tell Spring residents to go to Commissioners Court. Spring isn't right around the corner from 1001 Preston, Suite 938, Houston TX, and holding meetings on a weekday morning is NOT what I would call constituent-friendly.
Let's get those county commissioners, including Jerry Eversole who represents Spring, to the area that would be wiped out by the Grand Parkway. Let's get the commissioners face-to-face with the many people whose homes would be razed and otherwise affected.
And if HCTRA is really all for public input, then I would expect it to come out against state Sen. Jon Lindsay's proposed bill that would allow some road building regulations to be circumvented.
And if HCTRA wants to know why folks in Spring are so concerned about being run over by a bunch of bulldozers, think Hardy Toll Road. Here's one excerpt from Houston Freeways that makes it all crystal clear:
If any major transportation facility in Houston can be attributed to the efforts of one individual, it is the Hardy Toll Road. Jon Lindsay made this project happen. Not only did then Harris County Judge Lindsay make the Hardy Toll Road happen, but he did it in the face of substantial opposition to the project. Building an all-new, limited-access transportation facility is a big accomplishment in the modern era. Doing it nearly single-handedly is even more impressive.
Ugh. And who is the Number One Champion of the Grand Parkway being built through Spring? Yep:
Lindsay said he is doing what it takes to get the Grand Parkway built expeditiously through the Spring area, and it may mean taking the state transportation department out of the equation.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 04/27/05 04:21 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (4)
14 May 2005
Art cars to roll this afternoon
One of Houston's quirky events, the art car parade, takes place later today.
The Houston Art Car Klub (HACK) has the details:
An all day event with the largest contingency of Art Cars in the world! Come be part of it all and see just how amazing art can be when given the chance and some gasoline.
Line-up is 10AM - 1PM, the public can come & take pictures & mill around here, too. The actual procession is Saturday from 1PM - 2:30PM, our Grand Marshal is non other than the great philosopher Kinky Friedman!
Be lined up along Allen Parkway; bring lawn chairs, coolers & cameras.
Related festivities are listed here.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 05/14/05 08:37 AM | Houston Life | Technorati | Comments (0)
21 April 2005
Mack: Jon Lindsay may be vulnerable
Kristen Mack sure knows how to make a girl smile:
Some think [Lindsay] may be vulnerable to a GOP primary challenge.
He didn't schedule any public appearances during a recent weekend visit to the district, and has none planned as the legislative session in Austin heats up during its final weeks. Detractors view that as a sign that constituent contact is not a priority.
One of the area's longest-tenured public servants, Lindsay has spent eight years in the Senate and spent 20 years as Harris County judge.[snip]
He fell from the political pinnacle in the mid-1990s amid corruption allegations that ended his county reign.
Lindsay was indicted in 1993 on misdemeanor charges of lying on campaign finance reports for failing to report the use of $195,000 in campaign money to buy a dive boat for his son.
Later, a federal convict claimed that he had acted as the middleman in the delivery of more than $100,000 in cash to Lindsay in 1986, in return for Lindsay raising the value of private land by rerouting a county road.
The allegations did not result in criminal charges, and Lindsay recently called the convict's claims "totally bogus and absolutely false."
Maybe the claims were bogus, but just for fun, let's visit the archives:
County officials rejected state Sen. Jon Lindsay's offer to work for the county as a consultant who would try to persuade north Harris County developers to donate land for the [Grand Parkway] project.
Lindsay, a Republican who represents much of the area where the segment would be built, has long supported the Grand Parkway.
He said he met last year with 14 developers who own land between Texas 249 and I-45. About 10 of the developers agreed to donate land to the county for the toll road, Lindsay said.
With that land, the toll road could have been built without traversing as many Spring residential areas as called for under TxDOT plans, he said.
Lindsay said he met with Eversole and other officials in the fall and tried to sell them on hiring him as a consultant.
He would have asked the county to pay him about $5,000 or $6,000 a month for his services, Lindsay said.
"I told them I was not going to do it gratis. It was too much work," he said.
County officials balked at the proposal, saying it could appear to be improper for the county to hire a state senator to lobby developers who were his business acquaintances or friends and who would benefit from the highway's construction, Lindsay said. "I did not understand where the conflict of interest was, just because I was a senator," he said.
And:
Lindsay said he is doing what it takes to get the Grand Parkway built expeditiously through the Spring area, and it may mean taking the state transportation department out of the equation. He said he is not worried it will move to Montgomery County.
"We brought the developers together to make sure everyone was on the same page," Lindsay said. "There was some discussion about different routes and how they would affect developments, but everyone there agreed we need to do the project."
You really have to hold your nose around Lindsay.
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: If he gets chased from office, he'll at least have his tree farming to fall back on. Tree farming, readers may ask? Yes, tree farming.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 04/21/05 11:37 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (9)
23 March 2009
A tale of two transit projects
Cory Crow comments on the news that METRO will not receive "stimulus" funds for light rail, while Harris County has been allocated almost $200 million for the Grand Parkway:
Metro has dithered, changed technology, changed plans and done pretty much anything but get started on the projects, with delays and significant slack-time already used up in the pre-implementation phase. This time last year it would have been fair to say that the Light Rail project was being held-up by Culberson and others in Congress. Today, if Metro wants to see the reason for the delay, they only need look in the mirror.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 03/23/09 05:34 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (0)
23 July 2006
Quasi-governmental agencies laugh at public meetings
In the forum here, Neal Meyer comments on something that's been bugging me for awhile now: public meetings. What good are they, really?
We've all watched Metro go through the motions of public meetings, but with the exception of the Richmond Avenue line, Metro has shown no real inclination to adjust its plans to deal with public concerns. Will the poorer sections of town, that don't have the resources and influence of the Richmond Avenue property owners, be able force Metro to change its plans? Doubtful. And Metro probably isn't sweating those little blips on its radar.
At the Grand Parkway F-2 segment public meetings a couple of weeks ago, state Reps. Corbin Van Arsdale and Debbie Riddle demanded to know who in a decision-making capacity was present at the meetings. As they say, crickets chirped and tumbleweeds rolled by. The bigwigs who will determine what happens to the Spring neighborhoods scheduled for demolition weren't even there to hear the public's concerns!
And what about the public comments time at Houston City Council meetings or Harris County Commissioner's Court? Can you recall those elected officials ever actually listening to citizens' concerns and acting upon them?
I just fail to see the point of public meetings if officials can do whatever they want no matter what. Oh, you say, that's what the voting booth is for. But that doesn't apply to a quasi-governmental agency like Metro, whose officials are appointed, not elected. Same with the Harris County Houston Sports Authority. And the Grand Parkway's board is appointed by the Texas Transportation Commission (talk about out of reach!).
Something is seriously out of whack.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/23/06 07:54 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (15)
26 May 2005
Wading through Grand Parkway spin
Last night's Grand Parkway meeting was informative, spin-filled and fairly well-attended.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Grand Parkway spin"> 05/26/05 06:29 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (1)
06 November 2005
Mayor White to reappoint Billy Burge to Sports Authority board
Look what's on the City Council agenda for this week:
REQUEST from Mayor for confirmation of the reappointment of MR. WILLIAM F. BURGE, III, as Chair, to the HARRIS COUNTY-HOUSTON SPORTS AUTHORITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS, for a two-year term
Two more years of the comes-unhinged-if-you-criticize-him Billy Burge.
He also is the president of the Grand Parkway Association Board of Directors.
Why does the old guard keep getting reappointed to these positions? Aren't there any new faces out there? Maybe with some new ideas? Or an ounce of common sense? Or the ability to relate to the average taxpaying citizen?
I blame it on Houston's cocktail-party circuit. No doubt that's where these things are decided.
(Thanks to Tom Bazan for the heads up.)
PREVIOUSLY: Billy Burge: THE best reason to shut down the Sports Authority! (bH)
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 11/06/05 09:10 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (1)
17 July 2005
CTC looking for volunteers to attend next Commissioners Court meeting
Charles Kuffner has an update from the Citizens Transportation Coalition about the next Harris County Commissioners Court meeting:
CTC is seeking neighborhood volunteers to attend (and ideally, address)
Harris County Commissioners' Court on Tues July 26 at 10:00 am, downtown.Background: As you know, Harris County identified the next five priority toll road corridors in their new Capital Improvement Plan (CIP):
* Beltway East mainlanes,
* Brazoria County toll road,
* Grand Parkway segment E,
* Hardy toll road extension into downtown,
* Hempstead Road managed lanesand two possible priorities:
* Fort Bend connector project (phase 2) from US 90A to IH 610 loop
* Fairmont Parkway/Red Bluff project from SH 146 to Beltway 8 East
Source, pp.17-18.If you live in a neighborhood near one of these projects (i.e. Katy, Willowbend, Westbury, Cottage Grove, Oak Forest, etc.), your voice is needed.
What we've already done: On June 21st, CTC board members asked commissioners to delay adoption of the CIP and commit to holding meetings in affected communities. Judge Eckels told us that they've held "countless" meetings on these projects and few people came. Art Storey told us it doesn't make sense to hold meetings for a project if you don't know when you're going to do it.
We don't buy that. If you would like Harris County to host public meetings about one of these projects in your neighborhood, I hope you'll come tell them so.
If you are ready to discuss this further, especially if you wish more background before speaking at Commissioners Court, join us for an Advocacy committee meeting: Tues July 19 at 7:30 pm. Please RSVP to Peter Tyler at (713) 256-9205 or p_tyler@swbell.net.
That's been one of my gripes: it's hard to make it to Commissioners Court -- the meetings are held downtown on a weekday morning. Most Harris County residents, you know, WORK when meetings are held!
The problem is that Harris County is big and it would make much more sense for commissioners to hold meetings in the areas that will be affected by the proposed roads in the Capital Improvement Plan.
Unless commissioners don't want citizen input, which I hope is not the case.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/17/05 06:45 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (0)
18 March 2005
The Toll Road Authority isn't making many friends
The Harris County Toll Road Authority -- of which I am no fan -- is continuing to generate controversy with its toll road plans:
The toll road authority is a massive operation, generating $298 million in tolls last year, but critics say plans to build more roads could destroy their neighborhoods.
The Fort Bend County toll road project will eventually extend to the corner of the 610 Loop in southwest Houston. Residents there are very upset.
"To bring this through our neighborhoods without letting us know, we had no way of knowing this," said resident Christine Levin.
Levin says the toll road construction is going to eat up local communities.
"Westbury, Willow Bend, Willow Meadows, Meyerland, and ultimately West U and Bellaire," said Levin.
But finally, it appears some organized opposition is beginning to gain a voice:
"We feel that a city like Houston should have a say about toll road projects happening within their city limits," said Polly Ledvina with the Citizens’ Transportation Coalition.
Ledvina says the toll road authority has too much eminent domain power, and is making decisions without public input.
"The public needs to know that right now, that Harris County Toll Road Authority can build a toll road without even telling them," said Ledvina. "No public meetings are required."
[snip]
Houston City Councilman Mark Goldberg says the toll road authority won't even deal with the city of Houston.
"It's very scary because they don't even have to coordinate with us," he said. "They've even refused to meet with us for a public meeting, and said basically they don't have to, and they're not going to."
And the best news, in my book at least, is this:
State Representative Martha Wong has filed two bills addressing the toll road authority's jurisdiction. One would mandate public hearings for a proposed toll road conversion.
"The toll road authority needs to give the public more information before they build a toll road. In some instances, the toll roads threaten to go right through neighborhoods," said Wong.
The Toll Road Authority needs to do more than give information -- it needs to be subject to the the same checks and balances as TXDoT; and cities and communities affected by HCTRA projects must be able to have a say in toll road projects. The HCTRA should not have the build-at-will power it currently enjoys.
As readers know, my interest in the HCTRA's ability to build toll roads whenever and wherever, began with the Grand Parkway segment scheduled to run through Spring where I live. State Sen. Jon Lindsay has pushed for the project to be fast-tracked and the HCTRA is now conducting a study to determine if it can take over the Grand Parkway project from TXDoT.
Also, in our forum recently, Connie pointed out that state Rep. Debbie Riddle has introduced a bill to change the makeup of regional mobility authorities. Charles Kuffner also recently commented on Riddle's bill, after I forwarded it to him.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 03/18/05 08:54 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (0)
25 March 2005
Houston gets nearly $3 million to ease traffic congestion
Mayor Bill White and House Majority Leader Tom DeLay have secured almost $3 million for "traffic management projects" in Houston:
Nearly $3 million is headed this way for traffic management projects on US 59 and the Katy Freeway. Mayor Bill White and Congressman Tom Delay worked to secure these funds to help ease congestion and ensure increased safety on Houston's busiest highways.
One part of the Freeway Incident Management Program will include cameras on roving helicopters that will quickly respond to traffic scenes. That will help ensure the proper emergency vehicles respond to scenes in as quickly as possible.
[snip]
The US Department of Transportation has announced it will release $1.9 million of the nearly $3 million that will fund the first phase of the project, which targets the I-10 West Katy Freeway from downtown to the Grand Parkway and US 59 from downtown out to Highway 6. The program will also focus on major thoroughfares and access points along these corridors. These targeted areas experience approximately 5,500 freeway incidents annually.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 03/25/05 01:38 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (6)
31 March 2005
What's Jon Lindsay up to now?
Houston Architecture Info Forum has posted a bill that state Sen. Jon Lindsay (I'm suspicious already) has filed "relating to the planning, construction, and operation of toll road projects by certain counties."
Since Sen. Lindsay is doing his darndest to get the Grand Parkway segment built through Spring, I am concerned that his proposed amendments are to facilitate that construction through the Harris County Toll Road Authority.
It looks like some of the HAIF folks are trying to decipher the intent of Lindsay's bill. If any of our readers have legislative-speak deciphering abilities, I would appreciate your thoughts on what Lindsay is trying to do.
Thanks goes to the blogHOUSTON reader who alerted me to the thread at HAIF, and for also pointing out that the Trans-Texas Corridor Committee has been selected. If you scroll down to the thirteenth entry in the thread, you'll see the names of people selected to the committee.
UPDATE: In the forum, Bill F has translated the bill and it's not good.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 03/31/05 07:27 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (2)
15 April 2005
South Post Oak Toll Road?
The Harris County Toll Road Authority is facing more opposition:
On April 7, members of Super Neighborhoods Nos. 39 and 40 unanimously approved a resolution that calls for changes to a state law so that the public can participate in decisions to build toll-funded roads or to convert free highways to toll roads.
"As it stands now, toll road authorities can act almost with impunity," Rich Farley, a representative of the Citizens' Transportation Coalition, told 20 residents during a meeting at South Post Oak Baptist Church. "It's really quite frightening. There are no public hearings. The local municipalities don't even have to be notified."
Jonnie Bryant, public information officer for the Harris County Toll Road Authority, said that while the toll road authority is not required to hold public hearings, it invites public comment.
"We always welcome comments," Bryant said. "We have an open-door policy, and individuals or groups can meet with our director, Mike Strech."
The Harris County Toll Road Authority is considering a toll road that would link up with the Fort Bend Parkway Toll Road at U.S. 90 and Chimney Rock Drive and continue down South Post Oak Road to Loop 610.
"South Post Oak would be turned into a freeway," Farley said. "It would be a four-lane freeway with an extensive feeder system. It would require significant widening and would invade property on South Post Oak."
These two quotes toward the end mirror my own thinking:
Ronald Sinnette, president of the Central Southwest Super Neighborhood No. 40, said citizens need to be involved in the toll road process.
"We need a voice," he said. "We need a say in the things that involve our neighborhoods."
Rita Foretich, president of Central Southwest Super Neighborhood No. 39, said she doesn't have a problem with the concept of toll roads.
"I do have a problem with them sneaking them through, though," Foretich said.
HCTRA's ability (and any toll road authority, for that matter) to build at will without answering to neighborhoods or municipalities is the biggest problem here. Yes, I have my own reason for opposing HCTRA's ability to bulldoze wherever it pleases, but it's apparent that HCTRA's sights are set on more than the Grand Parkway running through Spring.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 04/15/05 04:24 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (0)
25 February 2005
Is there a new residential toll road on the horizon?
I have posted on the Grand Parkway project that is a hot topic up where I live. Now Charles Kuffner receives word that there is another toll road being proposed, and it too would run through a residential area:
Boy, that Houston-Galveston Area Council 2025 Regional Transportation Plan sure is a gift that keeps on giving, isn't it? I've got a note from Andrea Warren, the Public Relations Committee Chair for the Oak Forest Homeowner's Association, informing me that the latest proposal is a toll road from Tomball to 610 at TC Jester, cutting through the Oak Forest neighborhood along the BNSF rail line.
Please follow the link to read all the details.
I am particularly concerned about the Harris County Toll Road Authority, which has phenomenal power to build at will, regardless of community concerns. Something needs to be done to change the way the HCTRA works.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 02/25/05 01:38 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (2)
08 June 2005
It's not about revenue, it's not about revenue, it's not about revenue...
In Orange County, CA, a grand jury has been studying the use of red light cameras within the county. What is especially noteworthy are the reasons why some cities have chosen NOT to install the cameras:
Grand jurors interviewed traffic engineers, as well as police, in Anaheim, Irvine, Newport Beach, Westminster, and Orange–all cities that do not use RLCs. They were asked why they do not. In general, representatives of these cities said they do not need RLCs because they do not have a red light violation problem that warrants use of the devices, or because they are using other ways to deal with the problem. Some of those methods are:
* Coordinating traffic signals, thereby reducing driver frustration
* Using four-way red signals so that everyone has to stop for a few seconds
* Creating better signage for complicated intersections
* Using greater police presence at problem intersections
* Replacing incandescent bulbs in traffic signals with larger, brighter light emitting diodes (LEDs) that cost less, operate more efficiently, and can be powered by battery for up to four hours in the event of a power failure.
* Creating double left-turn lanes where practical
* Installing LED systems, commonly known as "rat boxes," that can signal a traffic officer when someone has run a red light. This enables an officer to be positioned so he will not have to chase the offending motorist through a busy intersection, creating a potential danger for him and other motorists than the red-light-runner has already created.
But none of those methods will generate any revenue for the city of Houston.
In Maryland, a judge investigated red light cameras after hearing numerous complaints from motorists in Baltimore. His full report is well worth reading, but it's interesting to note that yellow light times figure prominently in the report, including these observations:
There are reports that yellow light time variations occur on the same light. A rough analysis of several citations issued in Baltimore City documented this phenomenon. A light at the intersection of Falls Road and Northern Parkway has a City listed standard of 3.5 seconds. In four citations, the length of the yellow light on the citation was recorded at 3.2, 2.9, 3.2 and 3.0 seconds. When asked about this at a meeting, both DOT and ACS stated that the problem had been noted and was "being looked into." In response to the Court's written inquiry, the DOT described inconsistent yellow light times as being caused by "fluctuations in the voltage supply that cause minor variances in the timing circuits within the devices."[14] However, the DOT's voltage explanation accounts for only a 0.1 second variance and not the 0.3 variance described in the Falls Road and Northern Parkway intersection example described above.[15]
There is also a failure of the yellow light timings to adhere to the city's own set standards. The DOT sent the court a list of its yellow light settings at the intersections where there are RLCES. See Attachment 1. A rough analysis of approximately 181 citations yielded the following statistic. Approximately 39% of the citations had inconsistent yellow lights or a yellow light setting inconsistent with the city standard. Most alarming are instances when the inconsistent yellow light times have been less than the 3 second federal minimum. Nearly 10% of the 181 citations surveyed had a yellow light prior to the red light of 2.9 seconds. This is inconsistent with Federal standards and presents a grave danger to Baltimore City drivers.
MayorWhiteChiefHurtt have made it abundantly clear that adjusting yellow light times will not be considered in Houston, even though at least two city councilmembers asked that yellow light times be studied at problem intersections, and even though almost every study and investigation shows that lengthening yellow light times can make a big difference in reducing the number of red light runners.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 06/08/05 10:50 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (3)
20 November 2007
A community wins one against TxDOT
Well here's something you don't see every day: the little guy came out on top in a battle against TxDOT (via KUHF-88.7)
TxDOT has been planning to build two overpasses -- one at the intersection of Westheimer and Highway 6 and the other at the intersection of Bellaire and Highway 6. David Harbers, who owns a Shipley's Donuts franchise, and several other business owners and community members made comments at H-GAC's Transportation Policy Council, urging the members to vote against the project because they say it will destroy commerce and do nothing to truly alleviate congestion and mobility in the Highway 6 corridor. Turns out, the council agreed. Harbers says he's overwhelmed by the decision.
"The little man was finally able to win. They finally listened to the people that are in the public rather than just doing it because we got money."
And there definitely was money -- $36 million to be exact. The money was a chunk of safety bond funding awarded to the Houston region specifically for these overpass projects. And since the projects were scrapped, the money goes back to the state for use elsewhere. TxDOT District Engineer Gary Trietsch says he's not disappointed about losing the money, as much as he's concerned this decision will delay any progress in that corridor.
[snip]
Three members of the council voted to move forward with the project, but the remaining members voted it down, including Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, who says the voice of the community underscored the need for a long-term plan to relieve congestion in that area.
"There are a lot of cases where the community doesn't want a transportation improvement, but it's still the right thing to do.
I do hope that's not an omen for Grand Parkway F-2 segment. Judge Emmett has already said it's a top priority of his to get it completed, but, as long-time readers of bH know, Tomball and Spring residents do not want it. It will just devastate our communities.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 11/20/07 07:24 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (7)
08 April 2005
Billy Burge: THE best reason to shut down the Sports Authority!
--Enron Field (now Minute Maid Park) came in on time and under budget, although about $20 million worth of extras that Astros' owner Drayton McLane was supposed to pay for, the Sports Authority let him get out of (that was after Rains had left the Authority).
--Reliant was supposed to come in at around $300 million but ended up coming in at around $500 million. Rains said some of those extras were due to Rodeo needs and the Rodeo paid for its extras, but those didn't total $200 million.
--Rockets' owner Les Alexander got a nice deal on the Toyota Center at about $100 million more than what the Sports Authority had been authorized to approve. (I think Rains said Lee Brown negotiated the deal, but I could be wrong.)
--Reliant Stadium has already been handed over to Harris County, and the Toyota Center to the City of Houston. So, as Rains said, Minute Maid Park needs to be handed over to the city or the county, and then that will relieve the Sports Authority of any further oversight.
--Regarding the idea that Oliver Luck is busy promoting Houston's professional sports teams (an idea furthered by the Chronicle's editorial board), Rains said that's nonsense. He said the owners of the teams would never hand over promotion of their teams to Luck. And in the off-chance that they did want Oliver Luck to handle promotional duties, then Rains said the team owners need to be paying Luck's salary, not taxpayers. (Amen and hallelujah!)
--Rains said he thinks the $3 million operating budget for the Sports Authority is steep for what the Authority currently has to do. He said that the city and county should WANT to dissolve the Authority and get control of the money, if the Authority isn't handling the finances as well as it should be (think last summer's near-miss with junk bond status.)
--Rains thinks governmental entities like the Sports Authority should have a sunset-clause built in.
--Rains said the Sports Authority is a "creature that has outlived its usefulness."
When Patrick and Rains questioned Burge about the $3 million Sports Authority operating budget, Burge let slip that the taxpayers (you and me) are subsidizing a parking garage and the ice for Aeros games.
Really! $100,000 worth of ice for Aeros' players to skate on is paid for by the taxpayers!
And Burge couldn't figure out why Rains and Patrick found that astonishing. Rains had said earlier that when he was in charge of the Sports Authority, he knew that he was representing and looking out for the taxpayers. Burge appears to take the exact opposite view -- he made it clear that his mission is to look out for the teams and the owners. He said it was small-minded of Patrick to think that the Aeros should pay for their ice, he had no idea if the Aeros make money or lose money, and he didn't appear to care. Plus, while he was berating Patrick and Rains, Burge was confirming his dinner reservations!
It was an amazing call-in from Billy Burge, who is also the former chairman of Metro's board of directors and the current chairman of the Grand Parkway Association. (Uh oh, Grand Parkway...)
Patrick said that Lone Star Times would have an MP3 of the interview/call-in later this weekend. If they do, I will post an update and I would encourage everyone to listen to the entire show. Rains' information was invaluable and Burge's display...well, mere words cannot convey what an ass he made of himself. You really need to hear it.
He is a disturbing example of someone who has access to taxpayer money, and the mayor and county commissioners would be wise to get rid of him, after that display of unbelievable bureaucratic arrogance.
And then they can get to work shutting down the Sports Authority. The Aeros need to pay for their own damn ice.
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: If that's not a post worthy of the designation #1000 for our little experiment in hyperlocal blogging, I can't imagine how one would look. Thanks Anne!
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 04/08/05 06:32 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (4)
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