Mayor, federal official observe at-grade freight-rail congestion
The congestion caused by Houston's at-grade freight-rail lines made the news earlier this week.
Here's an excerpt from Rad Sallee's reporting for the Chronicle:
A federal transportation official, invited by Mayor Bill White to see how freight trains often block street traffic here, got a bird's-eye view of exactly that on a helicopter tour of the area Monday.
Toward the end of their 45-minute tour, the copter flew over a four-lane street by a rail switching yard near southeast Houston, where a Metro bus and several tractor-trailers were waiting at a crossing, blocked by a stopped train.
"They're so arrogant," White told Surface Transportation Board Chairman Charles "Chip" Nottingham. "That train does not have to be stopped over those tracks. The railroad does not give a darn."
It has always been surprising to me that so many important side streets in Houston are cut off by freight rail tracks, which are elevated or routed away from traffic in many major cities. It's good to see Mayor White trying to address the issue.
Then again, Mayor White's argument may be undercut somewhat by the fact that the area's regional transit organization (METRO) is proceeding full speed ahead with plans to lay many more miles of light rail down the middle of busy streets, thereby contributing to congestion. That's a problem that some critics of congestion caused by at-grade freight-rail prefer to ignore.
RELATED: Rail issues "a giant challenge" for Houston (Houston Business Journal), Mayor wants trains to stop blocking roads (Jeremy Desel, KHOU-11 News).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/16/07 09:08 PM | Print |
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