NSR: Houston Dynamo and BBVA Stadium Politics Discussion

Discussion in 'Houston Dynamo' started by Westside Cosmo, Sep 17, 2010.

  1. txsn

    txsn Member+

    Jan 22, 2008
    Texas
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: Dynamo Stadium Episode II: The Stadium Takes Shape

    I guess you didnt get the point. As a user I experience first hand how bad and wasteful it is. 2014 really?? How many years and millions have to be spent before they accomplish something.
    Thats the problem. There already is virtually no public transit despite all that money. I either want to spend the money have have real transit or not spend the money and have no transit. Go ahead and label me, instead of looking at the real problems.
     
  2. Westside Cosmo

    Westside Cosmo Member+

    Oct 4, 2007
    H-Town
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: Dynamo Stadium Episode II: The Stadium Takes Shape

    You sum up the issue better than I. A lot of money and nothing but a glorfied shuttle service between Downtown and Reliant and with expansion, Downtown and certain points within 5 miles of it.

    And don't go cite some ridership stats, when rail went in they rejiggered many of the Park N Ride services to the Medical Center to go either to Downtown or the Fannin Lot and ride the rail for the last few miles to the Med Center. They just shoved the folks out of the buses a few miles early on to the rail.
     
  3. *rey*

    *rey* Member+

    Feb 22, 2006
    Houston
    Re: Dynamo Stadium Episode II: The Stadium Takes Shape

    not to mention that the fcktards could of saved millions of dollars and had actual mass transit from the suburbs if they hadn't let the Katy Freeway rail line be torn up. you coulda had a heavy train running from Katy to downtown Houston and that would of been a great first step to show Houstonians and sceptics "look this train thing works (if you do it right)".

    no fkn vision in this city (sometimes).
     
  4. The_Ponce

    The_Ponce Co-President of the United States of Dynamo

    Feb 21, 2011
    Houston, Texas, U.S.
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: Dynamo Stadium Episode II: The Stadium Takes Shape

    If this city had any ********ing vision it wouldn't tear down some possible historic landmarks.
     
  5. *rey*

    *rey* Member+

    Feb 22, 2006
    Houston
    Re: Dynamo Stadium Episode II: The Stadium Takes Shape

    yup, the Alabama and River Oaks theatres have been saved several times. don't know how many more lives they have.

    that why i still can believe we're getting a downtown stadium. not sure if i'm still in the matrix or in a dream within a dream.
     
  6. troutseth

    troutseth Member+

    Feb 1, 2006
    Houston, TX
    Re: Dynamo Stadium Episode II: The Stadium Takes Shape

    Like the Rob!



    Seriously though, in my humble opinion this city is in dire need of public transportation. That being said, I fail to see the current light rail as an intelligent use of funds on several levels. Inefficient expendituures, improper placement of the lines to actual incent public transport IN LIEU of vehicles, failure to improve traffic in an early phase name but a few. However, the biggest issue I have is the handling of local business along construction lines. If done properly, these lines should be a boom to business. However, the current implementation puts mom and pops out of work and in the long run does little to bring customers to their doors when complete.
     
  7. brahmafutbol

    brahmafutbol Member+

    Jan 29, 2006
    East Bernard, Texas
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: Dynamo Stadium Episode II: The Stadium Takes Shape

    That's what I always thought too. And 1093 that goes from Westheimer west to Simonton and Wallis had an abandoned train line that would have been a perfect commuter rail or bike path (thousands of bikers ride out there every weekend). Instead they turn the eastern part into a toll road. :mad: The rest of it still would be great for that, the abandoned rail goes to Wallis, even has a bridge over the Brazos, but it will never happen.
     
  8. DynamoEAR

    DynamoEAR Member+

    May 30, 2011
    HoustAtlantaDMV
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: Dynamo Stadium Episode II: The Stadium Takes Shape

    alright i know the problem. but before you explained yourself, i saw the bold "ITS A WASTE" and felt compelled to throw the label.:)
     
  9. txsn

    txsn Member+

    Jan 22, 2008
    Texas
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: Dynamo Stadium Episode II: The Stadium Takes Shape

    Might wanna go back and check the bold.
     
  10. Art Vandaley

    Art Vandaley Member

    Feb 22, 2006
    New Hampshire
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: Dynamo Stadium Episode II: The Stadium Takes Shape

    FWIW, I live about 3 miles from downtown Boston and am at the last subway stop on the orange line. The green line is even shorter and the Red line does go a bit farther out. This amount of city coverage works well, obviously not as well as say DC or NYC, but it works well.
     
  11. cougarclaws

    cougarclaws Member

    May 8, 2006
    Lucky's Pub
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: Dynamo Stadium Episode II: The Stadium Takes Shape

    Just curious but what's your opinion of Metro Rail in a city like Washington D.C. where operationally, it is a drain on tax payers and it loses money, but on average 700,000 people ride it daily and if service stopped it would be catastrophic for their local (and perhaps even national consequences bc of the federal gov't) economy?
     
  12. nbrooks503

    nbrooks503 Previously Held @Dynamo Hostage From 2008-2019

    Jun 1, 2008
    Disgruntled Former STH - Fairweather Bandwaggoner
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: Dynamo Stadium Episode II: The Stadium Takes Shape

    I would imagine that no public transportation actually raises enough in fares to pay for itself or even come close to paying for operating expenses.

    DC Metro receives massive subsidies from all of us taxpayers courtesy of the federal government under the National Capital Transportation Act.

    Same same every other public transportation system in the world.

    The thing that makes no sense to me as far as the Houston Metro goes is the fact that it doesn't serve the folks you would expect it to serve to be a logical system. Clear Lake, Woodlands, Airports, Kingwood, Katy. Instead their first line ran between downtown and the Astrodome area.

    If you (local govt) is hellbent on spending tax dollars then why not put the first line as a commuter line from one of the outlying areas.

    The London tube system started at the end of the 1800's and initially was privately funded. There were different lines owned by different companies which all sought to make a profit. The whole system was taken over by the government and now depends on government subsidies to operate.
     
  13. Westside Cosmo

    Westside Cosmo Member+

    Oct 4, 2007
    H-Town
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: Dynamo Stadium Episode II: The Stadium Takes Shape

    700,000 people a day ride it in a relatively compact urban city. We have a fraction of that riding in the largest major land-area city in the US (Jacksonville may have more square miles I think) on routes that do little to nothing to relieve congestion or effeciently move people.

    Amtrak loses money. All rail loses money - its inherently inefficient on a cost basis. I can live with a subsidy if the resulting service is moderately beneficial to a large percentage of the population. But Houston MetroRail will never be that.

    Go look at Atlanta, they build a general N-S, E-W rail line out from Downtown to their airport and some suburbs. We don't even have anything near that.

    Boston is a very small land-area city. Houston is huge. Going 5-7 miles from Downtown does nothing to relieve congestion in Houston.
     
  14. guaroboy828

    guaroboy828 Member

    Aug 2, 2006
    Houston
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I agree with NBrooks503 in that these lines don't go to useful places. To add to that, neither do the bus lines for that matter. Once you start making your way into West Houston you're options become very limited in how you can get certain places. Call me drastic but I'd redo the entire system over and have Metro really investigated. For all the money they suck out of people now that prices went up and the 2 dollar 24hr pass is gone they should have way more money than they claim. IMO, for a city this size we really do need line running along the major interstates to connect extreme north part of the city to extreme south and so on. Traffic only seems to be getting worse by the day and I think this might help with that some.
     
  15. Levy2k6

    Levy2k6 BigSoccer Supporter

    Dec 19, 2010
    Section 129, Row A
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: Dynamo Stadium Episode II: The Stadium Takes Shape


    Yep, I was in boston back in september and my friends (who moved there from reliant-kirby area, but raised in the katy area) were all big on the train and i wasn't too impressed. I rode the Green Line (boston college - harvard ave) to Government Center everyday (fell in love with some of the calamari there....) but it's not like it would have been that far of a car ride. I also rode the train all way down to UMASS. The only reason the train is such a good idea in boston is because parking is so expensive and there are pedestrians everywhere.. but that could be because i was near all those colleges. The people in Boston also suck at driving.... but that's personal opinion.

    I also rode the bus there. I did enjoy public transportation, $10 for a weekly pass is legit and that's a lot better in places with high gas prices but Where i live, off 6 between 290 and i-10. they are no busses to be seen except the Highway 6 Park and Ride. I couldn't even imagine a commuter line from out here, would take to long to get to 610 park and ride, and then work your way downtown...I haven't riden a bus in houston since i was 10 and lived off briar forest/westheimer.

    it was pretty stupid to get rid of the existing train tracks along i-10 feeder. would have been good to keep them if Houston would want a train system. I'd be down for it. The only downside to trains/subways are is they take too long and too many stops suck.


    Reason i never complain about paying $5 or $20 at Minute Maid or Toyota Center anymore....


    [​IMG]
     
  16. footyfool

    footyfool Member+

    May 8, 2008
    Houston
    Re: Dynamo Stadium Episode II: The Stadium Takes Shape

    The answer to all of these questions about why Metro has built where it has is actually pretty simple; Political expediency.

    It's a whole heck of a lot easier to get a line built where they did, than it is to recruit voters in Katy and the Woodlands and everywhere else to vote tax money for a project that in the end, most people in those places don't want. Sure traffic sucks, but (and I'm painting with a broad brush here, no offense intended) but anyone who moves way out to the Woodlands, but works in the city, probably doesn't want to hobnob with the masses anyway! They'd rather sit in their own private vehicle in traffic, than on a crowded train. A line from the Woodlands or Katy or Kingwood would NEVER have been approved as the first leg of a larger master plan.

    I also think that Metro officials were hoping the response to the current lines would be exactly the opposite of what it has been. They hoped people might say, "Hey, this is useful! It would be cool to have this available to Katy or Sugar Land or wherever. And the political support for wider rail service would build. Instead, everyone sees the current system as useless and wasteful and asks, "Why would we give tax dollars to Metro?? They suck??"

    I'm not arguing either for or against. I'm just saying, this is why it is, what it is.
     
  17. CLakeCracker

    CLakeCracker Member

    Dec 9, 2007
    Downtown
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: Dynamo Stadium Episode II: The Stadium Takes Shape

    Although our rail seems useless as it sits. Where would you have started a rail system? If you started with a commuter line from say Katy, would anyone have gotten any use out of it? It would go from a parking lot out west to what, a parking lot near downtown? Then not only are you limiting to people that work within a few blocks of the end line, but of the people that work there, only the ones that live in Katy area.

    I'm not saying that we didn't start too late on this, or if it's necessary, or if Metro should be in charge...yada, yada, yada. Just that if they are going to build a system, the location of linking downtown and the medical center would be a pretty obvious starting point to serve the most people.
     
  18. troutseth

    troutseth Member+

    Feb 1, 2006
    Houston, TX
    Re: Dynamo Stadium Episode II: The Stadium Takes Shape

    Glad you asked. Galleria down Richmond to downtown. From dowtown to medical center. Then Katy and Woodlands into town. Unfortunately political favors and back slapping lead to Reliant, too far north in the line and the East end. Fact is they have not connected the major business centers or most populous areas. Means people have to drive to take the train?
     
  19. footyfool

    footyfool Member+

    May 8, 2008
    Houston
    Re: Dynamo Stadium Episode II: The Stadium Takes Shape

    They got blocked on Richmond by NIMBY. And probably would have gotten blocked in most other residential areas as well. You can't build through now. In the places where mass transit works, it was the engine for urban expansion, not something that was put in after the fact.

    Light rail or other mass transit in Houston is a nice idea, but it's never gonna happen.
     
  20. troutseth

    troutseth Member+

    Feb 1, 2006
    Houston, TX
    Re: Dynamo Stadium Episode II: The Stadium Takes Shape

    Ahhh. But why spend the money on extra miles that do not support a starter system. That is the folly. And they were blocked down Richmond after already building 1.6 miles of too much line and approving a plan for secondary lines that make little sense for a starter system.

    And remember I am in favor of public transport.
     
  21. txsn

    txsn Member+

    Jan 22, 2008
    Texas
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Its just political bureaucracy. Too many hands of politicians. They try to please everyone and in the end please no one. But the other big problem without metro has been been management and accountability. I am sure someone else can pull all the articles about wasted money. I believe this year they were given high marks for financial transparency but it needs to be more accountable for its contracts and the way it works with its contractors, etc.
     
  22. DonJuego

    DonJuego Member+

    Aug 19, 2005
    Austin, TX
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: Dynamo Stadium Episode II: The Stadium Takes Shape

    Welcome and thanks for your commitment also!
     
  23. Westside Cosmo

    Westside Cosmo Member+

    Oct 4, 2007
    H-Town
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  24. DynamoEAR

    DynamoEAR Member+

    May 30, 2011
    HoustAtlantaDMV
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: Dynamo Stadium Episode II: The Stadium Takes Shape

    don't feed the troll ya'll.
     
  25. KotWF

    KotWF Member

    Jun 13, 2003
    Texas
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

Share This Page