Comments on: Stim Cash Gone Bad: Feds Fund Houston’s Highway to Nowhere http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/08/stim-cash-gone-bad-feds-fund-houstons-highway-to-nowhere/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jeany http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/08/stim-cash-gone-bad-feds-fund-houstons-highway-to-nowhere/comment-page-1/#comment-67685 Jeany Sat, 09 May 2009 20:11:48 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6089#comment-67685 At the same time, rape victims in Texas have to pay for their own rape kits, making the state again such a paragon of conservative perfection. Protection of citizens who can compensate the state only! At the same time, rape victims in Texas have to pay for their own rape kits, making the state again such a paragon of conservative perfection. Protection of citizens who can compensate the state only!

]]> By: Veritas http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/08/stim-cash-gone-bad-feds-fund-houstons-highway-to-nowhere/comment-page-1/#comment-67677 Veritas Sat, 09 May 2009 05:07:40 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6089#comment-67677 I grew up in Houston and almost everyone I know there thinks that Grand Parkway is a complete waste of money. But it always seemed like suburban real estate developers were very powerful politically, so they probably pushed this through. The current light rail line (there's only one) has vastly exceeded its ridership projections, even though it doesn't go on a very great route (it doesn't do a good job connecting residential and business neighborhoods). Thankfully, the current mayor of Houston, Bill White, has a great urban vision for Houston and is dramatically expanding the light rail system to include five new lines that will be very popular. I grew up in Houston and almost everyone I know there thinks that Grand Parkway is a complete waste of money. But it always seemed like suburban real estate developers were very powerful politically, so they probably pushed this through.

The current light rail line (there’s only one) has vastly exceeded its ridership projections, even though it doesn’t go on a very great route (it doesn’t do a good job connecting residential and business neighborhoods). Thankfully, the current mayor of Houston, Bill White, has a great urban vision for Houston and is dramatically expanding the light rail system to include five new lines that will be very popular.

]]> By: Mark Walker http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/08/stim-cash-gone-bad-feds-fund-houstons-highway-to-nowhere/comment-page-1/#comment-67665 Mark Walker Fri, 08 May 2009 19:20:57 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6089#comment-67665 The excuse is probably that the new road will lay the groundwork for residential and commercial development. This new exurban development is unlikely to take off given the shriveling of existing exurban areas elsewhere in the country. So this is Houston's last, most futile investment in sprawl. All it proves is that the forces behind sprawl haven't yet spent their last dime of political capital. But given how New York is squandering the most functional public transit infratructure in the country, who are we to criticize Houston? The excuse is probably that the new road will lay the groundwork for residential and commercial development. This new exurban development is unlikely to take off given the shriveling of existing exurban areas elsewhere in the country. So this is Houston’s last, most futile investment in sprawl. All it proves is that the forces behind sprawl haven’t yet spent their last dime of political capital. But given how New York is squandering the most functional public transit infratructure in the country, who are we to criticize Houston?

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