Posted on 08/14/2004 1:07:04 PM PDT by Willie Green
IRVING - Houston leaders responded with enthusiasm Friday to an apparent warming of relations between U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and the Metropolitan Transit Authority.
"I consider this to be a real positive, and perhaps a turning point, for improved mass transit in our region," Mayor Bill White said. "Metro has established a good relationship with Mr. DeLay, which is critical to getting the mass-transit funding we need."
DeLay, who has opposed Metro rail plans for more than a decade and blocked federal funds for the Main Street light rail line that opened in January, told the Texas Transportation Summit here that he's impressed with the agency's commitment to explore possible alternatives for future lines.
"Metro's new leadership, it's becoming clearer by the day, has a vision for a mobile Houston region, and the kind of open minds and flexible management style it will take to realize that vision," DeLay, R-Sugar Land, told attendees Friday morning.
Harris County Judge Robert Eckels called DeLay's comments a welcome development: "It is good for the city to see a Metro board and a mayor that are interested in working with Tom to really get the solutions for transit in our community."
Eckels, who campaigned against Metro's light rail expansion plan that voters approved in November, has spoken in favor of commuter rail outside Loop 610. He praised the agency's announcement Friday that it will hold a rail-technology forum in October to solicit proposals for future routes.
Among the modes Metro is likely to hear about are monorail, subways, and airport-style people-movers.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
SUBWAYS for Houston!!!
and MONORAIL!!!
And how many riders will they have once they're built? I have yet to hear of a mass transit system turning a profit.
More money, more government. Karl Rove has finally gotten to Tom DeLay.
Accidental Houston Chronicle memo admits to tainting the news with political agenda (Posted to HoustonChronicle.com Nov. 20,2002)
Next November, voters in the city and across the Metropolitan Transit Authority service area will cast a truly important vote: They will decide whether Metro should be permitted to expand our rail rail system beyond the 7-mile South Main line.There isn't a more critical issue on the horizon. I propose a series of editorials, editorial cartoons and Sounding Board columns leading up to the rail referendum, with this specific objective: Continuing our long standing efforts to make rail a permanent part of the transit mix here.
The timing, language and approach of the paper's editorials would, of course, be the decision of the Editorial Board. But I suggest that they could be built upon and informed by a news-feature package with an equally specific focus: Telling the story of rail here by examining the long term relationship of the two key players in the local transit wars -- Rep. Tom DeLay and former Mayor Bob Lanier. For better or worse, (mostly worse, I would argue) no two have had a more significant impact on transit decisions here...
A subway in a swamp?
Houston PING
Lyle Lanley: Well, sir, there's nothing on earth
Like a genuine,
Bona fide,
Electrified,
Six-car
Monorail!
What'd I say?
Ned Flanders: Monorail!
Lyle Lanley: What's it called?
Patty+Selma: Monorail!
Lyle Lanley: That's right! Monorail!
[crowd chants `Monorail' softly and rhythmically]
Miss Hoover: I hear those things are awfully loud...
Lyle Lanley: It glides as softly as a cloud.
Apu: Is there a chance the track could bend?
Lyle Lanley: Not on your life, my Hindu friend.
Barney: What about us brain-dead slobs?
Lyle Lanley: You'll be given cushy jobs.
Abe: Were you sent here by the devil?
Lyle Lanley: No, good sir, I'm on the level.
Wiggum: The ring came off my pudding can.
Lyle Lanley: Take my pen knife, my good man.
I swear it's Springfield's only choice...
Throw up your hands and raise your voice!
All: Monorail!
Lyle Lanley: What's it called?
All: Monorail!
Lyle Lanley: Once again...
All: Monorail!
Marge: But Main Street's still all cracked and broken...
Bart: Sorry, Mom, the mob has spoken!
All: Monorail!
Monorail!
Monorail!
[big finish]
Monorail!
Homer: Mono... D'oh!
Will the subway cars have floatation devices? It floods a lot in Houston.
Republicans, like 'Rats, are coming around to the belief that "limited government" is limited only by how much money can be stolen to buy votes.
A subway in the Houston soil is patently ridiculous, so I have to assume we'll spend a bunch of money looking at that option. Monorail has the advantage of having a small footprint and being separated from cross-traffic and flooding concerns.
We'll spend a lot more money before we see the obvious.
Whether any of the choices could pass a cost/benefit analysis is debatable.
Hey they will just hire more metro nazis to hand out tickets to people for jay walking, like they were doing yesterday at Main & McKinney. That should generate some needed funds.
Even if they didn't give you a ticket they demanded to see your ID.
Oh, I wish, I WISH they'd tried that on me. I am in no mood to put up with Metro uniform fillers.
> I have yet to hear of a mass transit system turning a profit.
And imagine the howls from the left if one did.
Anyway, the Las Vegas mono, only open a month, seems
to be doing pretty well. Clearly, this is a fine
solution for any city consisting primarily of casinos :-)
She left at the end of the Dread Pirate administration. I don't know the name of her replacement.
Xena, it would be lovely if you knew one damn thing about energy production and consumption, because that would mean you'd quit being complacent about our military sacrificing their lives in OPECker-land when we could be utilizing technology to reduce our dependence on imported petroleum.
Hey, if you want to argue from a position of ignorance about local concerns, knock yourself out. All I'm sayin' is I'm on the spot, and have been all my life, and (as far as I know) you aren't.
Much of the London Underground was built by for-profit companies.
:^)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.