I heard a council person (i think it was, I only caught the tail end) on 1620 this morning stating that this project will happen dispite what was just recently reported.

Agmaker said:

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I heard a council person (i think it was, I only caught the tail end) on 1620 this morning stating that this project will happen dispite what was just recently reported.

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Maybe. But California just pulled the plug on their high speed rail project, after wasting Billions on it with no end in sight to losing money. It's not looking good right now.

techno-ag said:

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Agmaker said:

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I heard a council person (i think it was, I only caught the tail end) on 1620 this morning stating that this project will happen dispite what was just recently reported.

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Maybe. But California just pulled the plug on their high speed rail project, after wasting Billions on it with no end in sight to losing money. It's not looking good right now.

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At this point no one is completely sure what California is canceling or still going to build. In less than 24 hrs the whole thing as it now devolved into a Twitter fight between Gov Newsome and the President. It seems part of it is still going to be built but not other parts. In typical California fashion, this is a complete boondoggle.

Good article on the governor's announcement to "scale back" or "delay" some of it, the history of the cost escalation, etc. here:
https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-bullet-train-california-problems-20190213-story.html

75AG said:

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Does that also apply to those property rights on the border?

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Exactly.

NellCote71 said:

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75AG said:

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Does that also apply to those property rights on the border?

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Exactly.

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national security vs private company taking land for a guaranteed to fail project

The station in Houston is NW Mall. Still doesn't get you close to downtown. So you have to pay again to get to downtown.

So some are claiming people will commute from grimes county to downtown. So they'll have to pay $100 or more for the train, then pay more to get to their job. So $500-$700 a week. No way

Like I said, I don't have a dog in the fight.

As to commuting, I think if one is doing that, it isn't going to be your typical middle-management person. I would expect it to be more like those in the Northeast that commute between Connecticut and NYC and have a car service waiting one them. Instead of Wall Street guys and McMansions, it it would be oil&gas folks and their ranchettes in Grimes.*

I just know that there are business people, especially at the top levels of companies, that wouldn't blink an eye to drop $500-700 each week. Just as they don't blink at the 10x cost differential between an coach and business class on an overseas flight, which is hardly uncommon for some to take 10-20 times a year.

Now is that going to fill the train? I don't have a clue and not sure anyone on either side does either.


NW mall site was always interesting choice. But the more I think about it, the more I could see it could work or is a bit of central node. Houston is sorta unique in the sense that it has multiple "downtowns" that are spread over the sprawling city. True Downtown, the Texas Medical Center, Energy Corridor, West Loop-Galleria. If one throws ignores the TMC, the NW corner of 610 is probably about as a good of jumping off spot to the other locations. I think the same argument can be made about their location in Dallas.

I do think however both sides are making assumptions and defining things differently when they make their arguments that is sometimes confusing. If TC backer says, "people could use it to commute" some are naturally going to think Downtown but miss that it was meant to mean some other area in the city.


*I am constantly surprised by the numbers of folks that commute between BCS and Houston/The Woodlands or Austin-area and the BCS. But then again, the time of the trip may be shorter than the time it would take to commute between the closer locales of Sugarland or Katy and downtown Houston.

But even BCS isn't becoming immune to this. A buddy shared his coworker could leave campus at 5 and get to Lexington area faster than he could get from campus to Barron road many afternoons at 5pm.

(Edited for typos, readability and add links to Aggieland topic on commuting to Houston)

Yea I bet those schools in Conn are just the same as Grimes Co schools. No way there isn't enough to fill up a train.

Just like there isn't enough that will drive from their house to the train station,take the train to Roans Paririe, then take a bus to Kyle field for football. Which will cost what $200-$400/game?

Just like there hasn't been any proof of the demand for this between Houston and Dallas, just propaganda

aggiepublius said:

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Instead of Wall Street guys and McMansions, it it would be oil&gas folks and their ranchettes in Grimes.*

I just know that there are business people, especially at the top levels of companies, that wouldn't blink an eye to drop $500-700 each week. Just as they don't blink at the 10x cost differential between an coach and business class on an overseas flight, which is hardly uncommon for some to take 10-20 times a year.

Now is that going to fill the train? I don't have a clue and not sure anyone on either side does either.

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Rich guys living out in the country aren't going to generate enough demand to pay for a mulit-billion dollar commuter train.

That niche audience can't come close to paying for a train line. It'd be akin to arguing one is not sure if building a massive airport in BCS would be a good idea or not. Of course that would be a horrible idea that's not supported by demand.

The high speed train can't even work in eco-crazy California. It's not gonna work.

edit: in fairness, adjusted the tone of my post (I didn't flag the other though)....

[Posters on this board will remain respectful or have their posts removed. -Staff]

There needs to be a reserve fund the company has to set up when, after about five years, it is abandoned due to it being an economic failure so that the landowners can get funds to take the crap off their land.

Also would like the Texas Legislature to pass a bill that prohibits the state forever to be able to take over the train and to loan or give the company any funds in order to keep it operating.

woodiewood1 said:

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There needs to be a reserve fund the company has to set up when, after about five years, it is abandoned due to it being an economic failure so that the landowners can get funds to take the crap off their land.

Also would like the Texas Legislature to pass a bill that prohibits the state forever to be able to take over the train and to loan or give the company any funds in order to keep it operating.

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The legislature did just that in 2017.

https://www.navasotaexaminer.com/news/article_acbc940e-a91b-11e7-9cbb-b3b2d1f38f2d.html

They also passed a law that said that Texas Central and other similar entities have to reimburse counties for security related expenses.


(And Aston - no offense taken. I am not sure what I said that got it flagged unless it was the sarcastic tone I responded with.)

Update from The Buzzard.

https://www.theeagle.com/news/local/state-rep-leman-files-four-bills-related-to-high-speed/article_e7767420-3a56-11e9-8f72-277562a64d27.amp.html

And now a service station is being built where the depot allegedly was going to go. Oh well.

Adjacent:

https://www.kbtx.com/content/news/New-gas-station-being-planned-in-Roans-Prairie--508450531.html

techno-ag said:

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And now a service station is being built where the depot allegedly was going to go. Oh well.

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Reading fail:

"....is coming to a Roans Prairie intersection, near where Texas Central says it will put a stop for its Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail."

"That area is adjacent to where Texas Central plans to build the Brazos Valley stop on its proposed controversial light rail."

Deflection response expected......