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How smart are TXDOT planners?

9,115 Views | 76 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by schmendeler
Ciboag96
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What is the IQ range of the average TXDOT employee responsible for freeway planning in and around the Houston general area? Would one think that Sheila Jackson Lee is on the brighter end of the scale? Must one get fired repeatedly to the point of that they will finally be hired by TXDOT before? Are there prize monies for causing more traffic than before they ever put their minimally sourced thought bubbles to paper? Do these fascinatingly subnormal people think that putting an actual feeder hopping feature on the Katy toll road would enhance Driver entertainment? Actual feeder "feeder hopping" with toll roaders hopping into and out of the freeway? A sadder weave hath ne'er been woven. Do they think narrowing four lanes down to two in the middle of the city on a major freeway like I 45 is a good thing? Does one conceptually perceive in any capacity whatsoever that the thick white lines on Exit Only lanes will cause our fellow beloved man to Only Exit? Or maybe could they cause more actual traffic??

My only hope is that when robot cars take over the world, robot TXDOT engineers won't **** it all up all over again.

BohunkAg
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You seem angry
Martin Q. Blank
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93. No. No. No. Yes. Yes. No. Yes. No.
Marauder Blue 6
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I-10 runs both ways.
Ag81Golf
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They must be able to write a 500 word theme in one paragraph.

Congratulations, you're hired!
Betoisafurry
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Solid rant
P.H. Dexippus
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TXDOT at work

BBRex
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Houston roads have as much planning as the rest of the city.
BrazosDog02
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Does it really matter? Fact: If there are no physical barriers on it, you can drive it. Lines? LOL. When you run out of room, try the shoulder. It's always open.
tk for tu juan
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These highways are planned/designed by the large Civil engineering firms in the area/state. Send in your armchair engineering resume...
cajunaggie08
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you know they could have put a commuter train down the middle of I-10, but that was too boring.
TriAg2010
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cajunaggie08 said:

you know they could have put a commuter train down the middle of I-10, but that was too boring.


Nobody would ride it. Everybody would sit and traffic and complain that everyone else should be on the train.
jpd301
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Fun read if like freeways - http://www.houstonfreeways.com/
aggiedent
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No way the average IQ is 93. 80 tops.
ThunderCougarFalconBird
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It is as John Kirby Allen and Augustus Chapman Allen envisioned when they were stuck in a wagon train traffic jam, just said, "**** it," and started a city right where they were stuck. That city happened to be Houston.
Ciboag96
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tk for tu juan said:

These highways are planned/designed by the large Civil engineering firms in the area/state. Send in your armchair engineering resume...


Ah, that explains it. Neanderthal TXDOT southeast-regional Grand Poobah of Supply Chain going to the "lowest bidder", I.e the one that meets the midget trans-Ewok gender-fluid owner quota who then subs it to a differently-abled formerly-justice-involved Human-Pup-role-playing owner who then sub-subs to a mostly-competent contractor who makes barely enough money for a coffee service because of the guaranteed bi-quarterly Union wage increases.
Ciboag96
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blindey said:

It is as John Kirby Allen and Augustus Chapman Allen envisioned when they were stuck in a wagon train traffic jam, just said, "**** it," and started a city right where they were stuck. That city happened to be Houston.


It's little known that there was a third brother who upon dismounting his mosquito-weakened nag broke his neck tripping over an orange road barrel.
Remember The Astrodome
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I would love to hear your thoughts on mass transit.
Crazy Ag 97
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Ciboag96 said:

tk for tu juan said:

These highways are planned/designed by the large Civil engineering firms in the area/state. Send in your armchair engineering resume...


Ah, that explains it. Neanderthal TXDOT southeast-regional Grand Poobah of Supply Chain going to the "lowest bidder", I.e the one that meets the midget trans-Ewok gender-fluid owner quota who then subs it to a differently-abled formerly-justice-involved Human-Pup-role-playing owner who then sub-subs to a mostly-competent contractor who makes barely enough money for a coffee service because of the guaranteed bi-quarterly Union wage increases.
As much as I am enjoying the rant, and can't disagree with a lot of your comments, I must call out one of your comments....Under the Texas Engineering Practice Act, subchapter C, section 137.53, it is illegal for an engineer to submit a competitive bid for professional engineering services for a government entity. For govenment contracts, the only thing taht can be considered in the award is the qualifications of the firm.
Liquid Wrench
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Ciboag96 said:

tk for tu juan said:

These highways are planned/designed by the large Civil engineering firms in the area/state. Send in your armchair engineering resume...


Ah, that explains it. Neanderthal TXDOT southeast-regional Grand Poobah of Supply Chain going to the "lowest bidder", I.e the one that meets the midget trans-Ewok gender-fluid owner quota who then subs it to a differently-abled formerly-justice-involved Human-Pup-role-playing owner who then sub-subs to a mostly-competent contractor who makes barely enough money for a coffee service because of the guaranteed bi-quarterly Union wage increases.
You're still pretty far from the mark.

I'm mildly impressed by the lack of indignant replies from Aggie civil engineers. But it is Friday, so they're probably already at the ranch.
jpd301
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Crazy Ag 97 said:

For govenment contracts, the only thing taht can be considered in the award is the qualifications of the firm.


Harris County Commissioners' Campaign finance reports say otherwise.
Liquid Wrench
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The "Neanderthal TXDOT southeast-regional Grand Poobah of Supply Chain" ain't making any big decisions without a little friendly advice.
tk for tu juan
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Public comments for the HGAC 2045 regional transportation plan are open until May 10, and there is a final public meeting on April 24.

http://www.2045rtp.com/default.aspx
Ciboag96
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tk for tu juan said:

Public comments for the HGAC 2045 regional transportation plan are open until May 10, and there is a final public meeting on April 24.

http://www.2045rtp.com/default.aspx


My comment:



Your Friend
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I don't know why they recently altered the WB Katy tollway exit at barker cypress but I don't like it
Mas89
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Sooooo smart that they are currently building the new grand parkway segments from I 10 east of Mt Belvieu to hwy 59 north and most parts of the new roadway will be ONE LANE in each direction. REAL SMART.
Anagrammatic Nudist
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Mas89 said:

Sooooo smart that they are currently building the new grand parkway segments from I 10 east of Mt Belvieu to hwy 59 north and most parts of the new roadway will be ONE LANE in each direction. REAL SMART.


Is it smarter to overbuild (and overpay) for segments that don't need four lanes of capacity for 20 years?
BowSowy
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Anagrammatic Nudist said:

Mas89 said:

Sooooo smart that they are currently building the new grand parkway segments from I 10 east of Mt Belvieu to hwy 59 north and most parts of the new roadway will be ONE LANE in each direction. REAL SMART.


Is it smarter to overbuild (and overpay) for segments that don't need four lanes of capacity for 20 years?
If you don't, in 15 years new suburbs of suburbs will pop up and people will ***** about how small the highway is
Anagrammatic Nudist
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BowSowy said:

Anagrammatic Nudist said:

Mas89 said:

Sooooo smart that they are currently building the new grand parkway segments from I 10 east of Mt Belvieu to hwy 59 north and most parts of the new roadway will be ONE LANE in each direction. REAL SMART.


Is it smarter to overbuild (and overpay) for segments that don't need four lanes of capacity for 20 years?
If you don't, in 15 years new suburbs of suburbs will pop up and people will ***** about how small the highway is


And the other half of the mainlanes can be built at that time when the demand is there. To this thinking why not build four lanes in each direction now? Why not six? If traffic projections and demand doesn't matter, then why not spend two, three, four times as much now?
Mas89
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Anagrammatic Nudist said:

Mas89 said:

Sooooo smart that they are currently building the new grand parkway segments from I 10 east of Mt Belvieu to hwy 59 north and most parts of the new roadway will be ONE LANE in each direction. REAL SMART.


Is it smarter to overbuild (and overpay) for segments that don't need four lanes of capacity for 20 years?
Absolutely. To add more lanes later will be a complete cluster fart. The road will see heavy use when it opens in four years and needs four lanes for sure. Buy once cry once. This road will get a lot of traffic. The fastest growing area of Houston is on it.
Anagrammatic Nudist
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Mas89 said:

Anagrammatic Nudist said:

Mas89 said:

Sooooo smart that they are currently building the new grand parkway segments from I 10 east of Mt Belvieu to hwy 59 north and most parts of the new roadway will be ONE LANE in each direction. REAL SMART.


Is it smarter to overbuild (and overpay) for segments that don't need four lanes of capacity for 20 years?
Absolutely. To add more lanes later will be a complete cluster fart. The road will see heavy use when it opens in four years and needs four lanes for sure. Buy once cry once. This road will get a lot of traffic. The fastest growing area of Houston is on it.



Have you actually looked at the part of Liberty County that you are arguing here? Have you read through the EIS, or any of the traffic projections?

To state with a straight face that the fastest growing part of Houston is on this segment is just stupid.
Anagrammatic Nudist
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Adding more lanes when they are needed is actually quite simple. It's just the other half of the mainlanes, ie, the traffic control plan and construction sequencing literally has one step, build the other half while the existing two lanes are uninterrupted.
Mas89
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Anagrammatic Nudist said:

Mas89 said:

Anagrammatic Nudist said:

Mas89 said:

Sooooo smart that they are currently building the new grand parkway segments from I 10 east of Mt Belvieu to hwy 59 north and most parts of the new roadway will be ONE LANE in each direction. REAL SMART.


Is it smarter to overbuild (and overpay) for segments that don't need four lanes of capacity for 20 years?
Absolutely. To add more lanes later will be a complete cluster fart. The road will see heavy use when it opens in four years and needs four lanes for sure. Buy once cry once. This road will get a lot of traffic. The fastest growing area of Houston is on it.



Have you actually looked at the part of Liberty County that you are arguing here? Have you read through the EIS, or any of the traffic projections?

To state with a straight face that the fastest growing part of Houston is on this segment is just stupid.
Yes. Very familiar. Have you been to Plum Grove Tx on the GP Just East of 59 in Liberty County? Colony Ridge is currently over 20,000 lots and building many more currently. Will be bigger and have more homes than Katy, Kingwood, and The Woodlands over time. Largest colonia in the U.S.

I suggest you educate yourself with a drive up there. And check out google earth. Currently clearing land from the current area all the way east to FM 321.

To go thru the multiple year process of land takings, moving utilities, drainage, is foolish when it could be built four lanes to start with.

Anagrammatic Nudist
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Mas89 said:

Anagrammatic Nudist said:

Mas89 said:

Anagrammatic Nudist said:

Mas89 said:

Sooooo smart that they are currently building the new grand parkway segments from I 10 east of Mt Belvieu to hwy 59 north and most parts of the new roadway will be ONE LANE in each direction. REAL SMART.


Is it smarter to overbuild (and overpay) for segments that don't need four lanes of capacity for 20 years?
Absolutely. To add more lanes later will be a complete cluster fart. The road will see heavy use when it opens in four years and needs four lanes for sure. Buy once cry once. This road will get a lot of traffic. The fastest growing area of Houston is on it.



Have you actually looked at the part of Liberty County that you are arguing here? Have you read through the EIS, or any of the traffic projections?

To state with a straight face that the fastest growing part of Houston is on this segment is just stupid.
Yes. Very familiar. Have you been to Plum Grove Tx on the GP Just East of 59 in Liberty County? Colony Ridge is currently over 20,000 lots and building many more currently. Will be bigger and have more homes than Katy, Kingwood, and The Woodlands over time. Largest colonia in the U.S.

I suggest you educate yourself with a drive up there. And check out google earth. Currently clearing land from the current area all the way east to FM 321.

"To go thru the multiple year process of land takings, moving utilities, drainage, is foolish when it could be built four lanes to start with. "




The proposed cross section up and past Plum Grove is four lanes. The segments with a proposed two-lane cross section are barren, and have zero prospects for immediate growth. I'm very familiar with the process and Google Earth, trust me on that.

"To go thru the multiple year process of land takings, moving utilities, drainage, is foolish when it could be built four lanes to start with. "

You do realize all that is being done now (and is already done), correct?


Mas89
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Yes. I am directly involved and no, it has not been done already on most tracts. The land being taken is enough for two lanes, not four. I'll be glad to give you a tour if you would like to see in person just pm me.
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