Briefly

3 Comments

1. 
   Carlos G> Espinoza

   09 Mar 09 [ 14:49 ]
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   I totally think that Houston must turn all of its freeway system into boulevards like Paris [I mean I do understand this can take up to 100 years] but look at Paris, New York City, Tokyo. They didn’t get built in 8 years or less like the Katy Freeway. We must stop making the auto [our enemy] a priority. We, as Houstonians should promote walkability and mass transit. If not, we will eventually end up like Cleveland or Columbus.

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2. 
   Dom

   10 Mar 09 [ 10:53 ]
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   Well I10 still isn’t fully operational so its still early to make sweeping judgments.

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   • 
     Andrew

     10 Mar 09 [ 11:30 ]
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     There is no reason to expect the toll lanes in the middle are going to make that big of a difference, because the heart of the problem is in accessing the loop and traveling inside the loop. Opening up the managed lanes is likely to make those situations worse for two reasons:

     1. A lot of traffic is going to pour out of the end of the toll area and try to cross six lanes to the right in a very short span in order to go south on the loop. THAT will REALLY mess up traffic.

     2. More traffic (2 extra lanes worth) will be freely pouring into I-10 east of the loop, where there has been no capacity added. This area was over-capacity before the floodgates were opened by the Katy Freeway expansion. Two extra lanes flowing in will make this situation just that much worse.

     Further, the managed lanes in the middle have very few entrances and exits. Extra-long distance commuters have by far the most to gain from this, but again the traffic is worst in the places where the toll-lanes aren’t. And, every place where large numbers of people are existing the toll lanes and merging right to take an off-ramp there will be new backup. The interchanges with 610, 8, and 6, will all get worse when the toll lanes open.

     I’ll happily admit it if it turns out I’m wrong about this, but don’t be surprised if I’m right.