Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasPlaya
Houston has focused more on improving bus service and BRT over rail. I think what DFW is doing will take decades to really see how it plays out but the Houston metro moves significantly more people with mass transit than DFW today.
I think cities need to tailor their mass transit to their particular development and rail isn’t a one size fits all solution.
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Houston transit doesn't move "significantly" more, it's about 10% or less more. Do not forget that DART is not the only DFW transity authority. There is Trinity Metro, MATA, and Denton County Transit Authority that you have to add together. In reality, the two metros move about the same amount of people by public transit and have similar population sizes.
Both metros could drastically increase public transit usage in the coming decades. Houston has bet the farm on bus service, and invested in it. DFW has ignored bus service growth and focused on rail, with many lines having just recently opened or coming soon (Cotton Belt Line, D2 line, new streetcar lines). So DFW has set up itself for long term growth around rail stations, but is also planning a complete revamp of the bus system which could be great or be a failure.
When it comes to downtown highways, I would love to see some graphics on this planned Houston project because it doesn't sound too palatable. I would rather support a complete removal of certain segments of Downtown highways. Dallas covered most of Woodall Rogers freeway downtown, with Klyde Warren Park, but the most promising project is the potential complete removal of the I-345 connector highway which separates Downtown from Deep Ellum.
It would be nice to see this Houston freeway project present several options and scenarios, with some of them being complete removals of some of the highways.