Why Commuter Rail Doesn't Work For Modern Multipolar Cities

Why express buses are a better commuter solution than heavy rail in Houston.

1 minute read

November 7, 2005, 8:00 AM PST

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech

"At the end of the day, if we opt for commuter rail, we will have spent billions of dollars rerouting freight trains and developing these lines, only to discover that our new transit service, while stylish, is now less convenient than before we started.

The result? There won't be loud riots or protests, just the quiet sound of people voting with their feet as more and more employers choose to locate in far suburbs because the commutes will have simply gotten too difficult for their employees â€" slowly draining Houston's commercial tax base and vitality.

Maybe it's time we get past our New York-envy and develop a flexible, regional commuter transit system for our dispersed, multinodal city of the 21st century."

Thanks to Tory Gattis

FULL STORY: Commuter rail is the wrong ride

Sunday, November 6, 2005 in The Houston Chronicle

Transportation Texas

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