The Chronicle‘s Rad Sallee reports that METRO now seems to be in full panic mode with regard to Richmond rail, after initially dismissing Rep. John Culberson’s announcement on the same earlier in the week:
The Metropolitan Transit Authority is considering new route options along the Southwest Freeway for its controversial University light rail line, reducing the length it would travel on Richmond Avenue.
Metro made the announcement tonight after a getting a thumbs down from U.S. Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston, earlier this week on its two other proposed routes, each of which would have traveled on Richmond from Main to Shepherd or farther.
Vocal opposition arose from businesses along the route and from Afton Oaks, a subdivision on Richmond near the West Loop.
As a result, Tuesday’s expected route recommendation by Metro staff has been postponed for several weeks while consultants develop cost and ridership estimates for the proposed alignments, said agency spokeswoman Sandra Salazar.
She said an alignment suggested by City Councilwoman Anne Clutterbuck calls for the line to travel west on Richmond from Metro’s current Wheeler station near Main, turn south on Mandell or Dunlavy and follow the north side of the Southwest Freeway to Edloe, where it would cross over to Westpark and continue to the Hillcroft Transit Center.
Culberson’s suggestion, Metro said, would run “from Richmond in the vicinity of the University of St. Thomas to U.S. 59 (Southwest Freeway) to a transition point into the Westpark right-of-way.” Other details were not available.
Culberson aide Nick Swyka said the congressman only was asking Metro to look at this proposal, which Swyka said he told Culberson about after learning that Afton Oaks resident Ted Richardson had an idea for an elevated rail beside the Southwest Freeway.
This disarray could have been avoided had METRO not arrogantly decided that the METRO Solutions referendum that described rail on Westpark really described rail on Richmond.
More thoughts to follow in the morning. Night owls should feel free to offer their thoughts in the comments.
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