Richmond: hard facts
Two weeks ago, we finally saw some hard facts on what it would take to build light rail down Richmond. The organized opposition is spinning this one pretty hard. But the reality is much less dire than predicted.
Here’s what was feared:
- fewer traffic lanes
- no left turns
- no medians, no street trees
- massive property acquisition by eminent domain
Here’s the reality:
- same number of traffic lanes as today
- left turns in 83% of the location they are allowed today
- all medians (with their trees) west of Kirby preserved; no medians but new street trees east of Kirby
- some property acquisition, affecting 1/3 of the properties east of Kirby and none west of Kirby.
METRO has these numbers and lots more (including diagrams) online.
There is more information I’d like to see — in particular cost estimates and ridership estimates. But thanks to the Gulf Coast Institute we have some numbers on population and jobs near proposed stations. We know enough now to visualize rail on Richmond. Here’s the tour:
Main Street to Kirby
The tracks come out of the Third Ward and cross the Main Street Line on current METRO property just south of Wheeler. The tracks then cross Main onto a one-block section of Rosewood and cut across lots now occupied by a donut shop and a gas station before entering the median of Richmond just east of Spur 527.
Between Spur 527 and Kirby, Richmond is a commercial strip surrounded by residential neighborhoods. There is a cluster of high-rise offices at Montrose. Two major institutions — the University of St. Thomas and the Menil Collection — are north of Richmond between Dunlavy and Montrose. There are several apartment complexes on and near Richmond, with another major development (the old HCC site at Richmond and Dunlavy) coming soon.
METRO is proposing 3 stations is this section: Montrose, also serving the University of St. Thomas, Dunlavy, also serving the Menil, and Shepherd. This is a surprisingly dense neighborhood: these stations would serve 4,600 jobs and 6,400 residents within a 1/2 mile radius; by 2025 those numbers are projected to increase to 6,200 jobs and 7,300 residents.
Between Richmond and Kirby, the right-of-way for Richmond varies from 75 feet to 81 feet. Two light rail tracks and 4 traffic lanes require 76 feet; at stations and left turn lanes 86 feet are required. Of the roughly 210 properties along this section, 30 properties would need to have a 4-8 foot strip taken off the front, 52 properties would need a 1-4 foot strip taken, and the rest - 60% - would remain intact.
These sections suggest another alternative. Reducing Richmond to 1 lane each direction with left turn lanes at cross streets would require no additional land at all and would allow medians (or street parking) away from intersections and stations.
Kirby to Weslayan
West of Kirby, Richmond widens and the character of the street changes. We’re in a newer part of the city now; buildings are set well back from the street. There is a cluster of high-rise office buildings at Kirby; past Eastside we enter the Greenway Plaza employment center and the street is lined with office buildings on both sides. These continue to Weslayan, with more buildings just off Richmond on every side street. This is also a major apartment area, with a dozen major complexes within a block or two of Richmond and more under construction. Lakewood Church, 2 blocks south of Richmond, is already generating 1,500 bus riders every Sunday.
METRO is proposing stations at Kirby, Buffalo Speedway, and Weslayan. These account for 20,000 jobs and 3,300 residents, with 40% employment growth and 50% residential growth expected by 2035.
Richmond has a 130 foot right of way here. That’s enough to maintain the current 3 lanes in each direction, keep the current medians except at stations, and add two tracks with no additional property required. All left turns would be preserved.
Weslayan to 610
Past Weslayan, the office buildings end and the street becomes commercial again, with residential neighborhoods beyond. Richmond crosses a busy Union Pacific Railroad line, then enters Afton Oaks, a surprisingly suburban-looking neighborhood of ranch-style houses and immaculate lawns.
METRO isn’t proposing any stations here.
Richmond has a 130 foot right of way here. That’s enough to maintain the current 3 lanes in each direction, keep the current medians, and add two tracks with no additional property required. The railroad tracks require an overcrossing, which could also include an overpass for the traffic lanes (reducing congestion and increasing safety). The overpass would block the median at Drexel and Midlane; other left turns would be preserved.
West of 610
Just west of 610, Richmond passes the southern fringe of the Uptown area. There are jobs here — some 5,100 within a half mile radius — and 1,300 residents in mid- and high-rise apartments.
METRO doesn’t show a Richmond option west of South Rice. Instead, the line would follow Westpark as far as the Hillcroft Transit Center. This makes some sense — Westpark passes the northern edge of Gulfton, the most densely populated area in Houston. Oddly, though, METRO doesn’t show a station at either Chimney Rock or Fountain View, where those apartments are. Meanwhile, residents and businesses along Richmond here are actually asking METRO to consider their street. That would serve apartments, neighborhoods, and businesses and would help revitalize the Richmond Strip.
Somewhere in this area, the University Line would meet the Uptown Line. That’s a crucial connection, and METRO isn’t showing much about it.
The options
What METRO showed these past two weeks was actually 7 options. Each is a combination of Westpark and Richmond; the question is where the line crosses from one to the other.
Notably, there is no “Westpark” option from Shepherd to Main Street. There are 3 right of way possibilities along US59 here: -the Centerpoint electric right-of-way south of the freeway trench -stacked tracks inside the freeway trench, along the south shoulder -inside the freeway HOV lane The first option is technically difficult — the right of way narrows down considerably, and METRO doesn’t own it — and intrusive to a residential neighborhood (the line would pass behind back yards, with crossing gates at Hazard, Woodhead, Dunlavy, Mandell, Graustark, and Montrose). The stacked track option is too expensive to pass muster under the new FTA cost-effectiveness requirements. And the HOV lane option would degrade commuter transit.
Here are the options METRO showed. On each map, the blue line in the University Line; black is Uptown and red in Main Street. Pink represents office buildings and green represents multi-family residential.
Option#1: Richmond - Shepherd - Westpark
The first place METRO thinks rail can cross from Richmond to Westpark is at Shepherd. But this isn’t a very attractive option. Graustark - that curved street that connects Greenbriar south of 59 to Shpeherd north of 59 — is already a mess, with lots of driveways and turns. And as trains turned onto the Westpark right-of-way they’d further congest the Greenbriar - 59 intersection as well.
This option promises to create traffic messes on Westpark, too: crossing gates just off of Westpark on Kirby, Buffalo Speedway, Edloe, and Weslayan, right next to already congested intersections with Westpark and 59. Such an intersection — which would limit right turns as a train passed– is more problematic than having the train in the median of Richmond, where trains would pass while traffic on Richmond had a green light.
Most critically, this option misses Greenway Plaza entirely. Stations on Westpark might theoretically be within walking distance of some of Greenway Plaza. But actually try walking that and you’ll think differently.
Bottom line: 15,500 jobs and 9,500 residents with 1/2 mile of stations.
Option#2: Richmond - Buffalo Speedway- Westpark
This option follows Richmond as far as Greenway Plaza and picks up many more jobs and residents as a result. The crossover would be elevated, keeping all traffic lanes on Buffalo Speedway intact and avoid traffic problems at the intersections of Buffalo Speedway with Richmond, 59, and Westpark. But Greenway Plaza extends further west to Weslayan, and a Westpark/Weslayan station does not serve the offices and apartments there well.
Bottom line: 24,300 jobs and 11,000 residents with 1/2 mile of stations.
Option#3: Richmond - Greenway - Westpark
Option 3 is just about the same as option 2, but the elevated crossover would be on private property just west of Buffalo Speedway. That would allow nice pedestrian connections into the underground Greenway Plaza food court and the attached office buildings. But we’re still missing much of Greenway Plaza.
Bottom line: 24,300 jobs and 11,000 residents with 1/2 mile of stations.
Option#4: Richmond - Timmons - Westpark
Another elevated crossover option, but further west. This allows for a station at Richmond and Edloe, closer to the heart of the Greenway area This location still serves the core of the Greenway complex like options 2 and 3, but it also serves office buildings further west and further north.
This option has already attracted opposition from the high-rise condomiums on Timmons.
Bottom line: 25,900 jobs and 10,700 residents with 1/2 mile of stations.
Option#5: Richmond - UPRR - Westpark
Staying on Richmond as far as the Union Pacific railroad tracks adds a station at Weslayan and Richmond, within walking distance of another cluster of office buildings and right across from the new mixed-use complex on the old HISD property.
The railroad track crossover is fairly elegant; it could be elevated and seprated from traffic lanes on both Richmond and Westpark.
This option also bypasses the most congested intersections on Westpark.
Oddly, METRO does not show a station at Westpark and Newcastle, which could pick up 1400 jobs and 1200 residents.
Bottom line: 25,900 jobs and 11,000 residents with 1/2 mile of stations.
Option#6: Richmond - South Rice - Westpark
Options 1-5 bypass Afton Oaks, a hot bed of anti-rail politics. Option 6 goes right through. Nobody loses any property as a result, and the medians remain, but that won’t keep people from being upset. Option 6 crosses over the Westpark at the 610 frontage roads, where there is already an existing right-of-way under 59, built as part of the recent interchnage reconstruction.
This option doesn’t actually add ridership — METRO isn;t proposing a station in Afton Oaks, and the geometry of the turn from Richmond onto the frontage road pretty much prohibits a station there. So what’s gained over option 5? Not much, except if there are direct trains from the University Line onto the Uptown Line.
Bottom line: 25,900 jobs and 11,000 residents with 1/2 mile of stations.
Option#7: Richmond - South Rice - Westpark
Option 7 waits until Sage/ South Rice to cross to Westpark. That means 2 advantages over option 6: Possibly fewer traffic impacts by avoiding the Westpark/610 intersection. A station at Richmond and Post Oak, picking up 5,000 jobs and 1,000 residents and creating a better transfer point to the Uptown line.
Bottom line: 31,000 jobs and 12,000 residents with 1/2 mile of stations.
The bottom line
Option 7 (staying on Richmond) offers 25% more residents and twice as many jobs within 1/2 mile of stations as Option 1 (Westpark most of the way). And if we were to consider a “Westpark all the way” option — dropping all stations east of Shepherd — we’d get only 1/4 of the residents and 1/3 of the jobs of the Richmond option.
In other words, there’s a good reason why METRO likes the Richmond option.
Does rail on Richmond involve compromises? Yes, though not as many as opponents like to claim. But we’re building rail to get people where they want to go. And there are a lot more people going to Richmond than Westpark.