Muammar Al Khadafi

I've been keeping track of the developments on the METRORail light rail lines that are currently either under construction or are being studied for development like the University (Blue) and Uptown (Gold) Lines.

I noted that rail is being laid on the Southeast Line that will terminate a few blocks from my undisclosed location in beautiful southeast Houston with that Purple Line eventually slated in the future to be extended to and terminate at Hobby Airport. 

I also posted links to a survey in which people could vote on or suggest names for the stations on the three new light rail lines currently under construction and due to be completed in 2013. 

Also on the agenda is the purchase of 39 rail cars for METRORail among other items.

At the METRO monthly board meeting that is being conducted as you read this post, one of the items on the board agenda for today is finalizing the station names for the North (Red), Southeast (Purple), and East End (Green) lines.   

A METRO Committee sorted through all the suggestions and came up with this final list of names for the stations on the three lines that will be subject to board approval.

North Line: Burnett TC/Casa de Amigos, Quitman/Near Northside, Boundary, Moody Park, Cavalcade,  Lindale Park, Melbourne/North Lindale, Northline TC/HCC

Southeast Line:  EaDo/Dynamo, Discovery Green, Central Station Main, Central Station Capitol, Central Station Rusk, Theater District, Leeland, Elgin, Robertson Stadium/UH/TSU, UH South/University Oaks, MacGregor Park/MLK, Palm Center

East End Line: York/Coffee Plant, Lockwood, Altic/Howard Hughes, Cesar Chavez/67th Street, Magnolia Park TC

There's also an interesting one in which METRO would enter into an agreement with the Menil Foundation in exchange for right-of way needed for the University line, the Menil Foundation would design a rail station for it that would be incorporated and integrated into the design for their redeveloped campus.

The station would also be per the agreement with the Foundation be named the 'Menil Station'

Hmm, will be interesting to see how this plays out.

It may be in the triple digits temperature wise, but that doesn't slow down construction here in H-town.  They just make sure the workers get plenty of cold water, rest and keep going until they get the project done. 

I'm a big fan and supporter of the expansion of light rail in my hometown.   I've been keeping tabs on the progress of METRORail construction on the Southeast, North and East End lines, especially since one of the new lines will terminate not far from where I live now.

It's moving along to the point that the construction crews began laying rail on some of the lines earlier this month that are scheduled to be completed in 2014..     

METRO asked for public input on names for the future  stations on the various rail lines.   The deadline passed in May for that phase of the process, but they are now conducting a survey until August 31 to get further citizen input on some of the contenders for station names on the various routes.

The METRO board will choose the permanent names of the rail stations at their September 2011 meeting.

I've had my say about the Southeast Line and will chime in later on the other two, so I thought I'd make it easy for you Houstonians or homesick ex-pats to chime in and have your say about what names should grace those station platforms.

But to be honest, I'm beyond ready for those station platforms to not only be constructed after they finish laying the track, but for those light rail trains to start running along those tracks when they're done.

Been keeping close tabs on the construction of the new METRORail Southeast Line since it will terminate less than a few blocks from where I currently live.  I've also expressed my feelings concerning how happy I am to see a rail component in our transit system come to life in my hometown. 

When METRO was created in the late 70's a heavy rail subway system was part of the plans and on the drawing boards.    It has been a contentious political issue fought over ever since then and while I preferred the original heavy rail plan, I'm just happy my hometown has any rail component in its transit plans.  

While I was recently out and about I noticed the 80 foot sections of rail near the intersection of Martin Luther King Blvd and Old Spanish Trail stacked in a staging area across the street from MacGregor Park.  The same thing has been occurring at other spots along the Southeast Line corridor and I wondered if the construction had finally progressed to the point in the line building process to where they were ready to start laying some track.

Got the answer to the question I was pondering on July 5 when a press conference was held to announce that workers were beginning the process of welding those 80 foot sections of rail to create 480 foot strips.   Those strips would then be laid into a reinforced concrete roadbed that would eventually stretch across the entire length of the Southeast Line.   The press conference was also marking the moment that rail was actually being laid for one of the additional lines approved by voters in 2003.  


METRO recently received another $150 million from the feds to facilitate construction of the North and Southeast Lines, and this news combined with the announcement they are at track laying stage is welcomed.

It's about time the Southeast Line is now getting to the point that the residents and businesses along the line are starting to see the construction peeps lay track for a change instead of it looking like a straight road building and widening project.

Now if they can complete it before 2014, that would really make me and every business on the Southeast Line happy.