Results tagged “traffic”

The Urban Research Center of Houston at Rice University has published the results of their annual Houston Area Survey. For the past 27 years, the Houston Area Survey has tracked our attitudes on topics like economics, politics, immigration, crime and family values. The website links to a summary of the 2009 findings. So what's changed and what's stayed the same? While we are finally feeling the effects of the recession, we're still optimistic about living here. Up from 31% in 2007, 44% of those polled felt Houston is a much better place to live compared to other metropolitan areas. The economy dominates our concerns this year, pushing aside crime, pollution, and our favorite gripe, traffic. Our attitudes towards mass transit have improved, though 54% polled stated that they would still commute to work even if public transportation was more efficient. We have not changed our minds on some hot button issues like abortion. However, negative attitudes towards immigration and gay rights have lessened.

Yowza! The intersection will be closed from Friday night at 7 PM until Monday at 6 AM so that crews can service the giant stainless steel ring above the intersection in preparation for the widening of San Felipe. Crews will be moving one of the support poles for the structure and relocating an associated traffic signal. Alternate routes are available for moving through the area, but you should expect traffique. Notes for nerds: the stainless steel rings are 42 feet in diameter and were installed in 1995.

The jovial traffic reporter, a familiar face to anyone who watched Channel 11 in the mornings, was given the pink slip this morning for reasons that are still unknown at this time. Douglas' smiling face was quickly removed from the staff page on KHOU's website, but his bio can still be accessed through a little Googling. His traffic blog is also still viewable on KHOU's website, but it's safe to assume that neither of those will be available for much longer. The native Houstonian attended the University of Houston and had been with the station for almost 13 years. [via HAIF]

As any transportation planner can tell you, an economic recession is a sure way to improve traffic. Freedom may be just another word for nothing left to lose, but it's also another word for sitting around your house and watching tv.

Not to be preachy or anything, but as Houstonist has made our way around the city lately, we've noticed that some of our fellow Houstonians are having a little trouble with the concept of what to do when traffic lights are out — a common problem these days. In a word, when the traffic lights are dark, you must treat the intersection as a four-way stop. That means a few things: First, you must stop, not just slow down a bit. Second, take turns — if you weren't the first one to stop at an intersection, you shouldn't be the first to go. And third, be very careful, because most people aren't considerate enough to follow the first two rules. Most of all, be safe: Unsignaled intersections can be dangerous, especially when most everyone has other things on their minds and is trying to charge all their household appliances up while driving. Trust us, it ain't pretty.

With this colder weather hitting us, what better way to stay warm than with a nice glass of wine? We have some great events coming up. Food, wine, and maybe a little of bit of fun thrown in makes for a happy Houstonist. Check out the upcoming events! Sempre Vive Wine Dinner at 1926 BICE Ristorante Wednesday, December 5, 2007 6:00-11:00 PM, $125 Sempre Vive is hosting a wine tasting paired with a delicious...

The thought may have crossed your mind once some balmy spring day in early March, pre-heat, as the flowers start to bloom but the mosquitoes haven't yet returned. Or perhaps you realized it some fall evening as you relaxed on a patio having drinks while people in the northern half of the country listened to their radiators clank like a death knell. "Houston's not so bad, in fact, despite the [_____], it's worth it." Okay,...

If you see a lanky, red-bearded biker pedaling down I-10 in the next day or two, that’s A.J. Rowell, a passionate biker and fundraiser from North Carolina. So what’s he doing in Houston? Mostly just biking, in fact that’s pretty much all that A.J.’s done for the last six months on his trans-America bike tour. A.J. pushed off from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska on June 2nd with 90 pounds of gear strapped to his road...

Good morning, Houston. We admit that we have a thing for interview shows, so we thought we'd take a second to note that NBC's Meet the Press, the king of Sunday morning TV news, made its television debut 60 years ago today. Meet the Press began life as a radio show in 1945 and moved to TV a couple of years later, and it hasn't stopped since. Now, MtP is the longest-running show on...

Could Houston be one step closer to zoning? A few days ago the Houston Chronicle reported that the administration of Mayor Bill White has fast tracked an ordinance that could “whittle the proposed 23-story building — and others like it — down to size.” The ordinance would require developers of certain buildings, in certain areas to submit a traffic study to the city for approval. According to the ordinance's language, "certain types of high-density...

Need to know just a little bit about something? Ask a dilettante. I'm all for transportation by bike, but what's up with Houston bikers never observing stop signs and traffic lights? I almost run over and kill a biker every day, and it's always their fault. Maybe we need to add "bikes too!" to the bottom of every traffic sign and signal. -- Ophelia, Houston-upon-Avon Oh, Ophelia. You're missing the real problem with bicyclists: bike...

Good morning, Houston. How better to end the week than with a little soul searching — and when better to do it than on Evaluate Your Life Day? Yeah, we know, it used to take hours (days, even) to find your true self, but the good news is that you can get things taken care of much more quickly these days: using online quizzes, you can figure out whether you're CEO material, which celebrity's...

Ode to the Highway overpass Ode to the sweeping overpass, the sculpted mass of concrete and steel, the hero of highway traffic. We ride on your brute shoulders. The Atlas of freeways. Ode to the on-ramp, to the off-ramp, to the embanked curve, cloverleaf and twisted spaghetti bowl. The indelible markings on the landscape. Urbanity’s tattoo. When the last traces of humanity have left your destinations and ceased to travel your paths will you...

Good morning, Houston. Have you ever been lounging around on the couch, curious about how the state of Texas spends its money but frustrated because you can't hop online and find out? Well, cheer up: Now you can, thanks to a new feature on the state comptroller's website. The database allows users to search the $74.5 billion in expenditures from fiscal 2007 by agency, payee and spending category. For folks with the ability to...

So, Ashby Highrise. Here in one of Houstonist's favorite neighborhoods, we're seeing lots of signs that say "Tower of Traffic" and "Stop Ashby Highrise", and we got caught in that protest the other day on our way to and from Rice campus. But one detail we'd missed until now came to our attention in a Rice Thresher article. The Thresher, Rice's award-winning weekly newspaper, has its ups and downs, but it's extremely under-appreciated by Owls...

Good morning, Houston. If you've walked — or driven — downtown or in Midtown lately, chances are you've noticed the fancy new "countdown signals," which flash the number of seconds pedestrians have to cross an intersection before traffic lights change. They'll soon be installed at more than 300 intersections in neighborhoods with high amounts of pedestrian traffic, including the Medical Center; though they cost $1.3 million to put up, officials say the efficient LED...

Today’s Photo of the Day comes from flickr user and Houstonist photo contributor laanba. No left turn, no right turn. Forward you must go. If you have a passion for Houston and photography, consider joining over 400 of Houston's best photographers in the Houstonist Flickr Photo Group. If Houstonist uses your photo for Photo Of The Day, submit it here. For more great photography check out the Houston Photobloggers....

Good morning, Houston. It's always nice to see our fair city get some love from outside — so we were happy to hear that Lester Holt and a crew from the Today show were in town filming yesterday for the show's "Cities They Love" segment. The point of "Cities They Love" is to showcase off-the-beaten-path attractions, so Today visited the Beer Can House, took a ride along Buffalo Bayou and checked in at the...

Good morning, Houston. We enjoy a good, quick breakfast as much as anyone, but seriously, there are limits — just ask the four people who were hurt Monday when a driver who was eating oatmeal at the wheel crashed into a Metro bus near downtown. Witnesses told KPRC that the driver ran a red light at Pierce and St. Charles and hit the front of the bus, which caused the driver's vehicle to spin...

While most of the baseball world was focused yesterday on the races for the final playoff spots, including the Mets historic collapse in the NL East, as usual, Craig Biggio was just doing his job, just like he's done for the past 20 years. But for the first time in 20 years, Biggio won't be going back to work today. For those of us who grew up in Houston, Biggio is just as much a...

The Houston chapter of the Ferrari Club of America presented the Highland Village Ferrari Festival today resulting in even more of a log jam on Westheimer than the regularly scheduled crappy Sunday afternoon traffic. The event featured 20+ Ferraris (and one Maserati) on display with daydreaming music provided by a jazz trio. The Italian sports car maker was well represented by the fleet of automobiles on hand. Attendees could drool on F-40 (pictured above),...

This week, Phillyist saw the waters of a landmark fountain run red for a Showtime marketing stunt, the Phils pull ahead, and some serious nostalgia. They also got a chance to review an awesome tribute album, reminded folks to see the King and appreciated their beautiful skyline. Chicagoist knows what it's like to like the Cubs. But naming your kid Wrigley Fields? At least they can breathe a little easier now that Grossman's out and...

Good morning, Houston. Want to hear something weird? Investigators say a North Texas man had a stolen bone implanted in his neck. The man, Jim Livingston, had a herniated disk in his neck; in 2005, a surgeon replaced it with a small bone from a donor. Everything was fine until last year, when Livingston got a call informing him that the bone was believed to have been stolen from a body at a funeral...

Good morning, Houston. How many of you knew what Monday was? Anyone? Anyone? That's right: It was the 220th anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution. To mark the anniversary, the nation had a little holiday, Constitution Day — but how many people actually knew about it? Not many, apparently: Though federal law says students at public high schools should be taught about Constitution Day, a recent survey of students found that...

Today’s Photo of the Day comes from flickr user and Houstonist photo contributor eschipul. Here we have a rare look inside Houston Transtar. What is Houston Transtar? According to their website, "The Houston TranStar consortium is a partnership of four government agencies that are responsible for providing Transportation Management and Emergency Management services to the Greater Houston Region." They also maintain the city's freeway camera system. If you have a passion for Houston and...

Good morning, Houston. Imagine that you're driving along one day when a traffic light falls from an overhead line and crashes through your car's windshield. You'd think the city would be responsible for the accident, right? Wrong! Just ask Lei Zheng, who was on a shopping trip with his wife and son last year when a traffic light fell on his Volkswagen. Zheng and his family weren't seriously hurt, but they did ask the...

After an extraordinarily embarrassing event wherein Houstonist unwittingly drove the wrong way down a portion of South Braeswood Boulevard, we decided to thoroughly investigate the nature, goals, and idiosyncrasies of the Braeswood Boulevards. Our results have been quite astonishing and maddening, as these braided hydra-like streets weave, change course, change names, and sometimes suddenly disappear for a portion of their overall path as though it were not no thang at all. Our ultimate aim...

There was very little else for Londonist to be concerned with when the threat of a Tube strike became a very unpleasant reality. The inconvenience was extreme: there aren't many alternatives to the Tube in London despite the best efforts of the Londonist team to get everyone from A to B. Brighter news came in the form of the first ever female Yeoman Warder, or Beefeater as the position is more commonly known, and...

Good morning, Houston. The Chron's Eric Gerber points out something interesting: a Washington Post story that says people hold onto utterly untrue myths even when they're faced with factual information that disproves them. An example: A University of Michigan psychologist showed people a CDC flyer stating that myths about the flu vaccine aren't true — such as the story that the side effects of the vaccine are worse than the flu itself — and...