Gail Delaughter

Photo by Gail Delaughter/KUHF

(Houston, TX -- Gail Delaughter, KUHF) The Houston City Council has voted to approve a  settlement with American Traffic Solutions, the company that operated the city's red light camera program.

A legal battle erupted between the city and ATS after voters rejected the cameras in 2010, four years after they went into operation. The city's contract with ATS wasn't set to expire until 2014.

The cameras were shut off  after the 2010 referendum but they went back on for a short time last summer after a federal judge ruled the red light camera referendum was improperly placed on the ballot. The city council has since voted to repeal the original ordinance that allowed the cameras.

Under that settlement ATS will get close to $5 million over the next three years. Officials say about $3 million in fines is currently held in escrow, and there are $25 million in fines the city is still hoping to collect.

Houston Mayor Annise Parker says traffic violators are the ones who are paying the settlement and not taxpayers.  But if the city can't collect the money from those unpaid tickets, under the terms of the settlement that money would come out of the city's general fund.

And if the city does collect the unpaid fines, the agreement calls for ATS to share in that money.  The company's total take could be as high as $12 million if the city can collect everything it's owed.

The cost of each ticket is $75 and there's also a $25 late fee.

ATS has also agreed to drop its lawsuit against the city, and to take down all of its cameras within 60 days. About 50 cameras were in operation at the time the program was suspended.

The vote on the council to approve the settlement was 13-4.  Those against the settlement said they weren't happy that taxpayers may have to foot the bill if the city can't collect the outstanding fines.

Photo by Gail Delaughter/KUHF

(Houston, TX -- Gail Delaughter, KUHF)    Business leaders gathered in Houston this week to look at ways to position the region as the "Gateway to North America."

Harris County's International Trade and Transportation Conference focused on how goods are transported from the Port of Houston by truck and rail,  and what needs to be done to improve the system in terms of easing congestion and streamlining the flow of goods.  With a land mass larger than the state of Rhode Island, Harris County, Texas is the nation's third-largest county, home to over four million people.  Sprawling Houston makes up much of the county, but you'll also find refinery towns, rural areas, and pristine planned communities.

The event was organized by Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, the county's top elected official.

"It's fine to talk about ships coming from overseas, but if the infrastructure on the land can't handle the freight, then those ships will go somewhere else."

The Port of Houston is a huge complex, with about 25 miles of docks and other facilities east of downtown. Ships travel to the port from the Gulf of Mexico via the Houston Ship Channel. Officials say business has been strong, and a lot of it has to do with steel pipe and other goods that are brought in to support increased drilling activity. Figures show the Port of Houston ranks first in the U.S. in handling foreign waterborne tonnage and second in terms of overall tonnage.  Officials cite a recent study showing the port has about a 118 billion dollar economic impact in Texas.  State and local sales tax revenues are pegged at close to four billion dollars.

Emmett is a former transportation executive and served on the House Transportation Committee while a member of the Texas State Legislature. As for particular challenges facing the region's transportation system, Emmett cites as one  example the current rail network.  A steam locomotive is featured on Houston's city seal to honor the role trains played in the region's development, but Emmett says tracks that were laid out in the 19th century now have to accommodate  21st century transportation.

"We have a good railroad system, but the railroad system in the Houston area was really built a century ago, and we need to make sure it's modernized, and grade crossings are eliminated and bridges are where they need to be."

Another focus of the conference was truck transportation. Emmett says traffic jams on Houston's extensive freeway system can be costly to transportation companies, and leaders have to find a way to keep big rigs from getting tied up in commuter traffic.

"You know, right now, containers are taken off of a ship and put on the ground, and picked up and put on a truck, and then they're trucked to a rail head somewhere to an intermodal facility. We need to make those connections to intermodal facilities as seamless as possible."

The conference also heard from shippers concerning what they need right now to do their jobs more efficiently. They say their immediate need is actually finding drivers to carry those loads.

"Today, unlike a couple of years ago,  when the economy was in much different shape, there's a perfect storm brewing for factors affecting supply."

That's Brian Fielkow, president of the Houston shipping firm Jetco Delivery and a board member of the Texas Motor Transport Association.  As for why he's having a hard time finding truckers, Fielkow says for one, it's getting more expensive to buy a truck if you want to be an independent operator.  He says while a new truck cost around $80,000 a few years ago, that price is now up to about $120,000.

"That's taken the used market right up with it. So from capital, to government regulations, however you want to measure it, the idea of, 'Well let's start a trucking company, that sounds like a good idea' are gone."

As for government regulations, individual safety scores for ground transportation carriers are now available on public databases through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Compliance, Safety, and Accountability program.  Databases include information on driver fatigue, driver fitness, drug and alcohol violations, vehicle maintenance, and cargo securement issues. You can see how many times a company has been put out of service, as well as results of driver inspections.

Fielkow says companies now have access to a lot of information and may be reluctant to hire a driver with a less-than-perfect score, even though that person may have a satisfactory rating.

"Think about the litigious world that we live in. So if we hire this guy, assuming he'll get better, and then he has an accident, what is the first thing a plaintiff's lawyer is going to pick up?"

Fielkow says while companies worry about the increasing cost of fuel, the focus needs to be on retaining drivers and training new ones as the older ones retire.

As for what Houston shippers can do right now, Fielkow says companies need to plan ahead and not assume trucks will always be available.

(Houston, TX -- Gail Delaughter, KUHF)  Work is about to start on the first phase of a billion-dollar redevelopment project at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

The Houston Airport System is partnering with United Continental Holdings  to build a new 225,000 square-foot concourse to handle United's regional planes. The project includes 13,000 square-feet of restaurant and retail space,  about four times bigger than the current concessions area. The Terminal B South Concourse project costs of $160 million and officials say it will be completed next year.

The concourse project is part of a ten-year plan for airport upgrades here. The plan calls for a revamp of the lobby and baggage claim area in Terminal B, a new concourse that can handle additional international traffic, and a new federal inspection facility.

Over 40 million travelers passed through Bush Intercontinental's five terminals in 2010, making the airport the seventh-busiest in the U.S.

Red lights outside downtown Houston. Photo by Gail Delaughter/KUHF

(Houston, TX -- Gail Delaughter, KUHF)  The city of Houston has announced a proposed settlement with American Traffic Solutions, the company that operated the city's contested and then canceled red light camera program. Houston voters rejected the plan in November 2010, and a legal battle  erupted with ATS after the city turned off the cameras as the company cried breach of contract. The city's original 2006 agreement with ATS was not set to expire until 2014.

The cameras proved so unpopular the City Council and general public each voted to remove them in separate actions despite mayoral support for the plan.

The settlement awards ATS close to $5 million. City officials say the money to pay the settlement will come from previously collected red-light fines that are being held in escrow. There's also $25 million in unpaid fines that the city is still hoping to collect.

In a statement, Houston Mayor Annise Parker says ATS will be paid $2.3 million up front. She says that's how much ATS would have received had the cameras stayed on from the time they were initially turned off after the 2010 election to December 2011. The agreement calls for ATS to get another $2.4 million over three years.

"I am thankful that traffic violators, not Houston taxpayers, will be paying for this," says Parker. "This is a reasonable settlement and I thank the city legal department for its diligence in getting it done."

Parker says in exchange for the payments, ATS has agreed to drop its lawsuit  against the city for breach of contract. The company has also agreed to take down all of its cameras within 60 days of approval of the settlement by the Houston City Council. Council members are expected to consider the settlement at this week's meeting.

Parker said earlier she believed the red light cameras saved lives, but she would go along with the will of the people. Opponents argued the  cameras were more about making money for the city than public safety.

The cameras were shut off after the 2010 election, which included a voter referendum on using the cameras or not.  They were turned back on for a brief period last summer after a federal judge ruled the red light camera referendum was improperly placed on the ballot. The city council has since voted to repeal the original ordinance that allowed the cameras.

Pickup truck powered by solar panel. Photo by Gail Delaughter/KUHF

"Bouncy and peppy" is the way Houston electric car dealer Rick Ehrlich describes the small, three-wheeled pickup that sits outside his Houston electric car business.

"It's a funny little truck," adds Ehrlich as we take it for a spin around the parking lot.

It's a no-frills Zap pickup that weighs about 1800 pounds. It's doesn't look a lot different from the other vehicles at the Houston Electric Car Corporation, but what makes this one different is that you don't have to plug it in to a charging station to power it up. It gets all its power from the sun.

That funny little truck is powered by a lightweight 180-watt solar panel mounted over the bed, which feeds a battery that powers a small, quiet electric motor.  The truck only has a top speed of around 35 MPH and you can't drive it on the freeway, but it's legal everywhere else. Ehrlich says on a clear day you can go eight to ten miles just on the power of the sun, a bit further if you use the power stored in the battery, and it's perfect for people who drive 30 miles or less in a day.

As for the cost, Ehrlich says you can get an electric vehicle for as low as $6,000.  The solar panel costs another $1,000.

"To me, it sounds like nirvana, to find a car for $10,000, that you can drive up to 30 miles a day, virtually for free. When I say virtually for free, they cost between one and two cents a mile."

Erhlich adds, "I think if you go out and buy gasoline every week for your heavy vehicle, you're crazy."

But that's what most Houston drivers are still doing, and their cars and trucks can hardly be described as bouncy and peppy.  Large SUVs and heavy-duty pickups are the predominant vehicles on Houston's freeways.

University of Houston architecture professor Patrick Peters works extensively in solar design.   Along with developing green buildings with his graduate students, Peters is involved with a start-up company that develops solar-powered charging stations for electric vehicles.

Peters says interest is being generated by international solar vehicle competitions,  such as the American Solar Challenge.  While the aerodynamic competition vehicles aren't very practical for everyday use, Peters says these events lead to new technologies that can migrate into the commercial sphere, showing up in vehicle lines that target early adopters for new technology.   Mercedes,  for instance, uses a solar-powered ventilation system to help keep a vehicle's interior cool on hot days.  The Toyota Prius also has a solar-powered sunroof.

Peters is encouraged to see a totally solar-powered vehicle enter the marketplace, but to make the vehicles popular on a large scale,  car makers will have to find ways to integrate the solar panels into the body of the vehicle.  He says the panels also need to be included in a vehicle's warranty so they're not just an add-on part.

Developing lightweight materials to build solar-powered cars is also essential.  Peters says if you can build a bigger car with lighter materials, that will give you more surface space to collect sunlight.  There's also thin solar film that's currently used in various industrial applications.

"Those thin films can take the geometry of the vehicles that's required to maximize its aerodynamic qualities."

The first customers for hybrids, says Peters, were people who wanted to show their concern for the environment through their choice of vehicle. He expects it will be the same with solar cars.   Peters thinks more people will get interested once they start seeing solar vehicles on the roads.

And Peters says if gas prices continue to rise as some analysts predict,  Houston drivers will "respond to the pressures of pragmatic constraints" and take an interest in that funny little vehicle in their neighbor's driveway.

"When fuel costs go up, people get very interested in energy-efficient vehicles of every kind."

B-Cycle Runs Denver and San Antonio Bike Shares (Photo: Andrea Bernstein)

(Houston, TX -- Gail Delaughter, KUHF)  A city that loves to drive is taking its first step toward setting up a bike share program. Starting this spring, people in downtown Houston will be able to use  solar-powered kiosks to check out bikes for short trips.

The city has given a $105,000 contract to B-Cycle to operate the program.

The program is starting on a small scale, in what officials term as a "demonstration" of the technology. There will be a total of 18 bikes and three kiosks, located within blocks of each other at three downtown locations. One will be at the convention center, another at the main public library, and a third kiosk will be located at Market Square park. Users of the system can register on a website or at the kiosk themselves.

Ray Cruz with Houston's Fleet Management Department says over the next year they'll gauge the public's interest in the program, as well as how it should be set up on a wider scale. "Obviously the city of Houston's footprint is huge, and to satisfy our needs we have to take into account how it would be received." If the program expands in the future, the city will have to set up individual systems for different neighborhoods, considering Houston's sprawling geographical area. Officials are also talking about setting up kiosks near the city's expanding light rail lines.

Houston is listed as a non-attainment area by the EPA in terms of air quality, and the heavily car-dependent city has been looking at bike sharing for the past couple of years as a way to reduce vehicle emissions. The pilot program is modeled after San Antonio's bike share, which currently has 20 kiosks at popular destinations. The Wisconsin company that installed San Antonio's system, B-Cycle LLC, will also install the Houston system.

The Houston City Council has approved a $105,000 contract to get things up and running. Each bike cost a little under $1000 and the kiosks cost about $10,000. The project is funded through an EPA climate showcase grant and will be operated through a partnership with the city and the nonprofit group Bike Houston. A local bike shop has volunteered to maintain the bikes at no cost for a year.

Cruz says response to the bike share pilot program has been positive so far. The city has been working to develop an extensive bikeway network, which now totals about 460 miles. Also figures from 2011 show a big jump in the number of Houstonians who ride their bikes to work.

The city is currently working on a website where people can sign up for the program.

New York and Chicago are expected to launch their bike share programs this summer.

Guests sign a commemorative document as Houston receives its first-ever federal funds for light rail construction. Photo by Gail Delaughter/KUHF

(Houston, TX -- Gail Delaughter, KUHF)  On the plus side for Houston's year in transportation: a light rail project received its first-ever federal funding, an ambitious highway project broke ground, bicycle commuting is up, and the Port of Houston is doing brisk business. The flip side: over 30,000 homes in Houston have no cars and no access to buses, trains, or park and rides, and an expensive legal battle continues to wage over the city's now-defunct red light cameras.

After earlier controversy over violations of the government’s “Buy America” provisions, Houston’s Metropolitan Transit Authority secured its first-ever federal funding for light rail construction. Metro is getting close to a billion dollars. The money will pay for the northbound extension of the Red Line, currently Houston’s only line in operation, as well as a new line from downtown to the southeast section of the city. Metro CEO George Greanias said the funding agreement shows Metro “is serious about transit and will be a good partner, and is somebody worth investing in.”

The legal squabble continues over Houston’s red light cameras.  Houston residents voted to do away with the cameras, but the company that operates the devices sued for breach of contract.  American Traffic Solutions says it’s owed 25 million dollars, while the city disputes that amount.  Proponents of the devices said the technology saved lives by deterring would-be red light runners, while opponents argued the cameras increased the number of rear-end collisions and were more about making money than about safety.

Houston-area officials gathered in September to break ground for a new segment of State Highway 99, also known as the Grand Parkway.  When completed, the 170-mile roadway will be the third loop around the city and will pass through seven counties.  The project moves forward despite protests from the local chapter of the Sierra Club, which fears the project will harm ecologically-sensitive grasslands.

Business is strong at the Port of Houston.  A recent study shows the port has a $118 billion economic impact in Texas.  There’s also state and local sales tax revenues, pegged at close to $4 billion.  Port officials say tonnage is up, and a lot of that has to do with the amount of steel pipe that’s coming in for increased drilling activity.  The Port of Houston now wants to upgrade facilities to handle larger ships that will come into the Gulf of Mexico after the widening of the Panama Canal.

In a heavily car-dependent city, Houston cycling activists are encouraging people to try pedal power to get around.  Figures from the League of American Bicyclists show a 62 percent increase in the number of bike commuters. The idea of cycling to work isn’t always an easy sell in a city known for its extreme summer heat, but Houston’s Bicyclist-Pedestrian Coordinator is touting the benefits of leaving the car in the garage.

Honda cars and pickup trucks continue to top Houston’s list of most-stolen vehicles.  The Houston Police Department says Hondas are popular with thieves eyeing vehicles for street racing.  Auto theft investigators say the stolen pickups are frequently taken to the Mexican border where they’re used for drug running and immigrant smuggling.

Houston was near the top of a list of cities with large numbers of no car/no transit households. According to a Brookings Institution study, over 30,000 homes in the city lack vehicles and access to buses, trains, or park and rides. The author of the study said increasing numbers of low income families are moving from the city out to the suburbs,  and in cities like Houston these can be quite isolated areas, almost ‘transit deserts.”

Read about our other year in review posts here.

Hobby Airport in Houston. Photo by Gail Delaughter/KUHF

(Houston, TX -- Gail Delaughter, KUHF)   The Houston Airport System is expecting over two million travelers this holiday season and that means long lines at security at its two major facilities.

Most passengers travel in and out of five terminals at Bush Intercontinental, the sprawling hub 20 miles north of downtown that's known locally as the "Big Airport." Budget-minded and short-hop travelers go to Hobby Airport, a much smaller facility that sits at the edge of a residential area in southeast Houston. Hobby handles a much smaller percentage of the traffic, but officials there expect about a three percent increase in travel over last year's holiday period.

So as families hit the airport laden with luggage and gifts, airport spokeswoman Roxanne Butler is putting out seasonal reminders for folks who don't travel a lot, stuff that's become a fact of life for the seasoned business traveler. If you don't want to bog down the security line, keep it simple.

"Don't wear all the jewelry, and if you have a belt, make sure it's easy to get on and off, shoes, easy to slip on and off."

But there's good news for parents traveling with cranky kids.

"They are allowing kids 12 and under to keep their shoes on while they're going through the checkpoints, which will speed it up because we see a lot of large families."

The three-ounce rule is still in effect for liquids in carry-ons but there are exceptions for medications, baby formula, and breast milk. Butler says aside from what in a bottle, it's important to consider other items that contain liquids, like a snow globe you may be giving as a gift.

"You know, it's happened to my family, where they have a jar of olives and they forget, oh my gosh, there is liquid in it. And you have to drain it before you go through the checkpoint."

Travelers are also being advised again this year to keep gifts unwrapped in case TSA agents need to see inside.

Butler says passengers can stay on top of any delays by following Bush Intercontinental on Twitter @iah and Hobby @HobbyAirport.

(Houston, TX -- Gail Delaughter, KUHF)  In a place where it's not all that unusual to celebrate Christmas in shorts and flip-flops, winter driving may be the last thing on Houstonians' minds. Karen Othon with the Texas Department of Transportation says that's what makes icy weather in the region all the more dangerous.

"We don't drive on snow and ice. You know, we're not used to it. And especially ice on the bridges and overpasses, it's just not safe. So we just say, don't get out on the roads if you don't have to."

Many Houston-area businesses close for the day on those rare instances when ice glazes the freeway. But for the hardy souls who have to brave the elements, state transportation crews stand ready to de-ice bridges and overpasses in the six-county Houston area. Trucks that spread herbicide in the winter do double-duty as de-icing trucks, spreading magnesium chloride to keep drivers from sliding and skidding.

"We don't do it on the main lanes because the main lanes don't tend to ice over. It's your more elevated structures that will ice. Plus it's a more efficient use of the materials."

Transportation officials say crews with the Houston District applied about 40,000 gallons of magnesium chloride during severe weather events in the area last winter. To get ready for a possible repeat this winter, Othon says Houston residents can do their part by taking advantage of the warm days to make sure their vehicle is ready for extreme cold. She says drivers need to check their vehicles' anti-freeze levels for one. She adds it's also a good idea to toss a blanket in the trunk, just in case.

Photo by Gail Delaughter/KUHF

(Houston, TX -- Gail Delaughter, KUHF)   On a cold and sunny morning, construction workers in hard hats mingled with dignitaries under a tent at a northside Houston rail construction site. With the downtown skyline towering in the background, Metropolitan Transit Authority Chairman Gilbert Garcia kicked off events with a countdown and a shout of "Houston, we have liftoff."

The occasion was a signing ceremony for a first-ever agreement that brings federal dollars to Houston for rail construction. But it's something that almost didn't happen.

Metro has already been given $250 million of that money. It will fund a five-mile northward expansion of the Red Line, the only light rail line currently in operation in Houston. The money will also pay for the Purple Line, a seven-mile route that runs from downtown to the southeast.

Photo by Gail Delaughter/KUHF

(Houston, TX -- Gail Delaughter, KUHF)  When you check out the list of most stolen vehicles in Houston you typically see heavy-duty trucks, usually Ford and Chevys.  But during the month of October Honda cars took the top spot. Police say close to two hundred Hondas were reported stolen, and they have a good idea as to why those cars are popular with thieves.

"People have gone out and taken some older cars, turned around and upgraded the motors and transmissions for street racing," said Houston Police Department Auto Theft Investigator Jim Woods.

He explained that Honda has turned out a lot of cars over the years and that means there's a lot of available vehicles. Woods says motors burn out during the wear and tear of street racing, so thieves will go looking for a vehicle they can use for replacement parts. Cars that are modified for racing can also wind up stolen.

"So if you have somebody that's got a car they've turned around, and made some modifications to, they could have put quite a bit of money into it. And performance-wise it could have a lot more horsepower that what it was originally designed for," Woods added.

And while cars top the list of stolen vehicles, Woods says trucks are still popular targets. He says stolen trucks are often taken to border areas where they're used to transport illegal immigrants. They're also used to smuggle drugs. Trucks are preferred by thieves who want to evade police, Wood, says. "They just drive [the stolen vehicle] off-road and drive as far back as they can before everybody bails out."

Noticeably absent from Houston's stolen-car list are high-end vehicles like Mercedes and BMW. Woods says the reason for that is that luxury cars aren't sold in the same volume as less-expensive vehicles. Also manufacturers have made those cars harder to steal.

Listen to the radio version of this story at KUHF.

Rail Line Under Construction on Houston's East End. Photo by Gail Delaughter/KUHF.

(Houston, TX -- Gail Delaughter, KUHF) As Houston's Metropolitan Transit Authority prepares to receive millions of dollars in federal funds for new light rail construction, officials say they're pleased with the progress of three new lines. Those lines will take riders into downtown from the north, east, and southeast sections of the city.

The construction is bringing headaches for local residents and businesses, but Metro officials say they're hoping to keep those problems to a minimum as they build a major component of their mobility plan.

On a recent tour that took reporters on a bumpy van ride down a north side commercial strip, Metro Senior Vice-President David Couch pointed out a busy construction site where crews are preparing to put down rails for the Red Line. It's an extension of the only line currently in operation, which passes through the Medical Center, the Museum District, and downtown. It's one of three projects now underway to expand Houston's light rail.

"What we will have by 2014, is we will have 14 miles of new rail in town. It will be the work that we're getting done on the six-mile southeast line, five miles on the north line, three miles on the east end, and then the existing seven-and-a-half mile starter system."

The work is happening in three phases. First there's the utility work. Then come street and sidewalks improvements. In the final phase crews lay down the tracks.

"We take one particular stretch, do the work on one side, switch to the other side, and maintain access as thoroughly as we possibly can."

Couch says they're doing the work in segments to avoid problems businesses and residents experienced along Main Street, a busy thoroughfare that experienced numerous shutdowns during the construction of the original line 10 years ago.

"If you look at what happens when we get the roadway completed, and we're working only on the tracks in the center, that's minimal effect because we're basically in the configuration that the light rail will be."

But Couch says despite the new construction schedule he knows businesses are inconvenienced. Parking lot access is often difficult as customers have to deal with construction equipment and barricades. Crews have to put up temporary signs and drivers have to navigate over large metal plates used as driveways. Also some customers may avoid the area altogether.

"We have a unique program that we have in place, that is a unique opportunity that has not been done anyplace else that provides assistance as a result of utility interruptions, or a general decrease in revenue, of up to 25-thousand dollars for any individual business."

Some of the rail work is funded with local bond issues and sales taxes earmarked for Metro. The agency will also sign an agreement later this month securing $900 million in federal funds. It's the first time federal money has come to Houston for rail construction.

Metro says the new trains are set to run in early 2014.

Metro light rail in downtown Houston (photo by Gail Delaughter/KUHF)

Going back to his days as a college instructor, Metropolitan Transit Authority CEO George Greanias rolled up his sleeves and moved around the room with a wireless mic as he gave the annual "State of Metro" address. He used the occasion to tell Houston business leaders that federal funding is now on the way for new light rail lines. It's the first time Houston has received federal dollars for rail projects.

"That's a major step forward," he said. "It allows us to complete two lines, the North Line and the Southeast Line, which are essential parts of the long-range transit plans."

The $900 million for the projects was in danger under Metro's previous leadership, when the Federal Transit Administration investigated the agency for violating "Buy America" provisions. Rules state that transit vehicles for federally-funded projects have to be bought from U.S. companies. Metro was looking at buying rail cars from a Spanish firm. That issue has now been resolved, and Greanias said it appears the federal government now views Metro as being committed to solving the area's mobility issues.

"For a long time I'm not sure that was the thought up there. But I think this represents a conclusion by the federal government that Metro is serious about transit and it will be a good partner, and is somebody worth investing in."

One of the projects under that grant is the extension of the Red Line, which currently includes major stops such as Reliant Stadium, the Texas Medical Center, and the Museum District. The seven mile Red Line is Houston's only rail line now in operation. The new Purple Line will run to the southeast of downtown, taking riders to the University of Houston. The allocation hasn't been approved yet by Congress, but Greanias sounded confident that will happen.

"We'll have a contract," he said, "and what that will do will give us a strong level of assurance that the federal government will pay out the $900 million subject to Congressional appropriation. And I think, from everyone we've talked to, from the people on Capitol Hill, the appropriations for these particular grants are secure."

Greanias also said sales tax revenues earmarked for Metro are up, but the agency is taking a conservative approach in managing those funds. And he said the agency was working hard on transparency, as well as getting the public more involved in planning future transportation projects.

"That's the most important piece," he said. "I think everything we do could not be done effectively without good partnering with the community. I think that's the biggest single change we've made. We're reaching out and people are reaching back to us."

Along with the light rail line, Metro operates 1300 buses that pick people up at 1200 stops around Houston. The agency also operates park and rides for commuters and Metrolift services for the handicapped.

Overlay on I-45 in north Houston. Photo courtesy Texas Department of Transportation.

Commuters along a segment of I-45 in north Houston are noticing a smoother ride these days. Engineers with the Texas Department of Transportation say a three-layer resurfacing project is smoothing out bumps for drivers. They also say the new surface will help the road better withstand a high volume of truck traffic, and that means less repair work.

TxDOT Assistant Area Engineer Henry Quiroga says the one-mile strip of freeway carries about 290,000 vehicles a day in both directions.

"The existing roadway was exhibiting a lot of cracking, potholes, and it was requiring maintenance on a more regular basis than desired."

Quiroga laid out small samples of asphalt on the hood of his truck to explain the three-layer process that transformed the bumpy roadway into a smooth, glasslike surface. First, crews milled out four inches of the existing road bed. They then put down a hot asphalt rubberized surface that's designed to seal the road bed from water. On top of that layer goes a fine mix of asphalt.

"The rich bottom layer, or RBL, is intended to actually move and flex with the roadway. Since it is a concrete sub-surface it's going to tend to crack, so this is intended to try to deter the cracking for as long as possible."

The final layer is a coarse two-inch asphalt mixture. Quiroga says the layers are designed to work together to handle the heavy volume of traffic, especially trucks. The smoothness of the roadway is gauged throughout the process. One of the things they look at is bumps per mile.

"We offer an incentive and a disincentive to the contractor. If he achieves good to excellent ride quality, this contractor stands to make up to $15,000 bonus."

The project costs $1.9 million and was completed in about two weeks. Quiroga says like any road surface, potholes and cracks will develop over time. But he says their intent is to lengthen the amount of time between repairs -- and that will mean fewer detours for drivers.

You can listen to the story here.

Bayport Container Terminal near Houston. Photo courtesy of Port of Houston.

(Houston--KUHF) The Port of Houston is busy these days. There are 25 miles of public and private facilities along the Houston Ship Channel, which brings in traffic from Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Figures show the port ranks first in the U.S. in handling foreign waterborne tonnage and second in terms of overall tonnage. Officials tout numbers from a recent study showing the port has about a 118 billion dollar economic impact in Texas. There's also state and local sales tax revenues, pegged at close to four billion dollars.

"Any business that can demonstrate profitability in these times of economic uncertainty is on the right path," said Houston Port Authority Chairman Jim Edmond outlined successes and challenges in his annual "State of the Port" address.

Edmonds says diverse cargo is part of the reason for the port's strong performance in down economic times. They're handling more steel pipe for one, showing a 62 percent increase from last year, and officials say that's because of increased drilling activity. Edmonds cited a ten percent increase in total tonnage for the first nine months of the year, along with a 12 percent increase in revenue and a 35 percent increase in net income.

"The worst thing for the people of Houston and the state of Texas is to operate as though we are in a recession. We aren't. Economic recession can be a fear-driven dynamic," he said optimistically.

Still, challenges lie ahead for the Port of Houston. The widening and deepening of the Panama Canal is only a couple of years away and that could bring ships to Houston that are two to three times larger than the ones the port currently serves.

It's what Edmonds calls a "game changer." He says it will require three billion dollars in capital improvements to get ready for the bigger vessels. That includes work on six wharves at the 35-year-old Barbours Cut terminal, which sits at the mouth of Galveston Bay. Work is slated to begin next year.

"It's expected to take about 18 months to modernize each wharf at Barbours Cut at a cost of $25 million per wharf, and about $65 million per wharf to equip it with wharf cranes and RTG cranes," the shorthand for rubber tire gantry cranes for stacking and storing large quantities of shipping containers

Edmonds says the Port of Houston is one of about a dozen ports around the U.S. that's aggressively getting ready to handle the larger ships, in what he calls a "high-stakes" competition.

(Map of Baytown. Photo by Gail Delaughter)

Just east of Houston, residents huddled over maps at a recent community meeting,  giving ideas for what officials say will be a blueprint for future growth.   The city of Baytown doesn't have the multi-lane freeways and sprawl of its larger neighbor, but the community of over 70,000 people has its own particular challenges when it comes to mobility.

On its website the city of Baytown promotes itself as the place "where oil and water really do mix."   The area has three large petrochemical refineries along with many other smaller industries,  and officials say their proposed mobility plan will address those needs.   One thing they want to do is create better access from the nearby Houston Ship Channel to the Grand Parkway,  a segment of highway that could eventually become  a 180-mile loop around the Houston area.  They also want to look at quality-of-life issues for residents,  like connecting hike-and-bike trails and making it easier to walk to transit stops.

Modern-day Baytown is made up of three separate communities that formed during the oil boom of the early 20th century.  Those three towns merged in the 1940's, but when they came together  their street grids didn't match up. And it's something Baytown still deals with today.

"It would be nice to be able to plan these things instead of them happening after the fact."

One of the residents taking part in the meetings is Rusty Senac, who says what Baytown desperately needs right now is better north-south and east-west arteries.   Senac says getting from one business to another is also a problem.

"You actually have to leave a business, go out on the roadway, to go to the business next door.   A lot of times there's not connectivity between large retail centers.  And it seems like that would be a very simple fix."

Land surveyor James McClellan says Baytown's hodgepodge of development also makes things difficult for people who get around on foot.  Many areas of the city don't have sidewalks.  That's a problem for kids, now that the local school district is limiting bus service because of budget cuts. McClellan says if you want to know where to build sidewalks just look for the well-worn foot paths on the side of the road.

"You have areas where there's less population in that general area.  There's not a great need for sidewalks. You can go a half-mile down the road, adjacent to maybe an apartment complex or two, and there always seems to be a need for sidewalks in those areas. And it's very evident on the side of the roadways."

Jim Harvey is one of the consultants working on the project.

"How do we create a community that can help its population stay here and make this a lifelong place to live, grow up, work, and retire, and have a community that's truly sustainable?"

The city will hold several more public meetings before the issue goes to the Baytown City Council. A vote on the plan is expected early next year.

(Photo courtesy of Houston Downtown Management District)

Many cities offer free shuttles to help people move around their downtown areas.  Fort Worth, Texas has "Molly the Trolley" which takes visitors between hotels and various attractions.  Denver has its free "MallRide" bus which transports riders near its 16th Street Mall.  Smaller cities like Des Moines, Iowa and Savannah, Georgia also have free shuttles.  But in Houston,  a trip through downtown will cost you.  There's a $6.00 flat fare for cabs, and a ride of any distance on the bus or rail costs $1.25.  The only option for getting around cheap is to walk or bike.
But starting next year,  locals and visitors will be able to get around for free on the new Greenlink Route.   Seven buses powered by compressed natural gas will ferry riders along a 2.5 mile route, stopping at destinations like City Hall and the Theatre District.  City officials hope the route will help revitalize downtown retail business,  because  office workers can get to  stores that may be too far away for a lunch-hour walk.  Like a lot of older downtown areas, many people don't see it as a shopping destination and parking is one of the big reasons.

Officials also say it will make the nation's fourth-largest city a more attractive destination for conventions and tourism.   Thousands of people attend events each year at the city's huge George R. Brown Convention Center, and officials say the free shuttle will be a selling point as they try to lure more conventions and trade shows.  Right now, many organizations run their own free shuttles during conventions.

Houston has been without a free shuttle downtown since the Metropolitan Transit Authority stopped operating its trolley buses several years ago. Ridership fell on the trolleys after Metro imposed a 50-cent fare in 2004. The shuttle ceased operating the next year.

The new Greenlink buses will be operated through a public-private partnership. Involved in the effort are the Houston Downtown Management District, the Houston First Corporation, which manages city-owned venues, and the energy company BG Group, which just opened a downtown office. Startup costs for the Greenlink line amount to $3.7 million, with the bulk of the money coming from two Federal Transit Administration grants.  The buses will cost about a million dollars a year to operate.

Mayor Annise Parker says along with helping people get around downtown quicker, the natural gas buses are also part of the city's commitment to clean energy. "Being more sustainable, being more environmentally conscious, is also often, in fact most often, good for the bottom line."

The 28-seat buses will be manufactured in the US by Gillig LLC, and officials are touting  amenities such as  "high-quality air conditioning." That will no doubt be a relief to riders when the buses start running next May. Parker says the Greenlink line should create about 30 new jobs.

(photo by Gail Delaughter)

If you hear a radio traffic reporter in Houston say that a portion of the freeway is closed because of an "accident investigation," it usually means there's been a fatality. Drivers can expect lengthy backups for at least the next couple of hours as busy roadways grind to a sudden halt. They'll then have to detour onto feeder roads and neighborhood streets. But what, exactly, are the police doing?

Houston Assistant Police Chief John Trevino says on any given weekend there's at least one freeway shutdown, and it's usually the result of an accident caused by a drunk driver. Houston bars close at 2:00 AM and a wreck shortly thereafter can keep a roadway closed until well after sunrise.  Police have to gather evidence for felony cases as serious as intoxication manslaughter. In Texas  that offense could get someone up to ten years in prison.

Trevino says when there's been a fatality,  the police department sends a team of six accident investigators. They take photos, measure skid marks, and examine debris patterns. Not wanting to cause another accident, police set up two separate barricades to ensure investigators' safety as traffic is detoured off the freeway. A prosecutor from the district attorney's office also reports to the scene, and Trevino says that can also add to the closure time if there's a delay in getting someone there.

If the wreck involves an eighteen-wheeler or a fuel spill, the shutdown could last even longer. Trevino says if there's damage to a bridge or overpass, a crew from the Texas Department of Transportation has to make an assessment before the road can reopen.

And, like any crime scene,  it's crucial to gather evidence quickly. Troy Walden with the Texas Transportation Institute says if cars were allowed to pass while police did their investigation, it would be much more difficult to figure out what happened.

"For instance you have short-lived evidence such as your skid marks and debris patterns such as glass patterns that are spread across the roadway surfaces, fluid transfer. And all those things are very short-lived evidence. And in order to be able to capture that, we have to shut it down so that other cars don't run through and disrupt the patterns and eradicate a lot of the evidence."

Houston police say if there's a high-profile accident they may have to shut down the freeway a second time for additional investigation, but they try to do it at a time when there's the least inconvenience to drivers.

Bikeway in Houston's historic Heights neighborhood (Photo by Gail Delaughter.)

As Houston city officials look at ways to relieve congestion on the freeways, they're encouraged by figures from the League of American Biyclists showing a 62 percent jump in the number of bike commuters.  The idea of cycling to work isn't always an easy sell in a city known for its car culture and extreme summertime heat, but City of Houston Bicyclist-Pedestrian Coordinator Dan Raine is touting the benefits of leaving your motor vehicle at home -- or getting rid of it altogether.

Houston currently has around 460 miles of bikeways covering a huge geographic area (around 500 square miles).  Bikeways include designated lanes on city streets, as well as popular bike trails that meander along waterways and pass through shady parks. Other trails run along rail beds and through historic neighborhoods. Cyclists can also make part of their trip by bus, attaching their bike to a rack on the front grill. If it's a large park-and-ride bus they can stow their bike in the luggage compartment.

But Raine says it takes more than just new bikeways to encourage Houstonians to cycle to work. There are practical concerns, especially on triple-digit days when a cycling commuter may have a big meeting scheduled with clients. Raine encourages local businesses to provide a place where cycling commuters can freshen up before hitting the conference room. He says some progressive-minded companies are providing showers for workers as part of a commitment to going green.

Raine says commuting by bike means families can get rid of their extra car and the expenses that go along with it. There are fitness benefits, too. In a city also known for its freeway fast food joints, cycling is one way you can work off stress after a tough day at the office and burn some calories in the process.

"I've known some people that actually ended up selling their cars and going to a one-car family," he said. "People lose weight. They find that they just have a little less stress in their life, because they're able to get out there and get the exercise that they need."

There's also the issue of bike security. Raine says businesses can encourage bike commuting by allowing employees to bring their bikes inside, or by providing a secure parking area outside for both workers and customers. He says if there are "honest eyes" keeping watch on the bikes in a well-trafficked area, people will feel more comfortable about cycling for work and errands.