Free Republic

The transit agency says 850,636 trips were taken on the subway yesterday. Metro spokesman Steve Taubenkibel says that shatters the previous record of 811,257 trips taken the day of President Clinton's first inauguration in January 1993.

Attack on Metro 'foiled by raids' (Filed: 10/06/2004) Islamic militants arrested in a series of raids across Europe were planning a suicide attack on the Paris Metro, according to their arrest warrant. The 27-page Italian judicial document included transcribed telephone conversations in which the suspects discussed the Metro system, security arrangements and a "martyr" referred to as Mohamed. The warrant, seen by the Reuters news agency, was used to detain Rabei Osman Sayed Ahmed, known as "Mohamed the Egyptian", a former Egyptian army explosives expert believed to be one of the masterminds of the Madrid commuter train attacks. Those blasts...

WASHINGTON -- A judge said Wednesday that a federal law aimed at restricting the display of paid, pro-marijuana ads in buses and subway stations is unconstitutional, improperly infringing on free speech rights. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman came in a lawsuit challenging the law that cuts off up to $3.1 billion in federal funds to local transit authorities if they display ads promoting the legalization or medical use of marijuana or other drugs. Fearing a loss of at least $85 million in federal aid, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority earlier this year declined to run ads...

Now that Virginia’s fiscal solvency has been secured with the conclusion of a budget agreement, it’s time to face an unpleasant fact: The new budget does nothing to help Northern Virginia cope with its transportation funding crisis. The most significant part of that crisis is the chronic capital shortfall and deferred reinvestment that threatens the Metro system. The engine of the Commonwealth’s economy, from which the lion’s share of new tax revenues will flow, is Northern Virginia. That economic engine would seize up without Metro. But Metro is suffering from growing pains and aging pains. To keep up with growing...

FROM TODAY'S HOUSTON CHRONICLE April 22, 2004, 11:55PM Metro agrees to contract for next 4 light rail lines By LUCAS WALL Metro has taken a significant step toward the construction of Houston's next four light rail lines. Directors on Thursday authorized signing a five-year contract estimated at $60 million with STV Inc. of New York, the same consortium that shepherded development of the Main Street line, which opened Jan. 1. ... Six firms competed for the project, which includes options for two two-year extensions. Dennis Hough, the Metropolitan Transit Authority's director of contracts, said STV and its 16 subcontractors stood...

David Wolff, chairman and president of the commercial development firm Wolff Cos., recently took over as chairman of the Metropolitan Transit Authority's board of directors. Mayor Bill White tapped Wolff to oversee transit policy and the Metro Solutions expansion plan, which voters narrowly approved in November. Wolff sat down recently in his Galleria-area office with transportation reporter Lucas Wall. Question: Metro has a lot of opponents in the community -- 48 percent of voters cast their ballots against the expansion plan. What can you do to improve the agency's image and promote the benefits of mass transit? Answer: It's unfortunate...

Excerpts: "Budget disputes in Maryland and Virginia and on Capitol Hill threaten to push the region's transit system into a "death spiral" littered with broken-down trains, overcrowded buses, frozen escalators and crumbling parking lots, Metro's top manager said yesterday." . . . "The 27-year-old transit system needs $1.5 billion over the next six years for maintenance, the purchase of enough rail cars to run eight-car trains and prevent jampacked conditions, and to buy 185 additional buses to alleviate crowding on popular routes. The first down payment of $34 million is due in October, when Metro must order 50 of 120...

U.S. officials expressed concern yesterday that terrorists might target passenger railroads and subways in the United States after the deadly synchronized bombings on three trains in Spain on Thursday, but in a confidential bulletin to local authorities federal officials acknowledged that transit systems are difficult to secure against a sneak attack. "We acknowledge the U.S. rail sector has vulnerabilities which terrorists may choose to exploit," said the bulletin, sent Thursday to local law enforcement officials and transit authorities. "Trains and rail stations remain potential targets for terrorist groups due to their reduced security (in comparison to airports)." Transit systems across...

Crowds Force METRORail To Cut Service 2 Park & Rides Closed HOUSTON -- For the second night in a row, large crowds at METRORail stations forced officials to shut down some of the light-rail route and implement their emergency plan. Service for the new transit system was stopped at Main and Walker Thursday and Friday night when METRO police became concerned that crowded streets could lead to trouble. "Once it got to a point that we had too many pedestrians to operate safely, we discontinued rail through the downtown area," said Chief Tom Lambert, with METRO Police. Since METRO expected...

Rail collisions worrisome The crash rate between MetroRail trains and vehicles has far exceeded that of other cities with new rail lines, prompting Metro officials Tuesday to consider more safety modifications. Since Friday, there have been three crashes involving Metropolitan Transit Authority light rail trains, including incidents Monday and Tuesday where drivers made illegal left turns. A collision Tuesday marked the 10th wreck since testing began in the fall. Five occurred during the testing phase and five more have taken place since passenger service commenced Jan. 1. Those numbers are much higher than recent experiences in Salt Lake City and...

METRORail and MeI gave our new METRORail a chance at showing me it had practical applications. Most of us probably agree that this first 7.5 mile stretch of light rail does nothing to reduce traffic congestion and is not a commuting solution. It does, however, offer some practical niche uses such as easier access to the Medical Center for staff and visitors.My Dad is recovering from surgery at Park Plaza Hospital on Herman Drive, just one block from the rail's Museum District northbound station. I drove there several times, sometimes parking in a garage and sometimes at metered parking...

<p>With the Fab Five in sellout mode " worldwide licensing deal, upcoming soundtrack series, solo gigs, contract squabbles " the sagging metrosexual movement epitomized by the Queer Eye for the Straight Guy sensibility is in need of a face lift.</p>

Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle Traffic was light so far this morning during the first day of revenue service for Metro's Main Street light rail line. There were a few bumps in the road, with an emerging complaint about parking costs and a stalled train. Ridership appeared to pick up during the lunch hour, with trains carrying numerous workers eager to check out the rail line or run errands during their break. (snip) The group was disgruntled because they had been told the first train would come through at 4:30 a.m. In fact, the first train at Smithlands passed through at...

Updated: Friday, Dec. 12, 2003 - 11:04 AM WASHINGTON (AP) - Police now say a second suspicious package has turned up in Northeast Washington. Sergeant Joe Gentile of the D.C. Metropolitan Police says a package that appears to be a briefcase was found in the 500 block of Oklahoma Ave., NE. It is being taken to parking lot "B" at RFK Stadium, where it will be disrupted. An FBI spokeswoman tells WRC-TV the package was found about 25-yards from the first one. The location is right by the tracks that carry Orange and Blue Line trains. At the request of...

<p>WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- An Oklahoma congressman is so upset over a subway ad for legalized marijuana he wants to cut the federal government's annual payment to the Metro system.</p> <p>Change the Climate Inc. has been using public service advertising space on the Metro since 2001, the Washington Post reported Wednesday, but it was the latest round of advertising, this fall that drew the ire of Rep. Ernest J. Istook Jr., R-Okla.</p>

Metro bus kills another pedestrian in downtown Houston Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle For the second time in less than a month, a Metro bus has run over and killed a pedestrian downtown. A woman was killed while trying to cross the intersection of Smith and St. Joseph Parkway just before 9 a.m. The pedestrian signal the victim was facing when she started across the street was evidently out of order and half-covered by a rag. Afterward, officials were reportedly called to the intersection to check the traffic lights. No officials were seen repairing the pedestrian-crossing light as of 11:30 a.m.,...

Houston Area Election Returns Live Thread A special thanks to those among us that worked so hard on the candidate and issue campaigns and/or are working today as election officials - PetroniDE, Bushdude2000, Antivenom and GOPCapitalist. If you know of others that need recognition please let us know.Post results here as you find them. Cheer on your candidate! Root for your issue! 

METRO-sexual:The Chronicle's 'unctuous' love affair with light railFor the past several election cycles Houstonians have been subjected to a biannual barrage of propaganda for light rail and the candidates who support it, only this time they decided to make it into a yearlong jubilee. The celebration got off to a bumpy start for the city’s venerable leading disinformation source last year when somebody accidentally posted their battle strategy on the internet. The Chron’s internal memo, which was first reported on by the Review, outlined in detail a year long plan to use their newsprint as a campaign organ for METRO’s...

Return of the Streetcars:METRO says its light rail is hi-tech. And they may be right…if only the year was 1923Though largely unknown to most Houstonians, our city once had one of the largest streetcar systems in the nation. During the 1920’s Houston boasted 90 miles of electric railway track extending to one-time suburbs such as the Heights and Bellaire. In addition to the streetcar system two higher speed connector lines carried travelers daily to Baytown and Galveston. Today little remains of the once-extensive Houston Electric Railway system that operated between the end of the Civil War and the beginning of...

— Eyewitness News has learned that a US Congressman has asked for a federal investigation into METRO's finances. Eyewitness News was first to report early this week that documents obtained from the federal government indicate that METRO may see a $116 million shortfall through 2009. Congressman John Culberson says he's asked the US Attorney's office to investigate METRO. He wants to know if a violation of federal law has taken place. His Houston transportation advisor tells us METRO is trying to make the public believe it's more economically viable than it really is. "I don't know why the numbers are...