dug begley

Frequent travelers of U.S. 290 know two different eras of the freeway: Before Construction and During Construction. Before miles of construction started in 2011, U.S. 290 was a tied-up mess slowing to a crawl by increased demand. During is six years of freeway closings, lane changes and narrow stretches shared by heavy trucks – along… Continue reading

A rainbow of bicycles likely is coming to Houston sidewalks soon, so long as the yellow, green, orange and gray bikes do not get blacklisted by a skeptical City Council. Houston officials are poised to open the city to at least six dockless bike-sharing companies that will distribute the readily-available cycles throughout the 11 council… Continue reading

Sporting goods and hardware stores are reporting increased sales and interest in on solar power generation, batteries and water filtration, as many people try to prepare for what they recognize is an eventuality in Houston: Living without aid for a few days. Even some items at grocery stores are doing brisk sales after the waters… Continue reading

Gerald Sanchez and his father, Sam, are true Houston sports fans. Not even a stroke that confined Sam to a wheelchair six years ago could sideline their attendance at Astros, Rockets and Texans games. Sam’s wheelchair, however, did keep them out of Minute Maid Park for the past two playoff series, a casualty of the… Continue reading

Calling a planned high-speed rail connection to Dallas “an idea whose time has come,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner signed an agreement Thursday with the bullet train’s backers that both sides said is the first of many steps to making the trip a reality. “This is the starting point to begin the process of definitive agreements,”… Continue reading

Citing a need to protect Texans, Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday signed a bill banning texting while driving, shortly before calling on lawmakers to set clear statewide standards for all phone use behind the wheel. “It took 10 years, but we got here,” said State Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, who championed the bill with State… Continue reading

Anyone who’s sat long enough in Texas traffic knows it feels like going in circles. So maybe it’s fitting that one day it could be replaced with a loop that could make traveling from Houston to San Antonio, Austin or Dallas take about as long as a drive to Galveston. No, seriously. Four cities in… Continue reading

So the project some only dreamed about is, at least on paper, a reality, pending the allocation of more than $900 million for the reconstruction of two major interstate intersections in the downtown area. Though these first steps are incremental compared to the overall plan, officials say they are important and send the clear message:… Continue reading

State lawmakers on Tuesday moved to derail plans for a privately-funded high-speed rail line in Texas, filing nearly two dozen bills to stop the project in its tracks or lessen its effect on landowners should trains roll ahead. The 18 bills, nine in the Texas Senate with companions in the Texas House, and five others… Continue reading

Since 2004 when the original 7.5 miles of the Red Line opened, the train has been a source of tension and frustration for drivers. Though many lament the loss of block after block of left turns from Main, others have always questioned the safety of having trains intersect with vehicle traffic. Incidents are common enough… Continue reading