Emmett laments lack of commuter rail along Katy Freeway

The Katy Freeway in 2001, before it was widened. The Katy Freeway in 2001, before it was widened. Photo: Christobal Perez, CHRONICLE FILE Photo: Christobal Perez, CHRONICLE FILE Image 1 of / 35 Caption Close Emmett laments lack of commuter rail along Katy Freeway 1 / 35 Back to Gallery

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett’s speech Tuesday may have included jabs at state lawmakers, but it was a hit with transit advocates for a single line.

“We cannot go back in time and undo some poor decisions, but we can learn from those decisions,” Emmett said in his prepared remarks, alluding to freeway projects that have exacerbated flooding woes. “One of the most glaring mistakes was the failure to convert the abandoned Katy rail line to commuter rail.”

The rail line from Loop 610 to Katy, sacrificed to widen Interstate 10, long has been a dividing line between highway proponents and transit fans. When the freeway assumed that right of way more than a decade ago, transit advocates called it a missed opportunity the region eventually would regret.

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That appears to be true, even as many point out the benefits wrought from widening I-10. Though traffic times along the corridor have crept back to their pre-widening levels, supporters note the larger freeway carries far more vehicles than it previously did.

“Imagine how bad it would be without it,” Congressman John Culberson said last week about the widening, at a kickoff for rebuilding the Loop 610 interchange with Interstate 69 near Uptown.

Though the rail line was removed, Metropolitan Transit Authority paid for overpasses along I-10 to be built to rail standards, meaning that if the region ever wanted to use the freeway for light rail, that is possible. Larger, commuter, trains, however would not be able to operate in the freeway.

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Still, the regret voiced by Emmett – whom many consider a proponent of road building as a champion of the Grand Parkway – demonstrates a shift, if only in tone, regarding regional transportation.

“I totally think what the Judge said is important,” said Maureen Crocker, executive director of the Gulf Coast Rail District, which has pressed for commuter rail development. “Judge Emmett has always been a supporter of the rail district, but it is important when you hear him say there was an opportunity for commuter rail.”

Huge moment at 21:00: Harris County Judge @EdEmmett publicly states that decision not to add rail transit in I-10 expansion was a "glaring mistake" & that there were "roadways that inadvertently added to our drainage woes" https://t.co/oH9xZA8mwD #StateOfCounty @HoustonTomorrow — Jay Blazek Crossley (@JayCrossley) November 29, 2017

Support among city and county officials rarely has been a challenge in the past five years, as traffic congestion has spread farther from Houston’s core into areas where people once moved to get away from the congestion.

“I think the local officials get it,” Crocker said, noting two county judges, Trey Duhon of Waller County and Craig Doyal of Montgomery County, sit on the rail board. “They all understand. I think the challenge right now is at the state. The state seems focused on highways.”

In addition to extending the Grand Parkway, state officials have plans for widening along nearly every freeway in the region. Though constrained along some corridors, such as I-10 inside the Sam Houston Tollway, many suburban sections will grow in the next two decades. Crews already are widening Interstate 45 southward to Galveston, as the Texas Department of Transportation prepares for a massive, $7 billion rebuild of I-45 through Houston’s central business district and north to the Sam Houston Tollway.

Tailoring future projects to anticipated demands will take change, officials have said. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has called for a “paradigm shift,” and Wednesday said he agreed with Emmett’s regret over losing the Katy rail link.

“We have to provide all mechanisms for multi-modal forms of transportation,” Turner said. “We just can’t do the traditional roadway expansion, we have to design a system that can be utilized for various modes, so I agree with him whole-heartedly.”

Turner also has used I-10 as an example of what not to do. He has noted that at 26 lanes, including the frontage roads near the Sam Houston Tollway, it is among the nation’s largest freeways, at a cost of about $2.2 billion.

“Now, I think it’s the seventh or eighth most congested freeway in the entire state, so we have to do better than that,” Turner said.

Crocker agreed, adding that the upcoming projects provide a chance to add transit options. The question will be if Emmett’s regret leads to changes in the status quo.

“We’ve got some opportunities, now, where we don’t want to be saying that again,” Crocker said.

Mike Morris contributed to this story.