More proof that Metro is out of control

Ok, I have been quiet on the "lets all bash metro front" for a while but this article in today's business section of the Chronicle has me up on the soapbox one more time. Houston mass transit company works to pick up speed

Here are a few choice bits from the article

A Houston company hopes to prove its soaring rail design is the best solution for new mass transit systems, but you won't get to ride on it anytime soon unless you're in China.

Plans call for the system's 2.7-mile route to sweep high over a bay to Liugong Island, linking the Chinese tourist destination with the Weihai central business district.

Company officials hope to use the China project as a springboard for other sales. Aerobus executives say that its installations have operated reliably for millions of passenger miles. However, the company has built no systems in the U.S., where only a handful of monorails are in operation.

To start with we have a local company that has a mass transit solution and there is not one in the US.

Aerobus was one of 11 companies Metro invited in 2004 to present their products at a forum hosted by Houston's Metropolitan Transit Authority to examine technologies for transit lines. And the company has held talks recently with Metro, Stallings said.
"The engineers did like the technology and wanted to consider it for future routes, as they already selected light rail for the Richmond corridor," Stallings said.

The pylons can be placed as far apart as 6,600 feet, Aerobus officials say. They say that makes it cheaper than other kinds of rail systems because it requires less land and saves on construction costs. Aerobus estimates it costs $10 million to $15 million per mile to construct versus $30 million for conventional monorail and $45 million for light rail.

Now how about that for a kick in the face, here metro is presented with an option that will cost between up to 70% less than light rail and WILL NOT cause the construction problems that light rail will and they walk away from it. Makes you wonder if anyone at Metro is willing to take a chance on something new, or if they are all bought and paid for by the light rail manufacturers?

A round trip from Weihai to Liugong Island will take 15 minutes. Aerobus is working on final designs. It has ordered the vehicles and will soon order the cable needed. Stallings said construction will take 26 to 30 weeks

And so finallyyou find out the trip on this system will run 2.7 miles and take 15 minutes, and take only 1/2 year to build. If Metro is serious about mass transit in the City of Houston then maybe they should look at this as a replacement for the park-n-ride lots, as well as for routes to both airports. No that would make to much sense. I mean why would they want to do that after spending the Billions they are going to spend on Rail. I mean if they did this then they could have a true 24-7-365 commuter transit system along every major freeway and at a fraction of what it would cost otherwise.