The myth of the easy commute
Recently, I’ve been seeing advertising everywhere for Fall Creek, the giant planned community up on Beltway 8 and Highway 59. There was an insert in the Houston Press, a flyer in the mail, and even a billboard next to my own condo (above).
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the “15 minute” number is a lie; Google Maps pins the drive from Fall Creek to the very edge of Downtown at 23 minutes, and that’s without traffic. But it’s nowhere near the worst I’ve seen. 6007 Memorial, a condo at the edge of Memorial Park, advertised that you’ll be in the Medical Center in only “One poignant Billie Holiday song on your favorite CD. ” That’s 12 minutes, and even good music (or over-the-top lifestyle marketing) won’t make driving down Kirby pleasant.
But the big lie is the implication that the commute will stay easy. Fall Creek was built because 59 was just expanded and because that quadrant of Houston is still relatively undeveloped. But now there are thousands of houses being built up there. I remember when Silverlake in Pearland was advertising its short commute to the Theater District. Then, 288 was a relatively easy drive. Now, it’s among Houston’s worst . Supply (of concrete) created demand (for houses) and now TXDOT is getting ready to lay more concrete.
Ultimately, we are widening 288 not for who lives there today (because they will send up stuck in traffic again in the not too distant future) but for those who have not yet moved there. Harris County Commissioner Steve Radack said as much back in August:
Without an infusion of bond money, Radack said he may delay building or widening major thoroughfares that would provide access to pasture land where subdivisions could be built, creating more taxpayers to pay for county services, Radack said. “The more people you have in Harris County paying taxes lessens the burden on those already here,” he said.
There’s a myth that we build transportation projects to meet current demand. There’s also a myth that Houston’s growth is steered by private enterprise, not government intervention. For proof otherwise, just look at the billboards.
Feel free to complain about your commute (or about bad lifestyle advertising) in the forums.