Houston monorail plan, 1991

Greater Houston has always been skeptical of rapid transit, rejecting plans to build rapid transit lines in 1973 and 1983.  Then the voters changed their minds in 1988, approving Houston Mayor Kathy Whitmire’s plan to build a rapid transit line.  Whitmire wanted Houston to have a 20-mile (32 km) genuine, bona fide, electrified six-car monorail, and she threw her full support behind it.

This proved to be a mistake.  The chairman of the Harris County transit board, a 6’4”, self-made millionaire named Bob Lanier, thought a monorail was a waste of money, and successfully organized an opposition campaign.  Whitmire canned Lanier in response.  Lanier, furious, decided to run for mayor.  He argued that the monorail money would be better spent on hiring police to reduce Houston's sky-high crime rate.   This argument swayed the voters.  In a three-way race, Whitmire came in last, and Lanier won the eventual runoff election against state assemblyman (and future mayor) Sylvester Turner.  Lanier followed through on his promise and killed the monorail plan.

- Designed in New York City, printed in Nashville, Tennessee.
- Printed on satin finish 80# cover stock - 220 GSM.
- Image will be printed with a border for framing.
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