KHOU has an online video clip talking about a plan to use the Harris County Toll Road’s E-Z Tags to pay for parking in city garages at the airport. Sounds innovative. So of course Dallas has been doing that with the TollTag for how long now? Maybe Houston should work harder on actually getting out in front than on claiming it is out in front.

Then again, the last time Houston decided to be really innovative, the city decided to put electronic transmitters on all their water meters. Including the ones in the ground–and Houston’s Public Works was the first department in the nation to do so. Electronic devices in mud, that’s great idea. Of course, then they let their meter reader force attrit until there were too few people to maintain them, since automation meant they weren’t needed anymore. So scofflaws who cut the lines can go months without a fix. And becasue people are tied up with that, there’s no one to do the regular meter maintenance. Of course there’s also the minor consideration that the four-year program to install them is now halfway through its sixth year and third contractor. And meter replacements are running so far ahead of normal that city is now emplacing used meters for some classes.

Maybe Houston should just let someone else do the innovation, after all.