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Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| METRO | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Locale | Houston, Texas |
| Transit type | Bus, Light Rail |
| Began operation | 1979 |
| No. of lines | 101 (2/27/07) |
| Daily ridership | 342,700 [1] |
| Operator | Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas |
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) operates bus, light rail, future commuter rail, and METROLift (paratransit) service in Harris County, Texas, which includes Houston. METRO also operates bus service to two cities in Fort Bend County.
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The Texas State Legislature authorized the creation of local transit authorities in 1973. In 1978, Houston-area voters created METRO and approved a one-cent sales tax to support its operations. METRO opened for business in January 1979. In 25 years, the Authority has transformed a broken bus fleet into a regional multimodal transportation system [2] that has a yearly ridership of 75,243,800 [3].
The agency began operation in 1979, taking over the bus service run by the City of Houston known as HouTran. METRO's service area encompasses 1,285 square miles (3328 km²) and also serves portions of an eight-county region with its vanpool service; the agency employs about 3,800 people.
METRO has been known for pioneering the use of express buses in high-occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV lanes). This was part of the reversible HOV lane concept that began in the late 1970s to early 1980s when the inside lane of a freeway would be closed and the bus would run in the "opposite" direction separated by traffic pylons. After a head-on collision involving a car and a bus occurred, the concept became permanent, as a result, the reversible HOV lane system was built over the years since.
The HOV lanes are separated from the rest of traffic with concrete barriers, run between Downtown Houston (inbound A.M. and outbound P.M.) and the suburbs and are found on the Katy Freeway, Gulf Freeway, North Freeway, Southwest Freeway, Eastex Freeway, and Northwest Freeway.
Since METRO Express buses use them during rush hour, most routes lead to the Park and Ride lots and use "secret" HOV lane exits (often elevated T-intersections) that lead to the lots (also used by vehicles as well) without having to exit the freeway to street intersections. The HOV system will soon get an overhaul in the event of major freeway construction to take place in Houston and may have HOV lanes in both directions with the concept of HOT (Toll) lanes introduced.
METRO has a very expansive, and heavily used bus system. Local bus service usually runs on city streets, stopping at every other corner along its entire route. METRO's bus service is the most used bus system in Texas and the Southwest.[4] METRO's bus service also includes the HOV/Park and Ride System. Park and Ride stations are placed along side the freeways and used heavily during peak times.
| Service Type | Current Fare | Discount Fare | Youth Fare (5-11) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day Pass | $2.00 | $.80 | $.50 | |
| 7-Day Pass | $9.00 | $4.50 | $2.70 | |
| 30-Day Pass | $35.00 | $15.00 | $9.00 |
In the fall of 2006, METRO revealed plans to rework its fare system. The new system will involve pre-paid fare cards, called Q Cards, that must be recharged at METRO stores. Transfers will be electronically added to the card each time it is used. Frequent users will enjoy "Rider Rewards" which offer five free rides for every fifty paid trips. Senior citizens 65 and over will continue to receive a discounted rate as will disabled patrons. Senior citizens over 70 may ride for free.
METRO operates 27 different Park and Ride locations [5]. The Park and Ride locations are:
West locations
- Kingsland Park and Ride
- Addicks Park and Ride
- Mission Bend Park and Ride
- Westchase Park and Ride
- Gessner Park and Ride
Southwest locations
- Westwood Park and Ride
- West Bellfort Park and Ride
- Missouri City Park and Ride
- West Loop Park and Ride
- Hillcroft Park and Ride - will be home to a future light rail station.
Northwest locations
- Pinemont Park and Ride
- West Little York Park and Ride
- Northwest Park and Ride - will be served by the Cypress Commuter Rail Line by 2015.
- Cypress Park and Ride - recently opened in August 2007. This Park and Ride will be home to a future commuter rail station.
Northeast locations
- Eastex Park and Ride
- Townsen Park and Ride
- Kingwood Park and Ride
North locations
- North Shepherd Park and Ride
- Seton Lake Park and Ride
- Kuykendahl Park and Ride
- Spring Park and Ride
South locations
- Fannin South Park and Ride - served by the Red Line. Also will be served by the Southwest Commuter Rail Line by 2015.
Southeast locations
- Monroe Park and Ride
- Fuqua Park and Ride
- Southpoint Park and Ride
- Bay Area Park and Ride - will be served by the Galveston Commuter Rail Line.
East locations
- Maxey Park and Ride
There are plans for future park and ride stations throughout the Houston Metropolitan Area. These locations are said to be:
- Grand Parkway Park and Ride - this will serve the booming west Katy area. It will be built adjacent to the Grand Mall in Katy (which will begin construction in 2008).
METRO Lift provides transportation needs for people with a disability, who cannot board, or ride from a regular METRO bus, even if that bus happens to be wheelchair accessible. The METRO Lift buses use a wheelchair lift, four-door sedans and/or minivans to provide service.
| METRORail | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Houston, Texas |
| Transit type | Light Rail |
| Began operation | January 1, 2004 |
| System length | 7.5 mi (12.1 km) |
| No. of lines | 1 |
| No. of stations | 16 |
| Daily ridership | 45,000 daily [6] |
| Operator | Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas |
METRO's light rail service is known as METRO Rail. Frank Wilson is the current president.
METRO offers a trip planner on its web site that provides information for public transit in the region it serves. It is multi-modal, combining schedule information for buses and rail. Riders enter their intended origin and destination, along with optional time, date, and other information, and the trip planner displays itineraries showing the stops, departure and arrival times, and times to get from the origin to the destination.
Today, the average daily weekday ridership is 45,000 [7]. Notable records in ridership have occurred on the following dates:[8]
- February 1, 2004: 64,005 passengers rode METRO during Super Bowl XXXVIII
- February 23, 2004: 54,193 passenger boardings were recorded, the highest weekday at the time
- February 27, 2007: 56,388 passengers were recorded the day of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
On November 9, 2007, METRO surpassed its 40 million boardings mark, something it did not expect to happen until 2020 [9].
METRO currently operates one light rail line, the 7.5 mile (12.1 km) Red Line. It is the second major light rail service in Texas following the DART system in Dallas, Texas. The arrival of METRO's light rail comes approximately sixty years after the previous streetcar system was shut down. This left Houston as the largest city in the United States without a rail system until 1990, when the LACMTA Blue Line opened in Los Angeles, California.[citation needed]
- Five other lines are to be complete by the 2012. Four of the five lines were previously going to be bus rapid transit, but due to high ridership possibilities the decision was made to make them all light rail. [10]
Houston operates a fleet of 18 Siemens-built Avanto light-rail vehicles. Each 96 foot long, double articulated vehicle has 4 low platform doors per side and has a capacity of 72 seated and 148 standing passengers.[11][12]
Core city
Western cities
- Bunker Hill Village
- Hedwig Village
- Hilshire Village
- Hunters Creek Village
- Spring Valley
- Katy
- Piney Point Village
Central cities
Eastern cities
Northern cities
Southwestern cities
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This article or section contains information about a planned or expected public transportation infrastructure. It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change dramatically as the construction and/or completion of the infrastructure approaches, and more information becomes available. |
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Additional rail will be laid as approved by a 52% yes to 48% no margin in the November 2003 election. Critics have alleged the existence of a conflict of interest in the planned expansion. Major contractors including Siemens AG, which constructs the train vehicles, contributed substantial amounts of money to the Political Action Committee promoting the expansion referendum. Supporters of an expanded rail system in Houston have leveled similar charges against opponents of the referendum, noting that suburban development interests largely bankrolled the PAC opposing the referendum.
In June of 2005, METRO announced a revised plan for expansion of the METRORail system. The plan included four new corridors, consisting of both light rail and bus rapid transit. The bus rapid transit lines would have later been converted into light rail when ridership warranted the conversion.
On October 18, 2007, the plan was revised to allow for the possibility of more federal funding. METRO decided to go ahead and have all the lines consist of light rail from the start [13].
The planned expansions are within the city of Houston and will eventually reach the two major Houston airports, George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport. METRO is planning service to suburbs in Houston, as well as other parts of Houston. Alternatives Analysis and Draft Environmental Impact Analysis studies are currently underway on four extensions, but only one extension — the University Line — is planned to be opened by 2012.
METRO is also planning a commuter rail system in conjunction with the light rail system, pending feasibility of the plan. In addition, METRO wants to link up with a planned Commuter Rail line traveling from Fort Bend County to just south of Reliant Stadium, which would use an existing Union Pacific railroad, as well as an additional line branching out along the U.S. Highway 290 corridor to Cypress. In total, the plan currently would add 29 miles (47 km) of light rail and 28 miles (45 km) of commuter rail.
The passed 2003 voter referendum included:[14]
- Additional 64.8 miles of light rail
- Commuter rail service (28 miles)
- Increased access to activity centers
- Rail service to both airports
- More than 50 new rail stations
- 50% increase in bus service
All lines and services are planned to be up and running by 2025.
METRO Solutions is a large transportation and infrastructure plan that will be complete by 2020. METRO Solutions includes the following from METRO's website[15]:
- Over 30 miles of Light Rail Transit - a ten-mile University line from the Uptown/ Galleria and Greenway Plaza areas to the University of Houston and Texas Southern University, and a one-half-mile extension of the existing Red Line north to a proposed Intermodal Facility; Also, the North, Southeast, Harrisburg and Uptown Lines will all be light rail[16];
- 28 Miles of Commuter Rail Transit (CRT) - along U.S. 290 from Cypress Park & Ride to Intermodal Facility and along U.S. 90A from Missouri City to Fannin South Park & Ride/Rail Station;
- 40 Miles of Signature Bus Service/Suburban Bus Rapid Transit - Southeast Transit Center to Texas Medical Center, Uptown to U.S. 90A CRT line, Gessner and Texas 249/Tidwell;
- 10 New Transit Facilities - Northern Intermodal Facility serving different transit modes (Commuter Rail and Light Rail), five Transit Centers and four Park & Ride lots; and
- HOV/HOT Conversion - modify one-way, reversible High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes to two-way High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes.
Though a slightly different from METRO Solutions (albeit a larger plan), the 2035 Plan for Houston is a joint project between METRO, TxDOT, and the Houston-Galveston Area Council (or H-GAC for short). It includes new bicycle routes, new bus routes, signature bus service, light rail expansion, and commuter rail expansion. The 2035 Plan also includes a new METRO Intermodal Station, to be built in Downtown. The Intermodel Station will connect two commuter rail lines, two light rail lines, and multiple bus routes. However, not all of Houston's light rail lines connect to the Intermodel Station. [17]
- ^ http://www.apta.com/research/stats/ridership/riderep/documents/07q3rep.pdf
- ^ http://www.ridemetro.org/About_Metro/metro_facts.asp
- ^ http://www.apta.com/research/stats/ridership/riderep/documents/07q3rep.pdf
- ^ http://www.ridemetro.org/About_Metro/metro_facts.asp
- ^ http://www.ridemetro.org/Schedules_and_Maps/park_and_ride_locations.asp
- ^ http://www.ridemetro.org/News/releases/110907_2.asp
- ^ http://www.ridemetro.org/News/releases/110907_2.asp
- ^ http://dayton.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2007/02/26/daily51.html?jst=s_cn_hl
- ^ http://www.ridemetro.org/News/releases/110907_2.asp
- ^ [1]
- ^ Siemens AG - Projects - Rolling Stock. Siemens AG. Retrieved on 2007-10-25.
- ^ S70 Light Rail Vehicle - Houston (PDF). Siemens AG. Retrieved on 2007-10-25.
- ^ http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5223782.html
- ^ http://www.metrosolutions.org/posted/1068/METRO_Solutions_Overview_and_Update_May_2007_3.156816.pdf
- ^ http://www.ridemetro.org/About_Metro/metro_facts.asp
- ^ http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5223782.html
- ^ http://www.metrosolutions.org/posted/1068/METRO_Solutions_Overview_and_Update_May_2007_3.156816.pdf