| Founded | January 1, 1979 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Lee P. Brown Administration Building Downtown Houston, Texas |
| Locale | Houston (Texas, USA) |
| Service area | Harris County |
| Service type | Bus Service, Light Rail, Paratransit Services |
| Routes | 132 bus routes 1 light rail |
| Stops | 9,960[1] |
| Hubs | 20 transit centers |
| Stations | 16 (light rail) 30 park and rides[1] |
| Fleet | 1,216 (bus) 18 (light rail) 128 (paratransit)[1] |
| Daily ridership | 278,900 [2] |
| Fuel type | Diesel, Diesel-electric hybrid |
| Operator | METRO |
| Chief executive | George Grenias (temporarily suspended)[3] |
| Web site | http://www.ridemetro.org |
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (often referred to as METRO, or MTA[4]) is a major public transportation agency based in Houston (Texas, USA). It operates bus, light rail, future commuter rail, and paratransit service (under the name METROLift) in the city as well as most of Harris County. METRO also operates bus service to two cities in Fort Bend County. The METRO headquarters are in the in the Lee P. Brown Administration Building in Downtown Houston.
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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.[5][6]
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 (3,330 km2) [1] and also serves portions of an eight-county region with its vanpool service; the agency employs about 3,800 people.[5]
Shirley DeLibero served as President and CEO of METRO from 1999 until 2004. DeLibero was recruited to METRO by then-mayor Lee Brown, and was previously executive director of New Jersey Transit.[7][8] Her tenure was marked by the introduction of the METRORail light rail transit system and for passing the 2003 light rail expansion plan referendum.
DeLibero retired in the spring of 2004 and was replaced by Frank Wilson, a 30-year transit executive who had been president of AECOM Enterprises, a Los Angeles-based engineering consulting firm; Wilson had also previously been general manager of the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) in Northern California and was the Commissioner of Transportation for the State of New Jersey. Wilson arrived as the mayoral administration of Bill White replaced that of the term-limited Brown. In May 2010, Wilson signed a deal to terminate his employment as METRO president and chief executive officer.
George Greanias, a former city councilman and city controller, was named chief executive by the majority of the METRO board appointed by Mayor Annise Parker, even though he had no transit experience. Parker made the need for new leadership at METRO a key platform of her campaign, saying the leadership had damaged the agency's relationship with the community. [9]
METRO has been known for pioneering the use of express buses in HOV lanes. This was part of the reversible HOV lane concept that began in 1979 with the completion of the North Freeway (I-45) Contraflow Lane. This concept used the inside freeway lane of the "opposite" direction separated by traffic pylons and is closed to all vehicles except buses and vanpools. Although a head-on collision involving a car and a bus occurred in 1980, the concept became permanent, but with the HOV lanes separated from the rest of traffic with concrete barriers.
The HOV lanes run between Downtown Houston (inbound A.M. and outbound P.M.) and the suburbs and are found on portions of 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.
In 2011, METRO began conversion of the HOV lanes to High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes. Commuters with only one person in a vehicle will be able to pay a toll to use the lanes when the conversion is complete.
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. METRO's bus service also includes the HOV/Park and Ride System. Park and Ride stations are placed alongside the freeways and used heavily during peak times.
Prior to the construction of METRORail, METRO consisted of the largest all bus fleet in the United States, only because Houston was the largest major city devoid of any rail transit since 1990.
METRO has had a policy since its founding in which it refuses to place advertisements on buses, claiming that such a move would look tacky. METRO had originally attempted to generate extra revenue by only advertising in its bus shelters, but a city ordinance blocked the decision. After a failed attempt to get permission to partially use advertisement on buses, METRO has since decided to continue enforcing its policy.[10]
Due to the lack of funding for METRO Rail expansion, the policy was mulled over to be extended to light rail vehicles in order to generate additional revenue.[11] METRO began advertising the Houston Zoo on the side of three light rail vehicles in 2010.[12] In late September 2010, due to the decreased budget, METRO began to seriously consider advertising on their buses.
In the fall of 2006, METRO revealed plans to rework its fare system. The new system involves pre-paid fare cards (contactless smart cards), called Q Cards, that can be recharged on local buses and Metro TVMs. Transfers will be electronically added to the card each time it is used. Frequent users get "Rider Rewards" that offer five free rides for every 50 paid trips. (Similar smart cards are being used on transit systems nationwide, including those in Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area.)
Senior citizens 65-69 will continue to receive a discounted rate as will disabled patrons. Senior citizens over 70 may ride for free. This was intended to keep the base fare low and phase out the previous fare system consisting of transfers, as well as day, weekly, monthly, and annual passes, which occurred in early 2008. On November 2, 2008, local fares increased to $1.25 from $1. Currently another fare increase is being mulled as a means to pay for constructing the expansion of the light rail.[11]
| Service Type | Regular | Discounted |
|---|---|---|
| Local | $1.25 | $0.60 |
| Zone 1 | $2 | $1 |
| Zone 2 | $3.25 | $1.60 |
| Zone 3 | $3.75 | $1.85 |
| Zone 4 | $4.50 | $2.25 |
METRO's bus routes are numbered according to this:
METRO also provides shuttle service to areas including the Texas Medical Center and Downtown Houston.
METRO's express and commuter buses which consists of 45-foot (14 m) MCI and New Flyer "Viking" buses have reclining seats, small individual lights, as well as small air conditioning vents for each seat.
Note: The Express and Park and Ride were once under the Commuter Routes umbrella until they gained their own distinctive non-stop service designations in 2004. As of 2010, aside from routes #170, 212, and 261, the routes are organized in corridors, but are now all listed as Park & Ride (Commuter) Service.[13]
METRO operates 30 different Park and Ride locations.[14] The buses used for these are built like Greyhound buses and are very comfortable for the rider. The Park and Ride locations are:
West locations
Southwest locations
Northwest locations
Northeast locations
North locations
South locations
Southeast locations
East locations
Park and Ride Expansion
There are plans for future park and ride stations throughout the Houston Metropolitan Area. These locations are said to be:
METRO Lift provides transportation needs for people with a disability, who cannot board, or ride from a regular METRO bus. The METRO Lift vehicles are shared-ride, meaning that they take multiple customers and groups. METRO tells its customers to use standard METRO bus services whenever possible. METRO Lift uses special vehicles that are distinct from fixed-route METRO buses.[21]
| METRORail | |
|---|---|
| Info | |
| Locale | Houston, Texas |
| Transit type | Light Rail |
| Number of lines | 1 |
| Number of stations | 16 |
| Daily ridership | 35,000 |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | January 1, 2004 |
| Operator(s) | Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas |
| Technical | |
METRO's light rail service is known as METRO Rail. As stated above, Frank Wilson was formerly president before resigning in May 2010, in large part due to criminal allegations of shredding public documents.[22] Longtime local politician George Greanias was appointed interim president, as appointed by Mayor Annise Parker.[23]
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 34,600. Notable records in ridership have occurred on the following dates:[24]
On November 9, 2007, METRO surpassed its 40 million boardings mark, something it did not expect to happen until 2020.
METRO currently operates one light rail line, called the Red Line. Five other lines were to be completed by the 2012, but current funding issues have dropped the number to an extended Red Line and two of the original four.[25][26] The extension of the Red Line is now scheduled for completion in the fall of 2013[27] and the East End/Green Line in 2014.[28] Due to federal investigations and the lack of funds, the plans may degenerate further.[29] Three 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.
Houston operates a fleet of 18 Siemens-built Avanto light-rail vehicles. Each 96-foot (29 m) long, double articulated vehicle has 4 low platform doors per side and has a capacity of 72 seated and 148 standing passengers.[30][31] Two vehicles are coupled together to handle rush-hour loads; longer assemblies are not feasible with existing platform lengths.
As part of a deal with the Utah Transit Authority, METRO is purchasing an additional 19 Avanto S70 rail cars to compliment the current rolling stock. These are expected to be in service in 2012 and will help with ridership demand.[32]
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 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.[33]
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.
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 Hempstead, TX, and possibly further. A recent entrance by the Gulf Coast Freight Rail District may make the 290 corridor and the Galveston corridor possible by 2012, again pending feasibility.[34][35] While heavy rail would not be a possibility to serve Fort Bend County, recent approval has been given to study an extension of the Red Line to Fort Bend from the Fannin South Station.[36] Furthermore, Representative Gene Greene has issued a statement regarding a preliminary acquisition of funds for Houston projects, amongst them one million dollars to move forward and extend the Red Line south to Missouri City.[15]
The passed voter referendum included:[37]
The following lines and services were planned to be up and running by 2012, but various circumstances have changed the overall timing. According a statement by Annise Parker, Houston's mayor, both the University Line and the Uptown Line would be delayed until a future date when funding could be secured.[25][38] According to construction details from the GO METRORail website, construction was moving slowly.[39] Further delays to the construction were also a possibility pending the FTA investigation METRO (which began in April 2010) for possible "Buy America" violations by building new prototype cars in Spain.[29] Another obstacle surfaced in August 2010 when METRO officially announced that it had fallen short $49 million on its budget, but insisted that the current dates for completion (Red Line Extension by 2013 and East End/Green Line by 2014) would not be affected.[40] However, such was not the case, after the decision handed down by the FTA on September 8, 2010, that stated that METRO was in violation of "Buy America" rules - after talking with the board, on September 9, 2010, all progress for the three light rail lines under construction was to be slowed and a new (generic) date of 2014 was set.[41]
The current plans to date are as follows:
Go METRORail Maps
Countering the bad news regarding METRO's light rail expansion, the House of Representatives and the Senate passed bills allotting $150 million to the Red Line Extension and Southeast/Green Line light rail projects for fiscal year 2011. Added to the previous $150 million allotted fiscal year 2010, the total amount given to these projects is $300 million.[54] However, according to the FTA, this will not be available to METRO unless they rebid the contract to build the new light rail cars. In light of this, METRO decided to build light rail only according to the funds they have while waiting to see if they will receive federal funds. Thus in late September 2010 METRO only came up with a figure of $143 million in funds available for construction.[55]
METRO Solutions is a large transportation and infrastructure plan that will be complete by 2020. METRO Solutions includes the following from METRO's website:
METRO operates its own police department. With over 185 Texas peace officers and 88 non-sworn, civilian employees, the department's main goal is to ensure safety and security on the transit system. The department was established in 1982, and is accredited with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), one of only five public transit police departments worldwide to be so.[59]
The METRO headquarters are in the in the Lee P. Brown Administration Building in Downtown Houston.[60] The $41 million 14 story glass and steel building has over 400,000 square feet (37,000 m2) of space. The facility includes the Downtown Transit Center, a METRO Ride store, a Houston Police Department storefront, and toilets for transiting passengers.[61] The building was designed by Pierce Goodwin Alexander & Linville.[62] As of August 2010, two floors of the building are not occupied and are not used in any way.[63]
The building was scheduled to open in early 2004, coinciding with the beginning of the METRORail. The groundbreaking was held in 2002. Patti Muck, a spokesperson for METRO, said that the agency would save $273 million assuming that the agency occupied the building for a 30 year span instead of renting for the same length of time.[61] The Federal Transit Administration,[62] a part of the federal government of the United States, paid 80% of the construction costs,[61] while METRO paid the other 20%.[62]
Previously the METRO headquarters were in the Louisiana Place (now the Total Plaza[64]), also in Downtown Houston.[65][66] The agency occupied 10 floors in the building and did not receive any federal funds to cover the $3.8 million annual rent.[61] The METRO Board Room was located on the 16th floor.[67] Total Petrochemicals USA, a subsidiary of Total S.A., moved into the space that was previously occupied by METRO; the agency scheduled its move into the Brown building to occur in January 2005.[68] METRO's lease of 193,000 square feet (17,900 m2) of space expired in April 2005.[62]
A 1995 survey concluded that 76% of people riding on local METRO bus lines took the buses because they had no other means of transportation. A 1993 survey concluded that of the people who had stopped riding local bus routes of METRO, 46% had acquired or repaired automobiles. 37% of the respondents said that METRO could not possibly do anything to convince them to ride the buses again. As of 1997 11 percent of METRO drivers were Hispanic. Around that time many residents who lacked a strong command of English feared taking METRO routes, believing that the METRO drivers would not be likely to understand them.[69]
The METRO member cities include:[60]
Core city
Other cities
In addition the agency serves many unincorporated areas.[60]
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