| METRO Quickline | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Type | Bus rapid transit |
| System | Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County |
| Locale | Houston (Texas, USA) |
| Termini | Ranchester Station (west) TMC Transit Center Station (east) |
| Stations | 8 |
| Services | Bellaire Signature Service, route 402 |
| Operation | |
| Opened | Scheduled June 1, 2009 |
| Owner | Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County |
| Operator(s) | Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County |
| Rolling stock | New Flyer DE40LFR Diesel-electric Hybrid (40 ft) |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 9.0 mi (14.5 km) |
| Highest elevation | at grade, shared with streets |
Quickline (also known as Signature Service) is a bus rapid transit service owned and operated by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO). The Quickline service began on June 1, 2009[1] with the 402 route (also called the QL2 route), that parallels the 2-Bellaire regular service route, which is the most heavily used bus route that METRO facilitates. Both routes run along Bellaire Boulevard.
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The Quickline system features upgraded buses, fewer stops, and more modern and comfortable bus stops. The bus stops resemble those featured along the METRORail Red Line, with announced arrival times for upcoming buses based on GPS tracking systems. In addition, the buses are equipped with control devices that will interact with the traffic signal system at intersections to allow the buses to have priority movement along the route. The service uses 40-ft long hybrid-electric buses, purchased from New Flyer Corporation, that provide on-board security cameras, more comfortable seating, a quieter interior and a significant amount of passenger information to be provided at the stops along the route. To help distinguish the service from regular METRO buses, the Quickline buses have a distinctive blue bus wrap on the exterior with the "Quickline" insignia and route map applied.
This route is the first of many Quickline bus routes that are planned by METRO. The QL 402 operates only during peak traffic hours in the mornings and afternoons on 15-minute intervals. The 9-mile route has only 8 stops, allowing buses to make significant time saving trips from the west side of Houston to the Texas Medical Center. In addition, these 8 stops were selected so that transfers to exisitng METRO local service bus routes could be performed more efficiently. The estimated length of the trip from Ranchester Station to the TMC Transit Center Station is 38 minutes.
The following is a list of stations for the 402 Quickline, listed in order from west to east:[2]
| 402 QL Bellaire |
|---|
| Ranchester Station |
| Gessner Station |
| Fondren Station |
| Sharpstown Center Station |
| Hillcroft Station |
| Bellaire Transit Center Station |
| Stella Link Station |
| Kirby Station |
| TMC Transit Center Station |
Before breaking ground on any future Quickline routes, METRO has pledged to grade the ridership of the QL2 route first. In addition, the transportation agency will survey passengers periodically to gain their opinion of the service and will monitor ridership as a measure of success. However, METRO has since then stated that Quickline routes could potentially be built on Westheimer, Airline, Beechnut, Antoine, and Gessner.[3]
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