A planned 110 miles of two-way HOV along major freeways with eight new park and ride stations is expected to cost $1.37 billion, with another $383 million in improvements to operate 25 percent more bus trips across the region.
The projects promote new services within Metro’s core area and on the fringes of its sprawling 1,200-square-mile territory. Inside the Sam Houston Tollway where buses travel most major streets and are more commonly used by residents, officials want to increase how often those buses come. Outside the beltway where more than 2 million of Harris County’s residents live, park and ride lots will be expanded and commuter buses will go to more places more often.
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Big-ticket items in the plan are directed at faster commutes and more frequent service in transit-heavy parts of Metro’s area. As officials prepare for eight new or expanded park and ride lots and two-way service even farther out most freeways, 14 core local bus routes are primed for development into so-called BOOST corridors aimed at making bus trips along city streets faster by sequencing traffic lights to give approaching buses priority and increasing the frequency of buses.
“From the outset, we are very pleased with where they are putting the investment,” said Oni Blair, executive director of LINK Houston, which advocates for equity in transportation planning.
Still, Blair said the agency is hoping for more specifics on how Metro prioritizes projects, both in terms of funding and the timing with which initiatives are tackled.
“People want to know what they are getting and when,” she said.
Another aspect of the plan will be about getting to bus stops. Officials say they plan to coordinate with city planners and developers to make sure sidewalks lead to accessible and comfortable stops, something many riders say is transit’s biggest obstacle in Houston.
As a reminder, you can always go to MetroNext.org for information about the plan and public meetings to discuss it. In a better world, we’d be starting off with a transit system that already included a Universities light rail line, and would be seeking to build on that. In this world, we hope to build a BRT line that covers much of the same turf west of downtown, and turns north from its eastern end. Which will still be a fine addition and in conjunction with the Uptown BRT line will finally enable the main urban core job centers to be truly connected. The focus on sidewalks, which I’ve emphasized before, is very welcome. We need to get this approved by the voters, and we need to ensure we have a Mayor that won’t screw up what Metro is trying to do. I know we’re already obsessing about 2020 and the Presidential race – I’m guilty, too – but there’s important business to take care of in 2019 as well.
How can one be for something, when it only in preliminary discussion?
Below is the METRO plan that is for discussion;
http://mannybarrera.com/Metro/moving_forward_plan_plus_map.pdf
My dream is a METRO full of friendly staff, and without the rail, and without all routes traveling only east-west or north-south, thus ensuring that most every trip requires two buses (or more). Also, a METRO without all of its ideas coming from Christoff Spieler. I would look at banning all private vehicles from busy areas, such as Downtown, Med Center, Galleria. Get these wealthies to ride the bus.
My op-ed in the Chronicle on it. In particular, I hope the potential of swapping light rail for free fares and more equitable/improved local bus service gets discussion…
http://houstonstrategies.blogspot.com/2019/01/getting-metronext-2040-from-b-to-real.html
One of the better editorials on transportation, it is from Los Angeles
http://mannybarrera.com/Metro/LA-Traffic.pdf