Tag Archives: buses

Chron wonders where B-Cycle is going

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Last week in an unsigned editorial, the Chron asked a provocative question about B-Cycle. Are bicycle rental programs supposed to be legitimate transportation or merely toys for urban bohemians? New York Times writer Ginia Bellafante revealed Friday that her city’s … Continue reading →

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The updated TRIP app is here

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This came in last week: If you’ve got a smart phone, we’ve just made riding our buses or trains a lot easier. Today, we officially launched the METRO T.R.I.P. app – a tool that retrieves our schedule information, predicts real-time … Continue reading →

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Mattress Mack’s Uptown rant

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot missing from Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale’s screed in the Sunday op-ed pages. When you get right down to it, the recent announcement that the Uptown Houston Management District wants to spend $177.5 million to “redesign and widen” … Continue reading →

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Don’t expect B-Cycle in the Heights anytime soon

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I know there are a lot of people in the Heights that would like to see some bike share kiosks here, but as The Leader News reports, it will be awhile before that happens. Although running through arguably the most … Continue reading →

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Biking to transit

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

KUHF has an update. Metro’s Strategic Planning Committee got an update on the “Bike and Ride” Access Study. Metro says it wants to make it easier for Houstonians to combine bike and bus travel. Metro officials say between 10,000 and … Continue reading →

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The day pass is back

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From Metro: The METRO Board of Directors [Thursday] took the first step to bring back the “day pass.” The Board voted to commit $175,000 to adapt METRO’s Q Card system so a $3.00 extended “day pass” feature can be accommodated … Continue reading →

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Metro’s bus strategy

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We know that the 2012 Metro referendum was intended to help Metro boost ridership by improving and expanding its bus service. Metro Board member Christof Spieler explains what that means. First, in many cases, transit doesn’t go to the right … Continue reading →

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The return of the day pass

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Remember the day pass? One fare, and you could ride the bus and/or light rail all day? Metro is thinking about bringing it back. After a five-year hiatus, the daypass may soon return as an option for Metro bus and … Continue reading →

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Take the 2013 METRO Bike and Ride Survey

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

A public service announcement from H-GAC: 2013 METRO Bike and Ride Survey The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) and METRO invite you to participate in the METRO Bike & Ride Plan, a planning effort to improve connections between bicyclists and the … Continue reading →

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Time for another report on how much traffic sucks

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We love this sort of thing, don’t we? Houston commuters continue to endure some of the worst traffic delays in the country, according to the 2012 Urban Mobility Report released Tuesday by the Texas A&M Transportation Commission. Area drivers wasted … Continue reading →

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The case against Metro advertising

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Ed Wulfe isn’t happy with talk about Metro putting ads on buses and trains. In the late 1970s, Houston voters overwhelmingly defeated a local referendum to allow ads on bus shelters. Soon after, Houston City Council banned all new billboards … Continue reading →

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Metro moving forward with advertising

Posted on December 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This has been in the works for a long time. Depending on what Metropolitan Transit Authority officials decide regarding a new revenue plan, your light rail trip could end at the Taco Bell Station, or some similarly named stop. Officials … Continue reading →

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Greanias officially resigns, interim Metro CEO named

Posted on December 22, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

George Greanias may have stepped down as CEO of Metro, but he’ll still be around for awhile, as Metro searches for his successor. Metropolitan Transit Authority board members on Thursday accepted Greanias’ resignation, named an interim replacement and approved a … Continue reading →

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Help Metro figure out the bike and transit thing

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Your public service opportunity of the day: METRO and the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) are seeking input from bicyclists on the use of public transit. Want to join? You must meet the following criteria: Already integrate biking and public transit … Continue reading →

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Buses and trains, not buses or trains

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I have a lot of emotion about this, but I’m still working through how to express it. Metropolitan Transit Authority officials say the agency is on firmer financial footing than it has been in years. They plan to add shelters … Continue reading →

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More back and forth on the Metro referendum

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Metro Board Chair Gilbert Garcia explains the referendum for those who say they don’t understand it. The referendum is as easy as 1-2-3. If approved, it will: 1. Continue the road-building program. 2. Expand Metro’s bus system. 3. Pay down … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: For Metro

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron comes out in favor of another referendum. If you look closely at the weekday mix of traffic, you’ll finds lots of 18-wheelers inching along during rush hour. That makes congestion more than an annoyance for individual commuters. Along … Continue reading →

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Ashby everywhere

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Nancy Sarnoff notes a trend. Homeowners in the Memorial area held a meeting last month in the lobby of a nearby medical office building to discuss what to do about a large apartment complex being planned in their neighborhood. They … Continue reading →

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Houston Tomorrow versus Metro

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

David Crossley: On November 6, you will be asked to vote on whether to stop expansion of light rail transit service in Houston. If you think that’s a terrible idea, you must vote No. If you do, you will be … Continue reading →

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More on carless commuting in Houston

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Greg adds on to my recent post about getting to work in Houston if you didn’t have a car. In the comments of this Kuff post, Robert Nagle actually beats me to the punch in answering the central question. Yes, … Continue reading →

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Metro board passes amended GMP referendum

Posted on August 18, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

More consensus this time. The board voted 8-1 for a measure that, if approved by voters, would continue the so-called General Mobility Program in its current form, allocating a quarter of Metro’s 1-cent sales tax to Harris County, Houston and … Continue reading →

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Deal struck on the GMP

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Well, this is interesting. The Metro board on Aug. 3 approved a ballot proposal that would have shifted tens of millions of dollars more in mobility payments to Houston at the expense of the county and small cities by basing … Continue reading →

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Could you get to work if you didn’t have a car?

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of people in the Houston area could not easily get to work if their car were not available to them. According to a new report from the Brookings Institution, only 57.8 percent of the jobs in the entire Houston … Continue reading →

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Christof Spieler: Deciding the future of Houston’s transit

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The following is from a series of guest posts that I will be presenting over the next few weeks. We as a region are facing a huge decision about our future. If we don’t increase transit use by offering more … Continue reading →

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Hobby jobs claims

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

There’s been a lot of discussion about how many jobs the proposal to expand Hobby Airport and allow Southwest Airlines to begin flying internationally from there may or may not create. This story gets to the heart of what really … Continue reading →

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Houston area transit preferences in 2012

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The 2012 Houston Area Survey is in the can, and though the data has not been published to their website yet, there have been a few preview tidbits tossed out to whet everyone’s appetite. One of them has to do … Continue reading →

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There is nothing but highways

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

More bad policy coming from the Republicans in Congress. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Thursday the House GOP’s highway spending plan is “the worst transportation bill” he’s seen in decades. “This is the most partisan transportation bill that I have … Continue reading →

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Cover that cough

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Fascinating. A decade-long study found passengers on certain Metro bus routes were more likely to have tuberculosis, raising the question of whether they contracted the disease on the bus. “We see a higher prevalence of clustering with bus riders,” said … Continue reading →

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There’s an app for finding a bus

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. Imagine this: You are walking around the Galleria and want to go to Discovery Green for a concert. But you’re not sure what bus to take. In a few months, you’ll be able use your smart phone to … Continue reading →

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The Austin rail debate

Posted on April 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The city of Austin is gearing up for another debate about how and where – and if – to build more rail there. This is the third time since 2000 that they’ve gone through such a debate. This AusChron story … Continue reading →

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San Antonio streetcar study

Posted on January 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Fort Worth may have punted on streetcars, but San Antonio is still moving ahead. It’s not a green light, but it is a boost nonetheless for VIA Metropolitan Transit’s plans to build two streetcar lines downtown. The transit agency recently … Continue reading →

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The Bill King alternative to light rail

Posted on November 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

In case you missed it, Bill King wrote a column lat week that was based on an email exchange he had with me awhile back in which he laid out his alternate vision for what Metro ought to be doing. … Continue reading →

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Metro takes a step forward on advertising

Posted on October 3, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

For its 2011 fiscal year budget, Metro is taking a tentative step forward on allowing ads to be placed on its buses. Metro is considering placing ads on buses to generate revenue (page 37). George Greanias, president and chief executive … Continue reading →

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Metro finance update

Posted on July 23, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

What’s going on with Metro these days? Although leaders of the region’s transit agency are confident that they will secure $900 million in federal funding to build more light rail lines in Houston, they have begun discussing fare increases and … Continue reading →

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