Tag Archives: Metro

August ridership numbers for the new rail lines

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Again, don’t get too excited just yet. Use of Houston’s two newest rail lines increased in August, though it took a strong late showing and free rides to finally meet the ridership expectations Metro officials outlined in May. According to … Continue reading →

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Yes, there are some people complaining about the new bus routes

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Houston Press talks to a few of them. The 87 still runs—just not right here. While the previous bus network had 89 routes, the new one has 79—and as a result, low-income communities like Hersey’s lost access to 12 … Continue reading →

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Three Metro updates

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Metro board has its first meeting post-system reimagining, and gets some feedback on the new routes. At Metro’s first board meeting following the launch of the new network, officials heard about two hours of public comment from unhappy riders. … Continue reading →

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Metro still dealing with CAF problems

Posted on August 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The more things change… Metro and the maker of its newest light rail cars have had many costly and time-consuming conflicts. The latest is forcing the transit agency to spend $1 million so its mechanics can lift the vehicles. The … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Three cheers for the bus drivers

Posted on August 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

In honor of Metro’s new bus system, I’m taking a break from the cover song theme to run two bus-related videos. First, to represent the old system, here’s a very young Weird Al Yankovic and his classic, “Another One Rides … Continue reading →

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So can we call the Metro bus system reimagining a success yet?

Posted on August 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

If no news is good news, then Metro is swimming in good news, because I haven’t seen much coverage of its new bus system rollout since the opening days. Perhaps all that concern (expressed by one person) about disaster and … Continue reading →

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System Reimagining, Day One

Posted on August 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

So far, so good. Bruno Davi waited Monday morning for a Metro bus in his usual spot on Heights Boulevard, but his trip wasn’t the same. It’s a situation thousands of Metropolitan Transit Authority riders faced as the agency’s new … Continue reading →

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The system has been reimagined

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Now we get to see how it all goes. Seven members of the Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority board were among the first passengers to try the revamped bus network launched early Sunday morning after taking a 30-minute bus ride around … Continue reading →

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System reimagining set to debut

Posted on August 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. Houston’s bus system, long considered sluggish and inconvenient, is poised for a transformation that’s drawing national attention for its boldness – and skepticism from some riders. The Metropolitan Transit Authority will roll out its new bus network … Continue reading →

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New rail line numbers notch up in July

Posted on August 14, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good to see, but as before let’s maintain some perspective in these early days. Though still below initial estimates, use of two new light rail lines in Houston is increasing, based on July figures released Monday. After a rocky start, … Continue reading →

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Metro makes its final tweaks

Posted on August 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Ready or not, here comes System Reimagining. Metro officials on Wednesday approved minor changes to the agency’s redesigned bus system as they brace for response from tens of thousands of riders once the revamped system launches Aug. 16. Metropolitan Transit … Continue reading →

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Where the forest and the trees collide

Posted on August 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Headline atop Tuesday’s Chronicle: Spike in Metrorail crashes prompts a second look at safety measures. Metro recorded a record 17 accidents on its rail system in June, and most of them involved the kind of action Marchetti narrowly avoided: people … Continue reading →

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Got questions about the new bus routes?

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

You can get answers, in person, from a Metro staffer. From the inbox: METRO makes it easy for riders to learn more about the New Bus Network through a series of customer information sessions being held across the METRO service … Continue reading →

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BP settlement cash

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. The city of Houston, Harris County and Metro netted $23 million in compensation from BP for revenue they could not collect in the wake of the company’s 2010 Gulf oil spill, officials announced Thursday. Houston will pocket about $12.2 … Continue reading →

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The future of Fort Bend transit

Posted on July 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Public transportation in Fort Bend County has grown quite a bit since its inception, and there’s a lot of potential for future growth if the pieces can be put into place. On Tuesday, county leaders, staff and transit partners gathered … Continue reading →

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Preview your bus route change

Posted on July 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From Write On Metro: The New Bus Network is designed to make our service better and more convenient for you. Before it debuts on Aug. 16, you can get a preview of exactly how your new route will be changed. … Continue reading →

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More on Houston’s transit deserts

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

James Llamas writes a guest post at the Kinder Institute blog about their earlier article on transit deserts in Houston. As a planner at Traffic Engineers, Inc. I had the privilege of working with METRO staff and industry experts on … Continue reading →

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Yes, the new rail lines are off to a slower-than-hoped start

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s not panic. Our own history shows that early rail ridership numbers are often highly variable. Slightly more than a month after the Metropolitan Transit Authority christened two new rail lines – built at a cost of $1.4 billion and … Continue reading →

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Metro and your smartphone

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. As Metropolitan Transit Authority officials planned for the new system – which will affect practically every bus ride in the region – they have also focused on offering new services. One of those, a system that allows bus riders … Continue reading →

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Houston’s transit deserts

Posted on June 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From the Kinder Institute’s Urban Edge blog: A new study suggests that despite METRO’s launch of several highly-touted and publicized improvements, the agency is still struggling to address the needs of some communities that depend heavily on transit. With operations … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed over Uptown line

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

All things considered, I suppose this was inevitable. A homeowner’s association is suing Metro over its involvement in plans to run bus lanes along Post Oak Boulevard, saying the project puts the agency at odds with a 2003 referendum that … Continue reading →

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I got those reverse commuting blues

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Woodlands is growing as en employment center, which means it is also seeing a lot more traffic in what used to be the reverse commute direction. There is no longer a simple drive to this onetime bedroom community, which … Continue reading →

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Uptown BRT construction begins

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I’m really rooting for this to succeed. Dignitaries will gather Monday to symbolically start construction of wider sidewalks and dedicated bus lanes meant to enhance Post Oak Boulevard and offer improved transit service, even as some residents and business owners … Continue reading →

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How would you get from Houston to Galveston without a car?

Posted on June 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s both easier and harder than you might think. Raj Mankad tells the story. I reached the sea without getting in a car. Over the course of my journey, which began at Rice University and ended at Stewart Beach, I … Continue reading →

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System reimagining is going to be hard

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Because change is hard. It always is. Transit officials might have reimaginged bus service in the Houston area, but the riders who rely on it for daily trips are asking them to rethink it again. Since the redesigned bus system … Continue reading →

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Let’s wait for a normal week before we judge ridership numbers

Posted on June 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From The Highwayman: Two new light rail lines have gotten off to slow start, according to early ridership figures from the Metropolitan Transit Authority, but officials and riders still hope the Green and Purple Line will meet expectations. The two … Continue reading →

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You can still ask Metro to make changes to their new bus routes

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Chris Andrews highlights a little Metro-related activism going on in my neighborhood. Residents in the Woodland Heights neighborhood of Houston have initiated a petition to modify the proposed 30 bus route. Currently, the neighborhood is serviced by the 40 Pecore … Continue reading →

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How the East End got its rail line

Posted on May 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

A great overview of how we got here with the Harrisburg and Southeast lines, the genesis of which go back a lot farther than the 2003 Metro Solutions referendum. The working- and middle-class Mexican-American residents of the East End lacked … Continue reading →

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The Chron on how Metro and Culberson came to an accord

Posted on May 29, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Read all about it. Houston’s buses don’t run at 2 a.m., but that’s when Metro and U.S. Rep. John Culberson began to see real movement toward a deal to improve area transit service. “We got really intense one night and … Continue reading →

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Still debating where to put the Houston high speed rail terminal

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

While people in the rural counties are trying to kill the proposed high speed rail line between Houston and Dallas, some other people here in Houston are thinking about where a station should be. [Lynn] Hardwin was among a few … Continue reading →

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New rail lines officially open

Posted on May 25, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

At long last. Two new light rail lines might have been the ones debuting Saturday, but for many riders it was the East End, Third Ward and MacGregor Park neighborhoods themselves that were on display. After years of construction and … Continue reading →

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Save Uptown from what?

Posted on May 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From Swamplot: The Uptown Property and Business Owners Coalition is out today with a new website (portrayed here) meant to drum up opposition to the Uptown District and Metro’s plans to install dedicated bus lanes down Post Oak Blvd. The … Continue reading →

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What next for Metro now that peace with Culberson has broken out?

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve all had a chance to read over and digest the agreement Metro struck with Rep. John Culberson now. It looked good to me up front (though not to everyone – more on that in a bit), but as always … Continue reading →

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Metro and Culberson announce the terms of their agreement

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Gotta say, this all sounds pretty good. First, Congressman Culberson supports METRO’s proposed legislation pending in the State Legislature that expands the size of the METRO Board, increases the eligible length of Board member service and allows the existing board … Continue reading →

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