Houston’s Metro will operate on a new bus network with 22 bus routes and three light-rail lines on a daily basis starting in August. The five-year plan is expected to revitalize the entire bus system, a big step from the little change shown since 1980.
To catch up with the development and population trends of the city, the New Bus Network was put in place to meet the needs of the more than a million passengers. This redesign of the bus networks aims to more fully integrate the bus and rail networks into “a seamless system to better serve riders.”
“Students come from all over the region to attend classes at the University of Houston and they reside in communities throughout the Metro service area so it is difficult to tell what route they are using,” said head of the Public Affairs outreach for the Southeast Sector Metro Service Area Antoine Bryan.
University of Houston students can ride for half off with their student discount.
Several major service improvements featured in the plan will make trips 60 percent faster. Nearly a third of trips between 30 key destinations become faster by at least 10 minutes. Crossings at freight railroad tracks are reduced by 30 percent, which means customers will have a better experience with timeliness.
Metro expects ridership to increase by an estimated 20 percent or more within the next two years, 94 percent can still board at the same stops, so current riders don’t have to worry about any drastic changes but look forward to the much needed updates.
With four red bus routes – New Bus Network Routes 4 Beechnut, 25 Richmond, 54 Scott, and 80 Lockwood/ MLK – and the purple rail line serving the main campus, Cougars have options to visits many destinations.
I tried the “new” system Monday. Metro’s website predicted the #41 westbound bus would arrive at 5:24pm at Shepherd and Kirby. That is 2 minutes late. I walked over there (10 minutes) arriving at 5:10pm. Metro’s app pushed back the expected arrival from 5:24 to 5:33 to 5:35 to 5:44, then to 5:50pm! I had to walk back, get my car and drive to my destination (a 15 minute drive even in rush hour traffic). Metro advertises the 41 bus as running every 20 minutes between 3pm and 6pm. I waited 35 minutes and still no bus! I, for one, will be sticking to my car.
It’s a new system roll out; there will be some kinks to iron out as much as everyone wants things to run perfectly the first week. Try it again sometime. If there are still issues, contact METRO.
Using METRO is great in situations where you don’t want to have to deal with traffic, finding and paying for parking, using fuel and adding mileage, etc. If you have your own car, the bus/rail system is a great complement to your mobility needs.
The article provided some great details that even I wasn’t aware of. Great work.
I wish it would add how students can procure a discounted student fare Q card. UH Parking & Transportation and SGA have been working hard this summer to make it easier for students to get discounted Q cards. The new system should allow full-time students (9+ hours a semester) to apply online through AccessUH and pick-up the card the next day at the Transportation Desk in the Welcome Center.