The UH Staff Council announced Wednesday the addition of three parking garages and at least one rail line to deal with the expected increase of students during the next few years.
UH Director of Real Estate and Planning John Walsh said the new lines will help accommodate a planned growth of 10,000 students in the next 20 years.
‘It’s essential that we adopt alternative means of dealing with this,’ Walsh said. ‘Rapid transit becomes the most efficient and effective way to get that done.’
Construction of the Southeast Line – one of Metro’s two proposed rail lines that would service UH – will begin in six months, Walsh said.
The addition of the Southeast and University rail lines was made possible through $150 million in federal funds that Metro Transit Authority of Houston received to build the North and Southeast line. The addition of the University Line has not received approval from the Texas Senate, which will end its Legislative session Monday.
The rail lines and other construction planned to expand the University will force UH to eliminate 1,800 parking spaces, including part of the parking lot surrounding Robertson Stadium.
University officials are considering adding three parking garages to compensate for the lost parking spots. One garage would be built in the parking lot oustide of Robertson Stadium, while another could be built near the Moores School of Music. The location of the third garage has not been set.
‘The only thing that is for sure is that garage’ number three’ will be on the stadium lot,’ Director of Parking and Transportation Services Robert Browand said. ‘That will be a 2,000-space garage.’
Some funding for the parking garages is expected to come from UH’s cut of the Texas stimulus package. An increase in the price of parking permits and possible fees from Cougar Line are expected to provide the rest of the money.
‘For the funding possibilities, we talked about working to obtain stimulus money for multi-model garages,’ Assistant Vice President for University Services Emily Messa said. ‘We also discussed a user fee for our students, faculty and staff for riding our shuttle.’
In 2010, the cost of student permits will rise 8 percent for the fall and spring semester and 15 percent for the summer. Staff and faculty permit costs will rise 15 percent.
Both rails will stop on campus according to the UH Campus Metro Light Rail Service plan.
The Southeast Line will begin at the Palm Center shopping center in 3rd Ward and end in downtown, where it will connect with the existing North Line. Stations will be located on Old Spanish Trail, Wheeler Street and Cleburne and Scott Street. The Wheeler station will be located near Moody Towers. The Cleburne station will be built adjacent to Robertson Stadium, while the station on Scott will be located north of Elgin.
If approved, the University Line would begin in west Houston, near the Galleria and Greenway Plaza, and end at the station on Scott. The line will extend southbound across State Highway 288, serving UH and Texas Southern University.
Until the project is complete, Walsh encourages an increase in bus usage to help students, faculty and staff maneuver around the expected construction around campus.
‘Plan for disruption on Martin Luther King, Wheeler and Scott,’ Walsh said. ‘It will be a hassle for us.’
