Transit equity benefits all of society — both those who use it and those who don’t. It provides access to jobs, schools and other opportunities to underserved communities, people who can’t afford the costs related to owning a car as well as those who use it because of convenience or to limit their contribution to the problems of congestion and pollution. In turn, the reductions in traffic and emissions they represent benefit those who drive. But we should also consider the equity of infrastructure such as sidewalks, crosswalks and drainage, all of which affect connectivity, accessibility and safety for people who walk, roll and ride bikes in Houston.
Metro Transit, which operates public transportation service in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, launched the region’s first bus rapid transit line (BRT) in 2016 with its METRO A Line. Last year, a second BRT line was added, and more are planned for the future.
It will take 20 years to implement the METRONext plan but if done correctly, getting riders where they want to go will be the top priority and the entire Metro system will work in concert to provide the best service possible.
Bus rapid transit — BRT for short — is part of METRO’s plan for improving public transportation in the Houston area. It will feaure 75 miles of MetroRapid service on dedicated, bus-only lanes. Here’s a breakdown of BRT.
Ridership in most major metropolitan areas of the U.S. has been steadily declining in recent years. And transit experts worry about the trend’s impact on cities — economically and socially. But when you improve buses, as the experience in Houston and in so many other places shows, ridership and relevancy increase.
The Kinder Institute for Urban Research is launching a new survey to better understand housing and neighborhood challenges faced by those living with disabilities in Houston.
This is a part of a series connected to our partnership with the Greater Houston Community Foundation's regional project Understanding Houston. This story, and others in the series, also appears on the Understanding Houston website.
In 2015, METRO took its outdated bus network down to the studs and designed an entirely new regional transit system that made bus service less complicated and more frequent along the busiest routes. The results made transportation officials in cities across the country take notice.
This study explores how land use has changed between 2010 and 2016 in transit adjacent development (TAD) areas of Harris County, defined as census block groups within one mile of light rail stations, transit centers, and Park & Ride locations.
Houston area voters will decide November 5 whether or not to support Metro’s ballot referendum, which borrows $3.5 billion for system improvements and expansions.
