Urban Edge

Insights, perspectives and stories about building better cities and better lives

How BRT service rapidly improved ridership in the Twin Cities

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.

BRT could be a game changer if Metro plays to its strengths

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 is coming. Here’s what you need to know.

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.

How buses can drive equity and success in cities — and even help kill zombie ideas

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 housing voucher program isn’t perfect, but it’s essential

How much do you know about the 45-year-old federal housing assistance program that was created to help those with the nation’s lowest incomes access better opportunities and escape poverty?

Are Houston and other cities ‘trying to have their cake and eat it, too?’

As Houston strives to improve transit, shrink its carbon footprint and make streets safer for all modes of transportation, it may be struggling to rise above the status quo in some areas.

If you are disabled and live in the Houston area, we’d love to hear your story

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.

Far too many cyclists and pedestrians continue to die on US roads

More and more American cities are setting Vision Zero goals, but progress toward making streets safe for all users, particularly those using non-motorized transportation, is slow to come.

Understanding Houston: How a business manager navigates his multi-county commute 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.

How METRO made bus service a priority and became a transit trendsetter

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.