Hindered by the pandemic and other factors, ridership numbers have been disappointingly low on the city's first BRT, but Metro officials are undeterred in their plans for future BRT lines.
Houston's new Silver Line bus rapid transit (BRT) line is seeing disappointingly low ridership in its first year and a half of operation, reports Dug Begley. "The line, which comes every 12 minutes and avoids Galleria-area congestion, is a vital route for those using it, but carrying less than 10 percent of the riders it was built for on opening day." The line is serving fewer than 800 riders a day, far fewer than the 12,000 daily riders predicted by Metro. "Park and ride service, which was expected to be a big lure for commuters into Uptown to hop the Silver Line, dropped from 33,000 trips on a typical day in the region to fewer than 4,000 when the BRT began operating on Post Oak."
But the city's transit officials are cautiously optimistic about the future of its other BRT projects, calling them "50-year projects" whose ridership will grow with time. "Many of those plans feed into major routes, including the Silver Line. As part of the $7.5 billion plan approved by voters in 2019, Metro anticipates making high occupancy toll lanes along many freeways bi-directional, meaning bus lanes both ways for park and ride lines to Uptown and downtown Houston, feeding into the Uptown transit center."
FULL STORY: Uh oh, Silver: Houston's first bus rapid transit line carries only fraction of ridership Metro predicted
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands
An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.
Opinion: Criminalizing Homelessness Is ‘Expensive and Shortsighted’
Policies that punish and fine unhoused people for sheltering outdoors, even when other shelter is not available, are the most visible but least efficient ways to reduce homelessness.
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