Houston Plans for More Bus Rapid Transit

Despite a lackluster performance from the recently opened Silver Line, which, as Houston's first bus rapid transit (BRT) line, "limps along with an average of fewer than 700 passengers on weekdays this year," Houston Metro is moving forward with more BRT projects that officials hope will connect more parts of the city. "As the region’s core becomes more dense with homes and offices, officials believe large buses shuttling between set stops are expected to connect core commuting areas to park and ride hubs, making transit more convenient for suburban and inner-loop residents simultaneously," reports Dug Begley for the Houston Chronicle.

"The preferred I-10 route plan also details how Metro plans to use its existing stations and lanes along Capitol and Rusk so those platforms can pull double-duty while closing them to other vehicles. Left unresolved is how buses will make the move from I-10 to downtown streets, which will depend on the final plans for a massive rebuild of the central city freeway system and Interstate 45."

"Crucially, the project also links more neighborhoods and amenities to rapid service, along I-10 where officials plan stations at Studemont, Shepherd-Durham and Memorial Park." As Begley writes, "The busway, a two-lane elevated road right next to the freeway, would allow buses to move from the Northwest Transit Center near Loop 610 and I-10 to the central business district without being stuck in traffic."

See Begley's article, linked below, for details on the project's proposed route and options for the future of Houston's rapid bus lines.