Ridership on Houston trains and buses rose sharply in March, thanks in part to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and a limited return to offices.
Houston’s public transit system saw its highest ridership in March since the pandemic began, reports Dug Begley. “The increases were across most of Metro’s services, though the changes varied widely and were attributed by transit officials to various reasons.”
Some highlights from the month’s statistics:
- “Light rail ridership averaged 35,675 people on weekdays, a 49 percent jump from March 2021.”
- “Local bus use increased by 20 percent, with some major lines such as the Route 25 Richmond and Route 4 Beechnut increasing 30 percent or more from the previous year.”
Begley notes that “Transit use typically spikes in March because of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which leads to legions of light rail riders headed to NRG Park. The rodeo’s return after a two-year hiatus certainly contributed, [Metropolitan Transit Authority spokeswoman Tracy Jackson] said, but cannot account for commuter bus and local bus hikes in parts of the city.”
Still, ridership hasn’t rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. March’s 5 million trips were still “roughly a third shy of the 7.4 million taken in March 2019.”
FULL STORY: More than 5 million trips were taken on Houston Metro vehicles in March, the highest since COVID
Houston's First Bus Rapid Transit Line Sees Low Ridership
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.
Transit Ridership Continues Slow Recovery
Even as gas prices rise, ridership on many public transit systems continues to remain well below pre-pandemic levels.
Houston Plans for More Bus Rapid Transit
The city's transit agency hopes a more comprehensive and connected rapid transit network will encourage more Houstonians to use buses.
How Sharrows Became Cycling’s Most Hated Symbol
Originally designed as a low-cost way to encourage safer road sharing between bikes and cars, the sharrow has become a symbol of the lack of commitment to protected bike infrastructure in many cities.
Keanu Reeves Set to Play Daniel Burnham in ‘The Devil in the White City’
Planning is going to get a new level of star power as a limited series adaptation of The Devil in the White City gets ready for television screens in 2024.
Massive, Vacant L.A. Hospital To Become Affordable Housing
The historic building will be redeveloped with over 500 housing units and supportive services on site.
Fire Evacuation Planning at the Community Level
Wildfire planning often focuses on individual buildings, but little guidance exists for effective citywide evacuation planning.
Where Is Salt Lake City’s Tiny Home Village?
A proposed ‘tiny home village’ meant to serve as temporary housing for unhoused residents has yet to break ground more than a year after it was announced.
How Communities Can Leverage Federal Vision Zero Funding To Make Streets Safer
Two safe streets advocates give their recommendations for how to effectively use the $1 billion in annual funding available through a federal grant program.
McKenna
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
Kinexus Group
Cohousing Association of the US
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Rail~Volution
Sun City Center Community Association, Inc
City of Mesa
Town of Gilbert, Arizona
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
