Houston Tollway Could Get Transit Options

Houston’s Westpark Tollway could be headed for a redesign as the road continues to get more congested, reports Dug Begley in the Houston Chronicle. The tollway connects southwest Houston’s rapidly growing suburban communities with downtown and provides a key link for tens of thousands of commuters.

Rather than just examining the potential for lane expansion, officials say they are “thinking about all the options, leveraging all the mobility options so maybe that means transit partnerships or new ways of serving people beyond just raising prices and adding capacity.”

Harris County Toll Road Authority Executive Director Roberto Trevino says the Authority will commission a study to evaluate possible expansions and transit options. While an expansion of vehicle lanes is likely, “Moving more people … is prompting officials to consider how to move them more efficiently, notably by adding transit options or opportunities to ride a bike to a carpool hub or transit station.” Begley notes that “Right now, no commuter buses use HCTRA tollways, but that is likely to change as toll officials aim to use the existing lanes to move more people.”