Houston Grapples With Mass Transit -- And Its Ego

As residents face a looming vote, city is tugged between its car culture and the realities of rising population and sprawl.

1 minute read

August 21, 2003, 5:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen

This November, Houstonians will get their chance to vote on the most ambitious mass-transit proposal since the creation of the Metropolitan Transit Authority in 1978. It includes 40 miles of light-rail extensions, an eight-mile commuter train track to Missouri City, 142 additional miles of Park & Ride bus service, 44 new bus routes, and bike racks on all buses.While it may sound good in theory, the idea of stepping out of cars and onto commuter trains is about as foreign to native Houstonians as a meal of leafy greens. This is a city built on the automobile, after all, fed on fossil fuel and the stretch of prairie land - with endless miles of road to cross it.

Thanks to Chris Steins

Read the full story: Houston grapples with mass transit - and its ego

Thursday, August 21, 2003 in The Christian Science Monitor

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