Making Space for Buses

The Gulfton area of Houston could soon be home to a new bus rapid transit line that will add connectivity to other regional transit, reports Dug Begley in the Houston Chronicle. “The likely route, shown to the community in late June, runs for about four miles, starting at the Westpark / Lower Uptown Transit Center on Westpark. Buses would run along Westpark, Chimney Rock and Gulfton to wind through the area, then follow Hillcroft south to Bissonnet.”

According to Begley, the agency is looking at around six possible routes. “Any of the proposed routes would cost tens of millions of dollars, as they will require rebuilding streets, adding sidewalks in some spots and constructing platforms for the service.” Metro will have to navigate adding new bus lanes and stops while balancing the needs of pedestrians and drivers. “Citing the huge demand for transit in the area – peppered with apartments that are often the first homes of incoming immigrants to the country because of their proximity to social services along Hillcroft – Metro said better bus service is a critical part of its long-term plans.”

The new line is part of a long-range plan approved in 2019 that promises to invest $7.5 billion in Houston-area transit.