Five Ideas for the Future of Houston Transit

The new board chair of Houston's Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County recently shared her ideas for the future of the transit agency.

1 minute read

July 21, 2016, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Houston Metro Bus

Roy Luck / Flickr

Ryan Holleywell sends a dispatch from a roundtable discussion with Houston the new board chair of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO), Carrin Patman.

According to Holleywell, Patman laid out five big ideas for METRO, namely:

  • The development of a regional transit plan for the Houston area.
  • Fixing sidewalks and bus stops to help boost ridership.
  • Connecting light rail to Hobby Airport.

Those ideas and two more are described in more detail in the article. Interestingly, Patman shares some light criticism of the highly regarded "re-imagining" of the METRO bus system, saying that some residents were left behind by the new system's focus on frequency, rather than coverage.

Hat tip to Angie Schmitt for sharing the article, and for noting Patman's focus on improving sidewalks and bus stops.

Monday, July 18, 2016 in The Urban Edge

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

November 11, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6, 2026 - Grist

People walking in downtown St. Louis, walking past shops.

Move over, LA: St. Louis gears up for Olympics, invests millions in downtown redevelopment

The Missouri city will host the 2028 Olympic soccer group stage and knockout matches.

November 1, 2026 - Smart Cities Dive

Construction in Dallas. An aerial shot of a wooden frame of an apartment building.

Dallas releases zoning code overhaul to officials

The drafted overhaul is over 400 pages long.

November 11 - Dallas Morning News

Canal street, where pedestrians are packed shoulder to shoulder.

NYC renovations for dangerous, ‘mercilessly crammed’ street delayed until 2027

Construction was supposed to begin this fall.

November 11 - Gothamist

A rendering of Midway Rising that shows people mingling in a green space between apartment buildings.

San Diego’s Midway Rising project gets greenlight from city council

The project looks to become the largest affordable housing development in California's history.

November 11 - KPBS

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.