METRO shelving University Corridor bus rapid transit project once touted as ‘transformational’ – Houston Public Media

Gail Delaughter/Houston Public Media

Houston’s public transportation provider announced Tuesday that it would not seek federal grants for a long-planned rapid bus line that would cover more than 25 miles and include stops at four different colleges and universities, putting a strain on indefinite pause on a project once hailed as “transformational” by its previous leaders.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO), citing a financial review of its University Corridor BRT project, said continuing with this project would “financially impact METRO’s daily operations and significantly limit the ability to implement essential services such as increased public safety, bus frequency, bus and train cleanliness, improved bus shelters, and improved sidewalks and roads.

Last year, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recommended $150 million in funding for the initiative, which, according to METRO’s latest estimates, is expected to cost $2.28 billion, nearly double the original projected cost. . METRO said the FTA is leaving the door open for it to apply for a grant at a later date “if the project proves financially viable.”

“METRO’s decision not to pursue the federal grant process at this time is based on the need to prioritize improving essential services to customers and the community and will better position the authority to increase “overall system ridership,” METRO Board Chair Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock said in a statement. .

The decision to pause the University Corridor project does not impact other ongoing bus rapid transit projects – the Inner Katy BRT project and the Gulfton BRT project – according to METRO spokesperson Doug Delony. METRO made no recommendations regarding these initiatives Tuesday at the organization’s strategic planning committee meeting.

Bus rapid transit is considered a relatively environmentally friendly service, involving dedicated lanes for electric buses, boarding on a platform, and buses arriving every 15 minutes or less.

Alarms were raised among local transportation advocates about six weeks ago when METRO took down its web pages on the three bus rapid transit projects. The initiatives are under review as six of METRO’s nine board members were newly appointed, with four of those new board members having been appointed by new Houston Mayor John Whitmire and confirmed by the Houston City Council.

METRO’s decision to halt the University Corridor project was criticized by Whitmire’s predecessor, Sylvester Turner.

“METRO’s decision not to move forward on the University Line is a major setback for transit in Houston and will leave nearly a billion federal dollars on the table,” Turner wrote Tuesday on a hard blow for (METRONext) and the voters.”

Turner was referring to a $3.5 billion bond initiative overwhelmingly approved by Harris County voters in 2019, when the university corridor project was a key selling point of the METRONext Moving Forward plan. This vote was also discussed Tuesday by Gabe Cazares, executive director of LINK Houston, which advocates for equitable transportation options in the region.

Cazares called METRO’s decision “unacceptable,” noting that it was made without a vote from board members.

“They will jeopardize nearly three years of work, more than $1 billion representing 60 percent of the total cost, and the good faith of the communities who participated in providing much-needed feedback to help shape the design,” Cazares said . “In just two years we will be in the global spotlight as the host city of numerous World Cup matches, securing millions of travelers and potential new riders.

“Houston cannot be a world-class city without a world-class transit system,” he added. “The failure to build the University Corridor BRT not only harms riders today, but all Houstonians and visitors for the foreseeable future.”