What Happened?
Houston is expanding and enhancing its public bus network to increase efficiency without raising costs to the public. The new “frequent” bus network ensures buses arrive at least every 15 minutes and cover more ground across the city.
The Goal
Houston Metro is revamping its public transit system so the services provided are more responsive to residential needs making it a high-efficiency solution to rising transportation demands. The new system will leverage its Frequent Network to connect residents of the Houston region with easier access to job opportunities by sending buses to hot spot locations every 15 minutes. Other proposed benefits and improvements include:
- Routes will run all weekend at the same frequency as is enjoyed during the week
- Routes will be straighter and easier to understand so navigating a new route will be fast and efficient
- About 30 percent of street level freight rail crossings will be removed from routes daily to cut down on delays
- New routes will be shorter and more frequent so buses are always on time
The Houston Metro System Reimaging plan is expected to be completed in five years, as the city focuses on building off existing transit infrastructure and resources to improve efficiency and performance. The revamped transit system plan will impact all transit channels, with a strong emphasis on bus services.
To attract new business, and support existing companies, the buses routes will enable more residents to get to new jobs wherever, whenever throughout the Houston region. Companies located in prime business districts will no longer be the only organizations to enjoy easy access to public transit options. The upgraded features and functionality will be available to all routes at all hours of the day to support a variety of industries and professions.
Houston Metro predicts 1.12 million people will live within ½ mile of a frequent access public transit station under the new system, up from 534,000 currently, to mark a 111 percent increase. In addition, nearly 1 million jobs will be within ½ mile of a frequent access public transit station, which is a 55 percent increase from the 643,000 under the current system.
Free Upgrades
According to The Atlantic Cities, Houston Metro will be able to implement enhancements to its transit system without generating any new operating costs. The city’s existing system offers redundant routes, while the new network will eliminate these overlaps and focus more on short routes and efficient transfers to get users from point A to point B faster.
Houston Metro has also researched areas of the city with high ridership patterns and arranged new routes to supply resources dependent on user density. Once the changes are complete, Houston Metro anticipates:
- 93 percent of current passengers can access the system at their current stop
- 99,000 more current passengers would have close access to all-week frequent service
The changes may cause some riders to walk a bit farther to their bus stop. But the new routes will make the overall experience more efficient in the end for all passengers.
Transit Transformations
Gov1 has kept a close eye on public transportation projects to overcome transit inefficiencies while utilizing available public funds.