West Houston Association

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WEST HOUSTON ASSOCIATION

info@westhouston.org

Memorial City Plaza II

820 Gessner Suite 1310

Houston, Texas 77024

v 713  461  9378

f 713  461  3065

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

West Houston Association Issues Brief

Statements on 2003 Metro Plan

WHA Board of Directors Statement on 2003 Metro Solutions Rail & Bus Plan--September 29, 2003--Requests Postponement of Metro Election Until Comprehensive Plan is Developed.

West Houston Association Board of Directors--September 29, 2003

Statement on Mobility                                       

 

One of, if not the primary key to Houston’s future is its ability to successfully address the challenges of current and future congestion.  Recognizing that mobility funds are finite, these funds must be directed in a manner that will achieve the greatest reduction in congestion for the funds invested.  The West Houston Association applies a very simple test in assessing mobility plans: 

 

1.      available funds must be utilized in the most efficient manner and yield the greatest impact (cost/benefit) on congestion relief;

2.      all projects must be analyzed on the same basis and ranked accordingly.

 

An extensive review of currently available data clearly demonstrates that in order for our region to improve its mobility, we must be willing to commit to a much greater investment in all transportation systems, including both roadways and transit.  The planning, design and implementation of these systems must correlate to our region’s dispersed population and employment centers.

 

In order to effectively plan for our region’s future needs, all agencies and elected officials with responsibility for these systems must begin to work together in a unified and cohesive manner.  No one agency should be planning systems without involvement and buy-in from all the agencies involved in this effort.  There simply are not sufficient funds to allow this to continue. 

 

The 100% Solution process being crafted by the traffic planners at the Houston-Galveston Area Council realizes that in excess of 95% of daily passenger trips are currently and will continue to be served through non-transit means. The 100% Solution process: 

1.      Recognizes that Houston’s employment is widely dispersed with less than 10% of our region’s employment located downtown,

2.      Will add additional capacity where needed,

3.      Upgrades key thoroughfares into “super-streets” with grade separated intersections,

4.      Provides for a region-wide computerized traffic signalization system, and

5.      Recognizes that transit should be an element in its plan.

 

Recognizing that congestion does not stop at governmental boundaries, we urge that a far more comprehensive, integrated and balanced plan—a plan that takes into account the reality of finite funding and the cost/benefit of each mobility component—be developed between Metro, the City of Houston, the Transportation Policy Council, Harris and surrounding counties and TxDOT.  The time is now for our elected officials and community leaders to commit to take this bold step forward. 

 

Accordingly, the West Houston Association Board of Directors recommends that the impending Metro referendum be postponed until an integrated plan can be crafted.

August 5 Letter to Metro Concerning Metro Solutions Plan

The Board of Directors of the West Houston Association respectfully requests that the Metropolitan Transit Authority Board of Directors consider the following points as it prepares for the anticipated November ballot initiative. 

Dedicate twenty-five (25%) percent of Metro tax income solely and exclusively for the improvement and construction of roadways and bridges for a period which extends, at a minimum, two years beyond the completion of the second phase of rail development and does not expire except by vote of the people.   Only in this manner will Metro funding serve the majority of those who live in the Metro service area but will never ride transit, yet will continue to pay the great majority of the financial burden through sales taxes.  

 Although Metro has adopted a “master plan” outlining future capital investment, it should present for voter approval a specific, limited authorization for bonding for only one additional rail line beyond its first phase.  Metro should not be allowed to finance, build and operate an extensive rail system (with expenditures estimated to be $5.4 billion or more) based on “non-investment grade” data and with no periodic performance evaluations or checkpoints.  Only if taxpayers are allowed periodic consent can they be assured of a system that meets accountability and performance standards. 

Limit the ballot proposal to further development of the bus system and one additional rail line if it meets certain criteria as outlined below. We believe rail is the most expensive and least efficient form of urban transportation for a low-density region like Houston.  Therefore, Metro must apply stringent tests of financial prudence, ridership thresholds and bus alternatives testing. 

Metro must test any proposed rail route with these criteria and in so doing establish a “means test” for all future rail development that is based upon specific corridor related data on capital, operating and financing costs; ridership; and alternatives analysis.  Metro must report these results to the community at appropriate times prior to a vote by taxpayers to expand rail construction.  Current Metro data suggests that it could develop in phase two a 14 mile extension of the current phase one rail line nearing completion on Main Street.  This would cost approximately $900 million and could be completed in by 2011.  Metro’s total rail system would be approximately 22.2 miles in length.

Metro should proceed on phase two only if it receives a firm commitment from voters and funding from the federal government for 50% of the system’s cost.

In our view, greater emphasis should be placed on building bus transit ridership that takes advantage of the toll ways and HOV facilities as a test of ridership for potential future rail.  We believe a better bus system is the most practical technology for meeting the shifting transit needs in a diverse and dispersed metropolitan region like Houston.  We fear that building, operating and maintaining an expensive rail system will detract from the expansion and operation of the bus system upon which most transit riders depend as well as detract from further deployment of buses on newly developed tollroad-based HOV facilities.