West Houston Association Archive

Transportation/Transit

WHA Board of Directors Addresses METRO's University Rail Alignment in July, 2006 Letter to Congressman Culberson.

"The Board of Directors of the West Houston Association has a history of interest and involvement in the planning and support for transportation projects that impact the West Houston Region. Therefore, we have considered the recent proposals by METRO for light rail in the University Corridor. While the line that is the subject of the current debate is not within our sphere of interest, we are confident the outcome of this matter will dictate whether or not West Houston will, in the future, have a another major transit line extending into the western suburbs of the West Houston Region, supplementing the I-10 High Occupancy Transit Lanes (HOT).

The Board believes that the most financially competitive, technically competent alignment that maximizes ridership potential will best serve the greater Houston community and should be chosen by METRO. The needs of the overall community should come before the desires and interests of a small group of residents and businesses. While their interests should be considered, these individual interests must not dictate progress for the community as a whole.

Recent history informs us that to provide greater mobility for the largest number of people, some will unfortunately not be pleased with the solution. In the short term, a few most affected by a particular decision will find progress for the overall community will not be in alignment with their individual desires. However, that does not, and should not, mean that we cannot have progress if that project meets or exceeds our collective demands for mobility, efficiency and quality, and the greater good is served.

Examples of the greater good being served are found in practically every major public infrastructure project— Interstate 10 reconstruction, Bayport Terminal, and Intercontinental Airport expansion are recent examples. As you know so well, in each case every effort was made to minimize negative impacts, however there were those in close proximity to these projects who were and remain opposed, no matter the rationale. Our region is going to grow by 4,000,000 persons over the next 30 years with the majority of them locating in the western half of the region. We will face these problems repeatedly, but in the end, those charged with leadership must make the decision that is the right decision for the region.

The future of an efficient transportation system in West Houston must involve transit as well as a full complement of freeways, tollways and major thoroughfares. To meet this goal, we believe the long-term future of West Houston is best served if we preserve the option for transit in the Richmond/Westpark Corridor west to northern Fort Bend County. Choosing a less than optimum alignment in the existing University line may not only foreclose a future link to West Houston, it may well jeopardize funding for the entire University line.

We appreciate your leadership on mobility issues and particularly on the Interstate 10 project. We believe difficult bold decisions and leadership can and will continue to make a difference as the Houston region plans and implements future mobility projects."

February, 2002

Toward a Rational Transit Policy That Serves the Region & Regional Activity Centers

We believe profound, long-term regional development patterns have inexorably changed the lives and work of every Houstonian in the area. There is no indication this pattern of growth will change in the future. We believe these continuing changes, which underscore both the preference for suburban life and work styles and the opportunity for new-style urban living, require a fundamental change in thinking and planning for transit services. Traditional transit service paradigms predicated on a single central employment center must give way to new, more efficient strategies if transit is to fulfill a useful, truly productive role in the future of this city. Our region is at a crossroads where is demanded the most creative thinking possible. The West Houston Association, therefore, urges very careful and thoughtful consideration of future transit service development.

According to HGAC population and employment projections, over the next 20 years our region will add another 2 million residents to slightly exceed a population of 6 million by 2025. Employment will exceed 3 million by 2025. And underscoring the magnitude of our regional development, Houston is projected to have as many as 5 regional employment/activity centers employing 100,000 or more by the year 2025 with 5 additional centers in the 60,000 to 100,000 range.

We believe the following are necessary elements of a rational regional transit policy:

Undertake a Regional Activity Centers Transportation Plan

We call for a Regional Activity Centers Transportation Plan, a coordinated, in-depth evaluation of the current and future transit service fully integrated into roadway transportation improvements for the major regional employment/activity centers as a first step in crafting and implementing an effective regional transportation policy.

Achieve Transit Service Centered on Regional Activity Centers

The growth of population and employment in the suburban areas of our community is a long established trend and data indicate it will continue over the next 25 years. We believe the real challenge Metro faces is not how to implement rail in the 15 to 25 mile long radial corridors focused on the Central Business District, as it seems the current Metro 2025 plan contemplates, but how to best serve the work trips centered on the growing number of major suburban activity centers throughout the region.

Refine HOV System to Serve Regional Activity Centers

Houston has invested heavily in an extensive and highly successful high occupancy vehicle (HOV) system on our radial freeways. They have proven to be a highly effective and cost efficient means of meeting the challenges of a growing and diverse metropolitan area. As we stated in previous policy, we believe conversion of barrier separated HOV lanes to diamond lanes will improve access during non-peak travel hours and certainly has the potential for safer operations. We believe it is rational and economically sound to allow these facilities to "mature" as transit and carpool facilities and redesign them and the related transit services to directly serve the suburban activity centers as well as central business district. Dual direction HOVs, ramp access and direct express bus services to these areas should be implemented. Policies which hinder or prohibit development of new transit services in lower density areas should be rethought

No Delay for I-10, I-610 and US 290

As improving mobility in heavily traveled corridors such as Interstate 10 West and Loop 610 West are priorities, design and construction on planned freeway improvements should not be delayed in any fashion while Metro’s 2025 Plan or the Suburban Centers Plan is developed. US 290 redevelopment to accommodate growth must be advanced. The aggressive development and completion of these projects is paramount.

Confine Rail Transit in Metro’s 2025 Plan to Region’s "Urban Core"

We believe the role for rail in the Metro’s 2025 Plan intermediate-term future is currently being forged by the current Main Street Line—at grade, in mixed flow traffic, in more densely developed areas. Because proposed ridership is low, it has modest if any congestion and air quality benefits. The current line and any future extensions in our view should recognize rail’s limitations and focus on its roll as a support to the revitalization of Houston’s urban core and central business district. This seems a sensible and prudent approach that should continue to guide rail’s development in Houston.

The system proposed can not be so expensive to build and operate that it drains resources needed to plan, development and implement transit services to suburban activity centers. We believe Metro’s 2025 Transit System Plan should acknowledge these elements and incorporate them into a more rationale transit plan for the region.

West Houston Association Supports Travel Rate Improvement Program (TRIP 2000) for the Houston Area

We endorse the Greater Houston Partnership's coordinated, multi-agency transportation plan, TRIP 2000 as an outline and first step for the region’s efforts to implement effective transportation systems to help improve mobility. We commit our aid in helping achieve enhanced funding and to find new ways of building smarter to improve transportation systems.

By Resolution of the West Houston Association Board of Directors, January 16, 2002

Metro Mobility 2025

The Metropolitan Transit Authority is undertaking an evaluation of several corridors to determine the nature of transit facilities that should be appropriately employed in the future. The following map depicts those corridors and what is currently under consideration in each: