Houston and Harris County leaders condemn METRO’s plan to suspend ‘transformational’ University Corridor Line – Houston Public Media

Lucio Vasquez / Houston Public Media

Some city and county leaders are urging Houston’s transit provider to reconsider plans to suspend a bus rapid transit line historically touted as transformational.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority, citing a financial review of the plan, announced June 18 that it would not seek federal funding for a highly anticipated University Corridor bus rapid transit project, weeks after advocates Transportation officials began to echo concerns about the plan’s future.

In a statement, the authority said the project would have a financial impact on daily operations and limit the ability to implement other services such as bus frequency, improved bus shelters and improved sidewalks.

“When reviewing the University Corridor Project, METRO staff faced a deadline of late June to decide whether to pursue the federal grant process,” said Board Chair, Elizabeth González Brock. “As part of the review, staff recommended not moving forward with the application at this time due to reduced projected ridership and increased costs. »

“We are moving forward with proof of concept and viable infrastructure projects that should increase ridership,” she said.

The plan will have no effect on other rapid transit projects.

RELATED: METRO shelves University Corridor bus rapid transit project once touted as ‘transformational’

City and county leaders have since condemned the project, urging transit authority members to reconsider keeping the project on track.

“I am deeply disappointed that the METRO Board of Directors has abandoned efforts to secure more than $900 million in federal funds to build the BRT University Corridor,” Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis said in a statement. “Harris County residents specifically and overwhelmingly supported the project in the 2019 bond election.”

That year, voters overwhelmingly approved a $3.5 billion bond issue intended to promote the transit line. Officials said the METRONext Moving Forward action plan was designed to respond to the region’s population growth and to reduce traffic congestion.

Last year, the Federal Transit Administration committed to providing $150 million for the University Corridor line that would have run between the University of Houston, Texas Southern University, the University of St. Thomas and the Houston Community College.

Ellis said the transit agency already telling the Federal Transit Administration that it would not seek funding for the project was “a betrayal of the people of Harris County and the communities that METRO is sworn to represent.” and could harm any future plans to seek funding from the administration. .

“The board has made the dangerous decision to forgo the tens of millions of dollars and public outreach that went into developing this project,” he said. “Failing to address the need for the university corridor is a grave mistake and only contributes to the many transportation and environmental problems facing our country.”

City Councilwoman Letitia Plummer said the project is critical to providing equitable transit to underserved communities.

“Although construction costs have increased due to inflation, reducing rather than abandoning the University Line could preserve affordability while still meeting our transit goals,” Plummer said in a news release. “Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, METRO has experienced one of the strongest ridership recoveries among large metropolitan areas, with usage of the local bus network now exceeding pre-COVID-19 levels. »

The University Line would have operated seven days a week for up to 20 hours a day, with buses spaced six minutes apart during peak times. On a since-deleted project webpage, METRO said construction could have started by the end of 2024 and services could start by 2028.

In a statement, City Councilwoman Tiffany Thomas said the project is vital to the city’s transportation future and could fill a missing east-west connection in METRO’s rapid transit network.

“The ability to connect residents with rapid transit needs in neighborhoods ranging from Alief, Midwest and Westchase to the University of Houston, Texas Southern University, Greenway Plaza and the Galleria, in my opinion , is the right turning point for Houston and the right turning point for METRO. – because public transit goes hand in hand with significant community and economic development.