The Connected University Line
In the end, the success of the transit system METRO is building will be based on whether it meets riders’ needs. Connecting different transit lines and modes will make METRO an option for more people’s daily trips. And making those connections simple will not only mean that people are more likely to ride transit; it will mean that tens of thousands of people who do ride transit will have a better day every day.
Today: One METRORail line links Downtown and the Texas Medical Center. 7 METROExpress lines provide excellent service from suburban areas to Downtown. Of the 5 major activity centers in the urban core, though, 3 have no high-quality transit links at all.
The beginning of an urban system: METRO Solutions BRT service promises will begin to build an urban network, linking UH/TSU as well as several neighborhoods to Downtown. The Uptown line connects the Uptown area to 4 Westside METROExpress lines. New commuter rail lines augment METROExpress. But without an east-west line, there’s no service to Greenway Plaza and no link between Post Oak and the other activity centers.
A key link: The University Line provides a key east-west connection, connecting Uptown to the system, adding service to Greenway Plaza, and better linking UH/TSU. But this system involves a great many transfers – two between Downtown and Post Oak, for example – and it misses some potential connections.
The “connected” University Line: The connectivity of the University line is greatly enhanced with 4 key upgrades: through-running onto the Uptown line (for nonstop service to Uptown), track connections to the Main Street line (for nonstop service to Downtown and the TMC), an eastern extension (for connections to METROExpress, commuter rail, and the East End line), and a western extension (for future expansion and for better bus connections). These enable more convenient trips between activity centers (Downtown-Post Oak is now a 1-seat ride), better connections between lines (East End to Uptown, for example), more suburb-activity center commute possibilities (Gulf Freeway to UH or Greenway), and additional circulator service (within Uptown).
An interim step: It is possible that funding constrains will preclude construction or operation of the full “connected” University Line. But it is important not to let such constraints hobble the system permanently. By implementing the connections that give the “highest bang for the buck” and designing the system so as to allow future construction and operation of the others (by adding track connections even if they will not yet carry service, by designing terminal stations so as to allow expansion, and by planning and reserving right-of-way for extensions), we can make sure the system will be able to meet future demands.
Decisions that are being made now and the concrete that will be poured shortly will shape the future of transit in Houston for decades. We are building a system, not a cluster of individual lines. Systems are measured by their connectivity. The University Line must be design to effectively connect to other transit corridors to enable the maximum number of trips, maximize the potential of other transit investments, and make service as convenient as possible for the public.
I submitted a longer version (1.5 MB pdf) of the above to METRO today as part of the scoping process for the University Line.
And if you want that process to continue you might want to tell John Culberson, who seems to want to stop it right now. And be sure to attend METRO’s meetings next week where they will present drawings showing some of the options for the University Line. And you can always make unofficial comments in our forums.