The ULine options: TSU
I’ve already talked about two of the three universities along the University Line — the University of Houston and the University of St. Thomas. That leaves Texas Southern.
TSU was in the news last year because METRO was proposing an alternative that would have run through campus on Elgin. That’s now off the table. But TSU still has a lot at stake. Its students, like the students at UH, would benefit from a connection to jobs, other educational institutions, retail, and places to live.
For TSU, the differences between the three University Line options come down to access. Like UH, TSU will be served by two of the new lines — the Southeast Line and the University Line. It’s important to have easy access to both, since they serve different destinations. And those stations should be as close to campus as possible.
Of the three METRO options, the Alabama option (above) serves TSU the least. A station at Tierwester and Alabama would require students to walk 4 blocks to Tigerwalk, the pedestrian spine of the campus. There are safety concerns, too: that walk is bordered by vacant lots and the back side of a public housing project.
The Alabama option has another consequence for TSU, too: reduced access from the Southeast Line. There is no station planned for Scott and Alabama on the Southeast Line. But if the University line is on Alabama, there has to be a station there to allow transfers between the lines. To do that, the Cleburne station — the only Southeast Line station within walking distance of TSU — would likely be moved to Alabama, further from TSU.
The two remaining options — Wheeler-Ennis-Alabama and Wheeler-Ennis-Elgin — actually put a station right next to campus, on Ennis just north of Wheeler. That’s right next to the end of Tigerwalk, a perfect pedestrian entrance into campus. It’s also near the basketball arena and not far from the football stadium.
Here’s Wheeler-Ennis-Alabama:
Here’s Wheeler-Ennis-Elgin:
While both Wheeler options serve the east end of the University on Ennis, they have different consequences at the west end. The Alabama version puts a second University Line station within walking distance of the university at Tierwester and Alabama, but it also moves the Southeast Line station further from campus. The Elgin version keeps the Southeast Line station where it is.
At TSU, just like at Greenway, we have to look not only at how close stations are to destinations, but at the quality of the walk between the station and the university. People are willing to walk further on a pedestrian-friendly environment like Tigerwalk. And a station that’s directly on campus is less intimidating to users and students: they get a nice walking environment, consistent signage, and better security than with a station that’s off campus.
The scorecard for TSU:
- US59/Alabama: Closest University Line station is 3 blocks from campus. Closest Southeast Line station is over 1/4 mile from edge of campus.
- Wheeler/Ennis/Alabama Closest University Line station is directly next to campus at end of Tigerwalk; another station is 3 blocks from campus. Closest Southeast Line station is over 1/4 mile from edge of campus.
- Wheeler/Ennis/Elgin Closest University Line station is directly next to campus at end of Tigerwalk. Closest Southeast Line station is less than 1/4 mile from edge of campus.
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