The Houston METRO Board has started the process to develop a new Regional Transportation Plan that will define the next steps for transit and mobility improvements in the Houston region. No timeline has been published to date for development of the plan or public meetings, so it is not clear if any plan proposal will be ready in time for a public vote in November 2017. METRO will be considering possible light rail line expansion, commuter rail, improved bus service, etc.
METRO now has a page at their website dedicated to the Regional Transportation Plan which provides a brief overview and opportunity to provide initial comments. Link to METRONext page, scroll down and click on ‘Submit a Comment’:
In recent years a number of U.S. cities have adopted ambitious transit expansion plans, notably Denver, Los Angeles, and Seattle. Both Los Angeles and Seattle voted to approve new transportation plans in November 2016. These are plans that significantly expand transit options with the goals of reducing carbon emissions, improving general mobility, accommodating increased population growth in urban centers, and improving general quality of life. Houston METRO board members will be looking to other cities to learn from their accomplishments.
Below are links to websites or videos that provide summaries of the plans adopted in the above mentioned cities, including system maps.
Denver FasTracks website:
http://www.rtd-denver.com/Fastracks.shtml
Los Angeles, Measure M website:
http://theplan.metro.net/
Seattle ST3 Plan (this is a video):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSPRPkXtDms
For questions or more info, contact Frank Blake at frankblake@juno.com
