One way to reduce carbon emissions, traffic congestion, and the stress of driving and parking in Houston is to use public transportation.  And public transit is 10-times safer! than driving according to this study:

 

If you haven't used a bus in Houston for awhile, below are some very useful tools. 

 

Check Your Route Options & Plot Your Route online:

If traveling to a new destination, go to Google maps and enter your destination and then your starting point; then select the "transit' icon at the top (there is also a 'walking' and 'bike' icon).  The map will display your bus or rail options and estimated travel time. Also displayed for each option are the specific bus route numbers and the associated walking time to the bus or rail stops.  When you zoom into Google maps bus stops will be displayed along with each location's route number.

 

Next Bus Arrival Texting:

A really useful modern tool for riding a METRO bus is Next Bus Texting. You can send a text message with the number of your bus stop and get real time arrivals for upcoming buses.  Each bus stop sign is assigned a number, which is located at the lower left-hand corner of the sign. If the stop is served by just one bus route, then send a text to 697433, and enter the bus stop number as your message, and press send. If the stop serves multiple bus routes, then send a text to 697433, enter the bus stop number, add a space, and enter the route you wish to ride, and press send.  These texting instructions are posted on each bus stop sign.

 

Once you learn your nearest bus stop number, you can check on the next bus arrival times before heading out to get the bus. This is especially helpful if it is not a frequent service route or the weather is bad.  It's also reassuring to be able to get updates and expected arrivals when waiting for a bus.

 

METRO website for Bus Routes and Schedules: 

And of course one can access details for each bus route at the Houston METRO website:  

 

For questions or comments, contact Frank Blake at frankblake@juno.com