Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (Metro)

The Texas State Legislature authorized the creation of local transit authorities in 1973. In 1978, Houston-area voters created METRO and approved a one-cent sales tax to support its operations. METRO opened for business in January 1979. In 25 years, the Authority has transformed a broken bus fleet into a regional multimodal transportation system.

Communities that are part of the METRO area include the cities of Houston, Bellaire, Bunker Hill Village, El Lago, Hedwig Village, Hilshire Village, Humble, Hunters Creek, Katy, Missouri City, Piney Point, Southside Place, Spring Valley, Taylor Lake Village and West University Place. Major portions of unincorporated Harris County are also included.

In development since 2001, METRO Solutions is a comprehensive transit system plan to help solve the Greater Houston region's traffic congestion and air quality problems. The plan was crafted with extensive input from the public, METRO's regional transportation partners and mobility experts nationwide. The plan was adopted by the METRO Board of Directors in July 2003 and approved by voters in November 2003.

The plan calls for major multimodal transit improvements across the region and extends through 2014 the General Mobility Program, which sets aside one-quarter of METRO's onecent sales tax revenue for mobility projects in Harris County, the City of Houston and the Multi-Cities. In addition, voters granted METRO the authority to issue up to $640 million in bonds to fund the next phase of projects.

In June 2005, METRO announced its $2 billion Phase 2 Implementation Plan to provide more rapid transit for the Houston region in less time than originally proposed under METRO Solutions. Key components of the Implementation Plan include:

• Nearly 9 miles of Light Rail Transit - an eight-mile University line from the Uptown/ Galleria and Greenway Plaza areas to the University of Houston and Texas Southern University, and a one-half-mile extension of the existing Red Line north to a proposed Intermodal Facility;
• 21 Miles of Fixed-Guideway Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) - North, Southeast, Harrisburg and Uptown (all of which will be converted to Light Rail Transit when ridership reaches a cost-effective level);
• 28 Miles of Commuter Rail Transit (CRT) - along U.S. 290 from Cypress Park & Ride to Intermodal Facility and along U.S. 90A from Missouri City to Fannin South Park & Ride/Rail Station;
• 40 Miles of Signature Bus Service/Suburban Bus Rapid Transit - Southeast Transit Center to Texas Medical Center, Uptown to U.S. 90A CRT line, Gessner and Texas 249/Tidwell;
• 10 New Transit Facilities - Northern Intermodal Facility serving different transit modes (Commuter Rail, Light Rail and BRT), five Transit Centers and four Park & Ride lots; and
• HOV/HOT Conversion - modify one-way, reversible High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes to two-way High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes.