METRO expansion seeks to combat ‘first-mile/last-mile’ problem

By Sophie Kidd

(HOUSTON) The Metropolitan Transit Authority will debut a circulating bus service in Gulfton in mid-August, which will allow riders to get around their neighborhood and connect with larger transit centers with ease.

The circulator will service the area between Interstate 69, Westpark Tollway, Loop 610 and Bellaire Boulevard. Riders will have access to a number of other bus routes as well as the Hillcroft Park and Ride Stop, Westpark Transit Center and Bellaire Transit Center.

Expanding access to public transit is the latest step in the Houston Safer Streets program. In April, the city broke ground on Hillcroft Street as it began to widen sidewalks, add bike paths, increase pedestrian access and reduce car lanes.

"Our goal is to make the city’s streets and roads safe for pedestrians, bus riders, bicyclists, drivers, wheelchair users and others," Mayor Sylvester Turner said at the groundbreaking. "The redesign of the Hillcroft area will provide safer transportation options for the Gulfton community, connecting commuters to different areas across town."

The city hopes to combat the “first-mile/last-mile” problem by increasing bus routes and promoting safety in the streets. Doing so will make it easier for riders to utilize public transportation.

Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle

A need for public transit

Despite being the fourth largest city in the country, Houston’s public transit system is underdeveloped and underused.

A 2020 report from the transit advocacy group LINK Houston found that in the METRO’s service area, which reaches 4.5 million people, there are:

• 218,000 households living in poverty
• 91,000 households with no vehicle
• 59,000 people commute primarily by transit

In Gulfton, 12.7% of households lack access to a vehicle, compared to 6% for the rest of Harris County. Other low-income areas such as the Third Ward and Sunnyside have rates as high as 28.6% and 19.2%, respectively.

Last year, Turner appointed David Fields as the city’s first Chief Transportation Planner to increase access to public transportation.

“Transportation can change people’s lives. Doing it right starts by making sure every Houstonian can safely cross the street and ends when everyone can safely and easily connect from their home to their job, their school, and all Houston has to offer,” said Fields.

Changes in transit use

A Cato report found that in 2019, there was a significant decrease in public transit use across the country. However, it pointed out that Houston’s ridership steadily increased because of large-scale investments in transit infrastructure.

Unfortunately, these trends were short-lived with the onset of the pandemic.

In April 2019, local buses averaged 191,000 riders a week. By the next year, that number dropped nearly 60% to 80,548.

As COVID-19 rates continue to decline, riders have started to return to their bus routes. This April, buses were up to 102,000 riders weekly, a 27% increase from 2020.

At the beginning of June, METRO increased the frequency of bus service and eliminated limited seating capacities.

As the city moves forward, it is continuing to work on plans to expand METRO offerings, including a 75-mile bus rapid transit route.

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