100 million riders in the oil patch

[edblysard]

Metrorail, Houston’s light rail mass transit, just hit the 100 million rider mark.

Not too bad for a 10 year old, 7 mile system in the heart of the petroleum industry.

And folks said we would never get out of our pickup trucks….

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=9057899

http://www.gometrorail.org/go/doc/2491/1508071/

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Houston has the worst climate on Earth.  I wonder how many commuters started taking light rail to keep from smothering from the humidity?

[Ulrich]

That's great news...looks like Houston is ahead of the curve on this one.

[samfp1943]

edblysard

Metrorail, Houston’s light rail mass transit, just hit the 100 million rider mark.

Not too bad for a 10 year old, 7 mile system in the heart of the petroleum industry.

And folks said we would never get out of our pickup trucks….

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=9057899

http://www.gometrorail.org/go/doc/2491/1508071/

ED:

        Not having been in Houston for some time, it is a remarkable number for what kind of amounts (IMHO) as an Internal Transportation System ( primarily within the I-10/I-610 Loop) . Imagine the potential for intra-Urban riders if it went to some of the big residential areas outside the look?  I do not know how traffic is there these days, but I can't imagine it is any better as far as volumes and feeder highways go now.  It has always seemed to be a beastly mess and drivers like rats making their own travel paths. ( Service Roads to spots on Interstates and through parking lots to different paths(?). 

    At any rate, it seems that Metro Rail is building a good base  for riders to get in the habit of using their current system. Possibly for future extensions into the 'burbs.     

[edblysard]

Sam,

 Expansion/ new line being built north to just outside the loop, east to the Harrisburg area, and west towards the Heights, which has under gone somewhat of a renaissance, lots of eateries and light office space, and the neighborhoods are experiencing a lot of remodels.

Driving is still a contact sport here, even with the Katy Freeway now six lanes wide on both sides it still come to a halt around rush hour.

[edblysard]

CSSHEGEWISCH

Houston has the worst climate on Earth.  I wonder how many commuters started taking light rail to keep from smothering from the humidity?

Well, it is a swamp, so.....

[John WR]

When it comes to building contemporary light rail systems there is no place ahead of Houston.  

[Deirius]

I lived and grew up in Houston - well Katy specifically. The metro light rail isn't bad but frankly Portland Oregon has Houston beat.

I was relocated there by my employer in 2008. When some friends recommended I take mass transit / light rail to work I laughed - remembering the short light rail in Houston. I stopped laughing when I saw how many people actually used it.

I'm not downing light rail in Houston. Just don't like that accidents are automatically the fault of the automobile even when signals are proven with video to have authorized the driver to do what they were doing and really don't like how much money that short strip of rail cost taxpayers.

[Deggesty]

When the Utah Transit Authority began working on Trax, the light rail system that in the beginning simply went south from Salt Lake CIty, the nay-sayers were certain that it would not be successful. However, it has done well, and has had four more routes added (the fourth one, to the airport, officially opens Monday). I have considered that one reason for its success is that several north-south bus routes were truncated, with connections being made at the Trax stations. One of the newer lines, to the southwest, has not done as well as had been expected, but the others have done well.