METRORapid Silver Line

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Silver Line
Overview
StatusOperational
LocaleHouston, Texas
Termini
  • Northwest Transit Center (north)
  • Westpark/Lower Uptown Transit Center (south)
Stations10
Service
TypeBus rapid transit
SystemMETRORapid
ServicesRoute 433
Operator(s)METRO
Daily ridership828
(weekdays April 2022)
History
OpenedAugust 23, 2020
Technical
Line length4.7 mi (8 km)[1]

The METRORapid Silver Line is a bus rapid transit line in Houston, Texas operated by METRO. Opened August 23, 2020,[2] the line connects the Uptown area of Houston, with dedicated lanes on Post Oak Boulevard.[3] It serves ten stations in Uptown, with terminus at Westpark/Lower Uptown Transit Center and the Northwest Transit Center. On internal METRO documents, the METRORapid Silver Line is designated as Route 433.

The line was originally planned as a 4.7 mi (8 km) extension of the METRORail light rail network under the name Uptown/Gold Line. Due to lack of funds, it was announced in early 2013 that the line would be constructed initially as a bus rapid transit line using three-door buses. The design features the ability to convert the line to light rail in the future.[4][5]

The Silver Line is the first segment of a planned 75 mile network of bus rapid transit service in Houston,[6] branded as METRORapid.[7]

Route

The Silver Line runs between Westpark/Lower Uptown Transit Center, a park and ride facility located on Westpark Drive near the intersection of the Southwest Freeway (I-69/US 59) & West Loop (I-610), and Northwest Transit Center, located at Katy Road on the north side of the I-10 interchange. This corridor was previously served by Route 33.[8] Silver Line buses serve eight stations via bus-only lanes in the median of Post Oak Boulevard through the Uptown area. These lanes connect to the Northwest Transit Center with an elevated two-lane busway along the West Loop portion of Interstate 610.[9][10]

This route had the distinction of being the only METRO route with 24-hour service, but it was removed in 2022.

History

Following a statement in 2010 by Houston's mayor, Annise Parker, construction will commence at a time when funding can be secured for this line.[11][12] Furthermore, due to the lack of infrastructure upgrades promised by the Uptown Management District, METRO will hold off on anything related to the line until a deal is arranged.[13]

The light rail project was repeatedly blocked by Congressman John Culberson, based on concerns from constituents on Richmond Avenue.[14] It was downgraded to a $177.5 million bus rapid transit project with dedicated lanes in 2013, under a plan promoted by Uptown developers to receive improved transit service sooner than the estimated 2025 arrival of light rail.[4]

Construction began in 2016 with the line's opening planned for 2018. However, the project faced several delays before service began in 2020.[2]

Stations

The following is a list of Silver Line Stations, listed in order from north to south.[7] Frequent bus service bolded.

Station Connections Notes
Northwest Transit Center 39, 47, 49, 58, 66, 70, 72, 84, 85, 160/161/162 northern terminus
7373 Old Katy Road
Features park and ride
Uptown Park Intersection of Post Oak and Uptown Park Boulevards
Serves Uptown Park shopping center
Four Oaks Intersection of Post Oak and Four Oaks Place/Garrettson Lane
San Felipe 32 Intersection of Post Oak and San Felipe Street
Serves Boulevard Place
Ambassador Intersection of Post Oak and Ambassador Way
Guilford Intersection of Post Oak and Guilford Court
Westheimer/Galleria Station 82 Intersection of Post Oak and Westheimer Road
Serves The Galleria
West Alabama/Galleria Intersection of Post Oak and West Alabama Street
Serves The Galleria and Williams Tower
Richmond 25 Intersection of Post Oak and Richmond Avenue
Serves Plaza on Richmond
Westpark/Lower Uptown Transit Center 20, 309, 310 southern terminus
5105 Westpark Drive
Features park and ride

Expansion

Future expansion would include a 1.1 mi (1.8 km) extension northbound to Northwest Mall (future Texas Central Railway station), as well as a westward expansion to the Hillcroft Transit Center.[15]

References

  1. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 14, 2009. Retrieved January 18, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ a b Begley, Dug (August 24, 2020). "Metro's Silver Line starts, first of many bus rapid transit planned in region in lieu of rail". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  3. ^ Begley, Dug (February 15, 2018). "Metro ready to move ahead with Post Oak rapid transit bus buy". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Begley, Dug (February 9, 2013). "Post Oak redesign drops rail for bus lane". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  5. ^ "Uptown bus lanes won't be ready until 2019". Houston Chronicle. 2016-06-23.
  6. ^ Wanek-Libman, Mischa (August 24, 2020). "Houston's METRORapid Silver Line opens for service". Mass Transit. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  7. ^ a b "METRORapid Overview" (PDF). August 26, 2020.
  8. ^ "Route 33: Post Oak" (PDF). METRO. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 24, 2020. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  9. ^ "Uptown BRT Project". METRO. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  10. ^ Koetting, Nicki (April 18, 2017). "The Long, Complicated History of the Post Oak Boulevard Project". Houstonia. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  11. ^ "Rick Casey: Metro can't let rail jeopardize its buses - Houston Chronicle". Chron.com. 2010-03-11. Retrieved 2016-03-19.
  12. ^ Shay, Miya (2010-03-11). "Houston Mayor Annise Parker wants to put brakes on University and Uptown rail lines | abc13.com". Abclocal.go.com. Retrieved 2016-03-19.
  13. ^ Knight, Paul (2010-08-13). "Metro Ponders Galleria Real Estate, And Why The Uptown District Can't Deliver On its $70 Million Promise | Houston Press". Blogs.houstonpress.com. Retrieved 2016-03-19.
  14. ^ Powell, Stewart M. (June 20, 2012). "Culberson inserts Metro rail-line limits into federal spending bill". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  15. ^ "Metro Light Rail (Houston, Sugar Land, Galveston: 2015, university, tax) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum". City-data.com. 2010-05-31. Retrieved 2016-03-19.

External links

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