Jump to content

METRORail North Line


Trae

Recommended Posts

Never mind.  Answered my own question.  The number 15 bus route will be discontinued because it duplicates the route of the North line.  The current average workday ridership of the number 15 route is 2,281 and it saw a 10.3% increase in ridership over the last 12 months.  I would argue that any consideration of ridership numbers for the North line should consider that amount as a shift in existing transit ridership rather than an increase.

 

The projected ridership at opening is 17,400 average weekday boardings which would be a net increase of approx. 15,000.  Interested to see the actual numbers.

 

http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/TX_Houston_North_Corridor_LRT_complete_profile.pdf

 

I too am anxious to see the APTA report for the line.  We may have to wait around a year or so for ridership to reach full short-term potential (the original line took about a year to reach ~35,000 boardings. 

 

I'm curious how they came to an average of 17,400 weekday bordings when the current bus route has 2,281.  Does that represent changed bus routes to force riders onto the rail line?  Is some of it people already on the existing line, just continuing on to destinations on the new segment?  Or did they pull it out of their posterior?

 

 

Some of the ridership comes from new transit riders who didn't ride the bus before.  Then you have a lot of ridership from people who rode similar (parallel) bus routes before the rail line opened.  Basically what the rail line does is transport many bus route's worth of people and consolidating them into one line.  This allows for greater efficiency long-term and also allows METRO to deploy hundreds of buses elsewhere in the fleet to bolster other lines. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 507
  • Created
  • Last Reply

I too am anxious to see the APTA report for the line.  We may have to wait around a year or so for ridership to reach full short-term potential (the original line took about a year to reach ~35,000 boardings. 

 

Some of the ridership comes from new transit riders who didn't ride the bus before.  Then you have a lot of ridership from people who rode similar (parallel) bus routes before the rail line opened.  Basically what the rail line does is transport many bus route's worth of people and consolidating them into one line.  This allows for greater efficiency long-term and also allows METRO to deploy hundreds of buses elsewhere in the fleet to bolster other lines. 

 

The question of new transit riders is a big one in my mind because that it is one of the key stated benefits for trains.  I think that it's going to be especially interesting to see how much of an impact that has in a lower income area which probably had a higher rate of transit ridership already.

 

To your point, we should be able to see an impact on ridership on parallel lines and get some feel whether people will bypass a bus station to ride the train. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Too bad the 39 rail cars they bought are way behind schedule with a delivery date of TBD.

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=9303951

You are paying a Spanish company $150 million to make the cars. The first one was supposed to be here in July. Then it slipped to November. Now propulsion issues and a failed leak test are forcing METRO to say there is no scheduled date for delivery.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The question of new transit riders is a big one in my mind because that it is one of the key stated benefits for trains.  I think that it's going to be especially interesting to see how much of an impact that has in a lower income area which probably had a higher rate of transit ridership already.

 

To your point, we should be able to see an impact on ridership on parallel lines and get some feel whether people will bypass a bus station to ride the train. 

 

 

I watched an interview with one of the board members and he said that they would be restructuring the bus lines around the rail line to make them more perpendicular as opposed to parallel to the rail line, so it would be a little tough to measure ridership decline in neighboring bus routes. 

 

Although I will say that, according to METRO, around 20,000 of the daily boardings on the Red Line are "new transit riders."  I have no idea where that number comes from or how METRO arrived to that conclusion, so I'd take it with a grain of salt. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I watched an interview with one of the board members and he said that they would be restructuring the bus lines around the rail line to make them more perpendicular as opposed to parallel to the rail line, so it would be a little tough to measure ridership decline in neighboring bus routes. 

 

Although I will say that, according to METRO, around 20,000 of the daily boardings on the Red Line are "new transit riders."  I have no idea where that number comes from or how METRO arrived to that conclusion, so I'd take it with a grain of salt. 

 

That makes sense to restructure the lines, but I think that the numbers will still provide interesting data.  Those lines will essentially become feeder lines to the rail line, so I think that it's reasonable to assume that the majority of those riders would ride the bus and the rail.

 

I've saved a copy of the current METRO alignment for future reference.

 

Regarding the new riders on the Red Line, sounds like that's an extrapolated number from a survey.  It depends on the sample size, but I would agree that it's pretty sketchy. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although I will say that, according to METRO, around 20,000 of the daily boardings on the Red Line are "new transit riders."  I have no idea where that number comes from or how METRO arrived to that conclusion, so I'd take it with a grain of salt. 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...
Going to the celebration?

What: Metropolitan Transit Authority free concert to mark opening of the North Line rail route.

When: 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 21.

Where: Moody Park, 3725 Fulton St.

Performers: A.B. Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia King All Starz, Mango Punch, Fama, Támar Davis.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is the future of Houston mass transit... And I mean this station. Don't mean to start an argument here but everything seemed so.. so... un-Houston actually. This Burnett station alone feels like a true mass transit hub.

 

L5Td8LX.jpg?1

 

Going towards the platform

mLAuzwl.jpg?1

 

Elevators to send me up

kbOaUSM.jpg?1

 

Elevators viewed from the second floor

KpGYLCY.jpg?1

 

Walking towards the platform on the second level

ZOxdqlT.jpg?1

 

North view

FiPwpbz.jpg?1

 

South view

iQ0olOR.jpg?1

 

The view from the platform itself

KCieQa5.jpg?1

 

Art on the platform

w06ygBf.jpg?1

 

Looking from the middle platform

uByMlUG.jpg?1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is the future of Houston mass transit... And I mean this station. Don't mean to start an argument here but everything seemed so.. so... un-Houston actually. This Burnett station alone feels like a true mass transit hub.

 

 

 

 

North view

 

 

South view

iQ0olOR.jpg?1

uByMlUG.jpg?1

 

Agree! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anyone got pics as the train goes by Walmart and Northline Commons?  Good to see downtown and museum district residents will have better access to big box stores now.  At least that's a little progress.

 

I think this is pretty neat as well.  In Boston the nearest WalMart is quite a hike from public transportation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When all the lines are done.  Everyone will see has importing to get cars off the road.  I saw the interview with Mr. Garcia he said we need an extension down I-10 to connect with the Galleria Area.  Once the other lines are running.  Residents can see how rail works.  I like it I will ride it to have some good Mexican food there. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anyone got pics as the train goes by Walmart and Northline Commons? Good to see downtown and museum district residents will have better access to big box stores now. At least that's a little progress.

That's pretty cool, but unless it was only a small amount (1-2 bags), it would be a pain to bring lots of bags inside of a train. A Walmart is fine and good, but the light rail particularly falls flat when they put it near upscale shopping and expect both of those to be utilized at the same time, which is good, since Houston has no such thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's pretty cool, but unless it was only a small amount (1-2 bags), it would be a pain to bring lots of bags inside of a train. A Walmart is fine and good, but the light rail particularly falls flat when they put it near upscale shopping and expect both of those to be utilized at the same time, which is good, since Houston has no such thing.

Houston has no upscale shopping?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Houston has no upscale shopping?

I should clarify--new outdoor shopping centers ("lifestyle centers"), often developed on the spot of a failed mall. We're not talking something like CityCentre either...we're talking glorified shopping centers with some office space thrown into make it "mixed-use".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's pretty cool, but unless it was only a small amount (1-2 bags), it would be a pain to bring lots of bags inside of a train.

Nope.

0007633239490_500X500.jpg

I can fit almost a full shopping cart worth of merchandise in this bad boy, and its not a pain at all, its actually easier than carrying bags by hand. Me and the wifey have been waiting for the north line to open so we could finally start taking the train to walmart instead of driving. It was awesome. The best part was saving gas money and helping the environment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On the flip side, since bringing a basket inside the train is both bulky and a bit obnoxious to other passengers, I am forgetting that people take trips differently in urban areas. While I am not a suburbanite per se, going to stores is usually a once a week affair. You can compensate (urban dwellers usually do) by taking more trips but less merchandise per trip.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nope.

0007633239490_500X500.jpg

I can fit almost a full shopping cart worth of merchandise in this bad boy, and its not a pain at all, its actually easier than carrying bags by hand. Me and the wifey have been waiting for the north line to open so we could finally start taking the train to walmart instead of driving. It was awesome. The best part was saving gas money and helping the environment.

 

Also great for Condo living if that is your deal

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On the flip side, since bringing a basket inside the train is both bulky and a bit obnoxious to other passengers

Yea, no. :rolleyes:

Lots of people bring these on the trains, they are neither bulky nor obnoxious. Have you ever seen one of these baskets in person? Theyre not as big as you seem to be imagining them.

I guess going by your standards, people in wheelchairs are also "bulky and obnoxious" since they are bigger than my basket. And people who bring their bicycles on the train, oy vey, they must be the anti-christ according to you.

Then again, youve probably never even been on the train, seeing as to how you are unaware how NONE of the above are bulky or obnoxious, and are in fact encouraged.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Nope.

0007633239490_500X500.jpg

I can fit almost a full shopping cart worth of merchandise in this bad boy, and its not a pain at all, its actually easier than carrying bags by hand. Me and the wifey have been waiting for the north line to open so we could finally start taking the train to walmart instead of driving. It was awesome. The best part was saving gas money and helping the environment.

If MetroRail connects to IAH and Hobby, I wonder those light rail cars have spaces for luggages.

 

ronaldreagan-nationalairport-metro-bagga

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If MetroRail connects to IAH and Hobby, I wonder those light rail cars have spaces for luggages.

ronaldreagan-nationalairport-metro-bagga

Don't want to sound harsh, but people fit bicyles and wheel chairs on the rail, you don't think suit cases will fit?

Not accusing you off anything but people who have ridden the rail know that entire seats were removed years ago to make room for bulky items such as bicycles

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I routinely use public transportation for that last stretch from the airport to my destination when it's a viable alternative.  BART in the SF area has cars with a similar layout and available room to what we have with our rail, and I generally don't have a bit of trouble - not even the stink eye from my fellow passengers for taking up too much room.

 

A few years ago BART was extended to SFO, where it has a station in the international terminal w/ connections to the others via the internal train system.  Currently one uses airBART, a shuttle bus, to get to the Coliseum Station from OAK, but an automated rail connector is due to come on line this year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

A few years ago BART was extended to SFO, where it has a station in the international terminal w/ connections to the others via the internal train system. 

 

and, as I remember, BART tickets for two people from SFO to the middle of town cost a fraction of the cost of a cab ride. I did have to schlep my wife's REALLY heavy luggage up five blocks to the hotel though (and I do mean UP!).

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But yeah can be a pain to have to walk even a few blocks with a lot of stuff depending on what incline!

 

We in Houston don't have many inclines, but we do have heat!  I conducted a series of tests downtown a few years ago where I determined that the maximum distance a normal weight man in a suit can walk without getting inappropriately sweaty for the meeting he's going to is five blocks.  More than that and you have to take the tunnels or show up early enough to give yourself time to stop sweating.  I'm being totally serious here.  When I visit New York and London, I never drive, I use the trains and subways.  But Houston is always going to have the problem of heat and sprawl to deal with when it comes to public transport, by that I mean how is any system going to be able to drop people off close enough to their destinations that walking the rest of the way in 90 to 100 degree heat is not a problem?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


All of the HAIF
None of the ads!
HAIF+
Just
$5!


×
×
  • Create New...