Harris County Transit

[DaTrain]

I was driving in Baytown the other day and on one of the streets I discovered a bus stop sign -- and it is not METRO. Just when I thought you'd have to live in Houston (METRO), Woodlands (Woodlands Express/The District), Fort Bend (TREX) or Galveston (Island Transit) to live near transit much less drive to a park and ride, I discovered Baytown had transit bus service since early this year after doing a google search. The agency is Harris County Transit (HAHAHA). On the site they are supposed to extend service to Crosby and Pasadena and Clear Lake; HCT is focused on East Harris County right now. Now if only they can focus on the big chunk of unincorporated land between Humble and Cypress.

Here is the link: http://www.harriscountytransit.com/

[Trae]

Houston becoming more like Los Angeles.

[citizen4rmptown]

Hmmmm....it mostly passes the outskirts of Northern Pasadena. And thats the worst part..

It looks like the new route even goes to the "other" side of HWY 225! Now thats the worst-looking part of Pasadena, and then goes into South Houston. Ugly neighborhoods.

Though it goes on Spencer, which is ok, and then Fairmont. So itll show all the different faces of Pasadena.

And its cheap! I'll try it out. But i wonder how the bus stops look like?

Anyways for a more detailed route of the new Pasadena/SoHo/La Porte route:

http://www.harriscountytransit.com/docs/Proposed%20Pasadena_La%20Porte%20Route.pdf

[editor]

Houston becoming more like Los Angeles.

I've never understood why LA's transit system is so fragmented. So many competing agencies. And I think the downtown shuttle service is even run by the state DOT!

I can understand fragmentation like that if you're going to have a ton of private competition, like in Tokyo. But in LA it's hard to believe these people can't come together and form a unified transit agency like SEPTIC SEPTA in the Philadelphia area.

[Trae]

It works pretty good though. I like the way it was setup out there. They have different agencies running the same routes at times, too. Considering how many people live out there though, it works.

[jfre81]

They need to create a real regional transit authority, but first they need to get certain suburbs to get over this idiotic mentality that their crime will go up if they are part of it. Real criminals drive. They either have their own cars or they steal them.

Hope Parker whips METRO into shape and maybe does something to make this happen. It's time for Houston to get into the current millennium.

[musicman]

They need to create a real regional transit authority, but first they need to get certain suburbs to get over this idiotic mentality that their crime will go up if they are part of it.

Hope Parker whips METRO into shape and maybe does something to make this happen. It's time for Houston to get into the current millennium.

As Bill White's adminstration refused to report increasing crime, it will be interesting.

[TheNiche]

They need to create a real regional transit authority, but first they need to get certain suburbs to get over this idiotic mentality that their crime will go up if they are part of it. Real criminals drive. They either have their own cars or they steal them.

Hope Parker whips METRO into shape and maybe does something to make this happen. It's time for Houston to get into the current millennium.

Do you think it's really about crime, or is it about the one cent sales tax? Personally, I think that crime is a red herring to satiate voters ignorant of municipal finance.

A lot of suburban entities take full advantage of the capped 2.00% sales tax rate that they're able to levy on businesses within their jurisdictions. By state law, they can't go any higher. If they join METRO, then fully half of all their potential sales tax receipts must go to METRO...even though METRO's board is essentially controlled by Houston's mayor. If they don't join METRO, then their residents can still piggyback off of nearby METRO park & ride service...but they can also allocate their sales tax receipts to other functions such as economic development.

Regionalism as it pertains to transit policy isn't really something that Houston's mayor has the authority to address. If it is to be addressed, it will have to be at the State level.

Edited January 19, 2010 by TheNiche

[jfre81]

Do you think it's really about crime, or is it about the one cent sales tax? Personally, I think that crime is a red herring to satiate voters ignorant of municipal finance.

It's the excuse I tend to hear a lot. Whether that's really what it is, I don't know.

[citizen4rmptown]

Harris County Transit ridership grows

Bus ridership continues to grow in Harris County Transit’s third week of service in Pasadena and surrounding areas.

Ken Fickes, transportation director for the county, said over 100 people daily are using service on the new routes added Jan. 4. Two of the new routes serve the Pasadena-La Porte-Clear Lake area and one serves the Highlands-Crosby area.

The most successful of the new routes is the one running from South Houston to La Porte, largely along Spencer Highway and Fairmont Parkway. Fickes said more than 40 passengers daily are using that route.

He said Harris Country Transit has received many calls from people asking about the service and how to use it, with over 300 call in the first week of service alone.

Fickes also said his agency added three bus stops over the weekend and relocated 2 in response to rider feedback. New maps will be available soon showing stops that have been added.

http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2010/01/21/pasadena_citizen/news/012210_bus_update.txt