Metro reaches 40 million boardings

[totheskies]

November 9, 2007

METRO celebrated a major milestone this week when it carried its 40 millionth rider on METRORail.

How big is that number? It’s about the population of Poland; or, Reliant Stadium filled to capacity 560 times.

The most successful light rail line in the country, METRORail carries about 45,000 boardings each weekday - a number METRO didn’t expect to achieve until 2020.

“The success of this line goes beyond anything we anticipated and proves that Houstonians do ride the rail, finding it a valuable way to get to work, weekend outings and sporting events,” said METRO President & CEO Frank Wilson. “We thank all our patrons for making METRORail such a huge success.”

METRORail officially started operating January 1, 2004 and reached its 20 millionth boarding in February 2006.

Since then, METRORail has spawned new businesses along the line and allowed METRO to retool its bus system to remove 600 buses from downtown streets each day.

The METRO Board of Directors recently approved the expansion of the light rail system to five new corridors. Construction on these will begin next year.



http://www.ridemetro.org/News/releases/110907_2.asp

[Trae]

METRO is going to pass up DART once the other lines are complete.

[Shasta]

WOW.

It took 25 months to reach 20 million riders.

It took just 20 months to get another 20 million.

That's some nice growth for an already busy line.

It's really going to take off when the other expansion lines are connected hopefully by 2012.

[TexasBoi]

Originally Posted by Trae

METRO is going to pass up DART once the other lines are complete.

This is great for METRO but no need to throw DART in this. You are also forgetting that DART is expanding their services as well from SE Dallas through downtown through the medical district to DFW airport. Expect DART's numbers to skyrocket especially when the Orange Line is done.

[Trae]

Originally Posted by TexasBoi

This is great for METRO but no need to throw DART in this. You are also forgetting that DART is expanding their services as well from SE Dallas through downtown through the medical district to DFW airport. Expect DART's numbers to skyrocket especially when the Orange Line is done.

I didn't forget. METRO's light rail now has 67% of DART's light rail ridership. With both expansions for both agencies, their numbers will get closer with DART having the lead, but I see METRO surpassing it. The Green Line doesn't go to DFW Airport, but instead Love Field.

Once METRO gets service to Hobby by 2015, and IAH not too long after that, then METRO's numbers will really skyrocket.

[TexasBoi]

You're right. the Green Line doesn't go to the airport. The Orange Line does. DART numbers will go up once the lines go through their own medical district and to Fair Park. Medical workers as well as the plans to upgrade to make Fair Park into a 365 day theme park will help the ridership numbers. This does not include travelers, pilots, and workers at one of the world's largest airport that will heavily use DART for overnight staying or business trips when it's built. Let's not forget about the Blue lines expansion to the new inland port that will be heavily used by the time it opens there. Both agencies built it's system differently. Houston's put it stations in areas that are already established and dense including the world's largest medical district. Dallas put it's stations in the middle of nowhere to help influence TOD's.

This isn't about DART so there was no reason to bring it up to make Metro look better. It's a win-win situation that both systems improve in mass transit in the form of rail in a state that loves its car.

[Trae]

Originally Posted by TexasBoi

You're right. the Green Line doesn't go to the airport. The Orange Line does. DART numbers will go up once the lines go through their own medical district and to Fair Park. Medical workers as well as the plans to upgrade to make Fair Park into a 365 day theme park will help the ridership numbers. This does not include travelers, pilots, and workers at one of the world's largest airport that will heavily use DART for overnight staying or business trips when it's built. Let's not forget about the Blue lines expansion to the new inland port that will be heavily used by the time it opens there. Both agencies built it's system differently. Houston's put it stations in areas that are already established and dense including the world's largest medical district. Dallas put it's stations in the middle of nowhere to help influence TOD's.

This isn't about DART so there was no reason to bring it up to make Metro look better. It's a win-win situation that both systems improve in mass transit in the form of rail in a state that loves its car.

I was just making an observation. I think METRO could surpass DART in the future. That is all.

But your right. Both agencies built their systems different.

[KevinFromTexas]

Give people an alternative to the madness that is American highways, and they'll take it like a pile of 100 bills left unattended on a New York sidewalk.

Take note, Capitol Metro.

[travelinmiles]

I see Metro surpassing Dart as well. Even with expansions of both systems. I see Houston's more centralized development pattern (meaning the TMC, Uptown, Downtown, and Greenway being in or near the loop) will make metro an option for commuters and transit rider a like. If Houston builds its expansions the same as the red line, this may be a hinderance because of its horribly slow design. Dallas's grade separation is far superior and if they get the downtown section in a subway it will be even better. Lets hope for a few subway sections on the Uptown Line.

[totheskies]

Originally Posted by TexasBoi

You're right. the Green Line doesn't go to the airport. The Orange Line does. DART numbers will go up once the lines go through their own medical district and to Fair Park. Medical workers as well as the plans to upgrade to make Fair Park into a 365 day theme park will help the ridership numbers. This does not include travelers, pilots, and workers at one of the world's largest airport that will heavily use DART for overnight staying or business trips when it's built. Let's not forget about the Blue lines expansion to the new inland port that will be heavily used by the time it opens there. Both agencies built it's system differently. Houston's put it stations in areas that are already established and dense including the world's largest medical district. Dallas put it's stations in the middle of nowhere to help influence TOD's.

This isn't about DART so there was no reason to bring it up to make Metro look better. It's a win-win situation that both systems improve in mass transit in the form of rail in a state that loves its car.

Metro needs to go ahead, bite the bullet, and stop being so cautious. We're always trying to please the car culture here, but if we build the rail, then they will ride it. ESPECIALLY if we do an "airport line" that runs from Bush to Hobby.

So true, so true. We don't need versus anything here. The 40 million mark simply means that rail can be successful in Houston, and that's what we want. There's no need to compare two very different systems. Hopefully, Texas will catch rail fever, and invest in high-speed trains for the Great Triangle (Dallas-Ft. Worth... Austin-San Antonio... Houston).



You know we've got enough battles to fight as Urban Texans, why do we always have to do this sibling rivalry crap??

[vjhe]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Give people an alternative to the madness that is American highways, and they'll take it like a pile of 100 bills left unattended on a New York sidewalk.

Take note, Capitol Metro.

I also agree with this. I have never fully given in to the whole, "Houstonians love their cars too much". Houstonians love their cars because there was basically no other choice. I said over on HAIF that if I could take a bullet train from the Galleria to Intercontinental Airport in 10 minutes, I would. The only reason I don't do it now, is NOT because I love my car so much, but simply because I don't have the bullet train option.

Barring all of the technical and scientific arguments that could be presented regarding trains and their functionality to buses, there is a general appeal to trains that buses simply do not carry. There are people who would not ride a bus from The Woodlands but would be willing to get on a train from The Woodlands. I cannot provide any data to prove this but based upon conversation with personal friends, that mentality seems to be prominent.

This is all good news not only for METRO but for Houston in general.

[KevinFromTexas]

Also in a lot of ways buses cause traffic problems since they're so big and slow. Rail is the way to go since it's really the only true mode of transportation that gets vehicles off the roads and does it by not having to add another one.

And if Houston can do it, the city that always catches hell for being "carcentric" and car loving, then any city can do it, even in Texas. This is one city vs city race that I'd like to see happen in Texas.

It's great to hear the success of Houston's light rail. Gives me hope for the other cities in Texas that haven't gotten it yet.

[M1EK]

The train versus bus mode thing for choice commuters is often misattributed as simply a subjective preference based on aesthetics or even class prejudice. In reality, in essentially every case where such a comparison exists, the train service being looked at is objectively superior on metrics like speed and reliability - so no, it's NOT just that "people don't like buses", it's that anything short of the full Curitiba BRT treatment is objectively inferior to most train implementations.

[arbeiter]

Houston did it right - started with a high-density line with modest length, let the results speak for themselves, and now they've got the momentum. Main Street was an obvious choice given its appropriate levels of density and nodes of businesses and housing. Dallas has done it right, too, it just doesn't really have a grand, dense corridor to the level of Houston's downtown/medical center/reliant park axis.

[totheskies]

Originally Posted by arbeiter

Houston did it right - started with a high-density line with modest length, let the results speak for themselves, and now they've got the momentum. Main Street was an obvious choice given its appropriate levels of density and nodes of businesses and housing. Dallas has done it right, too, it just doesn't really have a grand, dense corridor to the level of Houston's downtown/medical center/reliant park axis.

I agree, and honestly with people like Tom "traffic" Delay (stolen from AWACS) and other super-sprawl advocates sitting pretty in this city, this seems like the smartest way that rail could evolve here. After three successful years of having one kick-ass light rail line, Houstonians are no longer questioning the benefits that more transit options can bring to the city. All we're left with now is some property scurmishes.