METRO revealed the first details of its brand-new METRONow plan this past Monday at a launch event in Harris County.
The new plan, which provides a full roadmap for continued growth of ridership, financial sustainability and the establishment of key transit priorities, aims to improve mobility for the region.
The METRONow plan focuses on a set of four initiatives, each of which is aimed at improving the customer experience aboard local public transport including the strengthening of safety measures, improvement of conditions across the system, increased service & reliability and an expanded accessibility infrastructure.
METRO Board Chair Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock, said:The new Board of Directors is laser-focused on ensuring all we do ties to ridership and mobility.
METRONow is the roadmap to a sustainable, fiscally responsible public transit system. By meeting our customers where they are today, we will make it easy for people to choose METRO.
2025 will also see the Authority allocate a further 7 million USD for expanded security measures on its network, with improvements set to include the growth of its security presence on buses and trains, upgrades to monitoring technology and the installation of new lighting and security fencing.
In addition, METRO has also pledged 2.4 million USD toward cleaning efforts in 2025, promising the deployment of eight street sweepers and all-terrain vacuum trucks, new cleaning contracts awarded for a 24-hour rapid response team at bus stops, rail platforms, transit centres and Park & Rides, partnerships with management districts to keep hubs clean and an overall consistent landscaping project to enhance curb appeal.
As part of the new METRONow plan, the Authority has committed to a slew of infrastructure projects which will see the repair of hazardous sidewalks, crosswalks and streets, the refreshment of aging infrastructure and collaboration work on both a 200 million USD traffic relief plan for Inner Katy mobility and a 300 million USD revitalisation effort for Gulfton, as well as an extra 100 million USD for mobility solutions at railroad crossings.
When it comes to additional fleet preparation, METRO has announced it will be adding 350 new buses to its transport network, replacing 100 METROLift vehicles, expanding its curb2curb service, adding microtransit services, expanding customer service hours, implementing new ways to pay fares and restructuring a selection of routes and schedules in order to meet expanding demands.
Finally, the Authority has pledged to improve accessibility for all, continuing its investment in BOOST routes, improving accessibility at over 700 bus stops by the end of the fiscal year 2025, upgrading signage and lightning and offering bike racks on buses, as well as designating bike areas on trains.
Mayor John Whitmire said:This is a great day for the City of Houston. We have challenges, but METRO is on the right track with new leadership and better collaboration with the city and law enforcement than before. Every great city has a viable, successful public transit system.
As mayor, I expect METRONow to focus on using resources wisely to build transit that people will use: a cleaner, safer and more efficient system that improves the overall customer experience.
