Metro works to make bus system easier to use Metro plans on rebuilding its bus system, from restructuring routes to creating a more efficient network to boost ridership By Christof Spieler | March 21, 2013 | Updated: March 23, 2013 10:42pm In the last decade, Metro's local bus ridership has dropped by a third. But, just as the new Metro has put the agency on a sound financial footing, secured federal funds to build 15 more miles of light rail, and brought transparency to budgets and decisions, we're addressing this problem. Metro is undertaking an unprecedented re-imagining of our entire transit system, and we're asking for your help. So, why is our bus ridership falling while other cities see their ridership growing? It isn't because Houstonians don't want to use transit. Where we provide high-quality service, we get strong ridership. Over half of the downtown employees who live near our park-and-ride system utilize the service to get to work. Our light rail line carries more people per mile than any other in America except Boston. Neither has seen the ridership decline that local bus service has over the same time period. It's not because of the economy. Ridership went down in 2008 and 2009 as unemployment rose, but now the local economy has recovered and ridership hasn't. It's not because of service cuts. We're actually providing more service today than we did in 2006, when ridership peaked. The problems, we believe, are more fundamental. First, in many cases, transit doesn't go to the right places. Over time, Houston's population has shifted as the urban core has redeveloped, older suburbs have changed, and new areas have appeared. But the local bus system, with routes that trace their origins to Houston's streetcar network of the 1920s, has not changed. Nor has it adapted to a city that now has multiple job centers: It connects well to downtown and the Texas Medical Center, but not as well to Greenway Plaza and Uptown. Second, our bus system discourages new riders. Where routes are frequent and clear, as on West*heimer, buses are packed. But buses on most routes are infrequent, so you need to plan your life around their schedules. They're complicated, jumping from one street to another and branching to multiple destinations rather than following straightforward, predictable paths. They're also hard to understand: Nothing at a typical bus stop tells you which destinations a route serves, which direction a bus is going, or how frequent the buses are. The system works well for people who make the same trip at the same time every day. For everyone else, it can be intimidating. As a frequent bus rider, I understand why people who want to use public transportation can't figure out how to use the local bus system. So, we are starting with a blank sheet to create a more effective bus system. Rather than follow past practices of just tweaking today's routes, we're going to look at where people live and where people work, and then design the system that serves them best. The first step is defining what our goals are. This isn't simple. It appears obvious that we want to move as many people as possible and serve as many places as possible. But those are actually contradictory goals. To cover as much area as possible, we would need to reduce the bus frequency in the areas with the highest number of potential riders. This dramatically reduces ridership. These are not easy policy trade-offs, but we need to acknowledge them and make thoughtful decisions. We can't make those decisions without involving the public. We'll talk with the community to learn what their priorities are, then develop a network to address those priorities. A task force representing neighborhoods, employment centers, educational institutions, health care facilities, local governments and other stakeholders will drive the process. At every step, we'll have opportunities for public participation - including surveys and online forums. I know we can develop a better bus system to attract new riders, while providing service enhancements for current riders. New freeways or rail lines can take a decade to plan and build. But with the bus system, we can restructure the network in the next two or three years and see significant increases in ridership. And, we can accomplish this without new taxes. We want to spend our existing funds and the additional resources voters approved in November more effectively. That's good public policy. Most important, it will make the everyday lives of our residents better by making it easier to get to work, school, the store, church, the doctor, the park and all the other places we want to go. Spieler is a Metro board member. http://www.chron.com/opinion/outloo...-to-make-bus-system-easier-to-use-4374720.php
Too bad they can't get more drivers who give a f@@@ about their j-o-b's. My wife altered the time she has to take the bus because a driver always started the route late, took a long crap-stop, and made her late for the connecting bus. When we tried to complain they "investigated" and made us an excuse of a story, basically covering the driver's a$$.
so true. Also, there's a pretty simple reason why people don't ride the bus in Houston- it isn't reliable.
I don't like that the fare is $1.25. They should reduce it to $1. They should also have a monthly and weekly plan instead of charging per ride. This would encourage more people to use the Metro.
I remember either the 80 (?) or 40 (?) would pick up riders on Cullen and then take their break right in front of freaking Hofheinz. Holy **** that pissed me off the first few times before I factored it in. Metro local will have low ridership for the same reason that dirt-cheap, fully accredited four-year uni off Cleburne will never be over-enrolled.
Too lazy to search, but are all these public transportation threads of late being started by the same poster? Maybe there should just be one dedicated thread. It would make it easier to follow all the ideas related to public transportation.
They appear to be, but I don't think political topics or people - as opposed to specific news stories - are limited to one thread in D&D, so I don't know if thse would need to be merged either. They could be moved to the D&D.
You don't know how good Houston has it, then. Most major metro systems (chicago, NYC) cost much, much more.
I used to P&R from Aldine to Bellaire, it took about 45-50 minutes. Now I live in the Heights it would take me over an hour to get to Uptown. If there was a more reasonable time, I'd say 40 minutes or less I'd gladly ride the bus to work every day.
I've never understood why busses take convoluted routes. Why don't they just circulate on the freeway feeders and major thoroughfares, essentially the same routes you would take if you were driving.
I guess riders here get what they pay for. Just a fairly unreliable system. Better than nothing and that's about it. I do know some things they can't control. Like those days when you're driving and you wonder, WTF? Did everyone leave the office at the same time today? So on those weird traffic days, Metro'll be delayed. But they have a habit of this "delay" thing. How many times am I sitting in the car waiting for the wife at her bus stop because her first bus ran late and she missed the second. But we can't afford the 2nd car, so....Metro. That should be their commercial: 1st commuter: "I'm poor! I don't own a car!" 2nd commuter: (big White Goodman smile) "Texas DMV took my license! Now I'm just another dirtbag!" 3rd commuter: "I never learned how to drive! I sure am learning now, but in the meantime..........." METRO: LEAVE THE DRIVING---and DELAYS, and DRIVER APATHY and CRAP-STOPS---TO US.
I agree with this. I remember it was $1 about maybe 10 years ago even, and even at $1.25 and with the gas prices soaring, Metro keeps it low. People are complaining about $1.25 but can't realize it's EXTREMELY CHEAP and you can even transfer. You can even buy a whole DAY ticket to get around cheaper than most large cities. They should test the waters in other cities just to appreciate METRO's prices and ease of use. I wished I lived closer so I could just hop in it and save my drive time, but I have to drive my daughters to school. I'd be willing to use the bus in the summer and I'd save a ton of money.
The problem with this is it's like deja vu. In 1983 when voters shot down the ambitious rail plan METRO had a bunch of money but didn't have authority to make rail. So they made a great bus system. But that only goes so far. You can't have a great transit system with only bus. You need buses, rail, and bus rapid transit.
The buses never run on time so I don't know how you can use them. The drivers are mostly assholes who don't want to be there. At least the light rail shows up every 10 minutes.
Their job isn't the best in the world. If they're never on time, then solve your own problem and take the one BEFORE. Also, say "GOOD MORNING" every time you board and and then thank them a different way every time you leave their bus. You'll make them WANT to be on time to let you ride their bus more often because you're their good riders, and others will follow suit. Give them a break, they're not getting paid a lot to bring GRUMPY people to work all day, sir. I'm cool with them and solve my problems instead of letting them stop my life.
