METRORail is a light rail transit system serving Houston, Texas. The system is operated by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, also known as METRO. The system currently has 39 stations and 22.7 miles (36.5 km) of track, served by three lines.[1] METRORail carries 60,600 passengers a day, making it one of the largest light rail systems in the United States in terms of ridership.[2]
METRORail began service on January 1, 2004, with 16 stations from Fannin South station to UH–Downtown station.[3] The line was extended north to Northline Transit Center with 8 new stations on December 21, 2013, as part of the North/Red Line Extension.[4] 13 stations were added on May 23, 2015, with the opening of the Green and Purple lines.[5] The two lines intersect with the Red Line at the new Central Station, which had partially opened on February 18, 2015 for Red Line trains.[6] Two additional stations on the Green Line were opened on January 11, 2017, extending the line to the Magnolia Park Transit Center.[7] METRO has also proposed to add 26 more stations on the University and Uptown lines in western Houston.[8][needs update]
Only two METRORail stations have public park and rides, Burnett Transit Center and Fannin South; both lots charge a daily rate of $3.[citation needed]
Stations
edit| † | Terminal stations |
| * | Transfer stations |
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Transit centers[9] |
Planned and proposed stations
editIn addition to the 26 stations listed below, three existing stations will be made into transfer stations with the University Line: Wheeler station on the Red Line, and the Robertson Stadium/UH/TSU and Elgin/Third Ward on the Purple Line.[8]
| † | Terminal stations |
| * | Transfer stations |
|
|
Transit centers[9] |
References
edit- ^ Sit, Mary (October 11, 2012). "East End Line Gets First Station Canopy". Write On Metro. Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
- ^ "Public Transportation Ridership Report, Fourth Quarter 2015" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 2, 2016. p. 3. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Wall, Lucas (January 1, 2004). "Houstonians flock downtown as Metro light rail rolls out today". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Begley, Dug (December 20, 2013). "North Line latest step, but hardly the last". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Begley, Dug (May 23, 2015). "Metro rail lines open across Houston". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
- ^ a b Begley, Dug (February 17, 2015). "New station's opening demonstrates rail progress and setbacks". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
- ^ a b c Begley, Dug (January 9, 2017). "Long awaited, and long delayed, Metro's Green Line set to open". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
- ^ a b "METRORail System Plan" (PDF) (Map). GO METRORail. Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County. February 20, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 6, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
- ^ a b "Transit Centers". Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County. Retrieved July 10, 2016.