Houston Metro

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, branded as METRO, is a major public transportation agency based in Houston, Texas, United States. It operates bus, light rail, bus rapid transit, HOV and HOT lanes, and paratransit service (under the name METROLift) in the city as well as most of Harris County. It also operates bus service to Missouri City in Fort Bend County and previously operated to Conroe in Montgomery County. The Metro headquarters are in the Lee P. Brown Administration Building in Downtown Houston. In 2025, the system had a ridership of 77,996,900, or about 247,700 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2025.

History

The Texas State Legislature authorized the creation of local transit authorities in 1973. In 1978, Houston-area voters created Metro and approved a one-cent sales tax to support its operations. Metro opened for business in January 1979, taking over the bus service owned by the City of Houston known as HouTran. HouTran was plagued by outdated equipment, infrequent service and a route structure which failed to account for Houston's rapid population growth.

Metro's service area encompasses 1,285 square miles (3,330 km2) and also serves portions of an eight-county region with its vanpool service; the agency employs about 3,800 people.

Executive leadership

Tom Jasien is the current president and CEO of the agency, since December 2023.

Previously, Thomas Lambert held the position for a decade, being formally appointed in February 2014, although he had been operating as the agency's interim CEO since the beginning of 2013. Lambert, a Houston native with a political science degree from Southwest Texas State University and master's in public administration from the University of Houston, joined Metro as a security investigator in 1979. He was named agency police chief in 1982, ultimately overseeing close to 100 officers, then moved into higher ranks of management.

The Metro Board has nine members – five are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by Houston City Council, two are appointed by Harris County Commissioners Court, and two are appointed by the 14 mayors of Metro's smaller city members.

METRORail

Metro's light rail service is known as METRORail.

Metro offers a trip planner on its web site that provides information for public transit in the region it serves. It is multi-modal, combining schedule information for buses and rail. Riders enter their intended origin and destination, along with optional time, date, the trip planner displays, itineraries showing the stops, departure and arrival times, times to get from the origin to the destination and other information.

Today, the average daily weekday ridership is 59,753 and 18.3 million annually. On November 9, 2007, Metro surpassed its 40 million boardings mark, something it did not expect to happen until 2020. Notable records in ridership have occurred on the following dates:

• February 1, 2004: 64,005 passengers rode Metro during Super Bowl XXXVIII
• February 23, 2004: 54,193 passenger boardings were recorded, the highest weekday at the time
• February 27, 2007: 56,388 passengers were recorded the day of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• February 4, 2017: 109,417 passengers were recorded during festivities preceding Super Bowl LI.
• November 3, 2017: 125,000 passengers were recorded the day of the parade for the Houston Astros, champions of the 2017 World Series.

Lines

Metro currently operates three light rail lines: the Red Line, Purple Line and Green Line. The Red Line, the Authority's first light rail line, began operation on January 1, 2004. Now extended to 12.8 miles, the line begins at the Northline Transit Center/HCC, serving HCC Northeast and Northline Commons mall, and then continues south through Houston's Central Business District, Midtown, the Museum District, Rice University, the Texas Medical Center and the NRG Park Complex to the Fannin South Transit Center It is the second major light rail service in Texas following the DART system. The arrival of Metro light rail comes approximately sixty years after the previous streetcar system was shut down, which left Houston as the largest city in the United States without a rail system since 1990, when Los Angeles' Blue Line opened.

Metro opened two additional light rail lines in 2015, the Purple (Southeast) and Green (East End) Lines. Destinations served by these new lines include Texas Southern University, the University of Houston, PNC Stadium, and the Theater District. These new lines added another 9.9 miles of light rail. In total, Metro operates 22.7 miles of light rail service. Metro will reach approximately 18.6 million light rail boardings in FY17.

Two other lines were to be completed by 2012, but funding issues dropped the number to the northern extension of the Red Line and two of the original four new lines. The extension of the Red Line was opened on December 21, 2013 and the East End/Green Line opened on May 23, 2015. Due to federal investigations and the lack of funds, the plans may degenerate further. Three of the five lines were previously going to be bus rapid transit (BRT), but due to high ridership possibilities, the decision was made to make them all light rail.

Expansion

METRO put the METRONext Moving Forward Plan before Houston area voters in November 2019; voters approved the $3.5 billion bond by a margin of nearly two-to-one. Bonds issued will be used to extend existing light rail service. The Red Line will be expanded North to the North Shepherd park & ride, and both the Green and Purple lines will be expanded east and south to William P Hobby Airport, and west to the Houston Municipal Courthouse.

A long extension or possible commuter rail line from Fannin South to Sugar Land and beyond has been studied since 2004. The route would parallel U.S. 90A in the existing right-of-way used by the Glidden subdivision owned by UP. In 2011, the Southwest Rail Corridor was proposed to connect Fannin South and Missouri City. This was not constructed, but the METRONext plan includes a similar route extended to Sugar Land which it describes as a "future METRORail potential partnership."

METRORapid (bus rapid transit - BRT)

The METRORapid Silver Line is currently METRO's only operational bus rapid transit (BRT) line. It opened on August 23, 2020, and connects the Uptown area with the Northwest Transit Center, offering dedicated bus lanes over nearly the entire length of the corridor. The line spans 4.7 miles (7.6 km), offering a fast and efficient service that is part of METRO's broader effort to enhance public transportation in Houston.

Lines

Planned and paused lines

University Line

The University Line, initially planned to begin construction in 2025 and open in 2029, was set to span 11.3 miles (18.2 km) from Hillcroft Transit Center to Tidwell Transit Center, traveling through major corridors in central Houston. However, in June 2024, METRO announced the indefinite postponement or abandonment of the University Line due to financial and political challenges. This line was once a cornerstone of METRO's expansion plans and was included in the METRONext plan for future development.

Inner Katy Line

The Inner Katy BRT line, which was initially intended to run along I-10 from the Northwest Transit Center to downtown Houston, has faced significant changes. Due to funding issues and project re-evaluations, the line has been scaled back, with plans now calling for the use of shared HOV lanes rather than dedicated BRT lanes. The completion timeline for this line remains unclear, although $8.7 million has been allocated for FY2025.

Gulfton Line (Silver Line extension)

The Gulfton BRT, an extension of the Silver Line serving the dense Gulfton area in southwest Houston, is also under review. While there has been no formal announcement regarding the line's construction status, project pages were removed from METRO's website in April 2024, sparking speculation that the line may be delayed or cancelled.

Expansion and future plans

As part of the original vision for METRORapid, several new BRT lines were planned to follow corridors originally designated for light rail transit. These include:

• Expansion to Inner Katy and University corridors (now proposed as BRT instead of light rail)
• A new north-south BRT service along the western leg of Beltway 8
• A line bridging the gap between the northern terminus of the Red Line and Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Together, these lines were expected to form part of a 75-mile network of BRT services, all branded as METRORapid. However, with the recent setbacks to key lines, the future of this expanded BRT network is uncertain.

METROBus

Metro's local bus service usually runs on city streets, typically stopping at every other corner along its entire route. The bus system is the most used in Texas and the Southwest region.[citation needed] Metro also operates express bus routes on the Houston region's freeway high-occupancy vehicle lanes, which stop at park-and-ride lots.

Prior to the construction of Metrorail, Metro consisted of the largest all-bus fleet in the United States, only because Houston was the largest major city devoid of any rail transit since 1990.[citation needed]

Circa 1991 bus services for handicapped people were implemented.

In 2015, the bus system was redesigned, eliminating low-ridership routes in favor of a high-frequency, high-demand bus network. This change was accomplished without any increase in operating costs.

Service types

• Local: Most Metro buses typically operate on city streets, with the majority of routes serving several of Houston's major employment centers. The routes are grid-like "crosstown" routes that travel from one part of the city to another, typically without entering downtown. Many routes were truncated to METRORail stations to eliminate duplicate service.
• Express: A local limited stop service that serves key destinations but travel nonstop on freeway segments. They were formerly categorized as Limited prior to the 2015 restructuring of bus routes.
• Park and Ride (Commuter): Metro operates express service between major destinations and outlying areas via high-occupancy vehicle lanes on regional freeways. Buses on these routes stop at park-and-ride lots, which also serve as transit centers.
• Bus Rapid Transit (BRT): A pilot program introduced on June 1, 2009, to provide faster service with upgraded buses and fewer, more modern stops to busy corridors, beginning with a supplement of Route 2 (Bellaire), 402 Quickline Bellaire BRT. The second route in this system was a replacement of Route 33 (Post Oak), 433 Silver Line Post Oak BRT, which unlike Route 402, utilizes an exclusive busway for a majority of the route. The next planned line was the University Line, which was planned to start construction in 2025 and open in 2029. However, in June 2024, Metro announced that they had abandoned plans for the University Line. In February 2026, route 402 was discontinued, leaving the 433 as the sole BRT route.

Routes

Metro's bus routes are numbered based on their service type and arranged in a grid. On August 24, 2015, Metro revamped their entire bus network with new routes and frequent service. Under the new network, all local routes run 7 days a week with the exception of two express routes.

Metro provided the free Greenlink shuttle services in Downtown Houston, but discontinued the service in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Metro's express and commuter buses consist of 45-foot (14 m) MCI and New Flyer "Viking" buses, which have reclining seats, small individual lights, as well as small air conditioning vents for each seat. Viking buses went out of service in May 2015.[citation needed] In 2025, the bus system had a ridership of 63,315,900, or about 206,800 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2025.

List of routes

• 2–99: Local routes
• 102–162: Express routes
• 202–298: Park and Ride routes
• 309–399: Shuttle and curb2curb routes
• 433: Bus rapid transit (BRT) route
• Red indicates 15 minute-or-better frequencies
• Blue indicates 15–30 minute frequencies
• Green indicates 30–60 minute frequencies
• Yellow indicates express bus routes
• Gray indicates Park & Ride express routes or shuttles with no defined frequency
• Coral indicates BRT (bus rapid transit) routes

Multiple colors indicate that portions of the route have different frequencies from one another.

Discontinued

Transit centers

Bold = Terminates at the Transit Center Italics = A branch terminates at the transit center METRORail Red Line / METRORail Green Line / METRORail Purple Line = METRORail connections

Park and Ride lots

Metro operates 28 different park and ride locations.

Advertising policy

Metro has had a policy since its founding in which it refuses to place advertisements on buses, claiming that such a move would create an unsightly appearance on the buses. Metro had originally attempted to generate extra revenue by only advertising in its bus shelters, but a city ordinance blocked the decision. After a failed attempt to get permission to partially use advertisements on buses, Metro has since decided to continue enforcing its policy.

Due to the lack of funding for METRORail expansion, the policy has been proposed to be expanded to light rail vehicles in order to generate additional revenue. Metro began advertising the Houston Zoo on the side of three light rail vehicles in 2010. In late September 2010, due to the decreased budget, Metro began to seriously consider advertising on their buses.

Fares

In the fall of 2006, Metro revealed plans to rework its fare system. The new system involved pre-paid fare cards (contactless smart cards), called Q Cards, that can be recharged on local buses and Metro TVMs. In April 2026, a new RideMETRO fare system replaced the METRO Q Fare Card and Q Mobile Ticketing App in favor of RideMETRO Fare Cards and an updated app after a several‑month transition period. 3-hour passes are electronically added to the card each time it is used. Frequent users get "Rider Rewards" that offer one free ride per 10 paid trips.

Senior citizens 65–69 will continue to receive a discounted rate as will disabled patrons. Senior citizens over 70 may ride for free. Children under 5 also ride for free when accompanied by an adult (limit 3). This was intended to keep the base fare low and phase out the previous fare system consisting of transfers (was reinstated from July 2015 to March 2016), as well as day (reinstated on October 7, 2013), weekly, monthly and annual passes, which occurred in early 2008. On November 2, 2008, local fares increased to $1.25 from $1. Currently another fare increase is being mulled as a means to pay for constructing the expansion of the light rail.

METROLift

Metro Lift provides transportation needs for people with a disability, who cannot board, or ride from a regular Metro bus. The Metro Lift vehicles are shared-ride, meaning that they take multiple customers and groups. Metro tells its customers to use standard Metro bus services whenever possible. Metro Lift uses special vehicles that are distinct from fixed-route Metro buses. The Authority's METROLift paratransit service will have provided 1.9 million trips to 16,178 eligible riders in FY2017, using both METRO-owned lift-equipped vans and contractor-owned and operated accessible minivans.

HOV system

Metro has been known for pioneering the use of express buses in high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. This was part of the reversible HOV lane concept that began in 1979 with the completion of the North Freeway (I-45) Contraflow Lane. This concept used the inside freeway lane of the "opposite" direction separated by traffic pylons and is closed to all vehicles except buses and vanpools. Although a head-on collision involving a car and a bus occurred in 1980, the concept became permanent, but with the HOV lanes separated from the rest of traffic with Jersey barriers.

The HOV lanes run between Downtown Houston (inbound A.M. and outbound P.M.) and the suburbs and are found on portions of the Katy Freeway, Gulf Freeway, North Freeway, Southwest Freeway, Eastex Freeway and Northwest Freeway.

Since Metro Express buses use them during rush hour, most routes lead to the Park and Ride lots and use "secret" HOV lane exits (often elevated T-intersections) that lead to the lots (also used by vehicles) without having to exit the freeway to street intersections. The HOV system will soon get an overhaul in the event of major freeway construction to take place in Houston and may have HOV lanes in both directions with the concept of HOT (Toll) lanes introduced.

In 2011, Metro began conversion of the HOV lanes to High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes. Commuters with only one person in a vehicle will be able to pay a toll to use the lanes when the conversion is complete.

Future plans

METRO Solutions (2003)

METRO Solutions was a regional transit plan approved by voters in November 2003 by a 52–48 vote. The plan proposed:

• 64.8 miles (104 km) of Light Rail Transit
• 8 miles (13 km) of Commuter Rail Transit (CRT)
• 9 New Transit Centers
• 9 New Park & Rides Lots
• 250 miles of two-way HOV lanes

In June 2005, METRO announced a revised plan for expansion of the METRORail system. The plan included one new light rail corridor and three bus rapid transit corridors. The bus rapid transit lines would have later been converted into light rail when ridership warranted the conversion.

On October 18, 2007, the plan was revised to allow for the possibility of more federal funding. METRO decided to have all the lines consist of light rail from the start after some public backlash to the agency turning back from its original plans of light rail corridors.

By 2017, only 15 miles of light rail were completed with no commuter rail lines established. 8 new transit centers, 7 new park & ride lots, and only one new two-way HOV corridor were completed as well.

METRONext (2019)

The public with a 68% vote approved the METRONext plan in November 2019. The plan calls for:

• 110 miles of Regional Express Network, including two-way HOV lanes
• 21 new or improved Park & Ride lots and Transit Centers
• 16 miles of light rail expansion
• 75 miles of a bus rapid transit network METRORapid
• 290 miles of BOOST and Signature bus service

The referendum authorized the agency to issue up to $3.5 billion in bonds to pay for the projects while the remaining $4 billion will come from federal grants and local funds.

Moving Forward Plan (bus rapid transit - BRT)

Under the METRONext "Moving Forward Plan", a superset of the proposed University METRORail line would be served by a new bus rapid transit (BRT) line under the METRORapid brand. A preliminary version of the superset "University Corridor" BRT line, 22 mi (35 km) long, would extend to Westchase Park & Ride in the west, pass through the stops proposed for the derelict light rail plan, and continue north past Eastwood Transit Center to Tidwell Transit Center.

Additional BRT lines proposed under "Moving Forward" include:

• "Interstate 45 North" from downtown to George Bush Intercontinental Airport via Greenspoint
• "Inner Katy Corridor" to Northwest Transit Center, connecting to METRORail Purple/Green line stations
• "Uptown/Gulfton" extension of the Uptown Line south to Gulfton
• "West Houston Corridor" along Beltway 8 or Gessner Road between West Little York Park & Ride and Missouri City

METRONow (2025)

On February 24, 2025, METRO unveiled a new comprehensive plan, named METRONow plan, that aimed to improve mobility and increase ridership of their transit system. The four initiatives in the plan were to focus on safety and security, improve cleanliness, increase service and reliability, and expand accessibility.

Metro Police

Metro operates its own police department. With over 185 Texas peace officers and 88 non-sworn, civilian employees, the department's main goal is to ensure safety and security on the transit system. The department was established in 1982 and is accredited with the Texas Police Chiefs Association (TPCA), one of only five public transit police departments in North America to be so.

State law grants Metro Police jurisdiction in the counties in which Metro is located, provides services, or is supported by a general sales and use tax. As peace officers, state law also grants Metro Police the power to arrest without warrant for any felony, breach of the peace, disorderly conduct or intoxication offense that is committed in their presence or view while in Texas. They may also make an arrest pursuant to a warrant anywhere in Texas.

Headquarters

METRO's headquarters are in the Lee P. Brown Administration Building in Downtown Houston. The $41 million, 14-story glass and steel building has over 400,000 square feet (37,000 m2) of space. The facility includes the Downtown Transit Center bus and rail platforms, a MetroRide store, and passenger restrooms. The building was designed by the Houston-based Pierce Goodwin Alexander & Linville.

The building was named for former Houston mayor Lee P. Brown in honor of his advocacy for the METRORail Red Line. “Houston in Harmony”, a 1999 mural commissioned in Brown's honor, was moved from the Houston City Hall Annex to the Administration Building in 2005.

Before the construction of the Administration Building, METRO was headquartered in Louisiana Place (now Total Plaza), also in Downtown Houston. The agency occupied 193,000 square feet (17,900 m2) of space across 10 floors, for which it paid a $3.8 million annual rent. Construction of the dedicated Administration Building, which was estimated to save the agency $273 million over a 30-year period, began in 2002, with 80% of the project's funding coming from the Federal Transit Administration. METRO began moving from Louisiana Place to the Administration Building in January 2005, and its lease at Louisiana Place expired the following April. Total Petrochemicals USA, a subsidiary of TotalEnergies, moved into the space that was previously occupied by METRO.

Ridership and demographics

A Regional Fixed Route Transit Rider survey sponsored by the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC), in partnership with METRO, was completed in 2017. Over 22,000 riders were surveyed—the most expansive ever conducted on a regional basis—and included eight regional fixed-route transit agencies which operate in H-GAC's eight-county region. The survey found that 58 percent of riders use transit to get to work, 20 percent use it for shopping or personal business, and about 10 percent of riders use a bus or train to get to school. 88 percent of riders reported that they rode transit at least three days per week with almost 50 percent of riders riding at least five days per week. The survey's findings concluded that 88 percent of all the trips were directly contributing to the region's economy.

Member cities

Metro provides transportation services to fifteen member cities, as well as some unincorporated portions of Harris County. Metro's service area pays a 1¢ sales tax to fund the agency's operations.

In addition to the city of Houston, Metro serves fourteen cities in the Greater Houston area, collectively termed the "Multi-Cities":

• Bellaire
• Bunker Hill Village
• El Lago
• Hedwig Village
• Hilshire Village
• Humble
• Hunters Creek Village
• Katy
• Missouri City
• Piney Point Village
• Southside Place
• Spring Valley Village
• Taylor Lake Village
• West University Place

From 2019 to 2025, Metro also operated a park-and-ride shuttle between Houston and the non-member city Conroe.

See also

• List of tram and light-rail transit systems

Further reading

• Spivak, Todd. "." Houston Press. March 3, 2006.

External links

• at the Wayback Machine (archive index)