METRORapid Silver Line

The METRORapid Silver Line is a bus rapid transit line in Houston, Texas operated by METRO. Opened August 23, 2020,[2] the line connects the Uptown area of Houston, with dedicated lanes over nearly the entire length of the corridor.[3] It serves the Northwest Transit Center, 8 stations along Post Oak Boulevard in Uptown, and the Westpark/Lower Uptown Transit Center. On internal METRO documents, the METRORapid Silver Line is designated as Route 433.

Silver Line
Silver Line bus at the Northwest Transit Center
Overview
StatusOperational
LocaleHouston, Texas
Termini
  • Northwest Transit Center (north)
  • Westpark/Lower Uptown Transit Center (south)
Stations10
Service
TypeBus rapid transit
SystemMETRORapid
ServicesRoute 433
Operator(s)METRO
Daily ridership867 (weekdays, February 2023)
History
OpenedAugust 23, 2020 (2020-08-23)
Technical
Line length4.7 mi (7.6 km)[1]
Route map

 Northwest TC
I-10.svgUS 90.svg I-10 / US 90
I-610.svg I-610 busway
 Uptown Park
 Four Oaks
 San Felipe
 Ambassador
 Guilford
 Westheimer/Galleria
 West Alabama/Galleria
 Richmond
I-69.svgUS 59.svg I-69 / US 59
 Westpark/Lower Uptown TC

The line was originally planned as a 4.7-mile (7.6 km) extension of the METRORail light rail network under the name Uptown/Gold Line. Due to lack of funds, it was announced in early 2013 that the line would be constructed initially as a bus rapid transit line using three-door buses. The design features the ability to convert the line to light rail in the future.[4][5]

The Silver Line is the first segment of a planned 75 mile network of bus rapid transit service in Houston,[6] branded as METRORapid.[7]

Route

The Silver Line runs between Westpark/Lower Uptown Transit Center, a park and ride facility located on Westpark Drive near the Located at the Southwest Freeway (I-69/US 59) & West Loop (I-610), and Northwest Transit Center, located at Katy Road on the north side of the I-10 interchange. This corridor was previously served by Route 33.[8] Silver Line buses serve eight stations via bus-only lanes in the median of Post Oak Boulevard through the Uptown area. These lanes connect to the Northwest Transit Center with an elevated two-lane busway along the West Loop portion of Interstate 610.[9][10]

History

Following a statement in 2010 by Houston's mayor, Annise Parker, construction would commence at a time when funding can be secured for this line.[11][12] Furthermore, due to the lack of infrastructure upgrades promised by the Uptown Management District, METRO would hold off on anything related to the line until a deal was arranged.[13]

The light rail project was repeatedly blocked by Congressman John Culberson, based on concerns from constituents on Richmond Avenue.[14] It was downgraded to a $177.5 million bus rapid transit project with dedicated lanes in 2013, under a plan promoted by Uptown developers to receive improved transit service sooner than the estimated 2025 arrival of light rail.[4]

Construction began in 2016 with the line's opening planned for 2018. However, the project faced several delays before service began in 2020.[2]

Stations

Listed from north to south:[7]

Station Location Connections Notes
Northwest Transit Center7373 Old Katy RoadMetro LocalPark and ride: 195 spaces
Uptown ParkPost Oak and Uptown Park BoulevardsServes Uptown Park shopping center
Four OaksPost Oak and Four Oaks Place
San FelipePost Oak and San Felipe StreetMetro LocalServes Boulevard Place
AmbassadorPost Oak and Ambassador Way
GuilfordPost Oak and Guilford Court
Westheimer/GalleriaPost Oak and Westheimer RoadMetro LocalServes The Galleria
West Alabama/GalleriaPost Oak and West Alabama StreetServes The Galleria and Williams Tower
RichmondPost Oak and Richmond AvenueMetro LocalServes Plaza on Richmond
Westpark/Lower Uptown Transit Center5105 Westpark DriveMetro LocalPark and ride: 242 spaces

Expansion

An 1.1-mile (1.8 km) extension north to Northwest Mall—a future Texas Central Railway station)—and a western extension to the Hillcroft Transit Center have been proposed.

References
  1. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 14, 2009. Retrieved January 18, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. Begley, Dug (August 24, 2020). "Metro's Silver Line starts, first of many bus rapid transit planned in region in lieu of rail". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  3. Begley, Dug (February 15, 2018). "Metro ready to move ahead with Post Oak rapid transit bus buy". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  4. Begley, Dug (February 9, 2013). "Post Oak redesign drops rail for bus lane". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  5. "Uptown bus lanes won't be ready until 2019". Houston Chronicle. June 23, 2016.
  6. Wanek-Libman, Mischa (August 24, 2020). "Houston's METRORapid Silver Line opens for service". Mass Transit. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  7. "METRORapid Overview" (PDF). August 26, 2020.
  8. "Route 33: Post Oak" (PDF). METRO. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 24, 2020. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  9. "Uptown BRT Project". METRO. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  10. Koetting, Nicki (April 18, 2017). "The Long, Complicated History of the Post Oak Boulevard Project". Houstonia. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  11. "Rick Casey: Metro can't let rail jeopardize its buses – Houston Chronicle". Chron.com. March 11, 2010. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  12. Shay, Miya (March 11, 2010). "Houston Mayor Annise Parker wants to put brakes on University and Uptown rail lines | abc13.com". Abclocal.go.com. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  13. Knight, Paul (August 13, 2010). "Metro Ponders Galleria Real Estate, And Why The Uptown District Can't Deliver On its $70 Million Promise | Houston Press". Blogs.houstonpress.com. Archived from the original on July 31, 2013. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  14. Powell, Stewart M. (June 20, 2012). "Culberson inserts Metro rail-line limits into federal spending bill". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
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