A former Houstonian has developed an iPhone application that will instantly tell you the nearest METRO bus and rail stops to your current location.
Called Ride Houston, the app is designed to make it easier to find the right bus or train. Brian Leonard, a software developer who works for a start-up in the Boston area, says he got the idea for this app after moving to Boston and using public transit there.
"When I lived in Humble, I saw the Park & Ride and never used it, but now I think I would if I lived back in Humble," said Leonard in a telephone interview. "I saw the need and want to encourage people to use METRO."
Leonard developed the Boston app, dubbed "To a T" (The T is Bostonians' nickname for the subway) and has sold about 1,000 apps since its release last June.
After living in Manhattan and now Boston, Leonard says he prefers sitting on a bus or train, rather than driving.
"With a little more information, it's possible to take a bus. One of the worst things about transit is, ‘If I go out there, how long am I going to wait?' It's the unknown that's the killer," said Leonard. "If you have a known situation, 10 minutes feels like five. So bringing that information mobile is great."
Here's how Ride Houston works.
The software finds your present location through GPS technology. Then press a button, and red push pins pop up on a map, indicating every bus stop near your location.
A blue dot represents where you are currently located.
Pick a bus stop closest to you. It links seamlessly to Google Maps. Hit "direction" and then type in where you want to go. You'll get detailed walking and riding directions to your destination, including departure and arrival times.
Rik Deere, director of IT Application Support at METRO, said he stumbled across Ride Houston when he wondered if anyone had developed an app and did a Google search.
"It has a very nicely organized Apple interface to pull up all the schedules rather than going through a browser," said Deere. "It has all the information about METRO that I need right there in my iPhone. Very cool, very handy."
Leonard says Ride Dallas just went up last Tuesday, and he's working on Ride Austin.
About 100 people have already downloaded Ride Houston, which will also work with the iPad, said Leonard. You can download Ride Houston for $2.99 through the iTunes App Store. To see screenshots of the app, click here.
Curious about which vendors received a contract from METRO?
Or perhaps you want to hear METRO President & CEO Frank J. Wilson's monthly report to the board, summarizing accomplishments.
Now you can watch METRO board meetings on Saturdays, 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on HCCTV, Channel 19 on Comcast cable.
The January 2010 board meeting will run tomorrow - and then be repeated on Saturdays until the February board meeting is ready to air.
Starting next week, you can also catch METRO Matters and Enfoque METRO, our Spanish-language talk show, on HCCTV every Tuesday and Thursday, 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
When President Obama unveiled on Monday his new budget plan , Houston METRO came out a winner.
Two light-rail lines we're building - the North Corridor and the Southeast Corridor - were chosen to receive matching federal dollars - $75 million for each rail line.
To be two of only four transit projects nationwide recommended for funding, pending Full Funding Grant Agreements, was quite a coup for METRO. A Full Funding Grant Agreement signals the federal government's commitment to fund a project. 
"The fact that two of the four recommended projects are from Houston speaks volumes about the value and benefits that these projects will bring to our community," said Kim Slaughter, METRO's associate vice president of planning, infrastructure & service development.
"Every person who has ever participated in a meeting or provided comments on these projects should be very proud of the fruits of their labor," Slaughter continued.
This is the second time METRO has been been included in the administration's budget. In the 2010 budget, $150 million were allocated for the North and Southeast Corridor.
Now in 2011, another $150 million have been allocated for these two light-rail lines.
The North Corridor is a 5.3-mile, eight-station double-track, light-rail line that will extend from the existing UH-Downtown station in the Central Business District to the Northline Commons. This project involves purchasing 22 light-rail trains. It would act as an extension to our current Red Line. 
The Southeast Corridor will be a 6.5-mile light-rail line from the Central Business District to the Palm Center in the vicinity of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd/Griggs Road. This project includes buying 29 light-rail vehicles and building 10 stations, plus a storage and inspection facility.
So how soon would METRO actually get the federal dollars?
The two Full Funding Grant Agreements must be finalized by the Federal Transit Administration's staff. Then it goes to the Office of Secretary of Transportation and the U.S. Office of Management and Budget for review and approval.
Once both these approvals are received, the FTA sends a 60-day notice to Congress, announcing its intention to fund these two projects. After that 60-day period, METRO and the FTA will sign funding contracts - the Full Funding Grant Agreements - to release the federal dollars.
"Once the federal funds are available, this will secure the FTA's commitment to be long-term partners in the North and Southeast light-rail projects," explained Slaughter.
"METRO looks forward to continuing to work with the community to deliver great projects. We are dedicated to provide more choices to move more people to more places," said Slaughter.
Can the lowly amoeba teach transit planners how to combat congestion and design roads?
Apparently so, according to a new report in the journal Science. Researchers at the Hokkaido University in Japan studied the slime mold species Physarum polycephalum and discovered that as it grows, it connects itself to scattered food crumbs in a design that is remarkably similar to the Tokyo rail system.
Slime mold is similar to fungus and is a singled-celled animal that grows in a network of connected veins, spreading out like a web, reports msnbc.com.
Slime mold grows in the most efficient way it can to expand its access to nutrients, said the researchers.
The team placed oat flakes on a wet surface, making the flakes represent cities surrounding Tokyo. They added bright lights, which slime mold avoids, representing mountains or other geographical features trains would have to detour.
The slime mold formed a network around the nutrients in a pattern very similar to the train system linking cities around Tokyo - and was actually more efficient. The scientists then fed the slime mold data into a computer model and hope to use the information to develop more efficient transportation networks.
In the photo above, the network on the left was designed by slime mold; the one on the right is the Tokyo rail network.
Biologically inspired networks may be the future for transit planners.
Read the scientific abstract here.
While car manufacturers worldwide are busy building electric vehicles, there's another mode of transportation that's also going electric: the bicycle.
Today's New York Times calls it an accidental upheaval in which millions of commuters - from Shanghai to San Francisco - are pedaling bikes with motors.
For aging baby boomers, it's the perfect choice to zip around traffic.
The trend started in China, where about 120 million electric bikes buzz on the roads, replacing traditional bikes and motorcycles. The electric-bike industry in China is generating huge sales in India, Europe and here in the United States. The electric-bike business has mushroomed from nothing to $11 billion globally in 10 years.
Roger Philips, 78, says riding his electric bike around Manhattan is like a moving walkway at an airport. Jessy Wijzenbeek-Voet, 71, of the Netherlands says she used her electric bike to make a long trip she otherwise wouldn't be able to do on a conventional bike.
David Chiu, the president of the San Francisco's board of supervisors, uses his electric bike to attend meetings without sweating in his suit.
The electric bikes cost from $1,500 to $3,000 - and because they need regular battery replacements, analysts say the bikes will bolster the bike industry in general.
But officials worldwide are struggling on how they'll classify these bikes. Are they too fast for bike lanes where traditional bikes and pedestrians make for slower traffic flows? Some cities want to forbid them from bike lanes but permit them on streets.
Then there's the environmental issue. They emit fewer gases linked to global warming, but typical Chinese models use five batteries in the lifetime of a bike - with each battery containing 20 to 30 pounds of lead.
In a novel twist to attract riders, METRO's rolling out its first rap video.
Modeled after the Beastie Boys, our rap group, the Transit Boyz, talks of the benefits of METRO.
It's the M-E-T-R to the O
The buses and the trains
Keep you on the go
Our marketing staff wrote, produced, directed and rapped the song all in-house. Even the actors were sons of staffers: Jack Koch, 5, (son of Karl Koch); Chad Murillo, 7 (son of Art Murillo, senior community outreach rep); and Liam Rogers, 6 (son of Brian Rogers).
The only part that was outsourced was the recording and mixing of the audio. That kept the cost down to about $500.
"The concept behind it was to do something interesting for the campaign on a very low budget, so we figured we could parody music videos or music artists," said Koch, manager of creative services. "Our inspiration for that was the Beastie Boys."
It was a team effort with Koch, and copywriter Sydney Scardino, Rob Fritsche Jr., senior copywriter/producer and graphic designer Brian Rogers - some playing roles for the first time.
Koch and Scardino co-wrote the rap - their first. Rogers, Koch and Fritsche recorded their voices and dubbed it over the kids' voices.
"It was very intimidating - standing in front of people and doing something you've never done before," said Rogers of his debut rap in the recording studio. "It was a learning experience, and it was fun. It's something we all put together, and it all came through."
Scardino said the group wanted "an urban look with a twist of some fun in there, as well." She added that even her 60-year-old dad called it very current and very hip.
Fritsche, who shot, directed and edited the video, said it was the first time he's worked exclusively with kids. "Basically, we blocked out everything we were going to shoot. And in some cases, we had to find locations on the fly. They're not professional actors, so it took longer. Being a parent of one is hard enough, but becoming a temporary parent of three was a real challenge."
It was exhausting, said Koch. "Not only did you have to keep them interested, but keep them fed, bandaged and out of traffic."
But the hard work paid off.
Koch said he hopes the video shows that METRO isn't just a government entity. "We're showing people that we're paying attention to them, and we're doing more with less," he said.
Added Fritsche, "It's a subtle and unique way to get people to pay attention to METRO and its services without following the same old route."
Click the YouTube link below to watch our new rap.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GwJ_mMSsPk
In the first photo above, our rappers are, left to right: Chad Murillo, Jack Koch and Liam Rogers.
About 100 people gathered today at the new Kendall Neighborhood Library and Community Center in west Houston to celebrate the launch of METRO's new 75 Energy Corridor Connector service.
TV reporter Jennifer Reyna of KPRC-TV, Channel 2 emceed the event where vendors in the Energy Corridor District and community members heard remarks from METRO Chairman of the Board David S. Wolff, who pointed out that this area was a fast-growing section of Houston.
"You have 75,000 people working in the Energy Corridor today...It's important to make this area accessible," said Wolff, adding that he hopes our newest bus service will be successful.
Vendors were also excited that the Connector would bring more business to their shops. The Connector is a local bus service along Eldridge Parkway, between I-10 and Richmond Avenue, with connections to Addicks Park & Ride. Click here to read more about it.
Chris Felefle, general manager of Petit Café, said he hopes bus riders will notice his restaurant on Eldridge Parkway and try it out.
James Tagawa, general manager of Kim Son Cafe, welcomed the new route, not only for customers but for his employees. Right now, about 10 of his 95 employees walk to their job there.
"I know this will help," he said.
David Hightower, president of the Energy Corridor District Board of Directors, says the Connector provides a valuable option.
"It means that our residents and employees out here will have a transit service that provides them with an alternative to getting into their cars and going to lunch and running errands," said Hightower. "And for those who have the ability to access it from other points, they have an option of using it instead of sitting in their car."
Meredith Gaber, senior marketing analyst at Parsons Brinckerhoff, is looking forward to riding the Connector. 
"You get so isolated in your building. And there are so many places to go during lunchtime, but it takes so long sitting at traffic lights. Hopefully, this will help decrease traffic at lunch and open up the corridor," said Gaber. ‘It's a great way to showcase the different businesses that are here."
Some attendees at today's event live no where near the new route, but joined simply for the excitement of trying a new route.
Janis Scott, self-proclaimed "METRO Bus Lady Queen," said she left her home at 7:30 a.m. and took two buses to arrive at 10 a.m.
"I have come to this library before, and I intend to come even more," she said. "It's an adventure. I love to go on bus adventures."
The photo above on the left is David Hightower. The photo on the right is left to right: Alan Clark, director of Houston-Galveston Area Council's Metropolitan Planning Organization; Clark Martinson, Energy Corridor district general manager; Jennifer Reyna, David Wolff and Frank J. Wilson, METRO's president & CEO.
Commercial bus and truck drivers who text while driving will face stiff fines, according to new federal guidelines effective immediately.
Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood's summit on distracted driving last fall promised to take specific steps to combat distracted driving, and these guidelines issued yesterday are part of that plan.
"We want the drivers of big rigs and buses, and those who share the roads with them, to be safe," said LaHood in a statement. "This is an important safety step, and we will be taking more to eliminate the threat of distracted driving."
Bus drivers and truck drivers who send and receive text messages while driving are subject to civil or criminal penalties of up to $2,750.
Here at METRO, if a bus driver is caught texting, he or she is immediately terminated. The same policy applies to any METRO employee who is texting while driving a METRO vehicle.
Research by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) shows that drivers who text take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds out of every six seconds while texting.
That means someone driving 55 miles per hour would be traveling the length of a football field, including the end zones, without looking at the road. 
Virginia Tech researchers found that truck drivers who send text messages on a cell phone are 23 times more likely to crash or experience a near-miss than non-texting drivers.
The new federal ban applies to interstate trucks and commercial buses and vans that carry more than eight passengers.
To follow more on what the Department of Transportation is doing to fight distracted driving, click http://www.distraction.gov/. The photos posted here appeared on The Fast Lane, LaHood's blog.
METRO has published the University Corridor's Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), a milestone document that will help secure federal money to build Houston's light-rail line from the Hillcroft Transit Center to the Eastwood Transit Center.
The FEIS is required by the National Environmental Policy Act. The FEIS, which METRO had been preparing for more than a year, focuses on anticipated economic, environmental and social changes that would occur from the University Corridor - including during construction.
The document also indicates the proposed alignment of the line and the properties it may touch.
But before any construction can start on the 11.3-mile line, the Federal Transit Administration must issue a Record of Decision, expected in April. A Record of Decision is the FTA's official approval of University Corridor's plans and rationale, and gives METRO the green light to proceed.
With the FTA's Record of Decision, METRO can:
- Advance the engineering of the alignment
- Identify and start relocating utilities
- Acquire vehicles
- Begin surveys and appraisals for potentially impacted properties
- Start discussions with property owners along the proposed alignment
"We are now at the point where we will refine the alignment and further define the right-of-way required to implement the project," said Kimberly Slaughter, METRO's associate vice president of planning. "METRO will work very hard to make sure the impacts to the community are minimal.
"As the project advances, METRO will work directly with owners and tenants of impacted properties. METRO's intent is to deliver the project requested by the community with maximum long-term community benefits," she continued.
METRO has joined the Energy Corridor District to launch today new bus service: the 75 Energy Corridor Connector.
The service will run along Eldridge Parkway between Interstate 10 and Richmond, providing employees and residents in the Energy Corridor District (ECD) a quick, convenient ride to shops and restaurants along the route.
The Energy Corridor District is made up of 1,500 acres that extend along both sides of Interstate 10 from Tully to east of Park 10 Boulevard and along North Eldridge Parkway from I-10 to south of Briar Forest.
Companies in the district employ some 73,000 workers. Of those, about 40,000 employees and 15,000 residents in the corridor are directly served by the Connector, meaning they are within walking distance of a Connector route stop.
Major energy companies located there include ExxonMobil Chemical, Shell Exploration and Production, ConocoPhillips, CITGO and BP America.
"What we're doing for the people who live and work in the Energy Corridor is providing them with a commuting option," said John Nunez, transportation manager at the EDC. "The option for those who work out here will be to use a Park & Ride bus or local bus service that intersects with the Connector route to extend their trip to reach their final destination in the Energy Corridor."
Nunez said the 75 Energy Corridor Connector is part of an on-going effort to make the corridor "a more walkable, bikeable, green and transit-friendly place" and make it less auto-dependent.
This new service is being partially funded through the federal Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) program. 
"The Connector does provide individuals who live in the inner city an opportunity to commute to the ECD suburban work sites, and many of these individuals may not have had the ability to reach some of these job sites before the route was established," said Nunez. "It does connect people. It's the main thing we're trying to do - keep people connected - not just for work, but for other things, as well."
ECD employees who live in the downtown and midtown areas can connect to the 75 Energy Corridor Connector by riding the 228 Addicks and 229 Kingsland/Addicts from the Central Business District to the Addicks Park & Ride. The Connector also links with the 82 Westheimer and the 131 Memorial.
Fare is the same as local bus service - $1.25 with a two-hour window for transfers. Three or four of the major ECD companies are providing a transit benefit to their employees, said Nunez.
Service runs every 15 minutes from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., it runs every 10 minutes.
Click here to see a map of the route.
Ever wonder what happens to the trains at night?
When our trains have finished their last run, our rail maintenance crew jumps into action - cleaning rail cars, sweeping tracks, maintaining systems and making sure everything functions smoothly - from the speakers on the platform to train doors opening and closing correctly.
Click the link below to hear a behind-the-scenes description from Scott Grogan, senior director of rail maintenance/operations.
http://www.ridemetro.org/News/Broadcast/METROMatters.aspx
If you prefer to watch METRO Matters on a big TV screen, catch it on Houston Media Source, Comcast Channel 17. Here are show times:
Mon 1/25/10 6:45 p.m.
Wed 1/27/10 6:15 p.m.
Sat 1/30/10 2:45 p.m.
Tue 2/2/10 6:45 p.m.
Thu 2/4/10 6:00 p.m.
Sat 2/6/10 11:45 a.m.
Mon 2/8/10 8:00 p.m.
Wed 2/10/10 10:35 p.m.
Fri 2/12/10 9:30 p.m.
Sat 2/13/10 10:30 p.m.
Mon 2/15/10 8:00 p.m.
Tue 2/16/10 12:30 p.m.
Yesterday, we set up an on-site METRO Q® Fare Card center right in the middle of the Texas Medical Center campus where students grab a bite to eat - the John P. McGovern Commons.
About 100 students - mostly medical ones - came through to learn about the Q Card, get existing ones renewed, or get processed for new ones.
It was all part of METRO's strategy to reach out to higher ed students and make it easy for them to hop on public transit.
"This is the beginning of our strategy to students," said Nicole Adler, marketing specialist in revenue. "We're planning to attend university orientation sessions to introduce the Q Card to students. Our goal is to be able to reach out to the larger universities."
Representatives from Community Outreach were also on hand to talk about the benefits of the Q.
"Community Outreach had a fun-filled morning providing Q Cards to medical students from Baylor and the University of Texas," said Joe Garcia, community outreach rep. "Many students and hospital employees came out to obtain their Q Cards or to simply renew them."
Our revenue department had laptops and machines on campus to renew cards immediately - and to take ID photos of students getting new cards. Once processed, the new cards will be taken back on campus for students to pick up.
On Feb. 2 and 3, METRO will be at the University of Houston main campus, helping students get and renew Q Cards.
"We're trying to get more riders, so this is a way to increase our ridership by educating students to the ease and comfort of public transportation," said Adler.
Students pointed out they are very busy and don't have the time to come into the RideStore at 1900 Main to cancel a lost card and replace it with a new one, so METRO said it would look for ways to address this and improve the system. The photos posted were taken by Adler. The one at the ltop shows Garcia helping a student.
Travelers who want to text and e-mail while enroute to their destination may be selecting the bus or train, instead of a plane.
That's according to a study by the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul University. The study found that commuters on intercity buses are heavy users of portable technology, outpacing what is seen on commercial flights.
And the ability to use technology while traveling may be influencing people's choice to hop on a bus or train rather than take to the skies. Intercity bus service grew 5.1 percent in 2009 from 2008. That's a rate of growth higher than all other major modes of transportation for the third consecutive year.
In contrast, commercial airline travel dipped 6.8 percent in the same period.
Researchers rode buses, trains and planes in 14 states to observe the prevalence of technology use. At any given point in the trip, almost half - 40 percent - of passengers on buses equipped with Wi-Fi are engaging in some form of portable technology.
"The prevalence of portable electronics is changing the dynamics of how we make travel choices," Joe Schwieterman, director of the Institute and one of the researchers, told the Chicago Sun-Times. "For many passengers, the ability to freely use portable technology on a bus or train more than compensates for the longer travel times."
Curbside bus services - such as Megabus or BoltBus, which operates in the East, attract passengers who like using their BlackBerries and laptops. Sixty percent of their passengers are between the ages of 18 and 35.
On Amtrak, more than 35 percent of passengers use portable technology at any given point in their trip. On weekdays before 7 p.m., travelers on the Acela Express in the northeast corridor (Boston/NY/Washington) were using mostly visual devices.
"It's almost an extension of their office," said Steven Field, a DePaul University graduate student and researcher on the study.
In contrast, on the average commercial flight, no more than 18 percent of travelers used portable electronic devices at any given point. The study showed that less travelers used the technology because of the inconvenience of turning it on and off to follow airline regulations.
Click here to read the entire study (18 pages).
Whether your company is large or small, there are opportunities for contractors who are interested in doing some work with the light-rail lines we're building. 
This Thursday, Jan. 21, we're hosting a seminar from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the George R. Brown Convention Center, where you'll get a project overview, along with continental breakfast.
Attend Construction Outlook 2010 and learn of opportunities that are available. They include: public utilities, roadway, landscaping, trucking, excavation, paving and street reconstruction. We'll have construction staff on site to answer your questions.
Here's the schedule:
7:30 a.m. Registration and continental breakfast
8:00 a.m. Project overview
9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Corridor sessions
There will also be lots of chances for you to network and meet other contractors.
The event is free and open to the public. Click here to register. Click here for directions to the George R. Brown and click here for parking info. Or ride the Red Line and walk a few blocks.
As community groups gear up to celebrate the legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., Houstonians can enjoy a plethora of parades this weekend.
On Saturday, there's the MLK Grande Parade and the Children's Day Parade.
That means detours for METRO buses.
Click here for detailed route detours.
On Monday, MLK Day, there are more parades. Regular weekday METRORail, local and commuter bus service will operate, with some detours in the downtown area, due to the parades from 9 a.m. to about 1 p.m. Please expect delays.
Click here for route detours.
Our Customer Service Information Center will be open its regular business hours of 6 a.m. - 9 p.m.
The RideStore and Lost & Found will be closed.
METROLift will run its regular subscription trips on MLK Day, but METROLift reservations and customer service offices will be closed.
If you wish to make a reservation for next Monday or Tuesday and speak to a person, you must call the reservation line at 713-225-6716 by 5 p.m. today.
Otherwise, you may schedule a trip the day before you need to travel by using our automated phone line, MACS. The number is 713-225-6716, then press 1. Or go online to MACS-WEB. You will need your client ID and password.
This Sunday, more than 26,000 runners will be pounding the streets of Houston in a marathon weekend: the Chevron Houston Marathon, Aramco Houston Half Marathon, El Paso Corporation 5K and Texas Children's Hospital Kids' Fun Run.
The expected turnout means service changes at METRO since many streets will be blocked off.
Marathon Kick-off
Starting today at 7 p.m. until close of bus operations on Friday, METRO will operate detour bus service.
The following bus routes will run via McKinney, left on Crawford, left on Walker to their regular route:
18 Kirby
53 Briar Forest Limited
81 Westheimer/Sharpstown
82 Westheimer/West Oaks
313 Alley Parkway Special
If you're traveling to downtown, please expect minor delays during the event. Click here for more info on these detours.
Texas Children's Fun Run
On Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., we will detour bus service along key downtown streets to sidestep potential delays during this run. The run starts on Walker at Crawford, proceeds west on Walker, south on Caroline, west on Clay, north on San Jacinto and east on Preston to LaBranch.
Click here to see details of the 26 routes that will detour.
Chevron Houston Marathon, Aramco Half Marathon & EP5K
On Sunday from 6 a.m. to 1: 15 p.m., most of the downtown streets will be closed due to these races. That includes the majority of streets north of Lamar Avenue. Click here for a detailed description of route detours.
Buses will resume their regular schedules on a rolling schedule as the race progresses. We'll have METRO supervisors downtown to help with bus-route detours.
METRORail Service
Rail service will be suspended on Sunday morning until 2 p.m. between the northbound platform at Main Street Square and the southbound platform at Preston Station.
You will be able to catch a train between Fannin South and Main Street Square stations, and between Preston and UH Downtown stations at 18-minute frequencies.
By 2 p.m., we expect to resume normal train service.
The next time you want to walk along the ocean, wouldn't it be wonderful to avoid bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-45 South, and instead, hop on a train or rapid bus?
This week is your chance to let officials know what you think. Commuter rail, bus rapid transit and express bus are three options being considered in the Galveston-Houston Mobility Corridor Alternatives Analysis.
The fourth option is a "no build," do-nothing option which would not do anything to relieve congestion on Interstate 45.
Tonight and the next two nights, open houses are being conducted to solicit your comments, according to GuidryNews.com.
What would you prefer?
"Your alternative preference and your comments on the transit evaluations are very important to the final selection of the locally preferred alternative," according to GuidryNews. "The locally preferred alternative will be presented to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for approval and required funding assistance.
These three public meetings are Round 2 of open houses. Click here for the schedule. In Round 1, participants said they wanted an alternative option to: 
- Reduce traffic congestion
- Provide convenient service
- Reduce travel time
- Advance economic development
- Support emergency evacuation
Read the Galveston Rail Study for more details. A final selection is expected to be made in the next six months.
Christof Spieler of Citizens' Transportation Coalition says an ideal commuter rail line has eight characteristics, including one that serves more than commuters, connects to local transit and serves major employment centers in Houston and Galveston. He cites New Mexico's Rail Runner between Santa Fe and Albuquerque as ideal.
If you're near La Marque tonight, Clear Lake on Wednesday or Pasadena on Thursday, consider letting your voice be heard on the travel option you'd like to see between Galveston and Houston.
The traffic photo came from Houston Tomorrow, where you can read more about this corridor.
Imagine Houston with 1 million new residents in the next 10 years.
That's what experts are predicting, and most of that growth will happen in the suburbs - 20 to 25 miles outside of downtown Houston.
So how should we plan public transit that connects the outlying suburbs to the main employment centers of downtown, the Texas Medical Center, the Galleria and the Energy Corridor?
The Houston-Galveston Area Council has launched the Regional Transit Framework Study (RTFS) to analyze that issue. Phase I involves researching travel patterns, population and employment growth and studying what other areas similar to Houston have done. Phase I will identify the most significant regional transit issues.
Phase II will develop and analyze options, including projecting costs for various scenarios.
Phase III will offer a final recommendation.
"The purpose of the RTFS is to identify and prioritize future transit improvements to meet the needs of the growing region," says the H-GAC on its Web site. "The Framework study will include technical evaluations of regional land use, socioeconomic conditions, existing and planned infrastructure and transit service."
Recommendations from the Framework study will be included in the 2040 Regional Transportation Plan. Click here to read more on the Framework study.
METRO has produced a documentary hosted by Fox 26 news anchor Mike Barajas, in which transit experts discussed regional transit and what shape it should take. Click here to view it. (Scroll down to fourth documentary, A Look at Regional Transit).
Christof Spieler of Citizens' Transportation Coalition, Dr. Carol Lewis of Texas Southern University and Robert Muhammad, a transit consultant, offer their views on what needs to happen with regional transit and METRO's role.
Tell us how you think we should build regional transit here. Should it be seamless to the commuter - one fare card, one map, one Web site? Who should operate it - one agency or multiple ones? Is it possible for multiple agencies to work cooperatively to produce what's best for the region?
The graphic on this post came from H-GAC's Web site.
While temperatures dipped into the low 20s last night, METRO worked hard to keep customers from shivering.
Thursday night and into this afternoon, about 1,000 patrons climbed aboard METROLift vans, which were parked at our 18 transit centers with the heater running.
These warming vans were parked to give our riders a refuge from the cold while waiting for their bus - and apparently, it was a welcomed sight to hundreds.
Due to the high demand, we left the METROLift vans there all day.
In addition, last night we had space heaters stationed at our transit centers and 28 Park & Ride lots. Customers could feel the heat standing four to five feet away. Space heaters will continue to operate on Saturday from 4:30 a.m. to midnight at the transit centers.
Lawrence Eugene wrote on METRO's Facebook page, "I wanted to commend METRO for deploying hot air blowers at transit centers and allied facilities to keep bus and rail passengers - and the homeless - warm last night...I found METRO's concern, ah, heartwarming."
Melissa Noriega, council member at large/position 3, commended METRO for its efforts to protect patrons from the bitter cold.
"I know how much goes into such preparations and you have provided an impressively thorough plan. Your proactive approach reflects extremely well on the METRO organization, and in turn, the city of Houston. Thank you for helping the citizens of Houston in this critical time," Noriega wrote today in a letter to METRO President & CEO Frank J. Wilson.
We weren't the only ones helping those standing in the cold.
An anonymous elderly couple made and distributed homemade chicken soup to one of our police officers and construction crew working on the light-rail line in the East End.
"This couple pulled up in a white car and said, ‘Hey, are you guys cold?' We looked at them and said, 'Yeah,'" recalls MPD Officer Roger Salazar, who was directing traffic around the crew at the northeast corner of Harrisburg and Lockwood.
It was around 11 p.m. - in the middle of a 12-hour shift that wouldn't end until the next morning at 7.
The couple pulled out a giant, industrial-sized pot filled with soup, large Styrofoam cups, a ladle and started serving.
The woman explained she and her husband normally make soup on frigid nights for the homeless, and couldn't find any. But they did notice one of our subcontractors with a crew of 15.
With a wind chill factor making it feel 24 degrees, the crew eagerly ate the soup. The couple then fed another crew two blocks south.
"It was good. I had two servings," said Salazar. "It was something you just don't see, anymore - for somebody to take the time out and see people freezing, and say, ‘Hey, let's go warm their belly, even if it's a little while.'"
Salazar said he and the crew stayed warm for an hour after eating the chicken soup.
Tonight, we'll have METROLift vans again at the transit centers, where they will stay in place until Monday morning for anyone seeking temporary relief from the cold. We'll have space heaters operating tomorrow from 4:30 a.m. to midnight at the transit centers.
The photos posted here were taken by Jesse Quintanilla, our Web designer. The top photo shows the following transit centers, left to right: Downtown, Hillcroft, Bellaire and Northwest. Photo of man's feet and space heater was taken at DTC, and photo on the left at Hillcroft TC.
If you're planning to wrap your pipes and cover your plants tonight, you know that temperatures tomorrow morning will hover in the low to mid-20s.
For commuters, shivering outside in the bitter cold can be especially uncomfortable.
So METRO is taking extra steps to make sure you stay warm. Starting tomorrow at 4:30 a.m., we'll have space heaters at our 28 Park & Ride lots and 18 transit centers.
We'll keep the space heaters running until 10 a.m. at the Park and Rides and until midnight at the transit centers.
On Saturday, space heaters will be operating from 4:30 am. to midnight at the 18 transit centers.
Also, tomorrow, from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. Friday, a METROLift vehicle - our wheelchair-lift or ramp-equipped van, will be standing by with the heat on, serving as a temporary refuge from the cold.
We'll have a METROLift vehicle at all the transit centers. These vehicles, however, are not intended to substitute for local homeless shelters, but are a last resort for those who need to come out of the cold overnight.
Click here for the latest forecast. The photo posted here, from New England News, shows Bostonians bundled up against the cold on Wednesday, the coldest day of the season there thus far, with temperatures from 17 to 26 degrees, but with the strong winds, feeling like 0 to 12 degrees.
He calls himself a policeman without a badge, and the 6-foot-2, 275-pound METRO bus driver has lately helped passengers in a way many would consider heroic.
Kenneth Roberson says he's simply doing what he was trained to do: Treat everyone with kindness and respect.
A bus operator who works out of our Hiram Clarke facility, Roberson was driving the 1 Hospital route last Oct. 12 when a middle-aged man boarded the bus at the Hermann Park area, looking pale and clammy.
Roberson assured the man they would be at the Veterans' Hospital within minutes. Later, the man started clutching a pole. Roberson asked if he needed medical attention right then.
The man said he would make it to the hospital. When they arrived, the man started deboarding when he collapsed to the floor of the bus. 
"Once he fell, he was shaking. I took his pulse. It seemed to be OK. His eyes were rolling around in his head," recalls Roberson.
Roberson jumped off the bus, pushed the button on an emergency call box nearby, and within minutes, nurses and security guards appeared with a gurney.
"I was calm, I didn't get excited," says Roberson, who says he took a first aid course as an Eagle Scout at age 14. "You have to keep your head, think on your feet. You can't let emotions get the best of you."
Two months later, Roberson had another chance to be someone's hero.
On Dec. 10, a woman boarded the 1-Hospital route bus Roberson was driving at Fannin and Preston.
"I could see she was in pain. As she was trying to pay, she was holding her arm. As I looked at her arm, I could see large swelling," says Roberson, who has worked for METRO for seven years.
The woman told him she had tripped on a rock and fell.
"I said, ‘I think you broke your arm.' She said, ‘I'll be OK. I said, ‘Ma'm, look at your arm.' She said, ‘Wow. You know, it was hurting really bad. I didn't know it was swelling.'"
Roberson asked if she needed medical attention, the woman sat down in pain and burst into tears. The bus driver called dispatch and within minutes, EMS arrived.
The third incident occurred two days before Christmas. The 49-year-old Roberson became a hero to a young man who never had a chance to speak to him.
It was 11:15 p.m.
Roberson was driving northbound toward the Southeast Transit Center on the 52 Scott. On the opposite side of the street, a teen-ager was waving his hand and running toward the bus. Roberson slowed down to signal that he had seen the running passenger.
"He kept running. As he stepped two steps off the curb, a grey Dodge Durango hit him. I yelled, ‘Oh, my God, oh my God.' When the SUV hit him, he flew across back toward a house, hit a couple of poles and bounced back into the street," recalls Roberson. "The only thing out there was me."
The driver of the SUV kept driving. Roberson left his eight passengers on the bus and ran to the victim.
"I checked his pulse, took out my flashlight and looked at his body for movement, signs of breathing, gasping. There was none," says Roberson. "I pulled out my cell phone and dialed 911."
As the sole eyewitness to the incident, Roberson stayed to answer officials' questions. But he didn't leave afterwards. Instead, he stayed till 2 a.m. when the body was completely taken care of.
Only three years earlier, Roberson was the first to arrive on the scene when his parents were instantly killed in an auto accident. And that experience reinforced his desire to stay with the young victim, whose parents could not be reached.
"I had a bond with that young man. I could feel his essence leaving his body. I had to stay there with him. When I shined my flashlight on his face, it was like, that could be my son. I put myself in his parents' shoes," says Roberson.
Roberson says he doesn't feel like a hero. He was just doing his job - and treating riders the way his parents had taught him.
"It's just caring -being alert, being aware. Give myself the way I'd want a person to give to me," says the single dad. "Always help your fellow man. Pay it forward."
Since Ray LaHood became the U.S. Secretary of Transportation last year, he's been championing ways to avoid distracted driving - specifically texting while driving.
Click here to view the DOT's new public service announcement on what happens when you're on your cell phone talking to your dog, or discussing time travel or texting.
Last fall, LaHood organized a summit on distracted driving to brainstorm with leaders various ways to combat it. The general consensus: Once drivers understand that talking and texting on your cell phone is as dangerous as driving drunk, the practice will stop.
The Obama administration issued an executive order days following the summit, banning text messaging while driving government-owned vehicles, when using government-supplied electronic equipment while driving or while driving a privately owned vehicle while on government business. 
A new government Web site, Distraction.gov, offers stats and a state-by-state summary of current laws. The New York Times reports that lawmakers have already proposed 200 bills to tamp down distracted driving, and public policy experts predict dozens more in the coming months.
Nineteen states and the District of Columbia already have laws that ban texting while driving. Texas is not among them.
However, a new state law that took effect last September bans talking on cell phones while driving in school zones unless your car is stopped in a school zone or you are using a hands-free device to talk.
Here at METRO, there is zero tolerance for using a cell phone while driving a METRO vehicle - whether it's a bus, train or non-revenue producing SUV or sedan. If you're caught, you're fired.
More METRO customers are stowing their bikes on our bus bike racks each year, continuing a steady trend.
December 2009 bike boardings totaled 6,765 boardings - a 47 percent increase from the same month a year ago. December 2007 recorded 902 bike boardings.
For first quarter of FY '10 (October ‘09 to December ‘09), we saw 34 percent more boardings than the same period a year ago.
The two routes which get the most bike boardings? Route 52 Hirsch/Scott with a year-to-date count of 1,122 and Route 81 Westheimer-Sharpstown with a year-to-date count of 968.
From November 2009 to the following month, there was a slight decrease of 4 percent - which also occurred month to month in 2008.
Marie Turner, METRO's operations management analyst, attributes the month-to-month slip to holiday schedules and schools and colleges being on break for two weeks in December.
"It's still increasing when you look at year to year. You can see that each year we're still improving," said Marie Turner, operations management analyst.
Someone recently asked on the blog when you can board bikes on buses. You can board your bike any time on our local buses. On the Park & Ride buses, you can stow your bike in the belly of the bus where luggage is normally stored.
For first-timers, click here to see detailed instructions on how to mount your bike on our bus bike racks.
The world's fastest train hit its first major speed bump less than a week after it launched in Southern China.
An errant smoker set off an alarm that caused a two-and-a-half hour delay - almost as long as it takes to travel the 684-mile distance between Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, and the central city of Wuhan, reports Reuters.
The bullet train debuted last Saturday with an average speed of 217 miles per hour. It reduces the 10-and-half hour trip between Guangzhou and Wuhan to just three hours. Click here to view more pictures of this train.
Construction on the rail link began in 2005 with the idea of connecting the business hub in southern China - Guangzhou near Hong Kong - to China's capital of Beijing, according to Xinhua, the official Chinese news agency.
Chinese officials say this super high-speed train can travel at 394.2 km per hour, making it the fastest train in the world. In contrast, high-speed trains in Japan travel at 243 km per hour and in France, 277 km per hour.
China introduced its first high-speed rail line during the Beijing Olympics in 2008, connecting the capital to the port city of Tianjin. Last fall, officials said they intend to build 42 high-speed rail lines by 2012 to prompt economic growth amid the global recession.
The network uses technology developed with Siemens, Bombardier and Alstom, according to the news agency AFP.
Sometimes construction can yield unexpected benefits.
About five years ago, a construction crew was upgrading an off-leash dog park in Fort Ethan Allen Park in Arlington and unearthed artifacts dating to the Civil War era.
To make sure treasure buried beneath the dirt remains undamaged, METRO recently conducted classes for contractors and subcontractors working on our light-rail lines - the East End, North, Southeast and Uptown lines.
The class, conducted by archaeologist Duane Peter and architectural historian Marsha Prior, explained to workers that historic buildings are often more fragile than other structures in the area and require care and knowledge to operate around them.
Peter and Prior, consultants for Houston Rapid Transit (HRT), explained the importance of preserving artifacts - everything from bricks to bones.
The class was designed to comply with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the Texas Antiquities Code, helping contractors understand their work in a broader context.
"So far, 19 historic properties have been identified along the Southeast Corridor, and they range from houses and religious facilities to government and commercial multi-story buildings," said Peter.
"The Niels Esperson Building (814 Travis), the S.H. Kress & Co. Building (705 Main), and the Annunciation Catholic Church (1618 Texas) have features that are unique, such as limestone columns, terracotta coverings, or arched and round windows that require special care. Awareness of these properties on the part of the workers will ensure that they are not accidentally damaged during construction," continued Peter. 
The photo above is a stained-glass window from the Annunciation Catholic church. The photo of the brick, right, is an example of remnants of a historic building.
So far, no archaeological sites of prehistoric or historic periods have been discovered within the light-rail corridors, but the potential exists - especially where the bayous intersect the East End and Southeast lines, pointed out Peter.
The mid-December workshop, attended by about 100 contractors and subcontractors, was part of a bigger agreement among METRO, the Texas Historical Commission and the Federal Transit Administration.
Season's greetings to all. Click here to view some fun holiday transit photos.
Have a wonderful holiday - and stay safe.
The Texas Bowl is coming up, and if you're gearing up to enjoy the game, here's one way to make it easier: Ride METRORail.
The fourth annual Texas Bowl will showcase the University of Missouri Tigers playing against the U.S. Navy Midshipmen at 2:30 p.m. on New Year's Eve.
If you haven't bought tickets yet, consider this package deal: A METRO Game Day package, starting at $30. It includes two game tickets and two METRORail round-trip passes.
Call 832-667-2390 or visit texasbowl.org to buy tickets.
If you have tickets already, here's how you can still use the rail. Downtown or midtown residents can get to Main St. and take the Red Line for $1.25. Or drive to Main Street and park your car at various public parking lots on Main Street, then take the train.
Suburbanites can park your vehicle at METRO's Fannin South Park & Ride (Fannin at West Bellfort), where affordable parking is available. Then hop on the train to Reliant Stadium.
For those who have been taking the bus this past week in the rain and chilly temperatures, you will be glad to know that METRO has installed 10 new bus shelters since October.
It's part of a new bus-shelter program in which the agency will install 100 bus shelters in a year.
The 6 x 12 foot structures are built off site by a contractor and then brought over on a flatbed truck, where a crane slowly lowers the shelter on a prepared concrete site.
The drop-and-lock operation takes several hours. The shelter is carefully leveled first before being bolted down. The contractors even wipe the walls of the shelter off, leaving it dust-free and gleaming.
"Installation of passenger shelters continues to be a proven way to increase ridership and a wise investment of our capital dollars into the core bus system," said Vince Obregon, METRO's associate vice president of infrastructure and service development.
"We've been very pleased with the positive response to ridership, seeing on average a 20 percent growth at locations where we have constructed shelters," he continued.
Consider these statistics:
Last fiscal year, we installed 59 shelters. Annual ridership grew by 40,000 boardings at 23 locations where shelters were newly installed.
In FY 08, we added 79 shelters. Ridership grew by about 67,000 boardings.
You may be wondering how we decide where to install a shelter. We review many factors, including:
- Whether the stop is part of a core route. A core route is a priority route that serves major parts of our service area and connects to other parts of our system such as a transit center. A core route typically has high ridership and is close to a major employment center.
- Number of boardings. Minimum is 35 boardings a day.
- Safety. Can a shelter be safely installed at a particular location?
- Feasibility. Are there any constraints, such as utility lines nearby?
METRO must also obtain permits from the city of Houston. The shelter pictured above is located at HBU's Campus Entrance #2 on Fondren.
For those of you who have noticed a new shelter where none was before - enjoy it. And expect more to come in 2010.
METRO can now move forward with engineering activities on the University Line with the Federal Transit Administration's approval Tuesday of the Preliminary Engineering (PE) phase of the FTA's New Starts program.
That's good news for METRO.
"This is a great holiday present for Houstonians. The new year is going to be full of activity as the University Corridor has achieved another milestone," said METRO President & CEO Frank J. Wilson in a statement.
With the FTA's approval of preliminary engineering, publication of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and approval of a Record of Decision are imminent. 
The University Corridor is an 11.3-mile, double-track light-rail line with 19 stations. Once the University Corridor line is completed, it's expected to generate 49,000 boardings a day by 2030, connecting Houstonians commuting from east, west and southwest to the city's principal destinations and activity centers.
METRO has already begun construction on other light-rail lines - the East End, Southeast and North lines. Voters approved five light-rail lines for the city in the 2003 referendum.
Around the holidays, office workers often bring in seasonal decorations, gifts and baked goods.
Yesterday, two co-workers brought in a kitten that quickly attracted attention.
The stray feline was sighted on Tuesday scurrying under the giant METRO transformer located under the Pierce Elevated at Main St. and St. Joseph. Raequel Roberts, associate vice president of marketing, media & corporate communication, tried to coax the kitten out by calling to it, but the animal hid under the transformer.
Roberts mentioned the kitten's plight to two staffers, experienced cat rescuers and cat lovers - Donna Lane, stakeholder affairs rep and Darla Bell, manager of strategic analysis. 
Lane, who owns four cats, bought chunks of chicken to lure the kitten. The next day, a METRORail operations staffer opened the locked chain-linked fence surrounding the transformer.
Lane and Bell, also owner of four felines, strategically placed a can of cat food in Bell's animal trapper. The kitten emerged and devoured the food. Pictured above are Roberts, Lane and Bell admiring the kitten.
The kitten visited the vet today, and we found out it's a girl.
"She is in good health. She is six to eight weeks old and can't get her shots for a couple of more weeks," reports Lane. "No bugs in her ears - just dirt and her bald spot, which will grow back in. She's very sweet. She's going to make a great pet."
If you want to spread a little holiday cheer and open up your home, let us know. We have an adorable orange-hued cat who wants to come home for the holidays.
This is the season for goodwill...and for many of us, that means buying holiday gifts for friends and families.
With your hands full of shopping bags, it's easy to get distracted, especially if you're texting while riding a bus or train.
Remember: Thieves don't take a holiday.
So protect your purchases and your bags while you're on public transit. Be vigilant and practice these safety tips when on the bus or rail:
Stay alert and keep all your bags and purses close to you at all times.
Don't tuck your wallet in your back pocket.
Cover your jewelry to divert attention. Twist your ring around so the stone faces the palm of your hand.
Always zip or clasp your handbag to protect the contents.
When you're standing at the platform or bus stop, remember to:
Be aware of other people on the street and near the bus stop or rail platform.
Always stay in well-lit area.
Don't overload yourself with too many packages and bags.
Stay safe while riding METRO - and have a happy holiday!
In these tight economic times, you may be searching for new ways to save money, especially if you find yourself spending more to buy gifts this holiday season.
Try public transit.
People who ride public transportation save on average $9,171 every year. That's based on the Dec. 8, 2009, national average gas price and the national unreserved monthly parking rate, says the American Public Transportation Association. (APTA).
Those of you who ride transit save on average $764 a month. That's based on a gallon of gas costing $2.634, the national average on Dec. 8, as reported by AAA.
In addition to saving money by riding transit, you are contributing to a greener Earth. You're reducing your overall carbon footprint and cutting back America's dependence on foreign oil, points out APTA.
The top three cities with the highest transit ridership and their respective monthly savings:
New York $1,144
Boston $1,026
San Francisco $1,006
Click here to find more cities. Dallas commuters save an average of $724 per month.
If you're ever in trouble and need to escape a dangerous situation, flag down a METRO bus and hop on.
A METRO bus operator will drive you to safety and call for help. It's part of our Safe Haven program.
That's what happened last Tuesday morning when a man whose head was bleeding flagged down the 52 Hirsch/Scott, desperate for help. He told the operator he had been struck with a hammer by a woman. It was a domestic dispute that occurred in an apartment complex.
Our buses are equipped with two-way radios, and the bus driver was able to quickly call for help and report a Safe Haven situation.
"We sent our police and EMS and met the bus down the road," said Tim Kelly, MPD's assistant chief of police. "It was a textbook case on how Safe Haven is supposed to work."
HPD was also dispatched and took over the case.
"A bus is a safe, well-lit place and radio-equipped," says Kelly.
Go to our home page today, and you'll notice on the upper left-hand side an animated flash of prison bars and the word "Arrested" that's stamped on the image as you hear a prison door slam shut.
Click it, and you'll be directed to our new Rogue's Gallery where we are featuring the latest suspects arrested and charged with crimes.
You'll meet three rogues - folks you wouldn't want to meet in person - but suspects the METRO Police Department has captured, thanks in part to our eyes in the sky. These cameras mounted high on poles are designed to operate 24/7, monitoring activity in our 28 Park & Ride lots across the city.
The images are transmitted to TranStar, where officers carefully watch the screens for suspicious activities.
From 2006 to 2009, Part 1 crimes have declined by 30 percent in our vast transit system. METRO Police Chief Tom Lambert says keeping our system safe is a multi-layered approach. It takes more than technology.
We need your help, too. So if you see something, say something. Dial #MPD on your cell phone to reach our police.
Click here to listen to more about safety from Lambert.
Just how safe is our transit system?
It's widespread and stretches across 1,200 square miles in Houston, Harris County and beyond.
Millions of commuters board our buses and trains every day.
The good news: Our crime rate has declined over the past three years. Watch the latest edition of METRO Matters and listen to METRO Police Chief Tom Lambert explain how and why we've been able to do this.
Click here to watch the show.
If you want to see it on television, here are show times where it will air on Comcast's Houston Media Source, Channel 17.
Thu 12/17/09 7:45 p.m.
Mon 12/21/09 6:45 p.m.
Thu 12/24/09 3:45 p.m.
Tue 12/29/09 6:45 p.m.
Thu 12/31/09 6:00 p.m.
Sat 1/2/10 1:45 p.m.
Tue 1/5/10 9:30 p.m.
Fri 1/8/10 9:30 p.m.
Mon 1/11/10 10:00 p.m.
Thu 1/14/10 7:30 p.m.
Sat 1/16/10 7:00 p.m.
Mon 1/18/10 8:00 p.m.
Last June's deadly train crash in the Washington metro area was a wake-up call, said the nation's top transportation official.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood testified before Congress yesterday, calling on lawmakers to pass the Public Transportation Safety Program of 2009, which would replace assorted state-run safety organizations that now oversee the safety of subways and light-rail systems, according to The Washington Post.
"Everyone in this region woke up the day after that crash and said, ‘Who's responsible for safety?' And there was no one," LaHood told Congress.
The proposed bill would allow existing state agencies to enforce the new regulations, but they would be required to meet federal standards and obtain federal approval.
The proposal would also give federal officials the power to file lawsuits and seek criminal charges.
Click here to read more on the bill from the Federal Transit Administration.
On Monday, KUHF-FM aired an interview with METRO's President & CEO Frank J. Wilson, asking him how federal oversight could affect the Houston agency.
Wilson said safety has always been a top priority at METRO. He said his concern about federal oversight would be unfunded mandates, adding that he hopes transit agencies would have sufficient time to implement expensive safety solutions before agencies are penalized.
Click here to read a transcript of KUHF's report.
World leaders are gathering at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen for the next 10 days to formulate solutions to global warming.
This current decade is expected to be the warmest on record and this year probably the fifth hottest, according to meteorologists.
So what can we do about it? One person can make a difference, and it starts with making some simple changes to reduce your carbon footprint.
For those of you who still drive to work every day, try taking public transit. Individuals can make the biggest impact simply by changing their mode of transportation.
One-third of greenhouse gases produced in this country are from cars and trucks - and we have more registered personal vehicles than we do licensed drivers, according to Transportation Solutions, a Denver-based advocacy group.
If you normally drive to work, try riding METRO just one day a week. By making this small change, you can prevent the release of more than 1,500 pounds of carbon dioxide in a year. That's based on the average commute distance of 30 miles round trip and one pound of carbon dioxide produced for every mile driven.
Click here for our Trip Planner or call our Customer Information Center at 713-635-4000 for route and schedule information.
When you do drive, be sure your tires are inflated correctly. Look for the correct pressure written on the driver's door pillar or inside the glove compartment. Under-inflated tires can cut your gas mileage by 3 percent - and every gallon of gas saved is equivalent to keeping 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
Clear out unnecessary items in your trunk, remove roof racks when not using. Extra drag can cut fuel efficiency by up to 5 percent.
Wonder how big your carbon footprint is? Check out this calculator.
You can also offset your carbon footprint by funding an equivalent carbon dioxide saving somewhere else. For example, you can offset one ton of carbon dioxide emissions you produce by your lifestyle by donating $12.85 to a reforestation project in Kenya. That will buy one broad-leafed tree in the Great Rift Valley.
If you have an iPhone, download The Carbon Tracker, a free ap that tracks your carbon footprint from daily commuting, business trips or vacations. Click here to download.
More and more of our customers are getting where they need to go by combining a bike ride with a bus ride.
Our latest stats show that November recorded 5 percent more boardings than the previous month with 7,092 boardings.
We've been experiencing a steady growth in bikes on buses - a 48 percent increase from two years ago. In November FY09, we had 4,778 buses on board. And in November FY08, we had 717 buses.
Our fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
The total number of boardings since we installed bike racks on our buses is 104,084.
Bike racks on our local buses can hold two bikes at one time. Park & Ride buses stow bikes in the belly of the bus where luggage typically goes.
If you're unsure how to mount your bike on a bus rack on our bus, click here for step-by-step instructions.
It's snowing in Houston. That rarity means hazardous road conditions and early closings for many companies.
METRO will start early outbound Park & Ride service, beginning at 12:30 p.m. The frequency will be as close to the normal frequency for that route as we can get it.
Dallas will soon be getting its first transit-oriented development at Hebron 121 Station.
The train station will be part of a 427-acre city reinvestment zone near Interstate 35-E and State Highway 121 bypass, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Huffines Communities Inc. is the main developer on the 90-acre tract that will ultimately include more than 1,700 apartments and 20,000-square-feet of commercial space.
The property will be graced with lakes, creeks and a big pool. A boardwalk and bike trail will run parallel to a creek.
Here in Houston, we have suburban transit-oriented development at our Cypress Park & Ride garage at Highway 290 and Skinner Road. The four-level garage - METRO's first covered parking at a Park & Ride - is within walking distance to apartments and retail shops.
A joint development with NewQuest Properties, Cypress Village Station includes a breakfast spot with gourmet coffee, specialty retailers and a drycleaners. The 273-unit GreyStar Cypress Village apartments are leased from NewQuest. The development is pictured above.
Closer to downtown, Grayco Partners is building a luxury six-story apartment building over a garage. Called Venue Museum District, the mid-rise is blocks away from the Red Line.
As we build more rail lines, opportunities for transit-oriented development will grow - and that should make this city a more walkable and pedestrian-friendly one.
Dog owners everywhere agree that a dog is man's best friend.
Our four-legged police officers are also best friends to our men and women in blue.
The latest brave act occurred on Nov. 23 when Christopher Sean Burks was arrested and charged with two counts of burglary of a motor vehicle, along with a felony of interfering with a police service animal.
Our video cameras recorded him smashing a car window and breaking into another vehicle. MPD and Harris County constables surrounded the Kingsland Park & Ride area, searching for the suspect, who had fled the lot.
Vigo, a METRO K-9 officer, tracked Burks hiding along Mason Bayou. Burks attacked Vigo but after a brief struggle with the dog and its police handler, Officer John Wiggins, Burks was taken into custody and treated for dog bites. 
Vigo and Wiggins are pictured on the left.
MPD say Burks stole items of little value and abandoned them at the lot before running away. Burks is pictured on the right.
Video from our Park & Ride lot cameras is transmitted to TranStar, our region's traffic and emergency management center, where MPD monitor the video on consoles.
Imagine driving an electric car that looks more like a spaceship from a sci-fi movie - and doesn't use a drop of fuel.
Instead, you just plug it into a wall outlet like you would a hairdryer - charge it overnight with electricity provided by Reliant - and drive it the next morning.
It's called the E2, created by start-up company, Aptera Motors. The firm expects the E2 to be on the roads and highways here in Texas and in California by next year. It will travel 100 miles between charges and go up to almost 100 mph.
"It looks like a Jetsons vehicle with wheels," NRG Energy CEO David Crane told KUHF.FM recently. NRG is the parent company of Reliant Energy, which is partnering with Aptera to make this new electric vehicle.
Aptera says it already has 4,000 orders for the E2, which will cost between $20,000 and $40,000.
"We think it's good for the economy," Paul Wilber, president of Aptera, told KUHF. "We think it's good for the environment, and we also think it's good in terms of lowering our dependence on foreign oil."
Would you buy an electric car? If so, would it buy it as your primary vehicle or secondary one?
The government is working to make light-rail transit safer than ever.
The Obama administration has proposed that the U.S. Department of Transportation create and enforce regulations on every light-rail system and subway in the country. The proposal comes in the wake of of a deadly crash last June on Washington, D.C.'s Metro Red Line.
An editorial in today's New York Times is urging Congress to improve safety on light-rail lines and subways by extending federal safety standards that now apply only to the airlines and Amtrak.
The federal regulations would cover more than two dozen regional and city transit systems, some of which are now loosely regulated. "The safety rules and monitoring are shockingly toothless in too many jurisdictions, with the systems averaging less than one overworked safety worker," says the Times.
"Federal money already subsidizes subway and light-rail growth, and it should be cut off to systems that cling to risky standards," the editorial continues.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood agrees federal oversight makes sense.
"While transit is one of our nation's safest forms of transportation, we are starting to see danger signs, thanks to the combination of aging transit systems and local cost constraints," writes LaHood on his blog.
Click here to read more.
Thousands of Houston Texans fans got to see a first last night if they commuted on the rail at Fannin South.
A METRO New Flyer bus was parked near the rail and became street theatre. Inside the bus, two projectors flashed up on two bus windows a 30-second METRO spot, METRO Urban Transit Blues.
Paying homage to a classic 1960s hit, the piece promotes riding public transit. Two life-sized cardboard figures held up signs, reading: "Look out" and "Going places." The basic message: METRO provides services that keep Houston moving.
"We were looking for unconventional ways to reach out to our customers and educate them as to what METRO is up to. This was an opportunity for METRO to get in front of hundreds of people," said Raequel Roberts, associate vice president of marketing, media and corporate communications.
Karl Koch, manager of creative services, said originally his team was thinking of projecting the commercial on the front windows of the bus.
"But there were too many obstacles. So we used two side windows and blacked out the bus," said Koch. "It was very cool. METRO's marketing team continues to find ways to market ridership and promote its image to the public with new, grassroots efforts."
Over at Reliant Stadium, the audio portion was broadcast on the platform loudspeakers while passers-by viewed more life-sized cardboard figures holding up placards with a METRO message.
Roberts said several curious football fans stopped and asked what we were doing.
"There were trainloads and trainloads of passengers waiting to get on. It was fun to watch their reactions," said Roberts.
This was the perfect venue to capture a crowd's attention. METRO recorded the third highest ridership total for a football game at Reliant Stadium, trailing only Super Bowl XXXVIII in Febraury 2004 (New England Patriots vs. Carolina Panthers). There were 11,159 METRORail boardings associated with the Tennessee Titans-Houston Texans game. At Fannin South, there were 3,939 riders who disembarked at that station yesterday.
Find us on our Facebook page for a short video on the crowd's reaction to METRO's outdoor commercial.
If some lawmakers get their way, Texas drivers could be facing higher fuel taxes at the pump.
Members of the Texas Senate Transportation Committee, who met recently in El Paso, said there's not enough money to build new roads.
Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, said that the state is growing - but running out of funds to build new roads, adding that there's "no more debt that we can issue."
The state fuel tax helps pay for new roads. Texas charges 20 cents for every gallon of gasoline purchased. That has remained unchanged since 1991. The federal government adds another 18 cents a gallon in federal taxes.
If prices increase, that will be one more good reason to leave the driving to METRO.
An attractive woman is sitting at a table for two, giving a "this-isn't- going-to-work" speech to a significant other.
The camera changes angle, and it then becomes clear that she's not dumping a boyfriend - but dumping a gas pump.
The video is the first-place winner of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA)'s national video contest calling for videos to illustrate its theme: Dump the pump in favor of public transit.
Click here to watch first place winning video by Bob Richardson of Portland, Ore. Richardson won a year of free public transit.
"The purpose of this contest was to hear from the American public transit rider in a fun and entertaining way about how public transportation is taking us to a better future - economically, environmentally and our overall quality of life," said Rose Sheridan, APTA's vice president of marketing and communications, in a statement.
Second place winner was Judith Keenan of Berkeley, Calif., who won six months of free public transit. Click here to watch her video.
Third place was Miles Clark of Atlanta, Ga., who won three months of free public transit. Click here to watch his winning entry.
Come dance with us as the band Mango Punch plays lively tunes at our Airport Direct open house. Free pizza, bottled water, popcorn and door prizes. And great music. 
Airport Direct is our direct shuttle from downtown to IAH . Party is till 3 p.m.
If you're from out-of-town and you're going to college here, getting around without a car may seem daunting.
But Rice University student James Llamas has figured out how to use METRO to go to popular spots - from the movies to the grocery store to both airports - and has even written two guides for Rice students on how to ride METRO. Llamas, who is on the Rice track team, is shown here as the front runner in this photo.
From Glastonbury, Conn., Llamas said he was born in New York City and is used to taking public transit.
"Pretty soon after I got here, I started figuring out METRO," said the 19-year-old sophomore. "I started figuring out bus routes and realized they went to most places I'd want to go to. I didn't need to think about finding a car. I could get around on METRO."
He spread the word to his friends, some of whom decided to leave their cars at home, avoid parking fees and take METRO instead.
Someone suggested he put together a brochure - so he wrote two and then approached Boyd Beckwith, assistant dean/director of Student Center & Campus-wide Programs, asking if he could use these.
"Next week, we'll distribute the brochures to students. We have a Facebook group and in one message I can access 800 students," said Beckwith, who calls Llamas "an avid METRO rider."
The Rice Guide to Getting Around on METRO Buses starts with informing students they can pick up a Q Card at the Rice Cashier's office. It directs students to the METRO Web site to plan trips, as well as Google Transit.
"Buses that don't travel past Rice can usually be caught by transferring from METRORail," he writes, adding that most routes run every 15 to 30 minutes. "Bus drivers are not permitted to run early; a couple of minutes behind schedule is the norm."
And he doesn't skimp on the basics of public transit, explaining in detail how to read the bus signs. "Make sure you are visible to the driver so he or she will stop," he points out to transit novices.
Llamas points out that "the sideways-facing seats at the very front of the bus are reserved for elderly and disable passengers."
So where are the hot spots Llamas is directing other students to?
The Galleria for what he calls "ultimate shopping;" CVS, Walgreens, Value Village, Salvation Army, The Movie Theatre at Edwards Greenway Plaza, Chinatown, Target and Fiesta.
Maps on the back of the brochure indicate bus stops near the Rice campus.
The companion brochure, The Rice Guide to Houston Airports on METRO Buses, explains how to get to both Hobby Airport and Bush Intercontinental.
"In the past, some of the students knew about Airport Direct, but they didn't know they could take the bus to Hobby. It's so easy to get to Hobby using METRO," said Beckwith.
In addition to listing our Web site, phone number and METRO police phone number, Llamas adds his e-mail if students need additional directions.
A civil engineering major, Llamas says one day he hopes to design railroads or transit systems. With brochures like these - accurate, clear and well-written - Llamas already has a great start in public transit.
Starting today, you can now fan us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
If you sign up to follow our tweets, you'll get service changes and emergency notices.
On Facebook, you'll be able to read about some of the things METRO is doing - from the ambitious building of five light-rail lines to funny and award-winning commercials. 
For those of you who read this blog regularly, you know this is not our first foray into social media. We launched this blog back in January 2007 - the first transit agency in the nation to have a blog.
You can also find the videos we produce on YouTube. We have METRO Matters, documentaries, Enfoque METRO and commercials on YouTube.
Facebook and Twitter are just two more ways to communicate with you. We hope you'll join the conversation.
You're invited to join us at an open house at Passenger Plaza, celebrating Airport Direct - a convenient and fast way to get from downtown to IAH.
The band Mango Punch will provide live salsa music. We'll also have refreshments and giveaways. The event is free and open to the public. 
It all takes place this Thursday, Nov. 19, from noon to 3 p.m. at 815 Pierce, across the street from the Downtown Transit Center.
As the holidays approach, Airport Direct is a great way to get to and from the airport. For only $15 one way, you will arrive at Terminal C in 30 minutes. Avoid traffic and relax in one of our new hybrid coaches where you can take a cat nap, read or text without distractions.
With the unemployment rate climbing to 10.2 percent, you or someone you know may be looking for a job.
METRO has openings for part-time bus operators. If you're a people person, we'll train you and help you get your commercial driver's license. Never driven anything bigger than a compact car? No worries. We have simulators and hours of training. By the time you're behind the wheel of one of our buses, you'll be a confident and safe driver.
Watch METRO Matters and hear Irene Mingle of our human resources department give you the nuts and bolts of becoming a METRO bus operator.
If you want to apply, please go on-line and click here. If you have a friend who is interested but doesn't have Internet access or isn't computer savvy, drop by our building at 1900 Main St. and tell the security guard you're here to apply for a bus operator position.
You'll be directed to a second-floor office where you can use a computer to apply - and a friendly staff person will give you any needed help.
Click here to watch METRO Matters. Or catch the show on a big screen at home on Comcast's Channel 17, Houston Media Source.
Air times are:
Thu 11/12/09 6:15 p.m.
Sat 11/14/09 5:30 p.m.
Mon 11/16/09 7:00 p.m.
Wed 11/18/09 11:00 p.m.
Fri 11/20/09 7:30 p.m.
Mon 11/23/09 8:15 p.m.
Thu 11/26/09 6:00 p.m.
Sat 11/28/09 9:30 p.m.
Tue 12/1/09 6:45 p.m.
Thu 12/3/09 7:45 p.m.
Sat 12/5/09 9:15 p.m.
Mon 12/7/09 8:00 p.m.
METRO Chairman David Wolff told Houston's movers and shakers it was time to restore METRO's full funding - and if that were to happen, the agency could double the amount of work it was doing.
He made those remarks as the guest speaker at the Greater Houston Partnership's luncheon on Nov. 5 at the Hilton Post Oak.
METRO has started construction on three of five light-rail lines - the East End, the North Corridor and the Southeast. It's all part of the ambitious METRO Solutions plan to bring regional transit to the Gulf Coast area. The rail component of the METRO Solutions plan will cost more than $2.5 billion with half of that funded by the federal government and the other half by METRO.
Back when METRO was created in 1979, voters agreed to raise the sales tax by one-cent to fund METRO. "Along the line, one-quarter of this sales tax was diverted from METRO, taken from METRO, diverted to the city and the county and the multi-cities for building of roads. I do not feel this was proper," said Wolff.
"This money was voted by people of this area for transit. And I think that one of the things that we have to work on with the mayor and the county commissioner's court is restoring to METRO this full one-cent sales tax," he continued.
Wolff also offered a snapshot of METRO's current state of affairs: rock solid financials, public and Congressional support for building light-rail lines, new Park & Ride services, and inclusion in President Obama's FY 2010 budget for new-start transit projects (two of the five transit projects were METRO's).
The chairman also gave a glimpse of what lies ahead for METRO - the economic opportunities that come with building light-rail lines and the tools the agency needs to build a first-class regional transit system in the Gulf Coast area.
Click here to watch a video of his presentation.
Several of you have e-mailed me, asking about how we enforce the rules on the HOV lanes.
A person named H.C. writes: "There could be thousands - maybe millions - collected in city revenue, but because there is no patrol, the HOV lanes are packed with single drivers. Why is this? Why should the people abiding by the law have to let these so-called "special people" get to break the law? I say, Give out a few tickets and that will stop the abuse."
The high-occupancy vehicle lanes are designed for carpoolers or vanpoolers or buses - any vehicle with 2 plus, or during some hours, 3 plus people per vehicle.
Click here to read about the rules of the HOV lanes.
So how does METRO enforce the rules? Here's a response from Capt. Michael Raney:
"HOV enforcement on all METRO-operated HOV lanes, excluding the Katy Freeway (HOT Lanes), is assigned to our motorcycle division. The officers are deployed randomly and work different HOV lanes each day.
"On the North I-45 HOV, the officers may work the downtown exit ramp, the Quitman ramp, Airline and occasionally, the North Shepherd exit ramp.
"We understand there are violators, and our enforcement is not 100 percent coverage during all hours of operations. HOV users may view the violation rate even higher, as they don't see the same things as the officers on the ground actually looking inside the vehicles.
"There are often babies in car seats, passengers lying down in seats that are reclined and on the North, particularly, they are many on-duty police officers in unmarked police cars that are single occupants, yet are authorized by our operating agreement with TXDOT.
"During the months of July, August, and September, 326 HOV citations were issued by officers assigned to the North HOV lane alone. The Katy HOV lane again is not enforced by METRO Police. Harris County Constable PCT 5 is contracted to provide enforcement on that corridor."
So the next time you see a car zipping down an HOV lane with only the driver, there may be other reasons that allow him or her to be using the HOV lane without violating the law.
If you see a violation, you can call 713-921-HERO (713-921-4376).
You'll need to report the violator's driver's license plate when you call.
Want to win $50,000?
The Intelligent Transportation Society of America - along with I.B.M. - is offering an award for ideas for reducing congestion.
The winner could be an individual, a company, or a nonprofit group.
I.B.M. has calculated that traffic jams reduce gross national product worldwide by 1 percent - and that's a lot of money.
The object of the contest is to produce fresh ideas on how to create smart roads that speed up traffic.
Click here to read more.
Commuters who ride public transit are rightfully concerned about catching swine flu.
In New York, a woman who didn't cover her mouth while coughing caught the ire of another woman. The two launched into a screaming match, the cougher spat on the other woman, and she in turn, pulled the hair of the cougher, dragging her to the floor of the train.
Lawrence Delevingne blogged about the incident on The Business Insider, saying he restrained the second woman so the cougher could exit the train. He later caught the flu.
Transit agencies nationwide are reassuring riders that their buses and trains are disinfected - and urging commuters to practice good hygiene.
Here at METRO, we clean the inside of our trains every night, wiping them down with a non-toxic disinfectant. The environmentally-friendly, hospital-grade disinfectant is used to wipe surfaces inside the trains, including door pushbuttons, window surfaces, back-of-seat handles, floor-to-ceiling and seat-to-ceiling poles and overhead grab bars and handles, said Romeo Calderon, director of rail maintenance.
"Our established disinfectant and cleaning practices are consistent with reducing the spread of virus and influenza, whether H1N1 or not," said Calderon.
Bacteria can thrive on surfaces for hours or days, depending on the humidity, Laura Baumgartner, a microbiologist analyzing subways, told Mass Transit magazine. Germs typically live longer on plastics than on metal subway poles and station handrails.
What can riders do to protect themselves? 
Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze in the crook of your elbow. Avoid touching your eyes, hands or mouth. Carry hand-sanitizing gel or disinfectant wipes.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after sneezing or coughing. Sing "Happy Birthday" twice while your scrub. If you're not near a sink, use an alcohol-based hand gel. Rub your hands until the alcohol dissipates.
If you have flu-like symptoms - a fever, plus a cough or sore throat - stay home and don't ride the bus or train until you are fever-free for 24 hours. Read more on prevention and treatment of swine flu at WebMD.
The Texas Health and Human Services department has compiled the latest information on swine flu at http://www.texasflu.org/, including the availability and distribution of the swine flu vaccine.
Today, feels like California.
On a beautiful, sunny, no-humidity day like today, it's a perfect day to try bi-modal commuting. Grab your bike, pedal to a bus stop, load it on a rack and ride METRO to your destination.
Since we started installing bike racks on our buses in late April 2007, more and more commuters are getting to where they need to go using bikes and buses.
In October, we had 6,728 bike boardings - a 14 percent increase over the same month a year ago.
"We are constantly increasing bike boardings on a monthly basis, as well as on a year-by-year comparison. I think that's really good," said 
Marie Turner, operations management analyst at METRO who studies the bike numbers. "More bike riders are utilizing the bike racks and bike storage in the bus luggage compartment."
Commuters on Park & Ride buses store their bicycles in the belly of the bus where luggage also goes.
Local buses have racks that can accommodate two bikes simultaneously.
Total bike boardings since we launched our bikes-on-buses program: 96,992.
Last month, the top ten bike boardings by route were: 20 Canal-Long Point; 44 Acres Home Ltd; 50 Heights-Harrisburg; 52 Hirsch-Scott; 56 Airline Limited; 65 Bissonnet; 77 M.L. King Ltd - Liberty; 81 Westheimer Sharpstown; 88 Hobby Airport; and 137 Northshore Limited.
This weekend, rail service will be interrupted so we can perform track maintenance.
There will be no trains running between UH-Downtown and Preston stations during these hours:
Saturday, Nov. 7: 5:40 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 8: 5:40 a.m. to 3 p.m.
We will provide shuttle bus service, operating on Preston Street.
If you are traveling southbound from the Preston Station, you will need to board the train at the southbound Preston platform. 
If you're traveling northbound from the Preston Station to UH-Downtown, you will need to board the shuttle bus service on Preston Street.
Regular rail service will operate between the Preston and Fannin South stations during this interruption.
When texting while driving kills, Britons land in prison.
That's what happened to 22-year-old Phillipa Curtis, who received 21 months in a high-security women's prison for ramming her car into the rear end of a Fiat driven by Victoria McBride, 24, who had pulled over to the side of the road with a flat tire.
In the hour before the crash, Curtis had exchanged almost 24 messages with at least five friends, according to the New York Times. Read more here. The photo posted here was taken by Hazel Thompson for the NYT.
Britain's new rules state that if a driver uses a hand-held phone and causes a death, the offense will be considered a more serious one and lead to prison time. British judges have ruled that reading or writing texts over a period of time - and not necessarily at the moment of an accident - constitutes "a gross avoidable distraction."
Texting while driving is considered the same as driving while drunk or high on drugs.
Closer to home, a recent poll sponsored by the NYT and CBS News, indicates that 97 percent of respondents support a ban on texting while driving. Eighty percent support outlawing talking on hand-held cells while driving.
Seventy percent of the respondents said it was fine for drivers to use a hands-free phone while driving. But studies have shown that using a cell phone while driving - whether it is hands-free or not - is a serious risk.
Reach the complete survey here.
Here in Texas, drivers caught talking on their cells while driving in school zones can be fined up to $200. At METRO, we have a zero tolerance policy for all employees driving a METRO-owned vehicle. Anyone caught using his or her cell while driving is fired.
Should texting while driving be banned? What about talking on hands-free phones, using the speaker function or earpiece? When you're on the road, do you worry the driver behind you might be texting?
Halloween is not just for young kids, anymore.
This year, Americans will spend $3.3 billion on Halloween costumes, masks and decorations, according to the National Retail Federation and BIGresearch.
That's 5.4 percent more spending on Halloween than in 2004. The engine fueling this growth: Adults buying their own costumes.
"Halloween is no longer considered a children's holiday," Phil Rist of BIGresearch told USA Today. "It's one of those holidays where lots of people escape for a bit and become someone else for a day."
Transit agencies from coast to coast are adjusting schedules to accommodate all this partying. 
In Boston, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (the T) is adding extra trains and selling special event round-trip tickets to Salem, MA - a town about an hour's north of Boston which has a museum devoted to the witchcraft hysteria during Colonial times. Salem has town-wide celebrations called Haunted Happenings and is urging partygoers to take the T.
On the West coast, the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is adding extra cars to their trains to ease the crowds expected from Halloween parties.
Here at METRO, we'd like to encourage you to ride the rail if you plan on celebrating at the restaurants and bars downtown. The last northbound train from Fannin South departs at 1:40 a.m. The last southbound train departs from UH at 2:20 a.m. Click here for the rail schedule.
If you plan on drinking, the train is a safe way to get home or to your car where we hope you have a designated driver.
Happy Halloween - and stay safe around the ghosts and goblins.
If you want to find out exactly what's going on at METRO, our current condition and where we're headed, come listen to METRO Chairman David S. Wolff. 
He'll be speaking at the Greater Houston Partnership luncheon next Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Hilton Houston Post Oak Hotel at 2001 Post Oak Blvd. The event is from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Consider METRO's achievements in the past year:
But much more lies ahead. What is the current construction timeline in the corridors? What challenges does METRO face in creating a world-class transit system?
Find out at David S. Wolff's presentation, State of METRO: Reshaping the Face of Houston.
You can purchase a ticket at a special non-member rate of $65 by clicking here.
Commuters in Boston will soon see ads in subway cars promoting non-belief.
Later this month, subway trains will sport ads for an atheist group that is conveying its message of non-belief in Chicago, New York and New Jersey, according to the Boston Globe. The photo to the left was taken by Steve Klise for the Boston Globe.
The Boston Area Coalition of Reason, funded by an anonymous donor, has spent $11,000 to purchase placards on 200 subway cars at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, known as the T among locals.
The message on Boston's Red Line and Green Line says: "Good without God? Millions of Americans Are."
The point, says Fred Edwords, head of the United Coalition of Reason, is to let non-believers know there's a community out there for them. "They're inundated with religious messages at every turn. So we hope this will serve as a beacon and let them know they aren't alone," Edwords told the Boston Globe.
The coalition has already plastered its message on billboards in Dallas, Charleston, S.C., Des Moines, Phoenix and New Orleans.
The lead pastor of Vineyard Christian Fellowship in the Boston area said he's not upset with the atheist campaign.
"The message seems uncharitable and hopeless, but I do think it's possible to be good without God. Yet I think they're preaching to the choir in Boston. They'll find a lot of people who agree with them," said Dave Schmelzer, the pastor, adding, ‘It's a free country."
Schmelzer's church has been advertising on the T for the past 10 years.
At METRO, we have kept placards out of our trains and limited those in our buses to public information notices. Our trains have been wrapped to help promote our services and our partnership with the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
Click here to view one of our wrapped trains, promoting Airport Direct.
Cleveland pedestrians on crosswalks will soon hear a voice warning them that a bus is approaching, the first vocal alert system in the nation.
After two fatalities in which pedestrians were struck by a bus while at a crosswalk, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority decided to change the warning beep to an automated voice that will be broadcast from stereo speakers inside and outside the bus, according to The Plain Dealer.
Research shows that people pay more attention to the sound of a human voice than they do to beeping.
The vocal warning system will be installed in the steering column and activated when the driver turns at 45-degree angles.
About 400 buses will get the new system, costing about $600,000, which is coming from federal stimulus money.
The message can be changed and the volume adjusted, depending on the noise level of the environment.
If you commute to the Texas Medical Center from I-45, your trip will soon get easier.
METRO is about to double the number of parking spots available at its South Point Park & Ride lot, located at 12410 Kurland at I-45 South.
Those of you who ride the 297 South Point/Monroe route to the Medical Center will find this a welcome relief.
At the METRO board meeting on Oct. 15, the board approved expanding the parking lot, adding 150 spots and converting 240 temporary spaces created last December to permanent slots. This will result in 766 parking spots.
The construction also will improve the infrastructure, including upgrading drainage and lighting.
"Reinvesting in our extensive bus system is one of our highest priorities and part of our effort to increase ridership and improve customer service," said John Haley, vice president of infrastructure and service development at METRO. "Increasing customer parking spaces, along with introducing 100 new buses into our fleet each year, is a customer-friendly way to serve key destinations like the TMC."
We expect to complete the build-out of the South Point Park & Ride by this coming spring.
If you're not a lifelong resident of the Bayou City, you may not know this: Before METRO, there was Houtran. And long before Houtran, we were a city of streetcars.
Find out about METRO's history on Channel 55's Postcards from Texas, a weekly, 30-minute show that highlights historical sites of Texas, especially the southeast area.
This Sunday at 4 p.m., the show features three stories. The first is about a prisoner-of-war camp where Union sailors were incarcerated during the Civil War. Called Camp Groce, it was located just outside Hempstead.
The second story is on Freedman's Town, a protected historic district just west of downtown. Postcards from Texas highlights the heyday of the first predominantly African American neighborhood in Houston.
And finally, the third story features METRO and its roots.
"It's kind of a circle. It follows the demise of the street cars back to the rise of light rail," said Mike Vance, host and executive producer of Postcards from Texas. "The meaty, middle part of it is how the privately-held Houtran system had dropped into disrepair and how METRO was created and turned things around."
Some surprising facts you'll learn: "You'd be amazed how many people I talked to don't realize we had an extensive street car system prior to World War 2," said Vance, a former Channel 55 sports anchor with a degree in history and government. "The other thing people don't realize, unless they're of a certain age, is how bad the bus system had gotten. Even though it's only been 30 years, people take for granted that METRO's has always been here."
The show, produced in partnership with Houston Arts and Media, will rerun next Friday on Channel 55 at 1:30 p.m.
METRO is launching a Spanish-language talk show called Enfoque METRO.
The mini-talk show - about 15 minutes - makes its debut today on Comcast's Channel 17, Houston Media Source. The purpose of the show is to highlight METRO's new projects and developments and inform the Spanish-speaking public.
Enfoque METRO translates to "Focus on METRO."
"The title can also be understood to be a focus on all the things the agency is doing," said Carolina Mendoza, the host and producer, who is also our media specialist. "Another way to look at is - METRO is in focus with on-going transportation issues and in tune with our riders' issues."
The first show features Danicel Whitaker, a native of Puerto Rico, who is METRO's deputy director of revenue. Whitaker explains where to get the METRO Q® Fare Card, how to use it and the benefits of using one. 
Whitaker also mentions METRO's efforts to reach the Hispanic community through print ads, radio commercials and pamphlets distributed to key locations in the Hispanic community.
"We are very pleased to be able to convey important information through our new talk show, Enfoque METRO. This episode is a good way to tell the Hispanic community about the Q Card and our other services," said Whitaker.
Click on the link below to watch the show.
http://es.ridemetro.org/News/Broadcast/METROMatters.aspx
You can also view it on Channel 17 at these times:
Thu 10/15/09 9:45 p.m.
Sat 10/17/09 3:32 p.m.
Wed 10/21/09 8:30 p.m.
Sat 10/24/09 8:00 p.m.
Wed 10/28/09 6:15 p.m.
Fri 10/30/09 7:30 p.m.
Tue 11/3/09 6:45 p.m.
Fri 11/6/09 7:30 p.m.
Mon 11/9/09 8:15 p.m.
Wed 11/11/09 9:30 p.m.
Fri 11/13/09 7:30 p.m.
Mon 11/16/09 9:30 p.m.
Sometimes too much of a good thing can be dangerous.
Consider the automobile. Decades after Henry Ford designed the Model T, car manufacturers are building hybrid-electric cars that are so quiet, they are considered dangerous to pedestrians.
The New York Times reports today that hybrid and plug-in electric cars have become so quiet that they are too quiet.
The Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 would mandate a federal safety standard to protect walkers from super quiet vehicles.
A Toyota spokesperson told the Times the company realizes quiet hybrids could be a risk to sight-impaired pedestrians.
The Fisker Karma, a luxury plug-in hybrid scheduled to go on the market next year, will pump out audio from the rear bumpers. The sound is a mix of a starship and a Formula One car, according to the founder.
An official at BMW's Mini Cooper says one option would be giving drivers a choice of noises, the way cell phones offer various ring tones.
A study by the University of California, Riverside and sponsored by the National Federation of the Blind, showed that people in a lab could hear a conventional gas-powered car at 28 feet away - but could only hear a hybrid when it was seven feet away.
Should cars that glide quietly stay quiet, or do they need to emit warning noises? Read more here.
Our hybrid-electric buses are certainly quieter than our diesel-powered buses - but so far, no one is complaining they're too quiet. In an age when we're assaulted with traffic and construction noises, METRO's hybrids are a welcome addition - and subtraction in decibels - to the road.
If you have Spanish-speaking friends, pass the word: The Spanish version of RideMetro.org is up and running.
It was under construction for the past few months, while we updated the pages to this new system with a new vendor.
Simply click on En Español and it will take you to that exact page in Spanish. Techies call it "context sensitive page switching."
For users, it means the same page in Spanish pops up, rather than directing you to a Spanish-language home page, where you then have to navigate to the page you were on in English.
"Translations.com is one of the few companies that can actually provide the translations the way we have set it up. They have real people translating the site. They can customize their turnaround time to what we need," said Jesse Quintanilla, METRO's Web designer.
Check it out, and enjoy!
Most riders of the 426 TMC SwiftLine say they are very satisfied with the new route we introduced in August.
The TMC SwiftLine is an express service with five stops between the Texas Medical Center and the Southeast Transit Center.
On Sept. 23, 61 surveys were distributed and 56 were returned.
Here are some of the results:
- About 70 percent of the respondents were using the TMC SwiftLine to travel from home to work.
- 77 percent transferred from one bus to the SwiftLine and half transferred from SwiftLine to another bus.
- 96 percent of riders were satisfied; 76 percent were very satisfied.
- Most learned about SwiftLine by seeing the bus, hearing about it from family or friends, or from METRO bus drivers.
- Six percent of the respondents were new riders to METRO.
- About half of the respondents work at the TMC.
The SwiftLine buses are our new hybrid-electric Orion buses that are equipped with security cameras.
If you've ridden the SwiftLine, tell us what you think about it.
The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) has just installed a new software tool that allows customers to browse its Web site and hear text read aloud.
BrowseAloud is a free download WMATA is making available to anyone who wants to download it from http://www.wmata.com/.
For those who have difficulty reading computer screens - including those with mild visual problems, low literacy and reading skills, or those with limited English language skills - this new tool will make it easier to find information on WMATA's Web site.
Once someone installs the free software on his or her computer, he or she can move the cursor over any text and BrowseAloud will read the highlighted text aloud, said WMATA.
Here at METRO, our Web site has been designed to be accessible to the visually impaired. If you are a Mac user, software that reads aloud text is preinstalled in your computer. You can select the type of voice (bubbly or not) and the gender. If you use a PC, you will need to buy software, such as JAWS, to hear text read aloud.
"We hope people with all disabilities will use both MACS and MACS-Web (our automated computer system) to review their trips, cancel any they don't want and make trips that are in their history," said Mary Ann Dendor, ADA administrator at METRO.
Here at METRO, we've had a wedding on the rail and a romance blossom into marriage when two strangers met each other at a bus stop. Click here to read that story.
Romance and love can happen anywhere - and recently, an attorney who rides the bus in Chicago read a life-changing document at a bus stop.
It was an ad at a bus shelter that said in big, bold letters: "Rachel! I love you! Let's be a team forever! Will you marry me? XOXO, Eric."
Rachel Clark arrived at the bus stop last Wednesday and didn't notice it until her soon-to-be fiancé, engineer Eric Anderson, who was standing behind the sign, urged Clark to read it.
"I started giggling and laughing going, ‘Yes, yes!'" Clark recalled.
Anderson had wanted to propose in an unusual way and when he saw the available ad space, called the company that manages Chicago's bus shelters. He couldn't afford the $3,000 monthly fee, but company officials gave him a break for love, offering a discounted rate for one week. Read more here.
Sometimes bus shelter ads can alter your life forever.
Calling all students: Now's the time to renew your METRO Q® Fare Card.
Students who are in kindergarten through 12th grade must renew their Q Cards, which expired on Sept. 30.
Students - or their parents or caregivers - must come to the RideStore with one of the following documents: a current school ID, class schedule, enrollment form or a report card on school letterhead.
Active student Q cards total 9,000 - and as of Oct. 1, we have processed an average of 560 cards per day. 
This Saturday, the RideStore at 1900 Main St. will be open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. to make it easier to process your student Q Card.
Regular RideStore hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.
We've set up a table in the lobby in front of the RideStore to offer express service for students this week. Today, there were no lines, and students were processed within minutes.
Pictured to the left are three METRO staffers who were processing student Q Cards today: Angelia Jermany, RideStore sales associate; Nicole Adler, revenue marketing associate; and Trina Thomas, retail sales associate.
"It's important to METRO for our students to continue to use and learn more about our Q Card program and benefit from our 5 for 50 loyalty program, as well as the 50 percent discount," said Danicel Whitaker, deputy director of revenue. "We've had great success with the student program, and are looking to expand it."
It's a simple concept: Get out on your front porch and meet your neighbors. Maybe throw a few burgers on the grill and share a meal.
It's called National Night Out, a national program designed to promote crime and drug prevention activities in neighborhoods. Sponsored by
The National Association of Town Watch, the night is observed on the first Tuesday of each August, but in Texas, because of our sweltering summers, we observe it the first Tuesday in October.
Here at METRO, we'll mark tomorrow by a display of some of our more unusual crime-fighting equipment. The event is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
You'll get to meet our bomb-fighting unit, including our robot outfitted with a camera and arm that can grasp and turn over objects.
"The robot is designed to go into hazardous situations where you don't want to commit a person," said MPD Officer Harold Hewlett, who is coordinating the lobby event.
The bomb truck used by our Special Operations Response Team (SORT) will be on display outside our main building at 1900 Main St., along with our Swift Water Rescue Boat. 
We'll also have a four-legged, furry officer available for you to meet - one of our K-9 officers. METRO's K-9 officers specialize in either bomb detection or drug detection.
Hewlett said he hopes neighbors will get out and meet each other tomorrow night - along with the constables who patrol those neighborhoods.
"Let's hope this forms a bond so folks won't be so afraid to call the police when they have a problem. Folks just don't want to get involved with the police. It's always a negative situation - you're receiving a ticket or you're the victim of a crime," said Hewlett. "The important part is letting people know how they can be a part of the system that not only prevents crime but helps to apprehend."
Hewlett's tip to keeping your street safe: "If you see something that doesn't look right, don't be afraid to call the local law enforcement agency and let them know."
And if you are on one of our trains or buses and you see suspicious activity, say something. Dial #MPD on your cell phone.
The Distracted Driving Summit called by Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood ended yesterday with a call for action.
The two-day summit addressed the dangers of text messaging and other distractions behind the wheel and included senior transportation officials, safety advocates, law enforcement experts and academics. It also featured young people and families whose loved ones were victims of distracted driving.
Today, LaHood said the conference managed to create a critical mass of people who believe distracted driving must be stopped, but it was time to take action. On Wednesday, President Obama signed an executive order, banning all federal employees form texting while driving on government business, driving a government vehicle, or driving in their personal cars while using a government-issued cell phone.
On his blog, LaHood outlined more action steps his department will be doing:
- Permanently restrict cell phones and other electronic devices on rail operations.
- Ban text messaging and restrict the use of cell phones by truck drivers and interstate bus operators.
- Strip bus drivers from their commercial driver's license if they are convicted of texting while driving.
- Encourage state and local governments to make distracted driving a part of state highway plans
"We won't fix this problem overnight, but we are going to raise awareness and sharpen the consequences," wrote LaHood on his blog. "In the end, however, we cannot simply legislate this problem away...Driving while distracted should feel wrong - just as driving while intoxicated now feels wrong to most American drivers."
Read more here.
If you're a METRO customer, you know that since April 2008, there have been only two ways to pay - the METRO Q® Fare Card or cash. So far, the METRO Q Card has been received by the public well.
But what's the future of the smart card? Jeff Linton, director of revenue, tells us just how smart the METRO Q Card can be - and tells us what other transit agencies are doing.
Click below to watch the latest edition of METRO Matters.
http://www.ridemetro.org/News/Broadcast/METROMatters.aspx
You can also watch it on Comcast Channel 19 at these times:
Sun 10/4/09 3:45 p.m.
Wed 10/7/09 5:00 p.m.
Fri 10/9/09 6:15 p.m.
Mon 10/12/09 8:15 p.m.
Thu 10/15/09 9:30 p.m.
Sat 10/17/09 3:45 p.m.
Mon 10/19/09 9:30 p.m.
Wed 10/21/09 6:15 p.m.
Fri 10/23/09 12:30 p.m.
Tues 10/27/09 6:45 p.m.
Thu 10/29/09 7:30 p.m.
Sat 10/31/09 8:00 p.m.
A section of the old Savoy Hotel is scheduled to be demolished between 6 p.m. Friday and 11 p.m. Sunday, Oct 4.
The historic, seven-story hotel, now an eyesore with visible cracks on one façade, is located at 1616 Main St. between Pease and Leeland.
During the demolition, rail service will be stopped between the UH Downtown Station and the Downtown Transit Center northbound platform.
Trains traveling in and out of downtown will run from the DTTC southbound platform. If you are traveling northbound into downtown, take the train at the DTTC southbound platform.
We'll also operate Rail Shuttles - buses which will run every 15 minutes if you are traveling between DTTC and UH-Downtown stations.
Regular rail service will operate between the Fannin South Station and the DTTC southbound platform.
Normal rail service is scheduled to resume on Monday at 4 a.m.
A reminder: If you're coming here to take care of METRO Q®Fare Card business and need to go to our Treasury department - now called Revenue Operations - it is moving.
Tomorrow - Wednesday, Sept. 30 - the department will close early at 2 p.m.
It will reopen on Thursday, Oct. 1 in its new location on the first floor inside the RideStore. Hours will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
"To better serve our customers, we have relocated our Revenue Operations (Treasury) to the RideStore," said Nicole Adler, revenue marketing associate. "Revenue Operations is there to replace lost and stolen Q Cards. If patrons have any issues with Web reloading or the correct balance on their Q Card, they can come to Revenue Operations inside the RideStore."
We hope you'll enjoy the new design of our RideStore, where one-stop shopping should make it more convenient for you.
A 1930-era building with a distinctive clock tower was purchased by METRO about two years ago with plans to demolish the building, making way for the East End light-rail line.
Community representatives wanted to save the clock tower - and recently METRO found a way to do so.
The agency, along with the city of Houston and the East End community, found a new home for the façade of the old Sterling Laundry and Cleaning Co. at 4819 Harrisburg.
The laundry facility is located a few feet away from the construction now going on for the light-rail line.
After meetings with Council Members Sue Lovell, Melissa Noriega and Ed Gonzalez - along with county officials, METRO staff and East End community leaders - the perfect answer was reached.
‘We respected that the community felt this building was important, and we wanted to do our best to supports its efforts," said Kim Williams, associate vice president of corporate programs at METRO.
METRO offered conceptual designs, engineering and pricing for various options - and the community accepted a solution that would remove the clock tower and later resurrect it at Eastwood Park.
Last week, METRO staff removed the clock tower. Then with the aid of the Greater East End Management District, the façade was transported and stored to a facility offered by the Buffalo Bayou Partnership. It will be stored there until it is later moved to the park.
METRO has made a financial commitment to help move the clock tower to the park, where it will be used to create a permanent monument or gateway to the park.
The next time you're tempted to sneak a Starbucks on board a bus or furtively snack on a food bar while leaving work on a Park & Ride bus, consider this: Food crumbs and spilled drinks attract roaches.
Let's help keep METRO's buses and trains clean by following our rule of no food or drink on-board.
Pity the New Yorkers who commute on NYC Transit buses. Roaches have invaded city buses, and it's the high season for the repulsive creatures.
Although the buses are swept nightly and floor, windows, seats and exteriors periodically washed, the shortage of bus cleaners at the Big Apple's MetropolitanTransit Authority has strained the cleaning staff. The agency said it has hired an entomologist to improve its extermination process and will hire 40 new bus cleaners. Read more here.
Here at METRO, our buses are cleaned nightly. Click here to watch a documentary on what happens to our buses at night when most of you are asleep. "We have budgeted 159 cleaners for our buses and eight for our 18 trains," says Gwen Johnson, a marketing spokesperson for operations. "Our buses may have 10 people at a time working on it. Cleaners will get on it to clean it while it's in the fuel line."
Every night, the buses are swept and wiped down. On a rotational basis, they are soaped down and washed by our automatic bus wash. Less than every 30 days, they go through maintenance, including detailing.
"METRO is very environmentally friendly, and we're are on a rotation to clean exteriors. If mud or oil are on the buses, we will clean it immediately," says Johnson.
And as far as cockroaches go?
"We have a proactive program for roach problems. That's not to say you're not going to get a fly or bug. This is Houston. But we're not getting complaints about roaches," says Johnson.
Johnson, who stayed up all night to watch what happens to buses during the taping of our documentary, says the routine is amazing.
"By 3 a.m., all the buses have been fueled and cleaned and checked and ready to go out. By 4 a.m.,operators are coming in for their pre-trip inspection," says Johnson. "They're very serious about what they do - they've very focused because the cleaners have only so much time to do a lot of work."
Carmakers are thinking small - prompted by the environment and today's austere economy where every penny counts.
Today, Ford Motor Co. unveiled the Figo - its first small car to be manufactured in India. The four-door hatchback is named after an Italian word for "cool" and will be sold first in India, and later exported to international markets.
Small cars make up 73 percent of the 1.22 million cars sold in India. Read more from the Wall Street Journal.
And while Ford has set up shop in India to help corner the emerging Southeast Asian auto market, India is coming to New York. The Reva Electric Car Co. of India said it is planning to build a multi-million dollar automobile plant in upstate New York, where it will build battery-operated cars.
Reva now produces the two-seat EV, marketed under G-Wiz in Britain and the Reva in India). Click here to read more.
In the meantime, Fisker Automotive has received $529 million in low-interest loans from the U.S. Department of Energy to produce the Karma, a high-end, plug-in hybrid. Fisher will launch the car next summer, and it should retail for about $88,000.
Fisker says more than 1,500 customers have already placed orders. The car's plug-in hybrid technology operates exclusively on electric power for the first 50 miles. Then the gas engine turns a generator, which charges the car's lithium-ion battery during driving.
The Karma will be able to surge from 0 to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 125 mph. Read more here.
The METRO Board of Directors approved a $1.26 billion budget for fiscal year 2010 at yesterday's board meeting, while keeping the operating budget flat.
Our fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
The bulk of the budget covers the METRO Solutions program of building light-rail lines.
The operating budget remains at FY09's level of $330 million.
The components of the FY10 budget include:
- Operating budget - $330 mm
- General Mobility Fund - $152 mm
- Capital budget - $683 mm
- Debt service - $99 mm
The business plan for FY2010 features 16 initiatives that improve service, efficiencies, and cash flow or decrease costs.
The FY2010 budget includes new bus service, including the 288 Brazoria Park & Ride in Pearland; Missouri City where the 262 Westwood will extend along Highway 59 and attract commuters along Texas Highway 6; and a new local route, the Eldridge Crosstown, which will run north and south on Eldridge Parkway between Westheimer and the Energy Corridor District.
METRO will also strengthen new routes added in FY09: the Pasadena Park & Ride, the 402 Bellaire Quickline, the 32 Renwick Crosstown and 426 Swiftline.
We will be adding 100 new hybrid-electric buses to our fleet, along with 100 new bus shelters.
METRO Solutions will cost $498 million in FY10, and debt service payments will be $99 million.
Factors that helped METRO keep its operational budget flat include locking in its diesel fuel at a price lower than last fiscal year and eliminating 118 staff positions that had been budgeted but many of which had gone unfilled.
METRO receives 1 percent of the sales tax and allocates 25 percent of that to the General Mobility Fund, which finances transit-related projects for surrounding cities and Harris County.
To be on the conservative side, Metro budgeted sales tax revenues the same as the prior year, $481 million.
We will post the summary of the budget on our Web site soon.
More and more cities and states are passing laws to curb distracted driving.
Here in Texas, it has been against the law since Sept. 1 to use your cell phone while driving in a school zone unless it's a hands-free device or an emergency.
Utah has the toughest law on the books regarding cell phones and texting. If caught, drivers who text can face up to 15 years behind bars.
Distracted driving is the topic of a summit called by the U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. It has attracted so much attention that the summit - on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 - will be broadcast live by webcast.
You'll also be able to submit questions online for each panel discussion. Click here for more details. 
National leaders will examine the problem of distracted driving and discuss regulations and best practices.
"We must act now to stop distracted driving from becoming a deadly epidemic on our nation's roadways," said LaHood in a statement. "This summit will give safety leaders from across the nation a forum to identify, target and tackle the fundamental elements of this problem."
The panel topics include the definition of distracted driving and inattention, the risks, the technology, a review of laws and enforcement to address distracted driving and public awareness and education.
Starting Oct. 1, if you lose an item and it's found, you will need to go to a new location to retrieve it.
METRO's Lost and Found department is moving from its current location at 1001 Travis to 1220 McCarty off I-10 East.
That's where our Central Distribution Center is located, and that's where all lost items - except for bicycles - will be stored. Bikes are stored at the bus operating facilities.
You can continue to call our call center to see if your lost item has been turned in. The number is: (713) 658-0854. The call center is open Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
If we have your item, you may pick it at the Central Distribution Center during these hours: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
So why are we moving Lost & Found?
"We have very few people who lose items and even fewer who reclaim them," says Art Jackson, director of transportation programs. "Less than 10 people a day come in to pick up items. We have to staff the office. We also incur costs to have couriers pick up the items at the different bus operating facilities. We thought it would be a more prudent way to manage taxpayer dollars."
Once Lost & Found is moved, a METRO parts truck that normally visits each of our facilities once or twice a day will be able to pick up lost items on its regular run - and then deliver them to the Central Distribution Center, where the staff is already accustomed to taking inventory.
"People can still call the main number and still be able to speak with the same customer service representative to see if your lost item were found on the bus route or rail," says Jackson.
If you're driving east on I-10, exit at McCarty, then turn right on McCarty. You'll see a big METRO facility with a sign. If you take the bus from downtown, take the 48 Navigation to get there. If you're not departing from downtown, use our Trip Planner to find the right bus or call Customer Information Center at (713) 635-4000.
"Although we recognize that the new location may not be as centrally located, we have a responsibility to take a look at how we can handle business in the smartest, most cost-efficient manner possible," explains Jackson. "Considering the few number of customers impacted by this, it's just not fiscally responsible to continue operating in the manner we are presently."
The most commonly lost items? Small items such as badges, books, umbrellas and cell phones are left on buses and rail.
More and more of our riders are getting from here to there by using both bus and bike.
Our bike boardings have soared 147 percent from October 2008 through August 2009, compared to the same period a year ago.
Total bike boardings for the first 11 months of FY 2009 (October 2008 through August 2009) were 55,743, compared to 22,529 for the same period a year ago.
Even in our almost unbearable dog days of summer, we saw growth in commuters biking around town. We had 7,203 boardings in August, a 2 percent spurt from the month before. In July 2009, we saw 7,047 bike boardings - an 11 percent increase from the month before.
But some commuters are forgetting to take their bikes with them when they arrive at their destination.
Our Lost & Found department reports we currently have 32 bikes in our inventory, unclaimed. From August 2008 to August 2009, 66 bikes were taken to Lost & Found and only 22 bikes were claimed.
Bikes that are not claimed after 30 days are donated to charity.
Have you ever boarded your bike on our buses? Why do you bus and bike? For pleasure? To commute to work? For exercise or to help the environment? Tell us about your experience. We'd like to hear from you.
Click here for a detailed guide on how to mount your bike on our bus rack.
If you're new to commuting by bikes, check out Commute by Bike, where you'll find articles on how to deal with aggressive drivers or a guide to bike commuting for slackers.
The thousands of commuters who pass through one of the busiest subway stations in New York will now be greeted with a dizzying array of bold colors splashed against a wall - one of the last commissioned pieces by the late Sol LeWitt, an American conceptual artist.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority introduced the wall art to the public last week. It is a huge permanent installation of porcelain tile whose deeply intense colors of blue, green, yellow, orange, purple and red could only be created by artisans in Madrid, reports the New York Times.
Entitled "Whirls and Twirls," the piece faces a double-wide stairway and landing at 60th Street. The 250 porcelain tiles cover a space that is 53 feet wide and 11 feet high. The photo posted here appeared in the NYT and was taken by Angel Franco.
The project started five years ago as part of the station's $108 million makeover. LeWitt was able to choose any location in the station for his artwork.
The artist, who died two years ago, will have two more of his works installed later this year. They will be circular floor pieces with compass-rose designs.
Here at METRO, we are working on station art on the light-rail lines we're building. Nineteen of 22 winning artists have been assigned stations where their art will appear. The artists were selected from more than 250 applicants, including international ones. We wanted our station art to be created mostly by local artists - and 86 percent of the artists are local.
Funding and budgets still need to be finalized before the remaining three artists are assigned stations. Our goal is to have art grace every station we're building.
Click here to read more about our Arts in Transit program.
A year ago today, most of us were anxiously watching weather reports, tracking the path of Ike.
We've got two more months of hurricane season, and if you've grown lax about preparations, this is a good time to check your supplies and update your emergency plans.
Our METRO Responds site offers updates on our services. You'll also find emergency phone numbers and checklists of what to stock.
For example, your list of supplies should include pliers to turn off utilities, a dust mask, a flashlight and a battery-powered or hand-crank radio.
If you have kids, consider adding to your emergency supply kit books, games or puzzles. Replace them to make sure they're still age-appropriate. Don't forget matches in a waterproof container, pet food for your pet, and a complete change of clothing for every member of your family.
Do a favor for friends or loved ones with special needs, and pre-register them for emergency evacuation. If they moved since last year, update their address and phone number.
Click here to pre-register on-line.
Getting prepared now when there's nothing heading our way is the best time to get started. Hopefully, we'll get through this season without a hurricane.
In Honolulu, if you stink and climb on The Bus, the city's trademark yellow and white bus, you won't get kicked off.
A bill introduced last week to ban odors brought onto the transit system "if they unreasonably disturb others" was squashed last Friday by Honolulu's city council.
The city council members who introduced the bill said they believed it was important to address this issue as the city builds its first light-rail line.
Bill 59-09 would not have allowed riders to bring "onto the transit property odors that unreasonably disturb others or interfere with their use of the transit system, whether such odors arise from one's person, clothes, articles, accompanying animal or any other source."
The bill also would have prohibited spitting, urinating and being intoxicated.
Read more here. The graphic above is from the Web site of The Bus in Honolulu.
The local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union weighed in on the matter, arguing the bill is burdensome and too broad.
The Honolulu Police Department expressed concerns that activities subject to citations would be considered criminal activities under the bill - such as eating, listening to music sans headphones and drinking alcoholic beverages.
The police said it would be difficult to enforce the bill, especially the odors issue, which they called somewhat subjective.
Councilman Rod Tam, who co-introduced the bill, said he modeled it after a passenger code of conduct in King County, Washington (Seattle area).
In Houston, it would be hard to enforce an odor ordinance when more than half the year is steamy and sticky.
"We do not have a code of conduct for passengers, as was proposed in the Honolulu scenario," said Tim Kelly, METRO's assistant chief of police.
In the meantime, city ordinances prohibit eating, drinking, and playing audible music on a bus or train. A state law bans smoking on board transit vehicles, said Kelly.
Use common courtesy when on public transit. Click here to read a past blog entry on this.
Calling all commuters: If you ride METRO, turn on your video camera and tell why you commute.
The American Public Transportation Association is sponsoring a "Dump the Pump" video contest in which the grand prize winner will receive a year of free rides and an iPod Touch.
So create a video and tape yourself telling why you dumped the pump. Is it to save the planet, save money? Reduce stress? Use your commute time to read or sleep? Be creative with you video, then upload it to YouTube.
The video with the most impact will win the grand prize. The second place winner will get six months of free transit and third place, three months of free transit. APTA will provide the free transit.
Whether you are a new transit user or a long-time rider, get out your video camera and tell why you ride. Deadline is Sept. 18.
Click here to see other "Dump the Pump" videos on YouTube. For complete contest rules, click here.
A recent survey conducted by KHOU-TV and KUHF - Houston Public Radio asked people who said they were likely to vote in the next mayoral election what top issues they were most concerned about. Crime ranked No. One and transit came in second.
And 59 percent of respondents approved of the job METRO is doing.
Click the link below to watch Channel 11's report.
http://www.khou.com/video/index.html?nvid=394198
Click here to listen to KHUF's report.
This Sunday, METRO is joining the celebration of Fiesta Patrias, a national Mexican holiday celebrating Mexico's independence from Spain.
The celebration will occur at Reliant Park , and you'll find METRO at a giant booth - complete with one of our new Quickline buses on display. We'll be at Exhibit Hall D, next to McDonald's in Booth B2.
Drop by, and register for a chance to win one of 15 goodie bags. We'll give one away every hour, but during peak hours of 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., we'll be giving two to three per hour. You do not have to be present to win.
Inside the goodie bags, you'll find two Dynamo tickets, two tickets to the Houston Museum of Natural Science (permanent exhibits), an umbrella, briefcase, totebag, VIP pen/pencil set - and a METRO Q® Fare Card preloaded with $10, courtesy of Univision Radio.
"We're hitting a different angle where it will be relaxing," said Tom Pham, METRO's advertising account executive. "Visit our booth, get on the bus, check out the interior. This will be more relaxing than just handing out items."
We'll have our booth stocked with brochures, too, so you can find out about METRO's services.
In addition to climbing aboard a new hybrid-electric Quickline bus, you'll be able to meet Abuelita, the grandma and face of our Hispanic campaign.
Our booth will be open from noon to 6 p.m. See you there....¡Acompáñanos!
Ten METRO staffers joined the University of Houston in its Commuter Green Fair, signing up hundreds of students on the main campus for a METRO Q® Fare Card.
"Here at the university, we have challenges, and we struggle with accessibility, as far as parking," said Emily Messa, assistant vice president for university services. "We wanted to reach out to our students - 36,000 and counting - and help them find out the bus routes from their home to campus. And if they live on campus and don't have a car, help them get to the grocery store on METRO or Wal-Mart."
Messa, known as "The Green Commuter Doctor" sat down with students and handed out "prescriptions" that showed them exactly how to get from Point A to Point B, using METRO.
"We'd plot the route out for them on Google Transit and give that to them - and say, ‘Here's your prescription.' I had a cure for people. They wanted to know their options. Were they flexible? Where do they live? Is mass transit a solution? Car pool?"
While the doctor helped students solve their commuting problems, METRO staffers - from revenue and from Community Outreach - helped students get new Q cards and renew old ones.
"It went very well. It was very well-organized," said Joe Garcia, community outreach rep. "We're helping UH go green."
Messa said the commute to UH from students, faculty and staff makes up 51 percent of the university's carbon footprint. "Just think what a difference we could make to the community if we could get our students, faculty and staff to be green commuters," said Messa.
To give students an incentive, UH said it is putting $5 on each new Q Card. "We want them to try it. Once they have the money, they almost feel it's an obligation," said Messa.
METRO gave free back-to-school backpacks to students who signed up. The Q Cards will be processed here and then delivered to campus. When students pick up their Q Card, they'll also get a free flash drive. 
"I was stopped today by several students who thanked METRO for coming out. At the fair, fulltime students could get their Q Card. We were helping students renew their Q Card. That was a big time savings. Previously, they had to go to the RideStore. They were very appreciative of that," said Messa.
More campus parking lots are being used to construct buildings, giving more impetus to the university's drive to go green.
Messa says students who use METRO can ride in air-conditioned comfort and use the time to study for a test or catch up on homework.
Going green, she says, is the right thing to do. "It's working on mitigating congestion on our streets and on our parking lots. It's helping people get here in a less stressed-out way," said Messa.
If you visit our RideStore this month, you'll see construction and remodeling going on.
Today, we started redesigning our RideStore so we can consolidate three functions in one: the RideStore, Treasury and METROLift.
"The build-out is to better assist our customers. We're putting all our service in one place. It's a one-stop shop," said Danicel Whitaker, METRO's deputy director of revenue.
Treasury will now be known as Revenue Operations.
Business will be conducted as usual at the current locations (Revenue Operations on the second floor) during construction.
Hours at the RideStore and Revenue Operations (Treasury) will remain the same during construction:
RideStore 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Revenue Operations (Treasury) 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Once construction is completed, if you want to get a METRO Q® Fare Card or obtain a discounted Q Card (seniors, students and the disabled), you only need to come to one place - the RideStore.
The new RideStore will be the place to go if your Q Card is lost or stolen. If you had a registered Q Card, you'll be able to replace your Q Card, and we'll reload your balance.
And if you need METROLift services - for a discounted Q Card with a photo or for the interview process - you will only need to go to the remodeled RideStore.
The window for Revenue Operations will be along the wall where the brochures have been located. During construction, the schedules will be behind the counter by the RideStore staff, who will be happy to give you one upon request. Later, the schedules will be out in the open again.
We expect to complete the remodeling by Oct. 1. The newly consolidated RideStore will operate Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In July, we celebrated the groundbreaking of two light-rail lines in the North and Southeast corridors.
While we're excited about the progress we're making toward light-rail, getting there - with all the construction - can be arduous if you live in that neighborhood or own a business there.
METRO is committed to making sure this process goes as smoothly as possible, keeping residents and businesses current with construction news.
Our next episode of METRO Matters features Kim Williams, associate vice president of corporate programs, who explains exactly what METRO is doing in the corridor offices to help surrounding neighbors.
Click here to watch.
If you prefer to view METRO Matters on your television screen, here's the schedule of when it airs on Houston Media Source, Channel 17 on Comcast.
Tue 9/1/09 6:15 p.m.
Fri 9/4/09 7:30 p.m.
Sat 9/5/09 1:30 p.m.
Tue 9/8/09 6:30 p.m.
Thu 9/10/09 9:00 p.m.
Sat 9/12/09 8:00 p.m.
Tue 9/15/09 4:15 p.m.
Sat 9/19/09 8:00 p.m.
Mon 9/21/09 9:45 p.m.
Wed 9/23/09 8:30 p.m.
Fri 9/25/09 7:30 p.m.
Wed 9/30/09 9:45 p.m.
The Houston Museum of Natural Science's extraordinary exhibit of China's terra cotta warriors has been attracting thousands of visitors who have viewed these historical finds - exhibited for the first time outside of China.
Fourteen life-size warriors - along with more than 100 objects - were buried in the tomb complex of China's First Emperor, Quin Shi Huang, and were designed to protect him throughout eternity.
Last week, one of those warriors escaped and rode METRORail. Well, he wasn't exactly from another century, but he looked like he could have time-traveled from that era.
Chi Chang Zheng (know as "Jarry" here) , an actor from Taiwan, was sent by the Chinese government to accompany this exhibit. Last week, METRO shot and produced a video to help promote riding the rail to the museum. METRO is a partner with members of the Houston Museum District to encourage people to ride the rail.
The METRO crew spent about three hours with Jarry, starting at the museum and ending at the shops at Houston Pavilions, where Jarry enjoyed being a tourist.
"It was extremely fun," said Rob Fritsche, who wrote, produced and directed the spot. "People were following Jarry like a rock star. He had an entourage."
While the ancient warriors were made of clay, the flesh-and-bones real one, made himself look like one with a costume of industrial plastic, which he designed and constructed himself.
The exhibit runs until Oct. 18. Don't miss Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China's First Emperor. You can find a coupon for $10 off admission in our buses and trains - which makes an adult ticket cheaper than a discounted childor senior ticket.
Meet the dramatic soldiers....and click the link below to meet the one who escaped.
http://www.ridemetro.org/AboutUs/MTTV/MTTV.aspx
Riders of the 32 Renwick Crosstown said they were satisfied with the service METRO rolled out in June.
Most of the respondents to a survey conducted on July 21, 23 and 28 said they were riding the 32 Renwick Crosstown to travel from work to home. Sixty-one of the respondents said they transferred from another bus to ride the Renwick while 46 percent said they transferred from Renwick to another bus.
"The whole purpose of Renwick was to connect a bunch of east-west routes in areas where they were never connected before," said Darla Bell, manager of strategic analysis. "This survey was to find out whether people were using those connections, and secondarily, how they found out about it."
The 32 Renwick Crosstown connects seven of our top 20 bus routes, along with four additional routes.
It serves 111 multi-family residential developments, 69 retail/supermarket locations, 17 religious gathering places, 15 educational institutions, as well as medical and health locations.
Eighty-three percent of the riders surveyed said they were very satisfied with the new route and 14 percent said they were "somewhat satisfied."
About one in five of those surveyed were new riders to METRO and said they found out about the 32 Renwick Crosstown from friends and family. Thirteen percent found out about the new route through the city of Houston's Women, Infants & Children's program at the Southwest center, located along the route.
Most of the respondents - 77 percent - said their primary language at home was Spanish, compared to English at 15 percent. The surveys were bilingual and passed out to riders by METRO staff.
When asked how we could improve service, most of the respondents asked for weekend service. The 32 Renwick runs Monday through Friday.
It is part of the METRO Solutions plan to add bus routes to our system.
Imagine stepping into a taxi or a bus and getting to your destination - without a driver.
If that sounds futuristic, the future is coming soon to London's Heathrow Airport.
These futuristic driverless vehicles are being tested now at Heathrow where trial runs are going from the business parking lot to Terminal 5. The battery-powered pods carry up to four passengers and their luggage, traveling at 25 miles per hour on their own narrow road system.
The system cost about $41 million to install, and if it succeeds, officials will spend another $327.7 million to expand it to transport travelers from hotels to terminals, replacing coach buses.
The inventor, Professor Martin Lowson, says this automatic vehicle has safety systems built in. "The vehicles control themselves, according to a pre-determined schedule, and then on top of that, there is an automatic vehicle protection system so that if things aren't doing what they are meant to do, it stops," said Lowson, who worked on the Apollo space program here in the U.S.
Passengers step inside, use a touch screen to key in their destination, and then enjoy the ride. 
"It takes you where you want to go on the best available route, nonstop," said Lowson, who has been developing this system since 1995.
The Ultra Personal Pod cars aren't meant to replace buses, trains or taxis completely -but give people an alternative to fighting traffic jams. It would also take more vehicles off the roads and out of parking lots.
Read more here.
A Midwest transit agency is trying to lure new riders with a simple but powerful benefit: "U txt. We drive."
The new marketing campaign was unveiled by SouthWest Transit, a Minnesota-based agency that serves Eden Prairie, Chanhassen and Chaska. The campaign's goal is to show how public transit can boost personal quality time while also helping the public.
The SouthWest logo appears below the ad copy. Officials said that by leaving the driving to the transit agency, texters can be safer - as well as other drivers on the road, who don't have to worry about distracted drivers.
"Originally, this campaign was to be targeted to students who ride our buses to the U of M," said Len Simich, SouthWest Transit's CEO to METRO Magazine. "However, after...learning that 53 percent of all texters are 35 or older, we decided to begin our campaign immediately and use it with all our riders."
Here at METRO, our drivers will concentrate on the road while you can sit back and text to your heart's content. A strict new cell phone policy at METRO ensures that operators will not be using their cell phones while driving - and in fact, no driver's cell phone is allowed in sight. Violation is immediate dismissal.
But you, the rider, can stay safe and text while enjoying the ride.
Starting next Monday, commuters who travel between the Texas Medical Center and the Southeast Transit Center will have a faster way to get there.
It's called TMC Swiftline, METRO's newest express service.
The 426 TMC Swiftline will have five stops between the two transit centers, shaving 18 stops that are on the regular local 26 Outerloop/27 Interloop.
It will be eight minutes faster - or 25 percent faster - than the local bus traveling between those two transit centers.
"This is a connection between two of our busiest transit centers, Southeast Transit Center and TMC Transit Center. We feel there could be some early rider demand between the Southeast Transit Center and the Texas Medical Center, which is such a major employer," said Pat Porzillo, project manager of Swiftline and associate vice president of commuter rail. "This is basically a pilot project to see if we can be successful on the early implementation of this portion, which will eventually become a Quickline."
"We see the overall Quickline project between the Texas Medical Center and the Palm Center connecting our Southeast light-rail line and Main Street line as being a great route for connectivity," said Porzillo.
TMC Swiftline will come with new hybrid Orion buses equipped with bicycle racks and security cameras. The 426 Swiftline buses and stations will also be branded with a Swiftline logo.
The TMC Swiftline will operate during peak hours from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
It will have the following five stops: TMC Transit Center, MD Anderson, Ringness, St. Dominic/Grand (TMC administration building), and SE Transit Center.
We'll conduct a survey the last week of September to see how satisfied customers are. But in the meantime, hop on the TMC Swiftline, try it out - and let us know on this blog what you think.
Good news in our plans to build the North and Southeast lines: The Federal Transit Administration has just approved our Final Design on these two lines.
This approval means we have just completed the final prerequisite toward entering something called a Full Funding Grant Agreement on both lines. And achieving that step signals the federal government's commitment to fund its part of the projects.
So what this approval entail?
It gives METRO permission to start preparing for construction. That includes utility relocation, right-of-way acquisition, development of detailed specifications and preparation of final construction plans.
The FTA noted in its letter that METRO had adequately defined the North and Southeast Corridor's project scope, cost estimate, schedule and potential risk areas. 
The letter also stated we had demonstrated the technical capacity and capability to construct and implement the projects, adding that METRO has sufficient technical and management resources to enter into final design work.
Last month, METRO issued a $121 million work order for the North and Southeast lines, including utility relocation work. The work order is a segment of a larger contract that allows for the initial spending of $632 million on the North, Southeast and East End light-rail lines.
All this construction is expected to result in 60,000 direct and indirect jobs. Small and local businesses are expected to up to $385 million in eligible contract work by the time four lines, including Uptown, are done.
The photos posted here show construction of the Red Line on Main Street.
If you tune in to any of the Spanish-language TV or radio stations, chances are you've met Abuelita, our newest fan of METRO. She's a fun, smart grandma who gets around the city - intrepidly- by riding METRO.
"Abuelita" is our campaign aimed at the Hispanic community.
"We are reaching out to the Hispanic audience to introduce them to METRO services and to increase ridership in the Hispanic community," said Raequel Roberts, associate vice president of marketing, media and corporate communications.
Click here to see Abuelita at a Dynamos game. You'll see a 30-second Spanish version and a 30-second English version.
Who is Abuelita? She's an actor we hired. But in real life, she rides METRO, and she's a grandma.
"We took the concept to focus groups. The abuelita is very well-respected in the Hispanic community. She is someone you would trust and listen to and is the center of the family," said Sydney Scardino, METRO copywriter, who worked on the campaign. "And she is a fun, smart woman who can get around and do everything she wants to do because she rides METRO."
Roberts says as far as she knows, this is the first METRO campaign targeted to the Hispanic community. On May 5 - Cinco de Mayo - we passed out brochures, inviting the Hispanic community to nominate their grandma.
If you want to nominate your abuelita, send us a story about your abuelita's travels aboard METRO, and e-mail it to abuelita@ridemetro.org. If your story is chosen, you and your abuelita will be invited to a special event in October, National Hispanic Heritage Month in which the Hispanic culture is celebrated.
Abuelita has made personal appearances at events around town, including at the launch of the 32 Renwick Crosstown. She'll be appearing at Fiestas Patrias at Reliant Center in early September.
Catch her on TV on Telefutura Channel 67 and Univision Channel 45. And on the radio at: KTJM La Raza; KEYH La Ranchera; KQBU Tu Musica; KLTN Estereo Latino and KLAT La Trernenda. She'll also be in print ads in La Subasta soon.
The campaign ends in September, then is scheduled to reappear next January.
Fox News is doing it. So is the Wall Street Journal. Dupont and British Petroleum and NBC Universal are, too.
They are all going green and helping the environment. Read more here from ABC News.
Count METRO as a company taking big steps to go green, too. We have embarked on green initiatives that will save energy - and save taxpayers thousands of dollars every year.
Here are some things we do to keep METRO green:
- Monitor and track utility consumption at each facility
- Carefully review utility invoices to identify errors such as overcharges
- Retrofit lighting systems with new, more efficient ones.
- Adjust temperature settings at facilities
- Recycle water used to wash our bus fleet
- Water lawns and landscaping areas on as-needed basis
- Review sprinkler systems to detect and repair leaks.
- Modify water sprinkler system schedule
- Install occupancy sensors in offices and conference rooms to reduce energy use in unoccupied areas
- Stop supplying Styrofoam cups in break rooms at 1900 Main and ask employees to use their own mugs
We're already beginning to save money. So far, we've reduced our water use by more than 5 percent and our gas consumption by more than 7 percent in the period from June 2008 to June 2009. 
We have also started working on an FY2010 plan that adopts the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Energy Star program.
Read Earth911.com to learn eight ways to green your office. Click here to find 10 easy ways to green your home.
Washington-area commuters who use bicycles as their main mode of transportation will soon have a much fancier place to park their bikes.
A $4 million Bike Transit Center is scheduled to open in October next to Union Station and will feature 150 enclosed bike racks - triple what is available at Union Station now, reports the Washington Post. (The photo above was taken by Bill O'leary for the WP).
The 1,700-square foot building will also sport dressing rooms, personal lockers, a bike repair shop and a retail shop that will sell bike accessories and drinks.
Access to the Bike Transit Center will cost riders $1 a day to get in and out from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or annual membership of $100 a year and 24/7 access to bike racks.
"To leave your bike outside unattended and unsecured was a problem. We needed more capacity and more security," Jim Sebastian, the District Department of Transportation's bicycle program (DDOT) coordinator, told the Washington Post.
The center will be first one on the East Coast. The U.S. Department of Transportation paid for 80 percent; the balance was paid for by DDOT.
About 87,500 people now use bikes as their main way to get around town - and supporters hope this new Bike Transit Center will encourage more bike riders.
Read more here.
When a Boston trolley rear-ended another trolley in May, sending 49 people to the hospital, the cause turned out to be texting. The 24-year-old conductor was texting his girlfriend, reported the Boston Globe.
Last September, a Metrolink engineer in the Los Angeles area caused fatalities when he was texting a teen-ager. It was the nation's worst train crash in 15 years, killing 25 people, including the engineer. Read more here.
Clearly, texting while driving can be deadly.
To ensure a safe ride here at METRO, we have a strict cell phone policy for our bus operators. The policy states that "the use of cellular phones including hands-free and/or other electronic devices, except for the bus or rail radio, while operating a METRO vehicle, is prohibited and will result in termination of employment for the offender."
The policy refers to all METRO buses, trains, trucks and non-revenue vehicles (company cars driven by employees that do not pick up paying passengers).
Operators may not have their cell phones visible at all. They must be turned off and tucked away in a bag - out of sight and out of reach.
Should an emergency occur and the operator need to call the dispatcher, the operator should pull the bus to a safe location, set the brake, secure the bus, exit the bus and then make the call. This would be a rare and unusual circumstance.
Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood has championed the cause of no texting while driving, calling for a summit on distracted driving late next month. Read LaHood's announcement here.
The New York Times reports on pros and cons of laws that ban texting. For example, the Governors Highway Safety Association advocates no texting while driving, but opposes laws that can't be enforced. But safety advocates say laws can help change behavior, such as happened with seat belt laws.
Meanwhile, LaHood's summit is attracting a lot of attention.
"Everywhere I've gone since the announcement, people have been telling me the distracted driving horror stories they've witnessed or been victims of," writes LaHood on his blog, The Fast Lane. "Letting your concentration drift, for any reason, while driving, endangers your life and the lives of others."
The grandfather of nine grandchildren, LaHood also reminds readers that as back-to-school schedules gear up, it's time to take this message seriously.
Here in Houston, drivers need to change their habits when driving through school zones. A state law that goes into effect Sept. 1 prohibits drivers from using a wireless device or cell phone when they are driving through school zones when the lights are blinking.
What do you think? Should texting while driving be banned? If so, how enforceable is that? What about software that allows your speech to be converted to text and vice versa? Would that be less distracting?
Imagine this: You just landed a new job at the Texas Medical Center, but you are dreading the long trek from your home out in Katy.
Instead, you decide you'll share a ride - not just to save money but to keep our environment cleaner by keeping one more car off the road. You click on METRO Star and check out vanpooling.
Not only will you reduce your carbon footprint, you'll gain some free time as a passenger to catch up on reading or napping.
That's just one commute solution you can take to help clean our region's air.
You can share your solution - and pledge to take that solution the month of August - as part of Commute Solutions, a campaign sponsored by METRO and the Houston-Galveston Area Council. 
You're invited to attend a kick-off event tomorrow, Aug. 12, from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the Texas Medical Center Transit Center. Participate in "My Solution is..." campaign and register to win prizes.
Some more commute solutions you may want to consider and make a pledge to keep:
- Teleworking - work from home one or two days a week. Research shows this increases productivity and lowers absenteeism by allowing workers to work from the comfort of their home.
- Vanpooling - Leave your car at home and share a van to work.
- Mass transit - take a bus or train to work. One 40-foot bus takes about 58 cars off the road.
- Flextime - Use staggered work hours to avoid peak rush hour.
- Biking and walking - Board your bike on a bus and take two wheels instead of four to reach your destination.
- Maintain your vehicle - keep tires properly inflated, change your motor oil every 3,000 miles. A car that is not maintained can release as much as 10 times more emissions than a properly maintained vehicle.
Pledge to keep one of these solutions - or create your own. If you can't make it to our event tomorrow, go online and pledge. Click here to register your solution.
Three million passengers a day ride the London subway, known as the Tube or the Underground.
And one prize-winning artist has found a way to weave art and poetry into those rides to help break up what he calls the monotony of train announcements, reports The Los Angeles Times. (The photo on the left is by Andy Rain/EPA and appeared in the LAT).
So instead of hearing, "Please take your belongings with you," now passengers could hear a quote from William Shakespere, or a Swedish proverb, or a quote from Karl Marx.
Artist Jeremy Deller had initially proposed a day of no announcements at all on the train. Officials nixed that idea, so Deller suggested operators could read from a manual of quotes and witty sayings. This time Transport for London, which operates the Underground, agreed.
"I thought it would be nice to hear something with a higher meaning or a resonance with the traveler," Deller told the Los Angeles Times.
Here are some of the quotes: 
"An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory." - Friedrich Engels.
"The afternoon knows what the morning never expected." - Swedish proverb.
"A throne is only a bench covered in velvet." - Napoleon Bonaparte.
"There's more to life than increasing its speed." - Mohandas Gandhi.
What do passengers think about the witty art? Some have welcomed the effort, while one asked for Valium, not poetry. Click here to read comments from London commuters.
The booklet of quotations was given to all 1,500 train operators of the Piccadilly Line, the subway's second busiest line. It's up to the operators to decide if they want to read from the booklet -and they can read whenever the mood strikes.
The METRO Police Department will be hiring eight officers and buying two - two four-legged officers, that is - thanks to federal stimulus funds it was awarded last week.
MPD was one of 15 transit agencies nationwide selected to receive money from a $78 million pot. The funding is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP). The 15 agencies will hire about 240 law enforcement officers to help the nation guard against acts of terrorism.
"This Recovery Act money will create critical law enforcement jobs that will help our nation prevent terrorist attacks," said Janet Napolitano, Department of Homeland Security secretary, in a statement
METRO will receive $3 million to hire additional officers, beefing up the current force of 185 officers and eight K-9 officers.
"Any additional resources will help us to make the system safer," said METRO's Assistant Chief of Police Tim Kelly. "Police officers are the backbone of what we do. This money will help us get more officers on the force to help with our day-to-day operations, such as conducting random patrols which help deter terrorism and reduce crime."
The two police dogs will be trained to detect explosives. Currently, METRO's K-9 force includes five dogs trained to detect explosives and three dogs trained to track narcotics. 
"I love it - I'm totally excited about expanding the force. I love training dogs," said John Ivey, MPD's canine trainer. "It will definitely be beneficial to METRO to have seven explosive dogs. They're effective because they can help pinpoint the area for bomb technicians and eliminate the concern if there's a device or suspicious package. We run the dog first to see if we get any response and then the bomb technicians come in and disarm it."
The New York Metropolitan Transit Agency received about $35 million for 25 new officers, making it the largest award among the 15 agencies. Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) was the only other Texas transit agency to get some of this funding - $1.4 million.
The Recovery Act was signed into law by President Obama in February, committing more than $3 billion for homeland security projects.
If you're one of the hundreds of commuters who rides METRO, you probably climb on-board, settle in your seat and never think twice about what keeps the buses and trains running.
And that's the way it should be - a seamless, safe ride for you.
But what happens to the buses at night when they complete their runs?
Watch METRO Moves tonight on HCCTV, Channel 19 on Comcast at 6 p.m. You'll find out that our six bus operating facilities, known as BOFs, are open daily to clean and maintain our fleet of buses. Three of the BOFs are open 24/7.
The buses are refueled at the BOFs every night with dripless, fast-fuel equipment. Each bus can hold 125 gallons of diesel fuel.
We replace 100 buses a year - using hybrid-electric buses - making our fleet one of the youngest in the nation. Buses are parked facing in or facing out in their assigned spots, indicating to the repair crew which buses need work. 
Before any bus pulls out for the day, the driver uses a handheld computer to check numerous safety points in a detailed pre-trip inspection.
On the train, inspectors ride the rail daily and walk around each train to inspect it with a hand-held computer.
You'll also meet some of the men and women who plan the routes, analyze the ridership and make changes that bring service to where it's needed - without increasing costs.
Watch all this tonight at 6 p.m. It will be repeated every night through Friday. If you don't get Comcast, you'll be able to view it on our Web site after 5 p.m. Click here.
You may have seen the story and editorial in the Houston Chronicle this week about METRO's practice of posting our working committee sessions in our lobby at 1900 Main St. and at the Harris County Civil Courthouse, but not on the Web. Below is METRO's response.
We are thankful to the Houston Chronicle for focusing our attention on this matter. However, the Chronicle has covered METRO for years, and it has never been its practice to attend these working sessions. It has a right to change its past practices, and we have a right to reexamine ours.
To avoid confusion, we need to distinguish between the formal monthly committee meetings of the METRO Board of Directors (held on the mornings of the monthly Board meeting) from the working sessions.
First, these working sessions are not attended by a quorum of the Board, which means under state statute we are not required to post their schedules. 
Second, unlike the formal committee meetings, the working sessions are conducted on an as-needed basis. They follow no set schedule - sometimes changing times and dates with very little notice. Depending on the schedule of the committee chair, working sessions may even be cancelled the morning of the scheduled day.
So, while we have been diligent about posting the working session notices, it has been almost impossible to manage the process beyond that.
Going forward, if we anticipate a quorum at a Board working session, that meeting will be posted 72 hours in advance. These notices, along with our monthly committee and Board meeting notices will be posted at the Harris County Civil Courthouse (4th floor), in METRO's Ridestore lobby and on METRO's Web site.
Establishing light rail in Houston has been a long and rocky road - but with the recent celebrations of the North and Southeast groundbreakings, we are one step closer to achieving real choices for commuters.
Our documentary this week traces the path to rail - and how voters came to the pivotal decision that the nation's fourth largest city needed light rail.
The referendum - known as METRO Solutions - passed in November 2003 - and Houston was its way to becoming a transit-friendly city.
Watch The Path to Rail on HCCTV, Comcast Channel 19 tonight at 6 p.m. It will be repeated every night through Friday this week.
You will also be able to see in on our Web site tomorrow.
Fast forward to 2012.
Step on a METRO train, and you should be boarding a new CAF USA train with six doors on one side and one level from front to back.
Find out more cool features of these new trains - including the so-called Jacuzzi seat - from METRO's President & CEO, Frank J. Wilson.
In this episode of METRO Matters, Wilson tells why rodeo and football fans will find it easier to ride the rail.
Also, learn how METRO's unprecedented way of ordering these trains surprised the industry - and saved the agency time and money.
Click here for a preview of the show.
You can also catch the program on Comcast's Channel 17, Houston Media Source, at these times:
Tue 7/28/09 3:15 p.m.
Fri 7/31/09 7:30 p.m.
Mon 8/3/09 9:30 p.m.
Thu 8/6/09 7:30 p.m.
Sat 8/8/09 8:00 p.m.
Wed 8/12/09 8:30 p.m.
Sat 8/15/09 12:30 p.m.
Tue 8/18/09 12:30 p.m.
Thu 8/20/09 7:30 p.m.
Sat 8/22/09 8:00 p.m.
Tue 8/25/09 6:45 p.m.
Fri 8/28/09 7:30 p.m.
Step on a train, and you may meet an ancient Chinese warrior.
Three of our trains now sport a huge decal wrapped on the front, showcasing one of the terra cotta warriors now on display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
The trains were wrapped over the weekend, and it's part of METRO's partnership with the museum, helping to promote what Time magazine has called one of the top five "must-see" museum exhibitions this year.
"It's a great way to bring attention to the exhibit and the fact that you can get to the exhibit on METRORail," said JoAnne Lingenfelter, manager of marketing.
Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China's First Emperor features more than 100 artifacts, including 14 life-size soldiers. The warriors were built to protect the emperor on his journey to the afterlife.
Houston is one of five national stops of this exhibit - and it's easy to visit by riding the Red Line. Be sure to pick up a brochure on the train for a coupon worth $10 off an adult-priced ticket.
Texas is ready for its T-Bone, and it's not a steak.
It's the corridor of a proposed high-speed rail that would connect Houston - via College Station - to Temple, with that branch linking to Dallas-Ft. Worth, Austin and San Antonio.
And Texas is standing in line - along with 39 other states - hoping for money from Uncle Sam to build that rail.
July 10 was the deadline to submit pre-applications for High-Speed and Inter-City Passenger Rail funds from the Federal Railroad Administration.
Competition is fierce. The states are asking for $102 billion in funding - far more that the $8 billion the Obama administration has set aside for high-speed rail in the Recovery and Reinvestment Act for this.
The Texas Department of Transportation is asking that $1.7 billion of the $1.9 billion it is seeking to receive be devoted to the Texas T-Bone.
Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood says he's pleased at the flood of pre-applications.
"It shows that not only does this country want high-speed rail, but also that this country is ready for high-speed rail," he writes in his blog. "The overwhelming responses show that the planners who pre-applied for these grants are way ahead of where everyone thought they'd be in terms of their ability to conceive of and plan these rail lines."
Click here to read more in his blog.
Does Texas have a chance at these funds?
Not much preliminary work has been done yet on these bullet trains - such as environmental studies, feasibility reviews and right-of-way acquisition - but TxDot says it never hurts to ask, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Final applications are due Aug. 24.
Would you leave your car at home and travel on a 200-mile-per-hour train to get to Austin, San Antonio or Dallas? We'd like to hear your thoughts on high-speed rail.
If you missed METRO's gala celebration last Monday of the two groundbreaking ceremonies (Southeast and North corridors) and the finale at Minute Maid Park's Union Station, check out our documentary.
Highlights of all three celebrations are featured in a 30-minute documentary, airing every night this week through Friday. It's on HCCTV, Comcast's Channel 19 at 6 p.m. and again at 6:30 p.m.
If you don't subscribe to Comcast, you can view it here on our Web site.
Notable speakers include Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Congressman Gene Green, Congressman Al Green, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Mayor Bill White.
METRO Chairman David Wolff emcees the event - and tells what we need to do if we're going to build a transit system as extensive as the light-rail system in Dallas.
Plus, you'll get to see a life-size model of our new CAF train.
A life-sized model of METRO's new train took center stage at Minute Maid Park's Union Station on Monday as officials celebrated the groundbreaking of the Southeast and North Corridors.
METRO Chairman David S. Wolff emceed the grand celebration, speaking to a crowd of about 350, including state and local officials who played a role in bringing light rail to this city.
"These light rail lines will connect our communities in ways they have never been connected before. They will provide improved access to jobs, to health care and to the educational institutions which are so important to our city," said Wolff.
The new light-rail lines will connect the North, East End and Southeast corridors. Officials pointed out that the two light-rail lines were given $150 million in President Obama's 2010 budget - making them two of the five transit projects mentioned in the administration's budget. 
The light-rail system will be one of the biggest infrastructure project in Houston's history and is expected to bring 60,000 jobs to the city.
Earlier Monday, separate but simultaneous celebrations occurred at the North and Southeast corridors with a ceremonial hammering of railroad spikes.
We'll bring you highlights in a documentary on Monday. Stay tuned.
Summertime is beach time, and if you've trekked to Galveston wishing you didn't have to fight traffic on I-45, regional transit is the answer.
Just how we can most effectively connect Harris County to its surrounding seven counties with regional transit is an issue that affects all of us.
The documentary that airs tonight on HCCTV, Comcast Channel 19, takes an in-depth look at the various aspects of regional transit: what communities should be connected, what modes of transportation, and who should pay for it.
The panel of experts are: Dr. Carol Lewis of Texas Southern University, Robert Muhammad of NTE Planning Consultants and Christof Spieler of Citizens' Transportation Coalition.
Should one newly created umbrella agency run regional transit? What role should METRO play? And do riders really care who runs and operates these trips, as long as they get from Point A to Point B seamlessly with one fare card?
Hear more about these critical questions in this lively and engaging discussion moderated by anchorman Mike Barajas of Fox 26 News.
You can also view this roundtable discussion on our Web site by clicking here.
Look around your bus or train, and you'll see warriors - terra cotta soldiers from ancient China.
Starting today, you'll find a $10-off coupon in brochures on the buses and trains for the Houston Museum of Natural Science's exhibit, "Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China's First Emperor."
We also have images of warriors displayed along the rail platforms.
Tagged as one of five must-see exhibits by Time magazine, this exhibit features more than 100 amazing artifacts, including 14 life-size terra cotta soldiers.
Ride the rail or bus - and get $10 off a $28 adult admission. If you have kids, it's cheaper to buy them an adult ticket, using a METRO coupon. And if you're a senior, you'll save money, too, by buying a regular adult ticket with a METRO coupon instead of a senior ticket.
METRO has identified the cause of a derailment that occurred on June 16.
The incident occurred 27 minutes past midnight during a training exercise with only an instructor and two trainees on board. There were no injuries.
An independent investigation concluded that excessive speed around the curve at Braeswood and Greenwood caused the two-car train to derail. The train was traveling 22 mph in a 15 mph-zone.
METRO asked the consulting firm, ARUP North America, to make independent recommendations to enhance METRORail safety. The international and design firm's recommendations include the following:
- Establish uniform speed of 15 mph in this location instead of the three current speed limits of 15, 30 and 20 mph.
- Review and augment training of METRORail instructors
- Ultrasonically test the rail to verify its structural integrity (METRO conducts these tests annually).
- Analyze and assess tight curves in the five, new lines METRO is building
METRO has adopted these recommendations and is implementing them.
If you are one of the 400,000 commuters who ride our transit system every day, you will be happy to know the METRO Police Department is ready to respond to any emergency that may occur.
That's the subject of the METRO documentary that airs tonight on HCCTV, Comcast Channel 19, at 6 p.m. tonight. You can also watch it here on our Web site.
A nationally accredited transit police department, METRO's police department works with multiple police agencies to keep patrons safe on the bus and on the rail.
The heart of the response system is Houston TranStar, which coordinates all METRO's emergency responses.
The documentary details how METRO responds to natural disasters, such as storms. A boat rescue squad practices regularly on how to rescue in debris-filled water, including buoy rescues and tethered rescues.
METRO's Motorist Assistance Program, along with the city of Houston's Safe Clear program, aids drivers who break down on the freeways. Cars are cleared quickly, flat tires are fixed, gas given if needed. So far, thousands of motorists have been helped.
METRO's Special Operations Response Team (SORT) is trained to respond to potentially deadly and dangerous situations. This elite group of certified SWAT officers consists of 10 officers who can respond to such emergencies as a barricaded suspect or hostage.
You'll also learn about METRO's successful bus marshal program, where officers ride undercover as a passenger - and by doing so, have made key arrests involving drug dealers and gangs.
You'll meet our award-winning four-legged officers - the K9 unit where dogs are trained to detect explosives or drugs.
See all this tonight on METRO: Ready to Respond and find out why this is one of the safest transit systems in the nation. The documentary will repeat Tuesday through Friday this week at 6 p.m.
Ride the rail to visit one of the nation's top five "must see" museum exhibits, as rated by Time magazine.
It's the Houston Museum of Natural Science exhibit, Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China's First Emperor.
Often considered one of the eight wonders of the world, these life-sized terra cotta replicas were built to protect China's first emperor throughout eternity.
Qin Shi Huang was only 13 years old when he commissioned the army of 8,000 soldiers, built to stand guard over him in a vast necropolis. This exhibit of 14 life-sized soldiers is the biggest display of warriors and tomb artifacts to travel to the United States.
METRO has teamed up with the Houston Museum of Natural Science to offer a $10 discount off an adult ticket. Brochures with a coupon will be distributed on buses, trains and our RideStore in the next few weeks.
The exhibit is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and continues until Oct. 18.
Tune in to HCCTV, Comcast Channel 19 tonight at 6 p.m., and you'll hear real stories from riders who love taking METRO to get them where they need to go.
From a young man who says a METRO bus is like a party bus when he and his buddies go to football games, to an executive who hasn't stepped aboard a bus in 30 years but tries it for the first time, meet commuters who prefer to leave the driving to someone else.
Bottom line: Taking METRO is convenient, cost-effective and easy.
You'll also discover some jewels you can visit within walking distance of the Red Line, such as The Menil Collection or The Contemporary Arts 
Houston.
Watch the I Ride documentary tonight and every weeknight this week at 6 p.m.
If you don't have Comcast, click here to view it on our Web site. We'll have it up by 5 p.m. tonight.