Our second lunchtime Web chat with Frank J. Wilson, our CEO and president, focused exclusively on METRO Solutions. We recorded 51 users. To those who particpated, we hope you found this useful and informative. If you missed it, here's the transcript.
| Q: With Houston being a very sprawled out city, but has a web of freight rail lines in every direction. It seems to me that it would be best to focus our long term rail investmets on a two or three tracked outer freight belt on the fringes of the suburbs. The freight railroads can then be persuaded to route thru trains over the belt during the day to free up the inner lines for commuter rail service - which serves such a dispersed city much better than light rail.
Local freight customers can be served during the night when commuter trains are not running. This would also facilitate street traffic by eliminating mile long freight trains that block crossings within the city. |
(12:06:24 PM) Frank J Wilson: | A: Hi, Frank is tied up now. Here's Bryan Pennington, vice president of planning, engineering and construction. I'll answer this until Frank gets here. METRO Solutions' long-range plan includes many different modes of transportation, commuter rail to the outer suburbs as being one of those modes. Light rail and commuter rail serve two different markets. Light rail is designed to move people into the downtown area, within the 610 Loop, whereas commuter rail is designed to move people into the downtown area from the outskirts of the city. So the two modes are not mutually exclusive. |
(12:09:26 PM) Frank J Wilson: | Q : Will rail eventually go to the suburbs i.e. Sugar Land, Katy, etc.?
A : Bryan here talking: As part of the longer term implementation of commuter rail, it is likely that Missouri City, 290 corridor, and Galveston would be the first areas to be served by commuter rail. However, METRO has not yet completed its planning process, so the other possible areas of service are still being considered.
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(12:13:36 PM) Frank J Wilson: | Q : How will METRO serve the suburbs outside of Beltway 8, and not only HOV buses, but in a perpendicular direction to the radial HOV "spokes"?
A : This is Frank - I've joined the chat room now. We sponsor a Ride Share program that will not allow people to use a different form of public transit to make commutes from the suburbs to downtown, from suburb to suburb, and from any major activity center. They are typically organized by an employer with METRO's assistance.
However, METRO also does matching for potential users that originate in a small area and have a destination in a common area. We currently operate close to 700 of these vanpools. Please check our Web site for more information on vanpools. By the way, vanpools can use the HOV to speed up the ride. |
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(12:17:46 PM) Frank J Wilson: | Q : What efforts will be made to protect businesses along the construction zones?
A : We intend to do work in short, isolated areas and to move out of these areas as quickly as possible, while maintaining access to businesses throughout the construction period. In addition, to be sure that safety is maintained for pedestrian and vehicular movements, the construction zone will be delineated, protected, and policed to enforce strict safety standards.
METRO is about to launch a campaign to present our construction plans to every resident and business owner in the construction corridor to get their input as to how we could best schedule and sequence the work so as to minimize disruptions, such as dust, noise, and access. The construction plans as modified over time will be reviewed with the business owners and residents as the need for change arises. |
(12:19:53 PM) Frank J Wilson: | Q : How about an outer freight belt to free up inner rail lines for commuter service during the day? This seems to be the most cost effective solution for Houston.
A : Great suggestion. In fact, there has been a multi-year effort to examine the strategy, and it should be advanced as a matter of high priority for the new Freight Rail District created for this specific purpose. METRO is coordinating its commuter rail development plans with this new organization.
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(12:21:36 PM) Frank J Wilson: | Q : I live along the East corridor, will I be able to get in and out of my neighborhood? When will you be in my area?
A : The direct answer is yes. We intend to maintain access during construction. We will begin construction in the East Corridor this June and construction will start between Milby and Lockwood. Since I don't know where you live, and I don't want to pry into your personal information, that's the best answer I can give you.
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(12:22:29 PM) Frank J Wilson: | Q : You mention starting work on 2 lines, which ones?
A : East End and the North Line in the vicinity of the Hardy Yards, which is just north of University of Houston downtown campus.
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(12:27:33 PM) Frank J Wilson: | Q : Do you agree that Pearland would be the best "experimental" Metro Rail line, as it is the closest Suburb to downtown?
A : Pearland is a wonderful place not to experiment but to provide badly needed transit service as soon as possible. We offered the city of Pearland a new high-quality Park & Ride service, which would offer a one-seat ride to the Medical Center, which is an important destination and it would also offer a free transfer to the Main Street rail line which would provide a quick and easy link to other important destinations throughout the city.
Unfortunately, the city has not accepted METRO's offer. Don't ask for explanations. It's hard for us to understand why we're not running the service today with the city's full support since we also offered to arrange for over $2 million in federal funding to support this service. So it's hard to imagine how we might build a rail line if it's difficult to start up a badly needed bus service. |
(12:29:42 PM) Frank J Wilson: | Q : How is the re-application process going with the Federal Government?
A : Things are going well. METRO submitted all the data the Federal government asked for Jan. 15th. While we haven't heard anything official from the Federal Transit Administration just yet, we expect to receive a letter today, as a matter of fact, which should contain its official response to the work done to date. So stay tuned.
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(12:34:42 PM) Frank J Wilson: | Q : If sales tax revenue lags, and federal funds are reduced, how can METRO build and operate these lines without reducing bus service to the poor, minority, elderly, and handicapped bus transit dependent riders throughout the service area?
A : There is no thought, intention, or policy to decrease bus service. In fact, recent history shows we're doing just the opposite. We've started two new Park & Ride lots in the last six months or so, we intend to begin construction on at least two Signature bus lines that were called for in the 2003 Referendum and we've made service increases to selected routes that had exhibited increased running times, due to roadway congestion. More to the point, there is no reason to expect a reduction in federal funding.
Secondly, our forecast for sales tax revenues are extremely conservative, and thirdly, we have demonstrated our commitment to being fiscally prudent since our operating costs have been held constant for going on four years, an unenviable record that I don't believe any business or government could match unless they were going out of business. So we're confident that the financial resources will be sufficient to advance our entire program. |
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(12:42:46 PM) Frank J Wilson: | Q : I'm a long-time resident of North Lindale Subdivision. I am very glad that we are getting a stop here in our area. It will be very beneficial to our residents. When will construction actually begin on the station on Fulton and Melbourne??
A : I like to be specific in providing answers to your questions. I also like not making excuses. But the truth of the matter is I can only give you a general answer to this question because our funding partner, the federal government, must be consulted on the schedule issue. If we had our way, we would begin work some time this summer. This is an issue that we monitor every day. Please stay in touch for further updates because we expect to hear from the Federal Transit Administration any day now on the schedule issue.
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(12:46:36 PM) Frank J Wilson: | Q : What is the timeframe for the commuter rail line out 290 and the HOV expansion? Will the loss of TxDOT funding affect the HOV expansion plans?
A : I wish I had the TxDot and Harris County toll road folks with me here today because they're controlling the schedule. Our major task now is to make sure that enough space is provided in the 290 corridor to permit us to locate a commuter rail line. Such location should be easily accessed by potential users. While this may look like a simple thing to do, it is turning into a three-dimensional chess game to satisfy the freight railroad, the commuter rail, the managed lanes, and TxDot's interest in the Hempstead Highway. I don't mean to suggest that there's no cooperation. Quite the contrary. Everyone's working hard, but the problem is complex. We hope to have our commuter rail line alignment issue resolved sometime before July.
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(12:48:26 PM) Frank J Wilson: | Q : Will you all be posting renderings of the stations to be built on your web site?
A : Yes. But we're still working on gaining neighborhood input as to what the stations should look like and you may be aware that METRO sponsored a station arts program that also will become part of the design choices for the neighborhoods where the stations are located. Once this work is complete, we'll proudly display the updated the renderings on the Web site. Please do join us and give us your thoughts on what your station ought to look like.
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(12:50:28 PM) Frank J Wilson: | Q : What about fast, express service to the Airports? Is that in the works?
A : You clearly are reading my mail or monitoring my phone conversations because we have spent a huge amount of time in the last month designing this new badly-needed express service to Bush International. I don't mean to be coy, but you've touched on such an important issue that we will devote our next monthly Web chat to an express airport service discussion. If you have specific thoughts about how this should be done, as they say, we're all ears. We'll want to hear from you asap.
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(12:55:28 PM) Frank J Wilson: | Q : Are there plans in the works for regional rail, such as one day linking up with the tracks to Austin?
A : Some day Houston will be linked to Austin. I don't say this because we are actively working on it, but I believe it is one of Nostradamus' predictions.
Seriously, we are devoting our efforts to the light-rail network described in the referendum which as you know, includes a commuter rail connection to Missouri City. We are also working to preserve the 290 corridor so that that becomes a distinct possibility in the future and we are in the planning phases of a few other lines, such as Westpark and Galveston. But more to your question about regional rail to Austin or perhaps Dallas. This is so obvious an opportunity. There's no doubt that at some point the connection between these three great cities - Houston, Austin, Dallas - has to happen. If nothing else, it frees up a lot of air space from Bush or Hobby, not trying to serve close-in destinations, which should be left to high-speed rail. They can then focus on more lucrative long distance air travel without compromising safety or capacity of the air ways. | |
(12:56:42 PM) Frank J Wilson: | Q : What is the timeline for P&R service to Pearland?
A : Please see my previous answer. But the answer to your question is whenever the mayor and city council of Pearland give METRO the go-ahead sign. We've been trying to get this go-ahead sign for over a year. Good luck.
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(12:58:36 PM) Frank J Wilson: | Q : I was on the art selection committee and would like to know if the artists have come up with final art plans for the north corridor stations?
A : When I inquired, I was told by the artists that you don't rush genius. Therefore, I'm afraid to go back and raise the issue again. However, my instincts say we're darn close to having final art products, but really, the final decision regarding art at any station really should belong to the community. I will tell them you've asked me to have them step up the pace.
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