Building Transit in "Final Frontier"
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 3:10 PM
Frank J. Wilson, METRO's president & CEO, has worked on both coasts - but it's the Gulf Coast he calls the final frontier for transit - the land that transit forgot.
In the nation's fourth largest city with three downtowns and where more than 2,000 people are moving every year, building transit is a challenge - but one METRO is ready to tackle.
"Can we build fast enough to influence where they go, or are we going to have to catch up to the location decisions they make? One's easy to serve. The other is really difficult to serve," Wilson told Mass Transit, a monthly industry publication.
In a wide-ranging cover story of the March issue, Wilson discussed with Mass Transit the success of our one rail line, what we're doing to prevent rail accidents, our fleet replacement plan, hybrid buses, Signature bus and an innovative way to buy trains.
On Main Street rail line's success:
"Before there was a rail line on Main Street, Houston didn't understand what rail was. And the first year after it was here, it was a curse that was sent here by the transit gods," said Wilson.
"And now it's irreplaceable in five short years. There's no here who's going to say we should roll it up and give Main Street back to the automobile," he continued.
It succeeded because of the locations the 7.5 mile line connects - the financial district, downtown and the Texas Medical Center.
"There is no other place that connects all that...Now people use this as a horizontal elevator. It's like a cable car but flat - on and off, on and off, on and off," said Wilson.
On off-the-rack procurement:
Traditionally, transit agencies give train manufacturers a long list of specifications. But when METRO set out to buy its new light-rail vehicles, it told the 
prospective vendors there was a short list: no specs.
Wilson asked the vendors to select the car they felt the most comfortable with and pitch that. There had to be at least 10 vehicles running and METRO would send its staff to evaluate them.
"It was their car on their terms at their price. I'm just selecting the one that looked best price-wise," said Wilson. "We're not dictating the terms. We're accepting the terms from the marketplace...Just give me your best offer on your best car. I'll either accept it or reject it," said Wilson.
It was an unconventional way to buy trains - but one that shaved time and money from the standard process. On the left is a photo of the CAF USA train we expect to have in 2012.
Click here to read the complete article.