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COUNTDOWN TO 2014 ANNUAL MEETING & EXPO
Houston Sizzles: Host City on the Move with METRO
BY THOMAS LAMBERT, Chief Executive Officer, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO), Houston, TX

Let me fill you in on a secret. ­Houston is hot—and I am not talking about the summer heat.

The Space City is bursting at the seams on many fronts: jobs, housing, cultural enrichment, sustainability, and beyond. Ride along and you’ll see what I mean. METRO is proud to be part of the action, expanding and enhancing its transit reach to keep the city moving.

Come experience it yourself at APTA’s 2014 Annual Meeting & EXPO in this year’s host city.

I am a native Houstonian, and my career in transportation started about the same time METRO opened for business, 1979. I’ve witnessed several amazing transformations from a bus company running with a dilapidated fleet to the buildout of Houston’s first light rail line in 2004. Since opening, the Main Street Line has tallied up more than 112 million boardings, four years ahead of projections. It continues to move more passengers per mile than any other light rail system in the nation, except for the MBTA in Boston. Another interesting and very important side note: Along this starter line alone, we’ve seen $8 billion in ­public/private development from 2003 to 2014.

As we look toward the future, the progress is astounding. I’m proud to lead an agency of 3,600 employees on the brink of reimagining our entire bus network from scratch. The anticipated new bus network will be integrated with our expanding light rail system, which will soon triple in size, operating about 23 miles of track with the opening of the Southeast (Purple) and East End (Green) lines later this year.

METRO launched its North (Red) Line extension four months ago and, in its first month, exceeded ridership projections.
Let me give you an example of the value of rail in our community. The world-famous Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo wrapped up last month. This three-week event draws crowds every year, and we are proud to help rodeo-goers get to the big show via our buses and expanded rail service. The rodeo helped METRO Rail break ridership records this year with 1.28 million boardings during the 23-day event.

Opening three new rail lines in a year’s time is ambitious. Redesigning an entire bus network is also a challenging endeavor. But I think we can all agree the demand for public transportation is higher than ever. Americans took a record number of public transportation trips in 2013—10.7 billion nationwide. Houston was among the cities that saw its ridership increase.

We are the fourth largest city in the country, and our ridership growth is projected to increase by about 94 percent between now and 2035. The big factors—population and job growth in the Houston region. Accommodating the growth with reliable transit today—and in the future—is key.

We’re also working to improve the transit experience on the digital side. We recently launched the METRO T.R.I.P. app, so be sure to download it before your visit to EXPO 2014 so that you can have schedule and real-time bus arrival info in the palm of your hand. Also try METRO 360—a unique, interactive tool that allows you to try us before you ride us. It’s available here.

Discover Houston, experience EXPO 2014. We’ll have a tour of our Arts in Transit program that showcases a rich variety of public art pieces at our rail stations, and you will be able to visit Houston TranStar. This is where government agencies come together to handle emergency situations.

Houston is more than oil and space. It’s a trove of culture, arts, and ­museums. It’s home to the world-renowned Texas Medical Center. It has all major sporting teams. And it’s a foodies’ heaven, so bring your appetite. The Bayou City boasts some of the best restaurants in the nation. There’s an incredible array of multicultural cuisines which is representative of our diverse population.

I look forward to meeting you in October. I’ll be the one in a suit and boots. #APTAEXPO

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