Houston Transit and Transportation Thread

[Wattleigh]

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2023/03/29/southwest-airlines-hobby-airport-expansion-plans.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_27&cx_artPos=1#cxrecs_s

Southwest Airlines updates plans for $250M Hobby Airport expansion

By Sofia Gonzalez – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Mar 29, 2023

Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) is working on the planning and design phase for its $250 million expansion at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) following a memorandum of agreement that was approved by Houston City Council a year ago.

Jonathan Massey, principal aviation sector leader for Dallas-based Corgan, provided updates on the project during the city’s March 29 economic development committee meeting. Corgan is the architectural firm providing services to Southwest, and Massey said the expansion will affect three areas of the facility: the west concourse, the baggage claim area and the behind-the-scenes baggage system.

The first part of the project will be expanding the west concourse, which Southwest opened in 2015. Currently, Southwest serves five international-capable gates, meaning they can be used for domestic or international arrivals. With the expansion, seven gates will be added to the existing facility. Of those seven, two will be international-capable gates.

[Wattleigh]

IAH

https://aviationsourcenews.com/airpo...er-progresses/

Construction on Houston IAH Airport D West Pier progresses

March 29, 2023
Len Varley

Recently, over 350 people gathered to celebrate the topping out of the new D West Pier at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Houston TX.

When the project is complete, the international carrier gate capacity will increase to 18 as part of the MLIT Program. This new state-of-art facility will highlight IAH as a premier global gateway.

The current development programme represents the most extensive capital improvement in the airport’s history to date.

As part of an ongoing project, Gilbane Building Company and their joint venture partner, Austin Commercial, are giving one of the busiest airports in the United States a significant expansion and refurbishment to maintain its momentum as an international hub.

“The topping out event was a big success for not only the Austin-Gilbane joint venture team but for the Houston aviation community as a whole,” said Russ Gyvel, Senior Project Manager.

“We are delighted to reach this significant milestone in the project and are looking ahead to the finish line in what promises to be a grand addition to ‘H-Town’s’ travel hub.”

Image from article

[Wattleigh]

University Corridor BRT

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...y-17880770.php

Metro approves route for University Corridor BRT despite ongoing community concerns, objections

Dug Begley,
Staff writer
April 6, 2023

Metro officials on Wednesday approved a path for the 25.3 mile University Corridor in a rare split vote that keeps the region’s largest bus rapid transit project on track for a 2028 opening, but also deepened concerns among some who said the public is not completely behind the planned route.

Wednesday’s voting, setting a locally-preferred alternative for the line, allows Metropolitan Transit Authority planners and consultants for the agency to continue design of the busways along many local streets, and work with the Federal Transit Authority on necessary approvals. Under the current schedule, construction could begin as early as late next year, though riders will not hop aboard the large buses operating in their own lanes for another three or four years.

“This is an important step, but not the last step,” Metro board Chairman Sanjay Ramabhadran said.

Approval of the route came with division, uncharacteristic for the Metro board. Five members — Ramabhadran, Roberto Trevino, Diann Lewter, Bob Fry and Lex Frieden — approved the route, the minimum number needed to pass. Members Terri Morales, an East End resident, Troi Taylor and Don Elder voted against approval, citing the need for more public feedback.

“I feel we need more time for community involvement,” Morales said.

Metro board member Chris Hollins did not stay for the entire three-hour meeting and did not vote.

The approved route would run from the Tidwell Transit Center, south along Lockwood to the University of Houston and Texas Southern University, then west mostly along Wheeler, Richmond and Westpark to the Westchase Park and Ride. Buses would travel in their own lanes, separated from vehicular traffic.

The line, by many standards, will be the backbone of the transit system Metro hopes to build as part of its $7.5 billion long-range plan. It is the only project planned in the area for transit that intersects the three existing light rail lines, parts of Houston seeing increased development such as Second Ward, the area around the colleges, Montrose, Greenway Plaza and Westchase.

Recent concerns about the route, however, have centered on a roughly one-mile stretch of Lockwood through the East End, south of Buffalo Bayou, where residents have said the project caught them off-guard and initial plans for an overpass would have sliced a gash through the mostly residential, tree-lined neighborhood.

[Wattleigh]

https://communityimpact.com/houston/...town-district/

4 suspended BCycle stations reactivated following financial support from Midtown district

By Shawn Arrajj | 1:19 PM Apr 13, 2023 CDT
Updated 4:52 PM Apr 13, 2023 CDT

Correction: The vote on the funding of BCycle stations in Midtown was held by the Midtown Management District, not the Midtown Redevelopment Authority.

Four formerly suspended BCycle stations are back in use in Houston's Midtown area following a partnership between Houston Bike Share—the nonprofit that operates Houston BCycle—and the Midtown Management District.

The stations are located at the following locations:
-Milam Street at Webster Street
-Ensemble/Houston Community College rail stop
-Austin Street at Gray Street
-La Branch Street at Alabama Street

BCycle officials first announced the stations were back in operation at the end of March. As part of the agreement, the Midtown Management District has agreed to provide $7,500 in quarterly funding to keep the stations running in 90-day intervals.

[Wattleigh]

METRO Electric Buses

First arrived in February.

More on the progress from Justin Welling on HAIF

METRO has the bus on display right now in front of City Hall from 10am-2pm (4/19/23). Expected to hit the streets in Dec or Jan (but they can't confirm anything so that could change). They said they're having to do a lot of testing and it is taking way longer than expected to receive the batch of 20 units.

[Wattleigh]

METRO/BCycle

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/a...haring-future/

Houston BCycle increasing prices, further reducing stations as METRO mulls bike-sharing future

The region’s mass transit provider is still considering whether to take over Houston BCycle operations and incorporate them into its services, according to METRO board chair Sanjay Ramabhadran.

ADAM ZUVANICH
POSTED ON APRIL 18, 2023, 9:26 AM

The mass transit provider in the Houston region continues to explore the possibility of adding bike-sharing to its slate of services, either by expanding and updating the city's existing network, creating a new one or utilizing a combination of those options.

The sputtering Houston BCycle system remains hopeful that it will be part of a long-term, bike-sharing solution being devised by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO), which earlier this year entered into an exploratory period to consider taking over the BCycle program and incorporating it into METRO services. METRO board chair Sanjay Ramabhadran said Monday that process remains ongoing and has an indefinite timeline, with board members voting in January to spend 6-9 months evaluating a potential partnership while investing up to $500,000 in the BCycle system.

There has so far been no funding infusion into Houston BCycle, which in the meantime is increasing its prices and further reducing its number of bike-sharing stations in order to stay afloat. Starting May 1, the price for 30-minute rides will increase by $2 and the cost of a monthly BCycle membership will increase from $13 to $25, and the number of stations could be reduced by about half, according to interim executive director Maya Ford.

"We are committed to ensuring that the region still has bike share until METRO knows what it's going to do," Ford said. "So we have to suspend more stations, increase prices and work with that we've had."

Ford said she was told by METRO in late March that the transit provider, which operates buses, light rail lines and high-occupancy vehicle lanes, among other services, did not intend to enter into a long-term partnership with Houston BCycle and would be putting out a bid request to potential providers of bike-sharing networks. METRO disputed that, with Ramabhadran saying METRO is working on a request for proposals for bike-sharing but also has not closed the door on working with Houston BCycle, a nonprofit that was created by the City of Houston in 2012.

Ramabhadran said the arrangement authorized by METRO board members in January was not akin to cutting Houston BCycle a check for $500,000, but for the transit provider to potentially spend that money while exploring how Houston BCycle or another bike-sharing platform could tie into its services.

"We are committed to having a sustainable, equitable, affordable bike share in the region with first- and last-mile connectivity to the transit system, of which conversations with (Houston BCycle) is a part of that," Ramabhadran said. "We want it to be more robust than it is today. We certainly want it to be more equitable and affordable than it is today."

While METRO continues to weigh its options, Houston BCycle is shifting gears in an attempt to extend its operational runway and be more self-sustaining. Ford said BCycle board members had originally identified March 31 as a shutdown date before the potential partnership with METRO materialized, and Ford said the nonprofit now has a plan in place that aims to sustain its operations through the end of this year.

That strategy includes increasing single-use prices by $2 per 30-minute ride – to $5 for traditional bikes and $7 for electric bikes – while eliminating annual memberships and increasing the cost of monthly memberships from $13 to $25. Those changes go into effect May 1.

Ford said Houston BCycle also plans to reduce its number of stations to as few as 40, with a focus on downtown, Midtown, popular parks and areas where local management districts are willing and able to pay to keep stations operational. Depending on how many management districts take on that task, Ford said the total number of stations that remain open could be higher.

After growing the network to as many as 153 stations, Houston BCycle closed roughly half of them late last year in response to its financial woes, which included budget shortfalls of about $200,000 each of the last two years. It now operates 83 stations, according to Ford, who said a smaller network with mostly recreational uses seems to be a financial sweet spot for the nonprofit.

[Wattleigh]

• Video Link

[JManc]

Originally Posted by Houston BCycle

Starting May 1, the price for 30-minute rides will increase by $2 and the cost of a monthly BCycle membership will increase from $13 to $25, and the number of stations could be reduced by about half, according to interim executive director Maya Ford.

Yeah, that's a sound business more. Double the price for half the options...

[Wattleigh]

Houston Spaceport

Given the number of developments happening at the site, it might make more sense to put anything tied to that project in a separate thread at some point - but I'm placing it here for now since the Spaceport and Ellington Airport are part of the Houston Airport System.

Graphics from HAS from a December presentation.

Overall Site Plan



Academic Area and Hub Site for Multiple Institutions. TSU will have a standalone building that is highlighted.



TSU Facility





Aerospace Hub






https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=3#cxrecs_s

Houston City Council approves agreement for Texas Southern University’s new Ellington Airport facility

By Sofia Gonzalez – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
May 3, 2023

Texas Southern University is one step closer to achieving its goal of expanding its aviation training program thanks to a memorandum of agreement between the university and the city of Houston.

The MOA, which is for the development and lease of an aviation education facility at Ellington Airport, was approved during a May 3 Houston City Council meeting. The Houston Airport System will design and construct an aeronautical hangar, which will contain aircraft storage capacity, offices and classroom space, according to the City Council agenda item.

“The goal, quite frankly, is to make Texas Southern the school in the country when it comes to aviation,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said during the meeting.

HAS will invest up to $5 million under a separate contract to develop the facility, per the agenda item. However, HAS will not begin construction until City Council approves the formal lease agreement. Under the lease's initial five-year term, HAS will charge TSU an annual rent of $60,000, or $5,000 per month. The Federal Aviation Administration allows the city to charge that reduced rate because TSU is an accredited university. TSU will also have right of first refusal to extend the lease term for an additional five years, but the university would be charged full market rate rent at that point.

Once complete, the facility will include 22,000 square feet of aircraft hangar space, 7,200 square feet of office and training/classroom space, 20,000 square feet of aircraft apron, an above-ground storage tank with capacity of approximately 12,000 gallons of aviation fuel, and vehicle parking. In total, the project will be constructed on approximately 2 acres of land that is accessible to an existing taxi-lane connector.

With the project, TSU will have the ability to “focus on meeting aviation and aeronautical workforce demands and fostering innovation,” the agenda item said.

[Wattleigh]

METRO: P&R System

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...s-17923224.php

Metro aims to end use of contractors for park and ride routes by August, after $2.4M extension

Dug Begley,
Staff writer
April 28, 2023

Metro could end the outsourcing on some of its park and ride routes by August as more passengers return to the commuter service and more bus operators make their way through the hiring process, officials said Thursday.

Metropolitan Transit Authority’s board on Thursday approved the extension of two contracts, totaling up to $2.4 million, to continue using charter companies for park and ride service along some routes. The extensions, however, likely will be the last after 15 months of Metro struggling to find enough drivers to meet rebounding demand for service as the COVID-19 pandemic eased.

“We think we can bring them back in-house for the August service change,” Metro CEO Tom Lambert said, referring to the quarterly time when Metro tweaks it local and commuter bus routes and schedules.

[Wattleigh]

https://communityimpact.com/houston/...ian-bike-plan/

Texas Medical Center officials seek feedback, funding for pedestrian, bike plan


By Shawn Arrajj | 2:31 PM May 9, 2023 CDT
Updated 3:12 PM May 10, 2023 CDT

Officials with the Texas Medical Center are gathering feedback from Houstonians on how to improve nonmotorized travel in the area ahead of plans to seek grant funding for the development of a Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan.

Residents can submit feedback through a survey through July, although officials are asking for feedback by May 25. The survey includes questions on how people travel to and within the TMC area, what people would like to see more of, comfort levels with walking and biking, and thoughts on existing transit stops.

The survey was launched as TMC officials said they are pursuing grant funding from the Texas Department of Transportation to help support the creation of the master plan. The plan would "identify and prioritize multimodal improvements within the TMC, focusing on pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure," according to a May 8 news release.

[Wattleigh]

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/bus...t-18088431.php

GM's Cruise bringing autonomous vehicles to Houston

Nusaiba Mizan,
Staff writer
May 10, 2023
Updated: May 12, 2023 3:13 p.m.

Cruise, a General Motors autonomous vehicle subsidiary, is bringing its self-driving cars to Houston with the goal of offering driverless rides.

The cars will begin testing this week, said Megan Prichard, Cruise's vice president of ridehail.

"We designed the technology to launch first in San Francisco with the idea that we would see all sorts of challenges: everything from roller skate parties, to heavy traffic to raccoons in the roads," Prichard said. "And we thought that if we designed our technology for a dense urban environment, that we would be able to then pick it up and put it into other cities around the country and around the world with only a little bit of fine tuning."

Initial tests will be supervised drives, with a Cruise employee in the vehicle as a backup safety driver while the vehicle learns about Houston streets. The company did not specify where it would be tested in Houston, and the first drives will be closed to the public. Prichard said there was no timeline for when rides to the public will be offered. The company declined to say how many vehicles it planned to have in Houston.

[Wattleigh]

Navigation/Jensen/Runnels Roundabout

The East End District will be having a meeting in a couple of days to get public feedback on converting this intersection into a roundabout. Given the amount of growth in each direction in this area as of late, I'm not surprised this is being considered.

[Wattleigh]

METRO P&R System

https://communityimpact.com/houston/...park-and-ride/

METRO approves 40-year contract for Missouri City park and ride

By Renee Farmer | 2:38 PM May 26, 2023 CDT
Updated 2:38 PM May 26, 2023 CDT

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County agreed to sign a 40-year contract with NewQuest Properties for a park and ride facility at Hwy. 6 and the Fort Bend Parkway Toll Road.

The details: METRO began negotiations with NewQuest in September to build and lease a park and ride facility in Fort Bend Town Center III, NewQuest’s third phase of the Fort Bend Town Center development. After deciding not to vote on a contract with NewQuest in February, METRO’s board of directors approved the contract during its May 25 meeting.

METRO will pay up to $59.8 million for the 1,750-space parking garage as well as $325,000 annual rent for the ground use.

[Wattleigh]

IAH Redevelopment / Terminal B

https://www.houstontx.gov/council/co...evelopment.pdf

Summarized by Houston19514 on HAIF

United's plans for Bush Intercontinental Terminal B are being presented today.

Huge rebuild of Terminal B. They will demolish the original banjo flight stations and build two new concourses to serve narrow body and wide body aircraft. Look like about 22 gates total, including 4 wide body gates.

Will double the footprint of the central processor; new inbound and outbound baggage systems, new security screening checkpoint, new ticketing lobby. They will take the land that is currently surface parking east of the existing central processor.

B South will be renovated to allow for 18 gates for large regional jets, with passenger loading bridges at each gate.

They expect to start enabling projects early in the third quarter. Construction on the B North concourses to start mid-4th Quarter (2023). Also work on the new Processor building will start on the surface lot mid-4th Quarter (2023). B South work is to start early next year. B South to be completed mid-year 2025. North concourses and processor work to be completed mid-year 2026.

[Wattleigh]

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=0#cxrecs_s

United Airlines shares plans to expand, modernize George Bush Intercontinental's Terminal B


By Sofia Gonzalez – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Jun 5, 2023

Those traveling on United Airlines (Nasdaq: UAL) in and out of George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) could soon see changes in Terminal B, thanks to a plan that aims to modernize and triple the capacity of the current facilities.

Officials from the Chicago-based airline shared the current plans for the terminal’s redevelopment program during a May 31 meeting of Houston City Council's Economic Development Committee.

“The Terminal B Transformation at IAH is a groundbreaking initiative that represents United's commitment to revolutionizing the passenger experience,” United Airlines said in a statement. “With a strong focus on intuitive customer movements, we are creating a terminal that truly embodies the spirit of Houston while prioritizing sustainability. Our design solutions incorporate local elements and innovative wayfinding systems, ensuring an authentic and memorable journey for our valued passengers.”

The existing Terminal B is undersized and outdated, according to a presentation, and thus can't support the new aircraft United plans to bring to IAH. Terminal B North, which was built in 1969, has the most wear and age of any part of IAH, Phil Griffith, vice president of United Airlines Houston hub, said during the meeting. The plan calls for Terminal B North to essentially be demolished and reconstructed so it can house narrow- and wide-body aircraft.

United has ordered about 500 narrow-body Boeing 737 MAXs and Airbus A319s that are already being delivered, Griffith noted. In addition, 100 wide-body Boeing 787 aircrafts are being delivered. He said no airline has taken more than 50 aircraft in one year. United currently delivers two to three airplanes a week into the network and will do so for the next five years.

To replace the existing B North, the plan is to build two modern piers, similar to Terminal C North, Michael Yost, managing director of airport affairs for United Airlines, said during the meeting.

United also plans to expand Terminal B's processor area, which was also built in 1969, to make it more functional and resolve congestion-related issues, Griffith said. The modifications will double the current building's footprint while tripling the curbside capacity from a customer-flow standpoint. There will also be a new security screening checkpoint, ticketing lobby, and inbound and outbound baggage systems.

Both departures and arrivals will be on the ground level, and signs will be installed to ensure that drivers know which direction to travel, Yost said

When entering through the departure core, customers will be met with elevators and escalators to get up to the ticketing hallway. Yost said the area will be bright and will have clear wayfinding. Through the center, the new security checkpoint will lead into the modern B North concourse, which will have natural sunlight, large hold rooms and elevated customer amenities with concessions, retail opportunities and ample restroom space, he said.

The baggage claim’s capacity will also be tripled to allow for a better and faster customer experience.

Meanwhile, the Terminal B South concourse, which is currently configured to serve small regional jets, will also be updated. The redevelopment project will renovate the existing terminal to allow for 18 large regional jets with passenger loading bridges at each gate, as well optimized taxiways and taxi lanes.

[Wattleigh]

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=6#cxrecs_s

Houston receives $36.9M in federal funding to address railroad issues in East End neighborhood

By Sofia Gonzalez – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Jun 5, 2023

The city of Houston received $36.9 million in federal funds to help advance a project that will build railroad underpasses in the East End — a neighborhood that has been plagued with issues of stopped trains.

The project, known as the West Belt Improvement Project, has an overall cost of $123.6 million. The federal funds come from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration’s Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant program. That money will be used to advance phase one, which includes a 9,000-foot sealed corridor and a quiet zone between Runnels and Leeland streets, as well as underpasses at Commerce at Navigation and at York near McKinney.

The phase one will result in seven existing crossings being eliminated. Four at-grade crossings will be closed, and four underpasses will be constructed.

“Blocked railroad crossings are a dangerous hassle for our community. We are working every day across jurisdictions, agencies, and levels of government to make Houston safer and easier to get around,” U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia said in a statement.

Overall, the project will create a 14,600-foot sealed corridor along the Houston Belt & Terminal Railroad’s rail line. Once completed, the neighborhood will see improved safety and mobility of freight rail operators, vehicular traffic and non-motorized users. The project will also include new bicycle lanes and sidewalks, and it's expected to help mitigate flooding and reduce emissions.

[Wattleigh]

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=2#cxrecs_s

Houston Metro gets $40M in federal funding for cleaner bus fleet

By Sofia Gonzalez – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Jun 26, 2023

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County — commonly called Metro — is once again getting millions of dollars in federal funding to help reach its goal for a cleaner future bus fleet.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration is disbursing nearly $1.7 billion in grants for transit projects around the country to invest in 1,700 buses, with nearly half of those being zero-emission models. The bus grant awards are being made under FTA's Buses and Bus Facilities and Low- and No-Emission Vehicle programs and is the FTA's second grant package funded by the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law passed in 2021.

"Today, we are creating new opportunities to dramatically improve the lives of millions of Americans who ride on buses every day," FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez said in a statement. "Thanks to the President's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, these grants will help deliver a cleaner and more modern mode of transportation, designed to reach everyone, and to work for everyone, particularly in places that haven't received enough resources in the past."

Metro is receiving more than $40.4 million to buy 40 compressed natural gas-fueled buses, build a CNG fueling station and modernize a bus maintenance facility. The transit authority plans to shift to purchasing only zero-emission buses by 2030, a result of its first-ever Climate Action Plan.

[Wattleigh]

https://communityimpact.com/houston/...ects-incoming/

The widening of Hwy. 146 between Red Bluff Road and FM 518 is expected to wrap up this year. (Jake Magee/Community Impact)

More Hwy. 146 widening projects incoming

By Jake Magee | 8:25 AM Jul 6, 2023 CDT
Updated 8:25 AM Jul 6, 2023 CDT

After over four years of work, the Texas Department of Transportation is on the verge of wrapping up a project to widen Hwy. 146 between Red Bluff Road and south of FM 518. It’s a project that Seabrook officials have said has been a pain point for residents and businesses alike.

However, before the project concludes, other Hwy. 146 work will begin to the north and south.

Starting in August, TxDOT will begin widening a 5.5-mile section of Hwy. 146 between south of FM 518 and Dickinson Bayou, south of Seabrook and Kemah, TxDOT Public Information Officer Bambi Hall said in an email.

This section of Hwy. 146 is currently four lanes wide and will be widened to six lanes. Additionally, TxDOT will construct a bridge on Hwy. 96 to tie into the new express bridge, Hall said.

The express bridge, which is still under construction as part of the ongoing Hwy. 146 widening project, will allow drivers to bypass local traffic, TxDOT officials have said.

The new widening project is expected to wrap up in late 2026. The project is expected to cost $198 million, Hall said.

“The widening of Hwy. 146 is for emergency evacuations, such as hurricanes,” she said.

[Wattleigh]

https://communityimpact.com/houston/...ns-third-ward/

A new initiative is launching in Houston's Third Ward: a free, 100% electric and on-demand local shuttle that will connect residents with services that include education, health care, employment opportunities and public transit, according to a news release. (Courtesy RYDE and Evolve Houston)

Free electric on-demand shuttle launches in Houston’s Third Ward

By Melissa Enaje | 2:02 PM Jul 5, 2023 CDT
Updated 2:02 PM Jul 5, 2023 CDT

A new transportation service for Third Ward residents that aims to enhance their mobility and accessibility to essential services in their area launched at the end of June, according to officials from eco-centric transportation solutions company RYDE.

The details

RYDE partnered with nonprofit Evolve Houston and District D Council Member Carolyn Evans-Shabazz to bring the free, 100% electric and on-demand local shuttle to residents. The initiative, according to the news release, is a three-month pilot program that provides residents free rides to any destination within the coverage area. RYDE is actively seeking additional funding partners to support the expansion of the project.