Metro's site adds new Solutions, real estate section and amazing facts!
In doing the last post on Metro's bus route cuts, I discovered something interesting on Metro's website: the old Metro Solutions page has been replaced with a new Metro Solutions page! Here's the old Metro Solutions:
METRO Solutions is in Motion
The METRO Solutions transit plan for better mobility calls for the creation and improvement of numerous transportation options over the next 20 years:
* 72 miles of additional rail service
* 50% more bus service
* Signature Express bus service
* 250 miles of two-way,
all day Park & Ride service
* Nine new Park & Ride lots
* Nine new Transit Centers
* and more!METRO Solutions will be paid for with existing sales tax, fare revenue and available Federal transit funds. Bond financing, authorized by voters in November 2003, will help accelerate the transit improvements. METRO will also extend funding for road improvements to Harris County, the City of Houston and the Multi-Cities through FY2014.
And here is the new Metro Solutions:
Announcement of METRO Solutions
Phase 2 ImplementationGuiding Principles
* Fiscally disciplined (affordable & efficient; stay within our budget)
* 50/50 match relationship with FTA
* Adhere to the general planning guidelines in the Referendum regarding:
o Corridors
o Equivalency of Service
o Schedule of Completion* Build more rapid transit rather than less
* Build sooner rather than later
* Build the plan in stages, with available funds, to minimize impact on surrounding communities
* Protect our ability to run high quality bus service throughout the service area
* Respect the evolving FTA criteria for funding approvals
* Referendum plan has always been a work in progress, still is, and will be
* No plan based on increase in the sales tax rate
* Remain committed to the long term goal of light rail in Phase 2 corridors
* Make maximum effort to accommodate community concerns in theservice area
That's quite a difference! No longer is there any mention of 50% more bus service; instead Metro will "Protect [its] ability to run high quality bus service throughout the service area."
And this new Metro Solutions page says the "Referendum plan has always been a work in progress, still is, and will be." In other words, a living, breathing referendum. Funny, that language wasn't included in the referendum voters approved.
Don't miss this whopper in the FAQ section:
10. How many bus routes have recently been cut?
Twenty-nine poorly-performing conventional bus routes have been cut since October 2004 with no overall loss in ridership.
And this amazing bit of buried insight:
16. METRO has stated that FTA's criteria for cost per rider is $22.00. METRO's cost per rider is $23.80. Can METRO find a way to cut costs by $1.80, so that Houston can qualify for LRT?
The FTA cost-effectiveness standard is an index that uses a combination of costs and benefits to compare projects on a nationwide basis. It is commonplace for costs to rise, not fall, during the preliminary engineering phase anywhere from 10% - 30%. Thus, submitting these two lines to the FTA as rail runs the risk of losing federal dollars, and resulting in no new transit investment for these corridors.
$23.80 per rider! Metro "improves" or cuts bus routes that exceed $5.90 cost per rider!
Also new to Metro's site is the Real Estate Services page, where you can look at surplus properties Metro is selling, view announcements, and check out the current RFPs and RFQs Metro is seeking.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 11/02/05 11:54 AM | Print |
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