Metro and Houston Marathon are living in perfect harmony
Here's a very entertaining press release from Metro, describing a new era of cooperation with Houston Marathon organizers and a new era of marathon-watching for spectators:
METRO and the HP Houston Marathon today announced that they will work together this year to incorporate the METRORail system into the popular annual event, aiming to enhance the experience for both racers and the public.
"METRORail is at the center of Houston, so it's not surprising that the Marathon course crosses the system," said METRO Chairman David S. Wolff. "But, working together, we've turned that from a possible problem to an advantage."
METRO has agreed to turn back rail service at the Main Street Square Station during Sunday's (Jan. 16) race. The HP Houston Marathon has agreed to move the course from Lamar to Rusk, which is north of the Main Street Station.
Wolff said fans can come downtown to watch the start, take the train to Hermann Park or the Medical Center to see the middle of the race, and ride it back downtown to catch the finish. "Working together, we think we've come up with a plan that will make the race a better experience for both racers and their fans," he said.
"This has the potential to completely change the experience for spectators and the general public," said Wolff. "Previously, spectators stood in one place and waited for their racer or racers to go by. Now they can see the beginning, middle and end."
The METRO chairman said he hopes the cooperation between the Marathon and METRORail will help turn race day into a public celebration, bringing many more people into the city to enjoy the event and the company of other Houstonians.
To mark the pact between the marathon and METRO, a METRO trolley will be the official pace car in this year's race.
You can't make this stuff up.
And be on the lookout for a glowing Chronicle story on this newfound cooperation, which apparently will lead to a big warm fuzzy feeling for all Houstonians, and some new riders for Metro.
UPDATE: Right on cue, Saturday's Chronicle has the story:
MetroRail is modifying its service Sunday for the HP Houston Marathon, allowing runners to safely cross the tracks and giving fans the option of viewing different parts of the race.
Transit and marathon officials say the adjustments will improve the atmosphere for race fans. Last year, they clashed over the race course.
"We've turned from a possible problem to an advantage," Metro Chairman David Wolff said in a statement announcing the agreement. "Working together, we think we've come up with a plan that will make the race a better experience for both racers and their fans."
[snip]
Steven Karpas, the marathon's managing director, credits Metro's new leadership for "the perfect compromise" worked out to minimize the disruption of train service.
"The changes that we have come up with jointly, we feel, will enhance our race," he said. "This will allow us to have a better finish by going further north in downtown."
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/14/05 08:35 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Sphere | Comments (9)
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