METRORail is a light rail transit system serving Houston, Texas. The system is operated by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, also known as METRO. The system currently has 39 stations and 22.7 miles (36.5 km) of track, served by three lines.[1] METRORail carries 60,600 passengers a day, making it one of the largest light rail systems in the United States in terms of ridership.[2]

METRORail began service on January 1, 2004, with 16 stations from Fannin South station to UH–Downtown station.[3] The line was extended north to Northline Transit Center with 8 new stations on December 21, 2013, as part of the North/Red Line Extension.[4] 13 stations were added on May 23, 2015, with the opening of the Green and Purple lines.[5] The two lines intersect with the Red Line at the new Central Station, which had partially opened on February 18, 2015 for Red Line trains.[6] Two additional stations on the Green Line were opened on January 11, 2017, extending the line to the Magnolia Park Transit Center.[7] METRO has also proposed to add 26 more stations on the University and Uptown lines in western Houston.[8][needs update]

Only two METRORail stations have public park and rides, Burnett Transit Center and Fannin South; both lots charge a daily rate of $3.[citation needed]

Stations

† Terminal stations
* Transfer stations
Transit center Transit centers[9]
Station Line(s) Location Opened
Altic/Howard Hughes Green Second Ward, Houston May 23, 2015[5]
Bell Red Downtown Houston January 1, 2004[3]
Burnett Transit Center/Casa de Amigos Transit center Red Downtown Houston December 21, 2013[4]
Cavalcade Red Near Northside, Houston December 21, 2013[4]
Central Stations * Green
Purple
Red 		Downtown Houston February 18, 2015[6]
Cesar Chavez/67th Street Green Magnolia Park, Houston January 11, 2017[7]
Coffee Plant/Second Ward Green Second Ward, Houston May 23, 2015[5]
Convention District Green
Purple 		Downtown Houston May 23, 2015[5]
Downtown Transit Center Transit center Red Downtown Houston January 1, 2004[3]
Dryden/TMC Red Medical Center, Houston January 1, 2004[3]
EaDo/Stadium * Green
Purple 		East Downtown Houston May 23, 2015[5]
Elgin/Third Ward Purple Third Ward, Houston May 23, 2015[5]
Ensemble/HCC Red Midtown, Houston January 1, 2004[3]
Fannin South † Red Southeast Houston January 1, 2004[3]
Fulton/North Central Red Near Northside, Houston December 21, 2013[4]
Hermann Park/Rice University Red Houston Museum District January 1, 2004[3]
Leeland/Third Ward Purple East Downtown Houston May 23, 2015[5]
Lindale Park Red Northside, Houston December 21, 2013[4]
Lockwood/Eastwood Green Second Ward, Houston May 23, 2015[5]
MacGregor Park/Martin Luther King Jr. Purple Southeast Houston May 23, 2015[5]
Magnolia Park Transit Center † Transit center Green Magnolia Park, Houston January 11, 2017[7]
Main Street Square Red Downtown Houston January 1, 2004[3]
McGowen Red Midtown, Houston January 1, 2004[3]
Melbourne/North Lindale Red Northside, Houston December 21, 2013[4]
Memorial Hermann Hospital/Houston Zoo Red Medical Center, Houston January 1, 2004[3]
Moody Park Red Near Northside, Houston December 21, 2013[4]
Museum District Red Houston Museum District January 1, 2004[3]
Northline Transit Center/HCC † Transit center Red Northside, Houston December 21, 2013[4]
Palm Center Transit Center † Transit center Purple Southeast Houston May 23, 2015[5]
Preston Red Downtown Houston January 1, 2004[3]
Quitman/Near Northside Red Near Northside, Houston December 21, 2013[4]
Smith Lands Red Medical Center, Houston January 1, 2004[3]
Stadium Park/Astrodome Red NRG Park, Houston January 1, 2004[3]
Texas Medical Center Transit Center Transit center Red Medical Center, Houston January 1, 2004[3]
Theater District † Green
Purple 		Houston Theater District May 23, 2015[5]
TSU/UH Athletics District Purple Third Ward, Houston May 23, 2015[5]
UH South/University Oaks Purple Third Ward, Houston May 23, 2015[5]
UH–Downtown Red Downtown Houston January 1, 2004[3]
Wheeler Transit center Red Midtown, Houston January 1, 2004[3]

Planned and proposed stations

In addition to the 26 stations listed below, three existing stations will be made into transfer stations with the University Line: Wheeler station on the Red Line, and the Robertson Stadium/UH/TSU and Elgin/Third Ward on the Purple Line.[8]

† Terminal stations
* Transfer stations
Transit center Transit centers[9]
Station Line(s) Location
Almeda      University Houston Museum District
Ambassador Way      Uptown Uptown Houston
Bellaire *      University
     Uptown 		Bellaire
Cullen      University Third Ward, Houston
Cummins      University Upper Kirby, Houston
Eastwood Transit Center † Transit center      University Eastwood, Houston
Edloe      University Upper Kirby, Houston
Four Oaks      Uptown Uptown Houston
Gulfton      University Gulfton, Houston
Hillcroft Transit Center † Transit center      University Sharpstown, Houston
Hutchins      University Third Ward, Houston
Kirby      University Upper Kirby, Houston
Memorial      Uptown Memorial Park, Houston
Menil      University Montrose, Houston
Montrose      University Montrose, Houston
Newcastle      University West University Place
Northwest Transit Center † Transit center      Uptown Spring Branch, Houston
Richmond      Uptown Uptown Houston
San Felipe      Uptown Uptown Houston
Shepherd      University Upper Kirby, Houston
Tierwester      University Third Ward, Houston
TSU      University Third Ward, Houston
Uptown Park      Uptown Uptown Houston
Weslayan      University West University Place
West Alabama      Uptown Uptown Houston
Westheimer      Uptown Uptown Houston

References

  1. ^ Sit, Mary (October 11, 2012). "East End Line Gets First Station Canopy". Write On Metro. Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  2. ^ "Public Transportation Ridership Report, Fourth Quarter 2015" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 2, 2016. p. 3. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Wall, Lucas (January 1, 2004). "Houstonians flock downtown as Metro light rail rolls out today". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Begley, Dug (December 20, 2013). "North Line latest step, but hardly the last". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Begley, Dug (May 23, 2015). "Metro rail lines open across Houston". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  6. ^ a b Begley, Dug (February 17, 2015). "New station's opening demonstrates rail progress and setbacks". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  7. ^ a b c Begley, Dug (January 9, 2017). "Long awaited, and long delayed, Metro's Green Line set to open". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  8. ^ a b "METRORail System Plan" (PDF) (Map). GO METRORail. Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County. February 20, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 6, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  9. ^ a b "Transit Centers". Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
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