Running Behind Schedule: How Houston’s Public Transit Can Catch Up

By: Dylan Wall

Photo by LUCIO VASQUEZ/ HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA

Public transportation is more than a convenience—it is a lifeline. For thousands of Houstonians, buses and rail lines provide essential access to jobs, education, and healthcare. Reliable public transit reduces traffic congestion, lowers emissions, and fosters economic mobility, particularly for those without access to a car. Despite these benefits, Houston’s transit system remains underdeveloped, with long wait times and limited accessibility undermining its effectiveness. According to Houston METRO ridership reports from 2019 and 2024, overall transit ridership has recovered to over 86% of pre-COVID levels, with local bus ridership rebounding even more to nearly 96% (Houston METRO). However, many service reductions implemented during the pandemic remain in place, forcing many riders—especially those in transit-dependent communities—to endure longer wait times and unreliable commutes (“Need to Get Somewhere”).

These delays are particularly severe in neighborhoods where residents have the greatest need for reliable transit—low-income communities and areas with high concentrations of residents with disabilities, many of whom lack personal motor vehicles. National data shows that transit riders are more likely to live in low-income households, with 21% of transit-using households earning less than $15,000 annually, an income bracket that comprises only 13% of all U.S. households (Clark 4). Additionally, people with travel-limiting disabilities are significantly less likely to own a vehicle, making transit a crucial lifeline for accessing jobs, healthcare, and other essential services (Bureau of Transportation Statistics 1). Further complicating matters, METRO has scaled back key elements of its 2019 voter-approved METRONext plan, most notably shelving the University Corridor Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project—a decision that eliminated a much-needed east-west connection across the city (“Whitmire’s Metro”). The University Corridor BRT would have provided essential access for low-income, transit-dependent students commuting to the University of Houston and Texas Southern University, reducing travel time and enhancing educational opportunities. It also would have served as a crucial link between residential communities and key employment centers and healthcare institutions, ensuring that transit-dependent populations could more easily reach workplaces and medical services. Its cancellation disproportionately impacts these riders, many of whom rely on public transportation to access higher education, jobs, and healthcare (Ketterer).

As Houston’s ridership continues to recover and demand grows, METRO must recommit to expanding and modernizing public transit. Bold investments in high-frequency bus routes and BRT—particularly in underserved, high-demand areas—are essential for creating an equitable and efficient system. Equally important are improvements in safety, accessibility, and real-time transit information to ensure public transportation is reliable and practical for all riders.

A recent report by LINK Houston, Equity in Transit: 2024, highlights key shortcomings in Houston’s transit system, including long wait times, safety and accessibility concerns, and unreliable real-time information. LINK Houston developed the Transportation Equity Demand Index (TEDI) to analyze where transit improvements are most needed. The index is used to identify high-demand areas based on demographics, transit dependency, and infrastructure feasibility (2). Long wait times remain a significant barrier to effective transit. LINK Houston found that weekday rush hours have seen the sharpest service reductions, with 31 route segments experiencing wait times at least five minutes longer than in 2019—23 of which run through TEDI high-demand areas (5). On some routes, riders face wait times that are 30 minutes longer than in 2019, often forcing them to arrive up to 70 minutes early to avoid being late. The once-robust Frequent Network, which previously provided reliable service with frequent buses throughout the day, has been significantly reduced—shrinking from 20 bus routes and three rail lines to just 14 routes and a single rail line. (LINK Houston 9).

Beyond delays, safety and accessibility concerns also persist. In LINK Houston’s 2024 Bus Rider Survey, 17% of respondents felt unsafe at bus stops or on buses, while 22% cited unreliable service, with buses either missing or failing to follow real-time updates (18). Additionally, 15% of riders noted a lack of sidewalk accessibility and shade, making bus stops challenging to reach (19).

As Houston’s transit network struggles to meet rising demand, restoring reliability and expanding access must be a priority. Expanding high-frequency bus service and investing in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) are two of the most effective ways to modernize METRO and make public transit a viable option for more residents. Houston’s past investments in high-frequency transit have demonstrated clear benefits. In 2015, METRO’s Frequent Network redesign revolutionized the city’s bus system, replacing inefficient routes with 22 high-frequency lines and three rail lines, offering buses every 15 minutes from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Olin). This overhaul increased ridership at a time when metro areas across the United States were seeing declines due to the rise of rideshare services. Houston’s success with this redesign quickly became a national model, with other transit agencies across the country looking to replicate its approach (Olin). 

Yet today, Houston finds itself in need of a new model—one that looks beyond its past achievements and draws from other cities’ advancements. To modernize METRO, the agency must prioritize safety, accessibility, and real-time information—areas where other cities have made significant progress. One standout example is Los Angeles’ Transit Ambassador Program, an initiative aimed at improving safety, accessibility, and real-time rider assistance (Solis). Launched as a pilot program in 2022, the program placed 350 ambassadors on trains and buses to assist riders, provide directions during service disruptions, and report maintenance or security concerns. The impact is clear—63% of surveyed riders reported feeling safer, with even higher approval among women, low-income riders, and people of color (Metro Board 5). Metro officials deemed the program so successful that it is now a permanent part of Los Angeles' transit system — voted for unanimously by the Los Angeles County Metro Board of Directors in October 2023 (Metro Board). As Houston looks to modernize its own transit network, implementing a similar program could be a crucial step to improving safety, accessibility, and rider confidence in METRO, though Houston's reliance on buses and its distinct urban layout may require adjustments to Los Angeles' model.

Concerns about funding and infrastructure challenges remain, but these hurdles are not insurmountable (“Whitmire’s Metro”). While METRO’s financial concerns are valid, they should not halt progress. With ridership rebounding to near pre-pandemic levels, especially in local bus ridership, METRO must seize this opportunity to prioritize expanding service and meeting growing demand. A stronger transit network would drive economic growth by connecting people to opportunities and boosting ridership, ensuring METRO’s long-term financial viability. With careful strategic planning, including phased implementation and public-private partnerships, Houston can overcome these challenges and ensure the plan’s long-term success.

To build a more reliable and equitable transit system, Houston must fully recommit to the METRONext plan overwhelmingly approved by Houstonian voters in 2019. By restoring the original vision, the city could benefit from 75 miles of new BRT lines, which utilize buses running on dedicated lanes to deliver the speed and efficiency of light rail at a fraction of the cost (Environment Texas). These dedicated routes would bypass Houston’s notorious traffic, reduce wait times, and provide faster, more dependable commutes. A renewed commitment to METRONext would also bring a “25 percent increase in local bus service, with new routes, new bus shelters, and real-time passenger information” (Environment Texas). These vital improvements would address several key concerns of METRO’s riders and effectively enable the transit authority to return to its pre-COVID capacity. Restoring the Frequent Network to pre-pandemic levels and beyond must be at the heart of this effort, ensuring expanded service hours and more frequent buses. 

Investing in these improvements is not just about convenience—it is about economic mobility, equity, and sustainability. For many Houstonians, an unreliable transit system limits access to jobs, education, and healthcare, disproportionately affecting low-income and transit-dependent communities.  Additionally, by encouraging higher public transit use, Houston can reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions.

These changes require action. METRO officials and city leaders must move beyond scaled-back commitments and make bold, sustained investments in public transit. Advocacy groups, business leaders, and the public should demand urgency in these improvements, ensuring that both transit-dependent and car-centered communities have safe, appealing, and reliable access to public transit. Houston once set the national standard for transit innovation—now is the time to reclaim that leadership.

The views expressed in this publication are the authors' own and do not necessarily reflect the position of The Rice Journal of Public Policy, its staff, or its Editorial Board.

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References

Clark, Hugh M. “Who Rides Public Transportation.” American Public Transportation Association, Jan. 2017, www.apta.com/research/who-rides-public-transportation/. 

Environment Texas. “METRONext: Cleaner, greener transportation for Houston.” Environment Texas, 24 September 2019, https://environmentamerica.org/texas/resources/metronext-cleaner-greener-transportation-for-houston/#:~:text=A%20new%2075%2Dmile%20METRORapid%20bus%20rapid%20transit%20network%20that%20provides%20fast%2C%20convenient%20bus%20service%20similar%20to%20light%. 

Ganesh, Akhil. “Need to get somewhere in Houston on time via Metro bus? Good luck with that.” Houston Landing, 2024, https://houstonlanding.org/metro-looks-to-new-fleet-to-improve-on-time-performance-of-its-buses-will-it-be-enough/. 

Ganesh, Akhil. “Whitmire’s Metro emphasizes street repairs, microtransit. What does that mean for METRONext?” Houston Landing, 28 May 2024, https://houstonlanding.org/whitmires-metro-emphasizes-street-repairs-microtransit-what-does-that-mean-for-metronext/. 

Houston METRO. “Ridership Reports.” METRO Resourcespace, https://metro.resourcespace.com/pages/collections_featured.php?parent=16661. 

Ketterer, Samantha. “UH Students Will Ask Metro to Revisit Shelved University Corridor.” Houston Chronicle, 20 July 2024, https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/education/article/university-houston-students-upset-shelved-metro-19576754.php.

LINK Houston. “Equity in Transit: 2024.” LINK Houston, 1 May 2024, https://linkhouston.org/equity-in-transit-2024-2/. 

Metro Board. “2023-0433 - METRO TRANSIT AMBASSADOR PILOT PROGRAM EVALUATION.” Metro Board Agendas, 27 October 2023, https://boardagendas.metro.net/board-report/2023-0433/. 

Olin, Andy. “How METRO made bus service a priority and became a transit trendsetter.” Kinder Institute for Urban Research, 16 January 2020, https://kinder.rice.edu/urbanedge/how-metro-made-bus-service-priority-and-became-transit-trendsetter. 

Solis, Nathan. “Los Angeles Metro could make 'transit ambassadors' permanent.” Los Angeles Times, 21 October 2023, https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-10-21/los-angeles-metro-transit-ambassadors-permanent. 

Bureau of Transportation Statistics. “Travel Patterns of American Adults with Disabilities.” United States Department of Transportation, 22 Nov. 2024, https://www.bts.gov/travel-patterns-with-disabilities.