Half Million Rode Rail in Houston …
in MetroRail’s first month of operation. The service began Jan. 1, 2004.
See Take a “tour”:http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2405431 to Explore Houston’s new light rail system.
Half-million rode rail in first month
Critics claim free rides, Super Bowl skew figures
By LUCAS WALL Houston Chronicle Feb. 17, 2004
More than a half-million people boarded MetroRail during its inaugural month, the transit authority reported Monday.
Metro released its first monthly statistics on train ridership, which show 558,257 boardings on the Main Street line in January. That averages to 18,008 boardings per day (9,004 people making round trips), more than halfway toward the projected 33,000 daily boardings by the end of this year.
“These figures indicate MetroRail has been very well received by our customers,” Shirley DeLibero, Metropolitan Transit Authority president and chief executive officer, said in a prepared statement. “We are very encouraged that rail will be a key part of our transit system, as expected.”
Rail opponents, noting that 9,004 people is not even half a percent of Houston’s population, argue that the new train does nothing to alleviate traffic congestion.
Two major events in January boosted the first-month ridership numbers: the four-day grand opening, beginning New Year’s Day, during which free rides were offered; and several days of parties and activities leading up to the Feb. 1 Super Bowl.
Both events attracted so many riders that trains were stuffed to capacity and some people had to wait for less-crowded trains.
Houston’s first-month train ridership numbers exceed the monthly totals recorded lately by light rail systems in Cleveland, Ohio, and San Jose, Calif., which have been running since 1920 and 1987, respectively.
Metro reported January bus ridership of 7.2 million, a daily average of 232,514. That is a 4 percent drop from January 2003, said spokesman Ken Connaughton, who attributed part of the decrease to people switching from buses to the new train. Overall transit ridership was up 3 percent over last January, according to Metro’s data.
The transit authority expects train ridership to go up by several thousand per day after bus routes are modified to better tie in with the 7 1/2-mile light rail line. Those changes were scheduled to take effect this week but have been postponed at least a month until a study on rail safety is concluded.
Twelve collisions have occurred between trains and private vehicles since full testing began last fall. In the latest crash, Metro police cited Nathan Earle, 38, a welder from Groesbeck, saying he ran a red light Sunday night at Main and Pierce.
Earle’s truck collided with Train 111 near the Downtown Transit Center, damaging the train’s brakes, skirts and face, police said.
Eight of Metro’s 17 trains have been in collisions with vehicles, requiring tens of thousands of dollars in repairs, agency officials said. Most of the automobiles were seriously damaged, but no one has been killed.
Metro has made more changes recently along the light rail line in response to the collisions.
On Fannin and San Jacinto in the Museum District, illuminated signs prohibiting turns while trains are approaching have been repositioned for better visibility.
Also, a second sign box with a lighted no-turn symbol and an attached flashing yellow light has been added at those streets’ intersections with Southmore.