Moving forward

Voters backed Metro; now, it must get to work, with low-income riders as priority.

In an election where most major races headed to run-offs, the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s bond referendum was a clear winner.

Voters overwhelmingly approving a proposal that will allow Metro to borrow up to $3.5 billion to help fund bus and rail projects over the next 20 years . The ambitious MetroNext expansion plan, which altogether adds up to $7.5 billion, includes adding an innovative 75-mile bus rapid transit network, new rail service to Hobby airport, 290 miles of traditional bus service and badly needed bus improvements.

One likely reason for voter support? All this new spending won’t require a tax increase. The vote simply allows the transit authority to sell bonds so it can leverage its future sales taxes to pay for projects right now, rather than pay for them piecemeal with annual revenues. .

We applaud Harris County voters for backing public transit and congratulate Metro for a plan that can carry Harris County into the future and help alleviate transportation woes — especially for low-income residents who rely on public transit for daily necessities. In 2017, the Census Bureau estimated 58,000 workers in Harris County lived in households with zero vehicles available. About 20,000 of them regularly relied on public transit to get to work and back. Many times that number are in households with only one vehicle or, if they have access to vehicles, contend with maddening traffic each day.

The MetroNext plan voters approved is designed to help.

The planned Bus Rapid Transit network, which will send express buses along sped-up corridors to and from high-volume employment centers, has the potential to remake the way we get around the Houston region’s ever-expanding sprawl. It can reduce freeway congestion and provide workers with ways to and from far-flung suburbs. Metro plans to invest $4.1 billion in capital funds for the BRT and another $1.5 billion in operating and maintenance costs between 2020 and 2040.

Indeed, one of Metro’s first projects in 2021 or 2022 will likely be a planned BRT line from the Northwest Transit Center near Loop 610 and Interstate 10 to downtown Houston, Metro CEO Tom Lambert told Houston Chronicle reporter Dug Begley the day after the election. The project already has some funding from regional planning authorities.

But as Metro basks in its electionnight victory, it must also realize that the voters’ trust comes with steppedup responsibility to heed concerns raised by community members.

Its top priority should be improving access to transit for low-income communities such as Gulfton, Greenspoint, Sharpstown and neighborhoods inside the 610 Loop, where many residents are solely dependent on public transit. Beyond just commuting, about 250,000 people currently rely on Metro for “essential mobility” — getting to school, grocery shopping, medical appointments and other routine needs.

“It makes sense to have the fastest, most frequent buses and to connect people all times of day” in those neighborhoods, Oni Blair, executive director of the advocacy group, LINK Houston, told the editorial board. “If we are thinking of equity, areas that are high on need have to be first on the list.”

In addition to expanding bus service in those high-need areas, Metro also needs to ensure that bus stops are accessible by upgrading shelters, fixing fractured sidewalks, repairing ramps — the basics without which can make it difficult for riders to use transit.

Metro has already evaluated all 9,000 bus stops in its service area — a fantastic start. Its expansion plan will boost service to car-less households within a half-mile of a light rail or BRT station by 242 percent higher than if the improvements are not built, Metro says. The number of low-income households will increase by 269 percent.

As this editorial board noted before the election, that’s good reason to support the plan.

Others in Houston will also benefit greatly. Having rail and BRT stations close to more residents will boost quality of life and economic prospects for everyone.

“It’s a great day for the region,” Carrin Patman, chair of the transit authority, told the editorial board. “In order for there to be jobs and amenities for folks in under-served communities, we have to have a robust economy. With robust transit, there’s no opportunity for anybody of any income strata.”

Metro has also sought community input — another wise step — and has been smart to revise the plan after listening to the public. That kind of inclusivity and transparency must continue.

For their part, community members should continue speaking up and advocating for their needs.

That way, we will all keep moving forward.