Tuesday, August 18, 2015

METRO Rolls Out The New Bus System

Even though I possess a valid Texas driver's license that I had to fight nine months to get renewed and missed the 2013 city elections as a result, I am an enthusiastic public transportation supporter, especially if the system question has a rail component.   I have no problem riding public transportation  to my hotels when I travel.

Here in my hometown, METRO has been planning for two years an overhaul of our bus system so that the routes are not only straighter and run more frequently on the weekends. it is also redesigning the routes so that you don't have to go to downtown to transfer and they connect better with the light rail lines and transit centers..

There are 22 Red routes that are scheduled to run every 15-30 minutes, the Blue routes every 31-60 minutes, and the Green routes every hour.

They are also designing routes so they go to the destinations that people need to get to in the 2k15, and not when METRO took over the city bus system in 1978.

The METRO New Bus Network  got rolled out Sunday, and as with any massive undertaking like redoing a bus network, it hasn't happened without some problems and glitches.  Monday was also the first day that the new system was tested under workday conditions and traffic.

And since the system hasn't been changed on such a massive scale since 1978, it's also a major adjustment for veteran riders of it.  Some are liking the changes, others aren't.   But METRO believes that once the kinks get worked out, it will be a more efficient and user friendly way to get around our massive hometown

The good news is that during this opening week rollout of the revamped system, rides are free on the local bus and METRORail lines through August 22

Definitely need to test it out while it's free and save that money on my Qcard.

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