METRO's
route-by-route summary of the re-imagined bus
network: http://alturl.com/y8kov
My
rendition of the old and new bus networks plus re-imagining
items: www.metroreimagined.org
32
Eldridge
As Eldridge Parkway goes all the way south to Old Richmond Rd., this is not a true Eldridge bus, and as far-west as this north-south route is, I don't see it going this far south for a long time, especially with what it does at the western/southern terminus at West Oaks Mall, starting off where the 5 Bellaire leaves off and giving an infrequent, but still-existing bus connection between Mission Bend P&R and West Oaks Mall, though I look for this west-of-Mission-Bend-P&R section to eventually be discontinued as I cannot imagine there will be anyone who will ride this portion of this route which takes routings from the current 75 Eldridge.
And yes, this represents a full admission the 75 Eldridge, designed as a route to benefit the Energy corridor has had ridership, but really has not done all that well. The current 75 Eldridge has an average frequency of twenty minutes. With the new 32 Eldridge, we go to half-hour in peak and sixty minutes at other times, but with weekend service and direct service to West Oaks Mall we've not seen before.
I think the current 75 suffered from a lack of connectivity with other routes, though it did hook up with the Westheimer and Richmond routes, but not with Beechnut. METRO has not given up on this street entirely. Look at its being a part of a re-imagined Mission Bend P&R, more connected with the local bus network than it has ever been heretofore.
I do think METRO has high hopes for Eldridge, and an upgrade to blue could be within the next few years. We'll see how Park & Ride riders look at this, perhaps.
As Eldridge Parkway goes all the way south to Old Richmond Rd., this is not a true Eldridge bus, and as far-west as this north-south route is, I don't see it going this far south for a long time, especially with what it does at the western/southern terminus at West Oaks Mall, starting off where the 5 Bellaire leaves off and giving an infrequent, but still-existing bus connection between Mission Bend P&R and West Oaks Mall, though I look for this west-of-Mission-Bend-P&R section to eventually be discontinued as I cannot imagine there will be anyone who will ride this portion of this route which takes routings from the current 75 Eldridge.
And yes, this represents a full admission the 75 Eldridge, designed as a route to benefit the Energy corridor has had ridership, but really has not done all that well. The current 75 Eldridge has an average frequency of twenty minutes. With the new 32 Eldridge, we go to half-hour in peak and sixty minutes at other times, but with weekend service and direct service to West Oaks Mall we've not seen before.
I think the current 75 suffered from a lack of connectivity with other routes, though it did hook up with the Westheimer and Richmond routes, but not with Beechnut. METRO has not given up on this street entirely. Look at its being a part of a re-imagined Mission Bend P&R, more connected with the local bus network than it has ever been heretofore.
I do think METRO has high hopes for Eldridge, and an upgrade to blue could be within the next few years. We'll see how Park & Ride riders look at this, perhaps.
33 Dairy Ashford
The current 67 has somewhat-better
frequency than the 33 Dairy Ashford will boast, but the new 33 will
get people to and from Addicks P&R, further illustrating METRO's
desire to remedy the underutilization of its P&R locations as
true transit hubs for more than just commuters from far-flung areas.
34 Kirkwood
Taking in a touch of the current 53
Westheimer Ltd., the new 34 Kirkwood services for the first time
Kirkwood. Witness the sweet linkage between the large pieces of
Kirkwood between Richmond and Alief Clodine servicing the West
Houston Medical Center.
35 Wilcrest
The current 19 Wilcrest gets a shot in
the arm with its routing plus some of the current 70 Memorial and 131
Memorial getting new service to Memorial City Mall and the NWTC! Of
course, the trade-off is no more service on Wilcrest north of
Memorial to Chatterton.
40 Gessner
The current 46 Gessner is the mighty
north-south bus artery west of Loop 610. Re-imagined, its routing as
the new 40 Gessner is the most-expansive Gessner service perhaps-ever
with new service to the W. Little York P&R, hooking up with the
new 25 W. Tidwell and the 28 W. Little York Irvington.
Weekend service actually goes to a
decent hour, though I look for the Gessner to go to a 20-hour span in
a few years' time. BRT lanes on Gessner at Memorial City - METRO,
can we have some of this, please?
41 Fondren
Wow. The current 163 Fondren gives its
Fondren-Rd-routing to the new 41 Fondren, but the revolution here is
no more service to the Hillcroft TC. The direct Fondren trip to
Downtown through the time-consuming monotony of the trip through
Sharpstown is gone!
The trade-off is service on Fondren all the way to Westheimer for the first time ever, but people can get on the Harwin Frequent segment to get to Hillcroft TC. Yes, a transfer, but the time savings by not going through Sharpstown are immense and cancel out the transfer wait-time.
163 riders, you're still getting to Downtown - just by a different path.
The trade-off is service on Fondren all the way to Westheimer for the first time ever, but people can get on the Harwin Frequent segment to get to Hillcroft TC. Yes, a transfer, but the time savings by not going through Sharpstown are immense and cancel out the transfer wait-time.
163 riders, you're still getting to Downtown - just by a different path.
42 Hillcroft
Taking routing from the old 47
Hillcroft, 6 Tanglewood, and 33 Post Oak, the new 42 Hillcroft leaves
people off at Hillcroft @ Harwin to catch the Frequent Harwin buses
to Hillcroft TC. I have to wonder if METRO will bring back these
deviations to Hillcroft TC along Fondren and Hillcroft.
The trade-off with the new 42 is
enormous - new service to the NWTC. And with all the new service
along Woodway, I have to wonder if Brother Ed with Second Baptist
Church did not send a bird to whisper in METRO's ear.
45 Chimney Rock
Blue
Yes, a Chimney Rock bus - sorta. It is
quite clear here our constrained budget is at full-work because let's
face it - this is not a true 'Chimney Rock' bus as it only goes on
about two-fifths of Chimney Rock. What we do get is much of S. Post
Oak and a terminus at Hiram Clarke TC.
The remainder of Post Oak is taken up by the new 82 W Airport Briargate. This new 45 (which takes up parts of the current 49 Chimney Rock and 33 Post Oak) does a lot of things, but perhaps it should be re-named '45 Chimney Rock S Post Oak' Hiram Clarke TC'.
The remainder of Post Oak is taken up by the new 82 W Airport Briargate. This new 45 (which takes up parts of the current 49 Chimney Rock and 33 Post Oak) does a lot of things, but perhaps it should be re-named '45 Chimney Rock S Post Oak' Hiram Clarke TC'.
I created the 75 - Eldridge Crosstown, or a version of it, in 2004. My version went from Alief to Willowbrook Mall via Highway 6/FM 1960. I submitted it to Metro not long after. Later, Metro created the 75 - Energy Corridor route and after a time renamed it the 75 - Eldridge Crosstown. Though not my overly ambitious route (Alief to Willowbrook in 60 minutes) I was still flattered at the possible use of my idea, if only in the name and numbering.
ReplyDeleteThe new 87 - Westview will serve the current turnback of the 19 - Wilcrest. It's a sore thumb deviation and I wonder why there is an interest to save that routing.
The 42 WILL go to Hillcroft TC. Some deviations are worth it.
As should the 41, though with no stops on Harwin. Just too many people ride that bus to Downtown to have to take that stupid little bit of Harwin to Hillcroft TC.
DeleteWhat connections will be available at Hillcroft TC that won't be where the 41 and 42 intersect Harwin and Westpark?
ReplyDeleteAs far as I can tell, the 150 will not service where the 41 and 42 intersect Harwin and Westpark, but will be available at Hillcroft TC along with 151 and 152.
Deletehttp://transitsystemreimagining.com/web/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/150WestparkExpress.pdf
DeleteCheck out the quarter mile access buffer.
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