FLEX: an introduction and why it could torpedo System Re-imagining

FLEX.  as in FLEXible...

It is a concept in mass-transit used in many places for those parts of communities that do not have enough ridership to justify regular fixed routes, but enough ridership to justify at least some coverage.  In the METRO service area, these areas of sparse ridership still needing at least some coverage are large swaths of Northeast Houston and parts of North Houston.

The theory is this: bus takes a regular fixed route through a FLEX zone, but according to passenger requests made in advance by phone or other means, deviates from that regular fixed route within the geographical limits of the FLEX zone to pick up and drop off passengers.

Having to phone METRO two hours in advance for a pickup is the bothersome aspect of this, but I'm not sure of any way to shorten this time without unduly vexing our bus operators.  How METRO solves this conundrum, if it can, will be interesting to see.

Unfortunately at this writing, METRO has yet to put out a proper presentation as to how its iteration of FLEX zones will work.  For an idea of how FLEX works in other places, watch presentations from Tampa and Cape Cod on their FLEX services, which I think will differ from METRO's somewhat.

We stand to get FLEX zones with METRO because the agency opted to be aggressive in resource re-allocation on ridership-numbers focus as opposed to geographical coverage.  With this intense ridership emphasis, it stands to reason there will be those who would have their bus coverage reduced, but not eliminated completely.  Those people are in the sparsely-populated Northeast Houston and parts of North Houston.  These people are getting fewer routes, but they are getting the flexibility of a bus coming near or right to their door to pick them up.

Unfortunately, again, to get that bus pick-up, they have to call METRO at least two hours in-advance.  As an African-American friend of mine put it: 'METROLift for able-bodied people'.  And we know how well METROLift works sometimes: mostly well, but not always.

A friend of mine used to live where he would catch the current 137 Northshore.  And he is feeling for the people in those areas of town near where he once dwelt.  To see the full effect of the changes in the coming FLEX zones, look to my rendition of METRO's current network overlaid with the new Draft routes and FLEX zones.

Look at all the miles and miles of routings being done away with in favor of FLEX!  This is a consequence of the budget-constrained way in which METRO has to go about the whole project of System Re-imagining: no reduction of local bus resources, but no increase, either.  And the offing of these old routings, which had very little ridership, anyway, is part of the reason why the draft Frequent Network stands to be so immense.  That many local bus resources were freed to be put elsewhere.

But there may in all this be a perception of 'discrimination' of one sort or another, I think.  And it is this perception of discrimination on the basis of geography or income - but not race - that I think METRO Board Member Jim Robinson may latch onto re the FLEX zones.  Robinson, more than anyone else on the Board, publicly advocated for making sure no-one had their bus service taken from them entirely.

METRO has a hard sell in store regarding FLEX.  To really help make the proposed Frequent Network what it desperately needs to be for the future while remaining within budget, METRO needs to free local bus resources for re-allocation.  To this end, METRO needs these FLEX zones, which allow buses to not take their former circuitous ways through sparse-ridership neighborhoods save when they truly need to, thereby saving money spent on gas and repairing wear-and-tear on our vehicles.

FLEX could play into the reservations of Jim Robinson concerning ridership coverage, which, in turn could sway other members of the Board, starting with Siegel and Castañeda, perhaps, and then going on to Ballanfant and Lewter with the other four (Spieler, Garcia, Watson, and Jefferson) digging in their heels while the great part of the imagination and power of the Draft Proposed Map is watered down into something resembling the frequency issues we have with the current network.

I'm probably hyping things way too much in that in all the critical votes on System Re-imagining, there has been unanimity without exception, even from Jim Robinson.  There was also unanimity from former Board Member Carrin Patman, and I think former Board Member Jim Stobb, replaced by Jim Robinson in late October 2013, was on-board, too, though I admit this was about the time when I really started paying attention to what our Board was up to and, thanks to System Re-imagining, taking a real interest in what METRO was doing.

But we must respect the fact that people don't always think in pure and logical ways.  The current draft proposed transit map - unveiled for public comment on 8 May of this year, is pure and logical and devoid of public input.  The Final map on which the Board will vote in September will have probably a good number of changes based on this public input.

But we do not know for sure the Board will vote for this Final Map.  Anything could happen, and should 'something' go down, FLEX will have at least something to do with it.  Once Board approval comes, we can all rest easy, and so far, the Board in its public appearances at committee and regular full meetings has not been opposed to what's been done so far or spoken out about anything related to System Re-imagining.  Again, though, until Board Chair Gilbert Garcia declares a favorable vote for adoption of this final map in September-ish, we cannot rest easy.

Make Jim Robinson at least not too perturbed, and all will be well.  And we can be quite sure Christof and Gilbert, for whom System Re-imagining is their magnum opus of the work they have done on the METRO Board these four years on, will make sure everything is done to keep the concerns of our Mr. Robinson at bay.

And I think it will be easy to keep him at bay.  While asking the right questions and having certain reservations, he has nevertheless always been enthused with the concept and at least most of the resultants of System Re-imagining, and if FLEX can be dealt with in the right way and sold to the public well, I see no reason why the September-ish 2014 Board Meeting with a unanimous vote of approval of System Re-imagining will not be of the advent of a brilliant new transit network a moment of wondrous celebration laced with more than a little relief and awe at what will be the start of a new era in Houston mass-transit.