October 2008 - Construction Update

Job Fair October 18, 2008 (PDF)
METRORail News (PDF)

METRO is committed to working with you to provide the most up-to-date information as construction progresses, including lane closures, detour information, and construction schedules.  We will keep you informed via telephone, door-to-door handouts, periodic project newsletters, personal visits, emails, and more.

Two week look-ahead beginning October 6th 2008...

• Construction crews will begin work at Hagermann St. starting October 6th. This crew will be installing mainline duct bank. They will be in this area for three weeks.
• A second crew will begin work between Eastwood St. and Super St. This work will continue across Super St. to Lockwood through October 24th.
• Super St. will be a full closure beginning Monday the 6th of October. During the construction hours of 7:00 am to 6:00 pm please use Garrow St. as an alternative route into Harrisburg
• All driveway entrances will be clearly marked for customer service.
• We will provide a minimum of one week notice prior to affecting a bus stop.

Please feel free to contact METRO staff by visiting the East End Corridor Office at 6215 Harrisburg, Suite I or by calling us at 713-343-4360.

METRO is excited about the future of mass transit in your community, and we look forward to working with you!

April 2008  

In the wake of recent media reports, METRO reiterates its commitment to taking the East End light-rail line to the Magnolia Transit Center.  It is not a question of if, but when.  Our long-range plan (to go to Gulfgate Mall and beyond) makes it necessary to resolve this sooner rather than later.   

For the short term, METRO will build the light-rail line up to the UPRR, until all the parties can resolve the challenge of creating a grade separation (an elevated or underground structure).  Grade separation for this railroad crossing is at the top of the list for the Gulf Coast Freight Rail District and METRO is committed to contributing its share of the cost. 

How did things evolve to where they are today?  Here's a timeline.

• 2003 - METRO Solutions is approved by voters in a Referendum.
• 2005 - METRO proposes Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) technology for four corridors (North, East End, Southeast and Uptown) as an interim step as we understood from the FTA that we would not qualify for light-rail according to the federal funding eligibility criteria.  BRT, a technology using buses running on and off a guideway, would not present a challenge for the East End line because buses have been crossing and continue to cross the freight railroad at grade (i.e., at road level).
• 2006 -
  • UPRR sends first letter to METRO indicating it would not allow an at-grade crossing.
  • METRO Board of Directors approves Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) for East End.  The LPA refers to both the alignment and the technology.  The alignment selected (Harrisburg) had overwhelming community support.  The technology at this point was still proposed as BRT and therefore, still did not present a challenge.
• 2007 -
  • UPRR sends second letter to METRO disallowing an at-grade crossing.
  • Gulf Coast Freight Rail District is created and coordination with METRO begins.
  • METRO learns that the new federal funding eligibility criteria better enables its projects to qualify for light rail technology.  Since the agency always maintained its commitment to provide light rail sooner than later, METRO took this opportunity to propose all the corridors to have light rail technology.  It is at this point (October) that crossing the freight rail road became more of a challenge because UPRR had already stated its position not to allow light rail to cross the freight rail road at grade.
• 2008 - METRO began working with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to appeal UPRR's decision.

December 2007

On December 1, the East End Corridor Office was inaugurated with an Open House Event.  The East End Corridor Office is located at 6215 Harrisburg and it is open for business Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

October 2007

At the October meeting, METRO's Board of Directors unanimously adopted light-rail technology for the North, East End, Southeast, and Uptown corridors.  These four corridors had previously been planned to begin with Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) technology as an interim step towards Light Rail Transit (LRT).  

• Read the news release for more details. 

July 2006

METRO's Board of Directors voted unanimously in favor of Harrisburg as the preferred alignment on which to build the East End Corridor. This is the first in a series of Board actions on corridor alignments, with the East End Corridor one of five to be built as part of the METRO Solutions Phase 2 Implementation Plan.  On July 20, METRO issued a news release regarding this Board action.  Project team members began contacting owners of properties along the corridor most likely to be affected.  Individual meetings will be sought in the coming weeks.

• Read Houston Chronicle coverage. 

May 2006

An Open House took place on Thursday, May 25, 2006.

• Please click here to view a Meeting Summary.
• Please click here to view the slide show presented at the meeting.

April 2006

A public workshop was held on Thursday, April 27, 2006