Today, METRO's Board of Directors selected a preferred route for the Southeast Corridor, allowing this portion of the METRO Solutions Phase 2 Implementation Plan to move forward.  Upon reviewing staff recommendations, the board adopted the alignment along Wheeler and Martin Luther King Blvd (Wheeler/MLK).

The route adopted by the board was developed during the course of the environmental process, when many members of the community proposed it to METRO.  Although the adopted route was not METRO's base alternative, it was well within the corridor's study area of this transit corridor.  Ridership projections and other technical differences between the final alternatives are small.  Staff recommendations were based on the following factors:

• Construction and operating maintenance costs are more favorable on the Wheeler/MLK alignment.
• There are significantly fewer property acquisitions on the Wheeler/MLK alignment.
• The Wheeler/MLK offers the possibility to have three (rather than two) stations serving the University of Houston population.
• University of Houston population is expected to grow with the addition of dormitory facilities in the near future.

The six mile route begins downtown Capitol and Rusk, then south on Scott to Wheeler, to Martin Luther King Blvd. to Griggs at Beekman.  With today's board action, METRO may advance work toward the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) as well as final design.  This was the third locally preferred alignment selected by the Board for the four Guided Rapid Transit corridors outlined in Phase 2 of the METRO Solutions Implementation Plan. 

Construction is scheduled to begin in July 2007.

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