Metropolitan Transit Authority
of Harris County, Texas

Update on legal action against METRO

Earlier this week the plaintiff in Daphne Scarbrough vs. METRO amended her petition to drop all but one of her claims against the transit agency.

The initial lawsuit, filed approximately a year ago, claims that METRO violated the 2003 referendum in a number of ways, including issues related to:

• General Mobility payments to City of Houston
• Financing of the light-rail expansion
• Bus service expansion
• Technology of the guideway rapid transit (GRT)
• Construction of a portion of the light-rail alignment on Richmond Ave.

Now, the only claim remaining is the one related to light rail construction on Richmond Ave.

METRO continues to vigorously defend itself from this claim and deny that such a violation took place.

Last week, Judge Levy Benton heard a motion in this case.  There has been no ruling on this motion as of yet.  For more information about that hearing, you may refer to this Houston Chronicle column.

East End Corridor - Update on proposed facility and overpass

This week, METRO released a conceptual sketch of what the proposed Service & Inspection Facility would look like in the east end (near Harrisburg Blvd. and the Union Pacific Railroad crossing).

The sketch is laid out in this pdf document together with many details about this project.

About the Consent Agreement

This week Houston City Council considered a proposed Consent Agreement with the Metropolitan Transit Authority for METRO's use of the City right-of-way to build five new light-rail lines as part of the METRO Solutions transit expansion program.

After roughly 90 minutes of discussion, a vote on the measure was postponed.  We anticipate that the Consent Agreement will be on the agenda again next week (click here to read the news coverage). 

Southeast Corridor Update

On May 9, 2008 a Southeast Corridor Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement was made available online, at select branch libraries and at METRO Headquarters at 1900 Main St.

On May 28, 2008 METRO held a Public Hearing to receive comments about the SFEIS.  The following materials were presented at the Public Hearing and are now available online:

• Boards displayed
• Slide show presentation
• Transcript of the Public Hearing

METRO received comments through June 11, 2008. 

June 13, 2008
Volume III, No. 13

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Important Links

METRO's Main Web site
METRO Solutions site
METRO Solutions 
Plan Map
Corridor Map 

Contacts

North Corridor
2613 Fulton
713.343.4354 

Southeast Corridor
Palm Center
5330 Griggs Rd.
Suite. A104
713.343.4350

East End Corridor
Las Palmas Shopping
6215 Harrisburg
713.343.4360

Uptown Corridor
Office opening soon

Media Contact

ss35@ridemetro.org

Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas
1900 Main
Houston, TX 77002