The US 90A Alternatives Analysis study is being conducted by the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC), in partnership with the Gulf Coast Rail District (GCRD).
OVERVIEW AND BACKGROUND
Over the past few decades, both Fort Bend and Harris Counties have experienced steady and significant population and employment growth. Future projections indicate that this rate of growth is expected to continue. Along with this rapid rate of growth has been an even greater increase in the daily automobile vehicle miles of travel, which has resulted in severe traffic congestion and associated mobility, accessibility, economic and environmental impacts to the region. The implementation of transit services can mitigate some of these impacts.
In the spring of 2021, the GCRD approached H-GAC about conducting a study to assess the technological and economic feasibility of establishing and operating efficient transit service along this corridor. With the assumption that commuter rail is not a viable technology option for this corridor, and with the understanding that recent legislation allows GCRD to consider technologies other than commuter rail, this study seeks to explore a basic commuter system using modal options including light rail transit and bus rapid transit that could have dramatic benefits to mobility within the region.
The goal of this study is to generate feasible and reasonable transit alternative(s) for this corridor that the GCRD can advance into more detailed study and analysis, with an eye towards implementation.
The map below indicates the general location of the study area of this study, which stretches from Rosenberg in Fort Bend County to the vicinity of the METRO Fannin South Park and Ride in Houston, just south of the Texas Medical Center. Two alignments included in current regional long-range transit plans are shown: The High Capacity Transit Task Force Priority Network “HCT Peak” alignment, in red, and the METRONext “METRO Rail Potential Partnership” alignment, in green.
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