This article has been updated to include the Conroe City Council's final vote.

Big-city workers who live in Conroe will finally be able to commute by bus beginning April 1.

Conroe City Council members unanimously approved the intergovernmental agreement for the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County to operate the park and ride commuter bus service at the March 28 council meeting.

"Can you believe we're going to start commuter service on Monday?" said Conroe Transportation Manager Shawn Johnson at the workshop. "Conroe will now be the most northern point you can commute into Houston."

The buses will depart in the morning at 5 a.m., 5:30 a.m., and 6:30 a.m., returning from Houston at 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. for a fare of $8 each way.

The finalized contract will Metro holds Metro responsible for providing three buses and a spare, along with six drivers.

The Texas Department of Transportation spent roughly $1 million to build Conroe’s park and ride lot under I-45 at the corner of FM 2854, but the 298-space parking lot has sat empty since construction was completed in fall 2017 while the city negotiated contracts with bus operators.

"This has been an ongoing process for us [since] 2012," Conroe Director of Engineering Tommy Woolley said at the meeting.

Woolley said the Houston-Galveston Area Council will fund 80 percent of the park and ride’s costs for the first year and 70 percent of costs for the next two years. The remaining funds will be allocated from the city of Conroe’s general fund balance, Woolley said.

"We are expecting to start service on Monday—this is not a joke, this is really happening," Johnson said.

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