Transit service throughout Harris County could see a much-needed facelift next June if the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County approves its draft plan in September. The reimagined system would use existing resources to make changes that could affect routes in the Spring area.

"Personally I'm a bus rider," METRO board member Christof Spieler said. "I ride the bus a lot, and I depend on METRO's bus system for our daily commute. I know that Houston has changed a lot, and our system hasn't changed a lot to adjust to that."

METRO has created a new plan from scratch that could increase ridership, cut wait times, provide more non-peak service and improve connectivity to employment centers throughout the Greater Houston area, including along FM 1960 in Spring. METRO has also begun conversations with Springwoods Village developer, Coventry Development, regarding transit expansion to that community in the future.

An outdated plan

Using the data gathered from METRO's 2011 Long Range Plan, the METRO board of directors began discussions with stakeholders last year regarding possible changes to the system, Spieler said.

The evolution of rail in Houston was a significant factor in the need for a new system, Spieler said, with one new rail route built last year and two more on the way in 2014.

"[The new system won't] have to run buses parallel to the tracks," he said. "And that allows us to take bus service hours and shift them elsewhere. Those rail lines provide convenient links into downtown, which allows many of our bus routes to be crosstown routes which go elsewhere."

Spieler said while METRO's bus system serves downtown well, it does a poor job of serving employment centers on the edge of the Greater Houston area. If approved, the new system would see many of the resources used for downtown routes shifted to the outer edges of the city to better serve those areas.

With a reallocation of resources, Spieler said METRO's new-look system could also provide more midday, evening and weekend service.

"That's a reflection that really the world has changed," he said. "There's a lot of people who don't work 9-5 jobs."

Spring/Klein effects

Changes could be made system-wide to METRO's bus routes next June, and Spring's bus routes are no exception. Spieler said Route 86—which connects from the Spring Park and Ride to FM 1960—could be split into two separate routes that will service new areas of Spring, provide shorter wait times and provide better service during non-peak hours.

The average monthly weekday ridership for the 2014 fiscal year has increased more than 31 percent to nearly 3,600 riders per weekday, according to METRO.

Route 86 currently splits into two different bus routes—one that goes to Spring and one that goes to Greenspoint—Spieler said. The new planned routes—96 and 97—could provide two separate options, both of which connect to the Spring Park and Ride and have stops near significant Spring destinations, such as Lone Star College–North Harris, the Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital and various medical buildings near FM 1960 and I-45.

Route 96 will also service an underserved area as it will travel north from the Greenspoint station through Imperial Valley Drive between I-45 and the Hardy Toll Road, Spieler said.

"You're seeing that frequent service into Greenspoint," Spieler said. "You're seeing better service to the hospitals at [FM] 1960 and [I-]45, and you're seeing more frequent service to sections of 1960."

Although the changes may not be as dramatic as other areas of the plan, Spieler said it could lead to significantly shorter wait times. Looking at a matrix of 30 random locations between the current system and the reimagined plan, the most significant improvement came near FM 1960 and I-45—at Peakwood and Cali drives—where there could be an estimated 30-minute reduction in wait time.

Barbara Thomason, president of the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce, said she would like to see additional cover and aesthetically pleasing improvements at bus stops through the area as part of METRO's improvements. Thomason said she believes transit will continue to be essential as the region grows, especially around employment centers along Hwy. 249 and I-45.

"Anywhere there are business centers, commercial centers of activity, we need bus service," Thomason said. "It's just those other areas I'm not quite sure about."

Although she admits some residents in the Spring area do not appreciate the bus service along FM 1960, she said many of the perceived negative effects of bus service—such as aesthetic changes or decreased property values—are more symptomatic of growth.

"People—when they come here—were looking for peace and quiet and tranquil neighborhoods, but growth happens," she said. "I'm not sure what the impact is that would be negative in [terms of] bus service. I do know that anytime [communities] decide not to improve infrastructure and access, there can be ramifications."

The Houston Northwest Chamber is part of an ongoing Livable Center Study with the Houston-Galveston Area Council that is examining possible improvements to areas of FM 1960. Thomason said the study will consider improving mobility in the area, including walkable pathways and bicycle improvements.

The study is scheduled for completion in September.

Although the chamber has not taken a stance on METRO's improvements, Thomason said the community's input will be key to determining the future of transit in the area. She said rail could be an option for the community and bus service could be expanded further north along I-45.

Myeshi Briley, president of the Spring-Klein Chamber of Commerce, also suggested rail as a possible option for the area and said there have been discussions about bus services within the community through private organizations. However, she said she would like to see community input determine future transit options.

"I think transit is so important in such a growing area," Briley said. "That's [part of] our next phase, working closely with those groups to let them know what's needed in the Spring/Klein area."

Springwoods Village transit

Keith Simon, executive director for Coventry Development Corporation, the Springwoods Village Developer, said Coventry had discussions with METRO two years ago and believes transit will eventually be necessary for the community.

"We're estimating 45,000 jobs just in Springwoods Village [upon completion], not to mention all the jobs just outside of it," Simon said. "When you look at the younger generation of employees that are the future, they're a lot more open to using transit and desire to use transit."

Simon said Springwoods Village has been designed for multi-modal mobility with as many as 25-30 miles of pathways planned and wider roads for cyclists. Some employees may opt to relocate to Springwoods Village—which will house 15,000 people upon completion—but many employees will prefer to live elsewhere and commute to work.

The Grand Parkway could make commuting to Springwoods Village easier when Segments F-1, F-2 and G are completed next year, he said, but some employees may prefer transit. Simon said a bus service could be an option either through METRO or through other means funded by the Harris County Improvement District No. 18.

"We always thought that as Springwoods Village builds out that it might have its own system of buses that would take people from a transit station to its place of work," he said. "You could imagine a bus or two circulating around Springwoods Village on a regular schedule and either taking them to work or taking them to a transit station."

The expansion of METRO's North Line Rail could be another option for Springwoods Village if it could expand further north along I-45, Simon said. However, METRO officials said there are no current plans to expand the rail.

Spieler said METRO will continue to consider future transit options for Springwoods Village, including park and rides. However, the region does present challenges, such as how a transit system could work with a private corporation like ExxonMobil and how to get employees from a transit center to their jobs.

"The key is not to get somewhere near their job, but to get to their job," he said.