Construction of a $1 million park and ride facility broke ground in Conroe on July 27.
The project is intended to improve public transportation options for Conroe residents by offering a bus system to downtown Houston and the Texas Medical Center, said Tommy Woolley, Conroe assistant director of projects and transportation. The park and ride is expected to be operational by fall 2017. The facility will be located under the I-45 overpass on FM 2854.
The initiative is one of several public transportation improvements made by the city in recent years. The city also started operation of its Conroe Connection inner-city bus route in 2014. It continues to build pedestrian-friendly infrastructure throughout Conroe on a regular basis.
“We are trying to improve the environment and people’s [quality of life] by offering different means of transportation,” Woolley said. “Not only with our fixed route, [Conroe Connection], here in Conroe, but we have done a lot of sidewalk and pedestrian improvements as well.”
The project leverages state and local funding, with $800,000 of the cost being paid for from the Texas Mobility Fund, and the city of Conroe funding the remaining $200,000, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. TxDOT is overseeing construction of the facility, and the project is expected to be complete in October.
Once complete, an independent contractor will operate the park and ride commuter service. The city has applied for funding from a pilot program by the Houston-Galveston Area Council using Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality funds to pay for its operating cost, Woolley said. The funds are intended for transportation projects that reduce the amount of emissions being made into the environment and traffic congestion.
“Any time there is a new system that is going to take away emissions form the environment, H-GAC has different programs you can apply for,” Woolley said. “They have a pilot program that we applied for. We submitted a pretty big application.”
He said the city plans to send the contract out for bid and determine the final route after the H-GAC approves funding for the project.
Woolley said the park and ride bus line will also benefit from the new high occupancy vehicle lanes that are under construction on I-45. The HOV lanes are expected to be completed by October, according to TxDOT.
“The buses will also be able to use that new diamond lane that TxDOT has been installing right now on I-45,” Woolley said. “That will [help ease] congestion a lot, and it will take more cars off the road if you use the commuter buses.”
Woolley said public transportation improvements will appeal to residents who move to the area from cities that offer such accommodations.
“There is a lot of people that like to use these different means of transportation instead of driving a car, especially people from outside of Texas that are used to it—like from the eastern parts of the United States or California,” he said. “When they get to Texas, we really don’t have many options other than jumping in your car and driving.”
