The gist
Houston-Galveston Area Council officials hosted a public meeting April 23 at the Missouri City Branch Library to present and gather community input on the three proposed routes for a transit system that would address congestion along the Hwy. 90A corridor.
The meeting is one of the final steps in the organization’s study to assess the feasibility of a transit service from Fort Bend County to southwest Houston. The study, which began last March, is exploring alternative transportation routes for public transportation systems such as a light rail transit or bus rapid transit system, according to H-GAC’s project website.
“There’s a strong desire to increase public transit in the Fort Bend region, especially into the Texas Medical Center and Downtown Houston,” Laura Grams, transit planning lead for engineering consultant HDR, said at the public meeting.
Digging in
The system aims to provide alternative transportation options to Missouri City, Stafford, Sugar Land, Richmond, Rosenberg and southwest Houston, per the project website. The Hwy. 90A corridor doesn’t currently have transit options.
The study identified five routes for the project, although three were deemed to be feasible, Grams said.
Grams said the three most viable route options include:
- Along Hwy. 90A from Fannin South Transit Center to Rosenberg
- METRONext, a potential partnership with Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, along Hwy. 90A from Fannin South Transit Center, then diverting onto Hwy. 59 south of Rosenberg
- Along the Fort Bend Parkway Toll Road from Hwy. 90A to Hwy. 6 along future Fort Bend Parkway Toll Road extensions and future Grand Parkway extension
An exact mode of alternative transportation has not been finalized, she said.
By the numbers
A late 2024 survey by H-GAC—which garnered 922 respondents—revealed that 97% of participants drove alone along the study’s corridor, with the Texas Medical Center and Downtown Houston as the primary destinations, Grams said.
Respondents cited traffic congestion and lack of transportation options as the largest concerns regarding the Hwy. 90A area, with 61% expressing an interest in public transportation expansion.
Get involved
Community members are invited to visit the project website to provide comments on the proposed project routes via an online interactive map or email Project Manager Thomas Gray at [email protected]. All comments should be provided by May 7.
What happens next?
Following the public comment period, the final report is expected to be completed in May, Gray said. The final report will be shared with Gulf Coast Rail District, H-GAC’s partner on the project, who will further study the project.
“This is just the beginning. We are not putting shovels in the ground today. We’re just looking at some [transportation] alternatives,” Gray said. “We’re looking at routes that give people the option of bypassing congestion on Hwy. 90A [while] getting into the Houston urban core.”
