The Woodlands Township board of directors voted on Sept. 25 to approve a contract with First Class Transportation to continue operating The Woodlands Express bus service for the next five years.

What you need to know

The five-year contract was approved for the operations of The Woodlands Express, the township's commuter bus service into Houston, following a bid process. First Class Transportation has been the main operator of the township's bus service since 2015, and it runs routes to and from:

• Downtown Houston
• The Texas Medical Center
• Greenway Plaza
• The Energy Corridor

The township previously allocated $5.8 million in the fiscal year 2025 budget for the commuter bus service.

The details

The five-year contract will allow First Class Transportation to continue operating The Woodlands Express buses, and it comes with an option for the board to renew for an additional five years on an individual yearly basis.

"We provide the vehicles; they're township owned. First Class Transportation provides the operations, the bus drivers, the day-to-day operations of that as well as the maintenance of the busses," township Director of Transportation Ruthanne Haut said.