Houston Bus Lanes Downgraded to HOV Lanes

The Harris County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is backpedaling on plans to add dedicated bus lanes as part of its Inner Katy Project, opting instead for high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes.

As Janet Miranda explains in the Houston Chronicle, “The new project tweaks the two elevated bus-only lanes to be built adjacent to the freeway into HOV lanes as part of the agency's push for "METRONow" initiatives. The change seems to prioritize car drivers first, leaving bus riders out of the equation, at least at first.” The project still includes high-speed bus stations along the HOV lanes.

The agency defended the decision by saying “It is our responsibility to the greater Houston area to focus on mobility solutions that prioritize ridership, provide services that are useful, and address community needs that exist now.” Although voters approved a plan called METRONext in 2019 that calls for 75 miles of BRT across the city, the agency is dubbing its new plan METRONow, saying it more closely aligns with current needs.

The city has been ‘quietly shelving’ multimodal projects including the University BRT line and bike lanes on McGowen, prompting an outcry from mobility and road safety advocates.