Houston – METRO is set to remove resources and extend wait times for Silver Line riders, of which there aren’t many.
The first leg of METRO’s BRT line, or Bus Rapid Transit will be decidely less rapid if the changes go into effect in June.
The move still requires sign off from METRO’s Board of Directors.
The long silver busses that travel up and down their own center lane on ritzy Post Oak Boulevard have less than 10% of the ridership that was expected when the idea was being sold in the mid 2010′s.
Friday, during evening rush hour, 4 riders were on board the extra long busses, which shuttle between two Park-and-Rides.
“We would adjust the frequency of the route. we would move from a 12 minute frequency to a 20 minute frequency,” COO, Chuck Berkshire, said while acknowldeging ridership is lower than expected.
If the plan goes forward, some of the purpose-built Silver Line branded busses would be repainted and used for other, busier parts of the Houston’s bus system.
The line cost approximately $193 million to build with public funding sources and debuted in 2020.
It costs $1.25 to ride, with tickets sold at each elevated platform where the busses make stops.