By Kaila Contreras Updated: 2:14Â pm CDT, Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Metro has decided not to relocate the Kingwood Park & Ride, which is located near the intersection of West Lake Houston Parkway and Kingwood Drive.
Metro was swayed against the move by feedback from the Kingwood community shortly after the idea was broached in July. Metro Spokesperson Monica Russo said that during a workshop on July 19 there were discussions about relocating the Kingwood Park & Ride closer to Hwy. 59 to improve the services offered.
However, based on the comments Metro has received from the community, they have decided to leave the Park & Ride where it is.
“We would not build any infrastructure without robust community input, and we will continue to engage the residents of Kingwood prior to advancing any new plans,” Russo said.
Kaila Contreras is a reporter for The Observer Newspapers, an edition of the Houston Chronicle, covering the Lake Houston area. kaila.contreras@chron.com
Written by Cynthia Calvert Published: 07 August 2019
Metro is proposing relocating the Kingwood Park and Ride as part of the transportation agency’s long range mobility plan.
The idea is part of a large package of projects Metro wants to put on the November ballot.
Metro CEO Tom Lambert has stated that relocating the Kingwood site is an obvious choice because it was affected by flooding when Hurricane Harvey poured into Kingwood. The existing site along Kingwood Drive also is time-consuming for buses to navigate, compared to a location closer to the freeway, he said.
The idea does not sit well with Houston City Councilmember Dave Martin.
“I had a face-to-face meeting with Tom Jasien, deputy CEO of Metro, and told him we are totally not in favor of moving it.
“Jasien knows my feelings. I take the park and ride frequently myself,” Martin said. “It makes no sense to move it to the front when so many use it where it is.”
Martin also disputes Lambert’s reasoning, saying that during the Harvey flooding, drivers could not have made it to any site in the front of Kingwood. He also said the site has only flooded once in more than 25 years.
“It makes no sense to move it. People in the back of Kingwood use it and those from about Woodland Hills west drive to the Townsen site. It would not increase ridership at all, and in my opinion, would decrease ridership,” Martin said.
Metro media specialist Laura Whitley did not address the once-in-a quarter-century flood during Harvey but said,”The issue of flooding is only one factor. Our job is to prioritize the safe movement of people. If our Park and Ride and/or the roads leading to it are prone to flooding, it makes sense to relocate to areas less prone to high water,” she said.
Whitley confirmed that the relocation is being considered.
“The proposal is one of several “potential projects.” The proposal is to relocate the Kingwood Park and Ride from its current location to a more accessible location near Highway 59. This project is part of the proposed investments in the MetroNext Moving Forward plan which calls for approximately 11 new or improved park and rides. Public input will be key before moving forward with any of these projects,” Whitley said.
Metro’s board must vote later this month and call for an election in order to be on the November ballot. The overall plan calls for Metro to borrow $3.5 billion.
If the park and ride were relocated to the front of Kingwood, it would be very close to the Townsen Park and Ride in Humble, approximately a mile or so, depending on the final location. Whitley said increased ridership justifies the two facilities being so close.
“Demand for commuter service has grown as the region continues to grow. Katy’s Grand Parkway and Kingsland Park and Rides, for example, are located less than four miles from one another. Both facilities are two of our busiest. Kingwood and the surrounding area are growing and more proposed developments are on the way. Growing congestion along Kingwood Drive is impacting commuter service. Our job is to prioritize the movement of people. We can do that by moving the facility closer to the freeway and freeing commuter buses from growing traffic on roads,” she said.
Whitley did say that ridership at both park and ride locations is comparable. “In April, we saw 1,011 average weekday passenger rides on the Townsen 257 and 850 average weekday passenger rides on the Kingwood 255,” she said.
Martin said Metro wants their mobility plan to pass, and wants Kingwood’s support.
“They asked what we want, and I get it. They want their plan to pass and know Kingwood has a strong voting bloc. But I told them this idea is not good, would only add those 1,000 cars to Kingwood Drive during morning and evening commutes and is not needed,” he said.
Whitley said the park and ride relocation idea has been discussed at several community meetings. Metro has attended various committee meetings, such as the Super Neighborhood Council and local chamber meetings to discuss their plan. She did say Metro is continuing to ask for opinions.
“For now, the plan is only that: a plan. With any plan it’s necessary to have a blueprint in place. Whether a new Kingwood Park and Ride is built depends on a number of factors including funding and additional input from residents. We’ll continue to solicit additional feedback from the community if this proposal is something that ends up in the final plan. Community engagement will be ongoing,” she said.
Kingwood residents who wish to express their opinion can call Metro at 713-635-4000 Monday-Friday from 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.
UPDATE ON HOW TO CONTACT METRO FROM CYNTHIA CALVERT:
I heard again from Laura Whitley with Metro. She gave me a better way to voice opinions. Here is her reply: We very much want to hear from residents and record their comments on the METRONext proposals. That is the process we have been following since we began this process more than two years ago because it is very important for us to get everyone’s feedback and keep record of it. If your readers would like to share their feedback, we ask they do so through the METRONext.org website. The direct link to submit a comment is here https://www.ridemetro.org/Pages/METRONext.aspx Our customer service line (above listed number) is primarily focused on day-to-day operations.
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