Early numbers show the public is embracing Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County’s (Metro) North Line extension, which surpassed ridership projections by 62%.
On December 21, 2013, Metro launched its 5.3-mile North Line. The event came just days before the 10-year anniversary of the existing Red Line. In January, its first full month of service, the North Line averaged 4,200 weekday boardings. That’s 1,600 more than what is forecasted to be the average daily ridership by the end of the 2014 fiscal year, according to the transit agency.
“This speaks volumes about the value of rail in the community, and how expanding the reach of one form of transit enhances others like our bus service,” said Metro Board Chairman Gilbert Garcia.
“Though these are early numbers, they’re a good indication of how well the extension has been received by the community,” said Tom Lambert, interim Metro president and CEO. “It’s providing better connectivity and improving the customer experience on many fronts.”
Since Metro extended Red Line service north, it has:
Increased the amount of transit service, adding 192 rail trips each weekday, replacing 149 weekday bus trips.
