METRORail University Line
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Type | Light rail |
| System | METRORail |
| Status | In limbo |
| Locale | Houston, Texas |
| Termini |
Hillcroft Transit Center Station (west) Eastwood Transit Center Station (east) |
| Stations | 19 |
| Operation | |
| Opened | TBD |
| Operator(s) | METRO |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 11.3 mi (18 km) |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
The University/Blue Line (according to Go METRORail) is a planned 11.3 mi (18.2 km)METRORail light rail route to be designed, constructed, and operated by METRO in Houston, Texas.
The homeowners of the upper-income Afton Oaks subdivision opposed a proposed expansion of the University Line through the neighborhood. Ultimately METRO revised the plans so that the line does not go through the neighborhood.
An opinion was issued August 31, 2010, on an appeal made by Daphne Scarbrough, who owns a business on Richmond Avenue, on a lawsuit she raised May 23, 2007, regarding METRO's jurisdiction and its decision to align the rail down the center of Richmond. The appeal overruled all but one issue raised by Scarbrough (which it modified), upholding the original decision to give METRO jurisdiction on Richmond to lay the rails.
In a 2007 Houston Chronicle questions and answers page about the proposed University Line, Daphne Scarbrough and Christof Spieler asked why METRO did not include a station to serve Gulfton, a community of apartment complexes. METRO responded, saying that the agency originally envisioned "more of an express service" in that area. However, the agency stated that it would examine the idea of including a Gulfton Station in the project scope.
In 2010, Houston mayor Annise Parker delayed construction on the University Line in an effort to find a suitable funding source.
However, the line has received some hope: METRO has reported to the local media outlets that it has received a federal Record of Decision, the final approval needed to design and/or construct the line. It is reported in the Houston Chronicle that METRO anticipates $700 million in federal funding for this line. While Go METRORail has no mention of this, METRO Solutions has posted a .pdf file of the letter from the FTA with all permission, and an inclusion of instructions to not pursue buying any light rail vehicles for this line (or for any other for that matter) until the investigation regarding the controversy over "Buy America" has concluded.
In May 2016, the project had its federal funding eligibility revoked after a decade of inactivity.
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Wikipedia