Riding Metro

By David Judkins

 The following appeared in the Houston Chronicle, Sunday July 29, 2001

When Mayor Brown announced free bus rides for two weeks after the June flooding in Houston, I took one look at gasoline prices, then hovering around $1.60 per gallon, and downloaded the 68 Brays Bayou Crosstown schedule from www.ridemetro.org.  I had some misgivings because the last time I tried to do my environmental duty by switching from private passenger vehicle to city bus, back in the late 80s, the experiment ended in frustration and anger.  Service was infrequent and bus drivers seemed totally unaware of printed schedules. 

According to the new schedule I printed out from Metro's web site, service had been significantly increased since my last attempt some eleven or twelve years ago.  Now, I thought, even if the driver is not on time, buses come so often that I wouldn’t have to wait too long.  Early that Monday morning I set off for a seven minute walk to Holcombe Boulevard with high hopes tempered by historic deep- seated reservations.  I had just arrived at the bus stop when the 426 swept past.  A minute later the number 2 Downtown paused to collect three passengers.  Two minutes later, could it be? Yes, the 68 pulled up right on time, and I was met with a pleasant “Good morning” from the neat, well-dressed driver as I stepped into the bus. 

Although nearly filled with passengers, the bus was relatively quiet.  People were courteous, unlike many of my fellow motorists on the Southwest Freeway.  No one was eating their breakfast, putting on make up, shaving, or blathering away on a cell phone.  I settled into one of the few remaining seats, pulled the newspaper from my briefcase, and prepared to make the best of the ride.  It turned out to be surprisingly comfortable, and I was able to concentrate on two of the longer articles.  My expectations, downgraded by previous experience, were more than fulfilled.  The bus was cool and clean.  The ride relatively smooth, given the condition of Houston streets.  The bus more comfortable for passengers because of minor design changes, such as the floor being lowered so that from the curb, a passenger steps almost directly into the bus rather than struggling up two or three steps.  Returning home late in the afternoon was a repeat of the morning performance.  I told my wife that evening that I felt guilty not paying a dollar each way.

According to a Metro’s website there are now 1443 buses running on 132 local routes and 27 park and ride routes, all of which can be downloaded and printed.  Clearly Metro is trying to accommodate the people of this sprawling city. This fall, Metro will provide free bus passes for college and university students during the first semester.  This is in addition to a host of cut fare offers from tokens to stored value cards and deep discounts for younger school students and seniors over 62. Metro can do this because fares make up only a small portion of its income.  Most of its funding comes from the 1 cent sales and service tax we pay on everything except groceries. 

After two weeks of free rides I was hooked.  The morning walk was good exercise.  I was getting more reading done on the way to and from work than I ever managed before.  I ignore Don Nelson’s morning traffic reports, and am no longer distressed by the increasing size and menace of pick ups and SUVs.  Traffic simply no longer concerns me.  Yes, I do spend more time on my commute, about 50% more, but I use the time productively and arrive rested and ready for work.

Lest you think I am becoming a spokesman for Metro, I can still find things to complain about.  For instance, it is disconcerting to see the driver have an open newspaper on his lap apparently for a quick read at stoplights.  My own route takes some strange meanders that could be straightened out to get riders to their destinations more quickly.  (Why do we take a three block detour from Cleburne past boarded up buildings and vacant lots stopping at two stop lights and one stop sign to re-cross Cleburne several minutes later?) There is still the occasional shake, rattle, and roll which anyone who has ridden a bus in the last thirty years will recognize. Finally, it is wildly frustrating for the passengers to be temporarily abandoned by a driver who has a sudden and apparently uncontrollable urge for a Burger King.  Fast food service is not very fast to thirty passengers setting in a bus at the curb while the driver strolls away to order a hamburger.

Still, compared to the bus service I experienced thirteen years ago, Metro has come a long way (only twice has a scheduled bus failed to appear), and I am giving serious thought to purchasing an annual pass for $315.  The cost is easily covered from my savings in parking and car insurance.  My agent, Larry Blanco, says I can save about $140.00 per year by changing my car’s classification from “driving to work,” to “pleasure only.” “Its a good idea to ride the bus,” he advised when I called to check on these costs, “Rates are only going up from here.  The average driver will save 15%-20% on insurance by not driving to work.” Add to this $175. savings in annual parking fees, and I have the pass paid for. The price of gasoline has been coming down since I first started riding the bus (I take some credit for that), but I still save nearly a dollar per day in fuel alone. If you are looking for ways to save money in these uncertain economic times, and put tax pennys to work for you, give Metro a second look—you might even want to take a test drive.  

Comments and questions should be sent t djudkins@uh.edu