Want To Ride Into The Future?

Houston METRO is bringing the autonomous shuttle to Houston for the first time! The Easy Mile autonomous shuttle is a fully automated, 12 passenger (6 seating/6 standing), all electric vehicle to transport students, faculty staff on an one-mile closed loop route along TSU’s Tiger Walk.

Houston METRO is offering free tours to ride the autonomous shuttle! Our goal is to inform and educate the public about autonomous shuttle for future integration into our current services. If you’re interested in a FREE group tour, or would like to know more please email Cindy.Ho@ridemetro.org or call 713-615-7079.

Please keep in mind that a consent form must be signed before touring, if over 18, or a permission form for those under 18.

The following documents detail how to participate in the project, and ride the autonomous shuttle.

• Ride Instruction Sheet

• Consent Form (for those over 18 years)

• Permission Form (for those under 18 years)

• Ride Stamp Granter Sheet

METRO Buses on Bayland & Watson

UPDATE 1: Original post was missing the link to the METRO bus route petition. Now added.
UPDATE 2: Added link to petition in favor of keeping current METRO bus routes. Modified text to accommodate new link. Removed infographic.

As was discussed at our last General Meeting, METRO has decided to maintain the current bus route on Bayland and Watson. A large number of residents on Bayland (and elsewhere along the route in the neighborhood) have expressed their desire to have this route moved to the perimeter of the neighborhood. In prior meetings with METRO, some of those residents were left with the impression that METRO would do just that. However, METRO has now confirmed that its plan is to leave the route as it currently exists. So, those residents are starting a petition to bring to METRO before METRO finalizes its route decisions, which will be in early June.

Please review both petitions and make your voice heard.

Petition in favor of keeping current bus routes.
Petition in favor of changing bus routes.

Meeting Recap — Friends of Woodland Park, METRO, WHCA Updates

Thanks to all who came to last night’s WHCA General Meeting. For those of you who couldn’t make it, here’s a brief recap: 
 
- We updated the neighborhood on the WHCA’s efforts to fund two Constable shifts. We have fully funded one shift, but are still approximately 75 subscribers shy of being able to fully fund the second shift without dipping into our reserve account. It's never too late to subscribe.
 
- The Friends of Woodland Park did a wonderful presentation to update the neighborhood on the beautification efforts in Woodland Park. They also unveiled a model of a beautiful new sculpture installation called Firefly Field by Houston artist and fourth generation Heights resident, Dylan Conner. Approval from the City of Houston is pending with a fundraising campaign to follow. Visit the FWP website for more details, and please support this great organization. 
 
- We heard reports from METRO regarding the bus route on Bayland and Woodland. More details coming in another post.
                                                                                                                                                                                          
- We also received updates from the offices of Representative Alvarado and Council Member Gonzales. 
 
- Finally, we reminded the neighborhood that we’re now transitioning away from a paper newsletter to an e-newsletter. If you haven’t already signed up to receive the e-newsletter, please do so at our website.
 
Thanks again to those who came out.  We’ll see you in July!
 
Tim McConn
President, WHCA

Houston Metro to Revise Bus Route Without Input from Neighborhood

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (“Metro”) plans to revise the #40 bus route to include the entire segment of Watson St. between Pecore St. and Usener St. Metro has made this change with little to no input from Woodland Heights residents or the Woodland Heights Civic Association (the “WHCA”). The WHCA attended the March 2015 Metro board meeting to raise concerns with the Metro #40 bus route traversing up and down Watson St. Also, Metro had previously advised the WHCA that Metro would not place a bus route on streets with speed bumps—which Watson St. clearly has in place between Teetshorn and Usener. The revised #40 bus route may also interfere with the Woodland Heights neighborhood traffic management plan on Watson St. which is currently in the data gathering stage. Metro is sending a representative to attend the Woodland Heights general meeting on May 12th at 7 PM at Hogg Middle School. Please plan on attending the general meeting to address any concerns with Metro concerning the proposed revised #40 bus route.