Houston Metro

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, branded as METRO, is a major public transportation agency based in Houston, Texas, United States. It operates bus, light rail, bus rapid transit, HOV and HOT lanes, and paratransit service in the city as well as most of Harris County. It also operates bus service to Missouri City in Fort Bend County and previously operated to Conroe in Montgomery County. The Metro headquarters are in the Lee P. Brown Administration Building in Downtown Houston. In, the system had a ridership of, or about per weekday as of.

WWW Official Site 𝕏 metrohouston FB RideMETRO

History

The Texas State Legislature authorized the creation of local transit authorities in 1973. In 1978, Houston-area voters created Metro and approved a one-cent sales tax to support its operations. Metro opened for business in January 1979, taking over the bus service owned by the City of Houston known as HouTran. HouTran was plagued by outdated equipment, infrequent service and a route structure which failed to account for Houston's rapid population growth.
Metro's service area encompasses and also serves portions of an eight-county region with its vanpool service; the agency employs about 3,800 people.

Executive leadership

Tom Jasien is the current president and CEO of the agency, since December 2023.
Previously, Thomas Lambert held the position for a decade, being formally appointed in February 2014, although he had been operating as the agency's interim CEO since the beginning of 2013. Lambert, a Houston native with a political science degree from Southwest Texas State University and master's in public administration from the University of Houston, joined Metro as a security investigator in 1979. He was named agency police chief in 1982, ultimately overseeing close to 100 officers, then moved into higher ranks of management.
The Metro Board has nine members – five are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by Houston City Council, two are appointed by Harris County Commissioners Court, and two are appointed by the 14 mayors of Metro's smaller city members.

METRORail

Metro's light rail service is known as METRORail.
Metro offers a trip planner on its web site that provides information for public transit in the region it serves. It is multi-modal, combining schedule information for buses and rail. Riders enter their intended origin and destination, along with optional time, date, the trip planner displays, itineraries showing the stops, departure and arrival times, times to get from the origin to the destination and other information.
Today, the average daily weekday ridership is 59,753 and 18.3 million annually. On November 9, 2007, Metro surpassed its 40 million boardings mark, something it did not expect to happen until 2020. Notable records in ridership have occurred on the following dates:

February 1, 2004: 64,005 passengers rode Metro during Super Bowl XXXVIII
February 23, 2004: 54,193 passenger boardings were recorded, the highest weekday at the time
February 27, 2007: 56,388 passengers were recorded the day of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
February 4, 2017: 109,417 passengers were recorded during festivities preceding Super Bowl LI.
November 3, 2017: 125,000 passengers were recorded the day of the parade for the Houston Astros, champions of the 2017 World Series.

Lines

Line	Distance	Route	Status
		Fannin South to Northline Transit Center/HCC	Opened January 1, 2004
		Smith Street in Downtown Houston to Palm Center	Opened May 23, 2015
		Smith Street in Downtown Houston to Magnolia Park Transit Center	Opened May 23, 2015

Metro currently operates three light rail lines: the Red Line, Purple Line and Green Line. The Red Line, the Authority's first light rail line, began operation on January 1, 2004. Now extended to 12.8 miles, the line begins at the Northline Transit Center/HCC, serving HCC Northeast and Northline Commons mall, and then continues south through Houston's Central Business District, Midtown, the Museum District, Rice University, the Texas Medical Center and the NRG Park Complex to the Fannin South Transit Center It is the second major light rail service in Texas following the DART system. The arrival of Metro light rail comes approximately sixty years after the previous streetcar system was shut down, which left Houston as the largest city in the United States without a rail system since 1990, when Los Angeles' Blue Line opened.
Metro opened two additional light rail lines in 2015, the Purple and Green Lines. Destinations served by these new lines include Texas Southern University, the University of Houston, PNC Stadium, and the Theater District. These new lines added another 9.9 miles of light rail. In total, Metro operates 22.7 miles of light rail service. Metro will reach approximately 18.6 million light rail boardings in FY17.
Two other lines were to be completed by 2012, but funding issues dropped the number to the northern extension of the Red Line and two of the original four new lines. The extension of the Red Line was opened on December 21, 2013 and the East End/Green Line opened on May 23, 2015. Due to federal investigations and the lack of funds, the plans may degenerate further. Three of the five lines were previously going to be bus rapid transit, but due to high ridership possibilities, the decision was made to make them all light rail.

Expansion

METRO put the METRONext Moving Forward Plan before Houston area voters in November 2019; voters approved the $3.5 billion bond by a margin of nearly two-to-one. Bonds issued will be used to extend existing light rail service. The Red Line will be expanded North to the North Shepherd park & ride, and both the Green and Purple lines will be expanded east and south to Hobby Airport">William P. Hobby Airport">Hobby Airport, and west to the Houston Municipal Courthouse.
A long extension or possible commuter rail line from Fannin South to Sugar Land and beyond has been studied since 2004. The route would parallel U.S. 90A in the existing right-of-way used by the Glidden subdivision owned by UP. In 2011, the Southwest Rail Corridor was proposed to connect Fannin South and Missouri City. This was not constructed, but the METRONext plan includes a similar route extended to Sugar Land which it describes as a "future METRORail potential partnership."

METRORapid (bus rapid transit - BRT)

The METRORapid Silver Line is currently METRO's only operational bus rapid transit line. It opened on August 23, 2020, and connects the Uptown area with the Northwest Transit Center, offering dedicated bus lanes over nearly the entire length of the corridor. The line spans 4.7 miles, offering a fast and efficient service that is part of METRO's broader effort to enhance public transportation in Houston.

Lines

Planned and paused lines

University Line

The University Line, initially planned to begin construction in 2025 and open in 2029, was set to span 11.3 miles from Hillcroft Transit Center to Tidwell Transit Center, traveling through major corridors in central Houston. However, in June 2024, METRO announced the indefinite postponement or abandonment of the University Line due to financial and political challenges. This line was once a cornerstone of METRO’s expansion plans and was included in the METRONext plan for future development.

Inner Katy Line

The Inner Katy BRT line, which was initially intended to run along I-10 from the Northwest Transit Center to downtown Houston, has faced significant changes. Due to funding issues and project re-evaluations, the line has been scaled back, with plans now calling for the use of shared HOV lanes rather than dedicated BRT lanes. The completion timeline for this line remains unclear, although $8.7 million has been allocated for FY2025.

Gulfton Line (Silver Line extension)

The Gulfton BRT, an extension of the Silver Line serving the dense Gulfton area in southwest Houston, is also under review. While there has been no formal announcement regarding the line's construction status, project pages were removed from METRO’s website in April 2024, sparking speculation that the line may be delayed or cancelled.

Expansion and future plans

As part of the original vision for METRORapid, several new BRT lines were planned to follow corridors originally designated for light rail transit. These include:

Expansion to Inner Katy and University corridors
A new north-south BRT service along the western leg of Beltway 8
A line bridging the gap between the northern terminus of the Red Line and Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Together, these lines were expected to form part of a 75-mile network of BRT services, all branded as METRORapid. However, with the recent setbacks to key lines, the future of this expanded BRT network is uncertain.

METROBus

Metro's local bus service usually runs on city streets, typically stopping at every other corner along its entire route. The bus system is the most used in Texas and the Southwest region. Metro also operates express bus routes on the Houston region's freeway high-occupancy vehicle lanes, which stop at park-and-ride lots.
Prior to the construction of Metrorail, Metro consisted of the largest all-bus fleet in the United States, only because Houston was the largest major city devoid of any rail transit since 1990.
Circa 1991 bus services for handicapped people were implemented.
In 2015, the bus system was redesigned, eliminating low-ridership routes in favor of a high-frequency, high-demand bus network. This change was accomplished without any increase in operating costs.

Service types

Local: Most Metro buses typically operate on city streets, with the majority of routes serving several of Houston's major employment centers. The routes are grid-like "crosstown" routes that travel from one part of the city to another, typically without entering downtown. Many routes were truncated to METRORail stations to eliminate duplicate service.
Express: A local limited stop service that serves key destinations but travel nonstop on freeway segments. They were formerly categorized as Limited prior to the 2015 restructuring of bus routes.
Park and Ride : Metro operates express service between major destinations and outlying areas via high-occupancy vehicle lanes on regional freeways. Buses on these routes stop at park-and-ride lots, which also serve as transit centers.
Bus Rapid Transit : A pilot program introduced on June 1, 2009, to provide faster service with upgraded buses and fewer, more modern stops to busy corridors, beginning with a supplement of Route 2, 402 Quickline Bellaire BRT. The second route in this system was a replacement of Route 33, 433 Silver Line Post Oak BRT, which unlike Route 402, utilizes an exclusive busway for a majority of the route. The next planned line was the University Line, which was planned to start construction in 2025 and open in 2029. However, in June 2024, Metro announced that they had abandoned plans for the University Line.

Routes

Metro's bus routes are numbered based on their service type and arranged in a grid. On August 24, 2015, Metro revamped their entire bus network with new routes and frequent service. Under the new network, all local routes run 7 days a week with the exception of two express routes.
Metro provided the free Greenlink shuttle services in Downtown Houston, but discontinued the service in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Metro's express and commuter buses consist of MCI and New Flyer "Viking" buses, which have reclining seats, small individual lights, as well as small air conditioning vents for each seat. Viking buses went out of service in May 2015. In, the bus system had a ridership of, or about per weekday as of.

List of routes

2–99: Local routes
102–162: Express routes
202–298: Park and Ride routes
309–399: Shuttle and curb2curb routes
402, 433: Bus rapid transit routes
' indicates 15 minute-or-better frequencies
' indicates 15–30 minute frequencies
' indicates 30–60 minute frequencies
' indicates express bus routes
' indicates Park & Ride express routes or shuttles with no defined frequency
' indicates BRT routes

Multiple colors indicate that portions of the route have different frequencies from one another.

Route #	Route Name	Terminal 1	Terminal 2	via	Length	Ridership	Notes
2	Bellaire	Old Braeswood Texas Medical Center Transit Center	Juniper Point Mission Bend Transit Center	Bellaire Blvd		2,325,083
3	Langley-Little York	Fairbanks/Northwest Crossing Hollister Street & Little York Road	Northside Village Burnett Transit Center	W Little York Rd		714,561
4	Beechnut	Greater Eastwood Eastwood Transit Center	Juniper Point Mission Bend Transit Center	Beechnut St, N Braeswood Blvd		2,511,220
5	Southmore	Midtown Wheeler Transit Center	Allendale Flagstone Terrace and South Richey Street	Southmore Blvd, Griggs Rd, Long Dr		362,484
6	Jensen/Greens	Downtown Downtown Transit Center	Greater Greenspoint Greenspoint Transit Center	Jensen Dr, Greens Rd		1,236,064
7	West Airport	Willow Meadows West Loop Transit Center	Greater Fondren Southwest Fondren Meadow Drive & Gessner Road	S Willow Dr, Airport Blvd		251,058
8	West Bellfort	South Main Fannin South Transit Center	Greater Fondren Southwest West Bellfort Park and Ride	Bellfort Avenue		1,060,223
9	Gulfton/Holman	Greater Eastwood Eastwood Transit Center	Sharpstown Bonhomme Road & Clarewood Drive	Holman St, US 59, Gulfton St		678,653
10	Willowbend	Old Braeswood Texas Medical Center Transit Center	Greater Fondren Southwest Sandpiper Drive & Willowbend Boulevard	Holcombe Blvd, Stella Link Rd, Willowbend Blvd		198,599
11	Almeda/Lyons	Central Southwest Hiram Clarke Transit Center	Northshore Dividend Street & Currency Street	Almeda Rd, Lyons Av		696,600
14	Hiram Clarke	Old Braeswood Texas Medical Center Transit Center	Central Southwest Hiram Clarke Transit Center	Main St, Hiram Clarke Rd		570,515
20	Canal/Memorial	Bellaire Chimney Rock Road & Bellaire Boulevard	Magnolia Park Magnolia Park Transit Center	S Rice Av, Memorial Dr (East), Canal St		827,098
23	Clay/West 43rd	Northline Northline Transit Center/HCC	Spring Branch Central Pitner Road & Roma Street	Crosstimbers, West 43rd St, Clay Road		144,280
25	Richmond	Greater Eastwood Eastwood Transit Center	Westchase Meadowglen Lane & Hayes Road	Wheeler Ave, Richmond Ave		2,164,144
25	Richmond	Greater Eastwood Eastwood Transit Center	Juniper Point Mission Bend Transit Center	Wheeler Ave, Richmond Ave		2,164,144
26	Long Point/Cavalcade	Houston Gardens Kashmere Transit Center	Memorial City Memorial City Way & Barryknoll Lane	Cavalcade St, West 18th St, Long Point Rd		1,132,169
27	Shepherd	Old Braeswood Texas Medical Center Transit Center	Acres Homes North Shepherd Park and Ride	Greenbriar Dr, Durham Dr, Shepherd Dr		800,555
28	OST – Wayside	South Central Houston Ben Taub Hospital	Greater Fifth Ward 5th Ward/Denver Harbor Transit Center	Old Spanish Trail, Wayside Drive		894,339
29	Cullen/Hirsch	Houston Gardens Kashmere Transit Center	Crestmont Park MLK Jr. Boulevard & Madden Lane	Hirsch Rd, Cullen Blvd		1,073,158
30	Clinton/Ella	Acres Homes North Shepherd Park and Ride	Clinton Park Mississippi Street & Clinton Drive	Wheatley St, E 11th St, Clinton Dr		257,888
32	Renwick	Mid West Winsome Lane & Fountain View Drive	Willow Meadows West Loop Transit Center	Renwick Dr		457,821
35	San Felipe	Mid West Winsome Lane & Fountain View Drive	Downtown Pierce Street & Travis Street	W Gray St, San Felipe St		139,359
36	Kempwood	Houston Gardens Kashmere Transit Center	Westbranch Westway Park Boulevard & Clay Road	Kempwood Dr, Crosstimbers St		1,025,508
38	Manchester-Lawndale	Magnolia Park Magnolia Park Transit Center	Harrisburg/Manchester Manchester Docks	Lawndale St		40,289
39	Katy Freeway	Spring Branch Central Northwest Transit Center	Memorial City Britoak Lane & Yorkchester Drive	Katy Freeway Service Road		89,500
40	Telephone/Heights	Acres Homes North Shepherd Park and Ride	Meadowbrook/Allendale Monroe Park & Ride	Yale St, Heights Blvd, Polk St, Telephone Rd		1,257,055	Interlined with 41 from Waugh Dr to Eastwood TC
41	Kirby/Polk	Greater Eastwood Eastwood Transit Center	Old Braeswood Texas Medical Center Transit Center	Polk St, W Dallas St, Kirby Dr		424,633	Interlined with 40 from Waugh Dr to Eastwood TC
44	Acres Homes	Downtown Pierce Street & Main Street	Cypress Crossing Lone Star College-University Park	N Main St, Montgomery Rd, Tomball Pkwy (SH 249)		833,848
45	Tidwell	Brookhollow West West Little York Park and Ride	East Houston Mesa Transit Center	Tidwell Rd		1,411,173
46	Gessner	Brookhollow West West Little York Park and Ride	Greater Fondren Southwest Fondren Meadow Drive & Gessner Road	Gessner Rd		2,312,648
47	Hillcroft	Spring Branch East Northwest Transit Center	Westbury Greencraig Drive & Hillcroft Avenue	Woodway Dr, Voss Rd (Hillcroft Ave)		1,170,888
48	Market	Downtown Preston Street & Smith Street	Pleasantville Pleasantville Drive & Market Street	Market St		160,979	Pleasantville routing alters during AM or PM
49	Chimney Rock/S. Post Oak	Spring Branch East Northwest Transit Center	Ridgemont Court Road & South Post Oak Road	Chimney Rock Rd, Bering Dr, S Post Oak Rd		851,117
50	Broadway	Greater Eastwood Eastwood Transit Center	Hobby Transit Center	Broadway St, Polk St		690,624
51	Hardy – Kelley	Downtown Downtown Transit Center	Kashmere Gardens Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital	Hardy/Elysian Sts, Kelley St		218,055	Interlined with 52 from Downtown TC to Kashmere TC
52	Hardy – Ley	Downtown Downtown Transit Center	East Houston Mesa Transit Center	Hardy/Elysian Sts, Ley Rd, Hirsch Rd		597,369	Interlined with 51 from Downtown TC to Kashmere TC
54	Scott	Downtown Downtown Transit Center	Central Southwest Hiram Clarke Transit Center	Scott St, Almeda Genoa Rd		1,850,311
56	Airline/Montrose	Northline Northline Transit Center/HCC	Greenspoint Greenspoint Transit Center	Airline Drive		1,789,580	-
56	Airline/Montrose	Old Braeswood Texas Medical Center Transit Center	Greenspoint Greenspoint Transit Center	Airline Dr, Studewood St		1,789,580
58	Hammerly	Spring Branch East Northwest Transit Center	Westbranch Westway Park Boulevard & Capital Park Drive	Hammerly Blvd		151,414
59	Aldine Mail	Acres Homes North Shepherd Park and Ride	Eastex Aldine Mail Route & US Route 59	Aldine Mail Route Road		123,043
60	Cambridge	Old Braeswood Texas Medical Center Transit Center	Astrodome Area El Camino Street & Holly Hall Street	Cambridge St, Holly Hall St		458,323
60	Cambridge	Old Braeswood Texas Medical Center Transit Center	South Union Southeast Transit Center	Cambridge St, Holly Hall St, Tierwester St		458,323
63	Fondren	Mid West Old Farm Road & Westheimer Road	Fondren Gardens Fondren Transit Center	Fondren Rd		1,461,213
64	Lincoln City	Acres Homes Acres Homes Transit Center	Garden City Park McCrarey Drive & Montgomery Road	Wheatley St, De Priest St, Dewalt St		27,253
65	Bissonnet	Midtown Wheeler Transit Center	Crescent Park Village Beckford Drive & Newbrook Layover	Bissonnet St		1,879,188
66	Quitman	Spring Branch East Northwest Transit Center	Greater Fifth Ward 5th Ward/Denver Harbor Transit Center	White Oak Dr		130,297	Was 66 Studewood before the 2015 route change
67	Dairy Ashford	Alief Dairy View Lane & Bissonnet Street	Addicks Park Ten Addicks Park & Ride	Dairy Ashford Rd		176,996
68	Braeswood	Old Braeswood Texas Medical Center Transit Center	Alief Elmsworth Drive & South Course Drive	Braeswood Blvd		600,748
68	Braeswood	Old Braeswood Texas Medical Center Transit Center	Alief El Franco Lee Clinic	Braeswood Blvd		600,748	Was 68 Brays Bayou but renamed in the 2015 New Bus Network
70	Memorial	Spring Branch Central Northwest Transit Center	Spring Branch West Business Center Drive & Westview Circle Drive	Memorial Dr		65,686
72	Westview	Spring Branch Central Northwest Transit Center	Spring Branch West Business Center Drive & Westview Circle Drive	Westview Dr		110,655
73	Bellfort	South Main Fannin South Transit Center	Hobby Transit Center	Bellfort Avenue		1,521,237
75	Eldridge	Addicks Park Ten Addicks Park & Ride	Eldridge/West Oaks West Oaks Mall	Eldridge Pkwy		229,561
76	Evergreen	Magnolia Park Magnolia Park Transit Center	Allendale Howard Drive & Sweetbriar Street	Evergreen Dr, Winkler Dr		380,482
77	Homestead	Greater Fifth Ward 5th Ward/Denver Harbor Transit Center	Homestead Hartwick Road & Homestead Road	Homestead Rd		139,986
78	Wayside	Greater Fifth Ward 5th Ward/Denver Harbor Transit Center	East Houston Brock Park Drive & Tidwell Road	Wayside Dr		153,161
79	Irvington	Northside Village Burnett Transit Center	Eastex-Jensen Aldine Westfield Road & Pine Tree Drive	Irvington Blvd		136,702	Was 79 W. Little York before the merge with 3 Langley
80	MLK/Lockwood	Houston Gardens Kashmere Transit Center	Crestmont Park MLK Jr. Boulevard & Park Village Drive	Lockwood Dr, MLK Jr. Blvd		1,403,308
80	MLK/Lockwood	Eastex-Jensen Tidwell Transit Center	Crestmont Park MLK Jr. Boulevard & Park Village Drive	Lockwood Dr, MLK Jr. Blvd		1,403,308	Was 80 Dowling/Lyons before the 2015 change
82	Westheimer	Downtown Congress Street & Smith Street	Eldridge/West Oaks West Oaks Mall	Westheimer Rd		4,322,880
83	Lee Road-JFK	Eastex-Jensen Tidwell Transit Center	IAH/Airport Area World Houston Parkway & International Plaza	US 59 Service Rd, Lee Rd		102,899
84	Buffalo Speedway	Spring Branch East Northwest Transit Center	South Main Lakes at 610 Drive & West Bellfort Street	I-610 Service Rd, Buffalo Spdwy, University Blvd		591,910
85	Antoine/Washington	Downtown Pierce Street & Main Street	Antoine West West Road & Antoine Drive	Washington Ave, Antoine Dr		1,895,240
85	Antoine/Washington	Downtown Pierce Street & Main Street	Greenspoint Greenspoint Transit Center	Washington Ave, Antoine Dr, Gears Rd		1,895,240
86	FM 1960/Imperial Valley	Greenspoint Greenspoint Transit Center	Willowbrook Tomball Parkway & Willow Chase Boulevard	Imperial Valley Dr, FM 1960 (West)		896,900
87	Sunnyside	Old Braeswood Texas Medical Center Transit Center	South Main Fannin South Transit Center	Holcombe Blvd, Yellowstone Blvd, Crestmont St, Reed Rd		388,598	Was 87 Yellowstone Circulator prior to the 2015 route change
88	Sagemont	Greater Hobby Area Neuhaus St & Telephone Rd	Southbelt/Ellington San Jacinto College South	Airport Blvd, Almeda Genoa Rd, Beamer Rd		375,273
89	Dacoma	Spring Branch East Northwest Transit Center	Lazy Brook Sherwood Lane & North Becca Lane	Dacoma St, Magnum Rd, North Post Oak Rd		49,338
96	Veterans Memorial	Northline Northline Transit Center/HCC	Steubner Forest Veterans Memorial Drive & Farm To Market Road 1960	Veterans Memorial Dr		426,584
97	Settegast	Houston Gardens Kashmere Transit Center	East Houston Mesa Transit Center	I-610 Service Rd, Wallisville Rd, Oates Rd, E Houston Rd		116,813
98	Briargate	Central Southwest Hiram Clarke Transit Center	Fondren Gardens Fondren Transit Center	Fuqua St, Fondren Rd		102,407
99	Ella – FM 1960	Acres Homes North Shepherd Park & Ride	Woodcreek Lone Star College-North Harris	Ella Blvd, FM 1960		761,746
102	Bush IAH Express	Downtown Pierce Street & Travis Street	Bush IAH Airport Terminal C	North Fwy, Beltway 8, JFK Blvd		1,221,383
108	Veterans Memorial Express	Downtown Pierce Street & Travis Street	Acres Homes North Shepherd Park and Ride	North Fwy		108,833
137	Northshore Express	Downtown Gray Street & Brazos Street	Greater Fifth Ward 5th Ward/Denver Harbor TC	East Fwy		916,408	Alternate weekend trips
137	Northshore Express	Downtown Gray Street & Brazos Street	Northshore Maxey Road Park & Ride	East Fwy, Uvalde Rd, Woodforest Bl		916,408
151	Westpark Express	Downtown Congress Street & La Branch Street	Juniper Point Mission Bend Transit Center	US 59, Westpark Dr, Harwin Dr		308,509
152	Harwin South Express	Midtown Wheeler Transit Center	Alief Elmsworth Drive & South Course Drive	US 59, Harwin Dr, Corporate Dr		530,155	Interlined with 153 from Wheeler TC to Ranchester Dr
153	Harwin North Express	Midtown Wheeler Transit Center	Eldridge/West Oaks Valedictorian Drive & Briar Forest Drive	US 59, Harwin Dr, Briar Forest Dr, Enclave Pkwy		901,541	Interlined with 152 from Wheeler TC to Ranchester Dr
161	Wilcrest Express	Downtown Downtown Transit Center	Greater Fondren Southwest West Bellfort Park & Ride	Bellfort, Wilcrest, Memorial Drive, Gessner, Katy Freeway		989,999	Interlined with 162 from Downtown TC to Wilcrest Drive
162	Memorial Express	Downtown Downtown Transit Center	Addicks Park Ten Addicks Park & Ride	Memorial Drive, Gessner Road, Katy Freeway, Washington Avenue		337,972	Interlined with 161 from Downtown TC to Wilcrest Drive
202	Kuykendahl P&R	Greenspoint Kuykendahl Park and Ride	Downtown Stops along Milam, Travis, St. Joseph and Jefferson	North Freeway HOV		184,368
204	Spring P&R	Spring Spring Park and Ride	Downtown Stops along Milam, Travis, St. Joseph and Jefferson	North Freeway HOV		189,879
209	Spring/Kuykendahl P&R	Spring Spring Park and Ride Greenspoint Kuykendahl Park and Ride	Downtown Stops along Milam, Travis, St. Joseph and Jefferson	North Freeway HOV		25,900	Midday service for 202 and 204
212	Seton Lake P&R	Seton Lake Park and Ride	Downtown Stops along Milam, Travis, St. Joseph and Jefferson	SH 249, North Freeway HOV		82,362
216	W L York / Northwest Station P&R	Jersey Village Northwest Station Brookhollow West West Little York Park and Ride	Downtown Stops along Smith and Louisiana Streets	Northwest Freeway HOV, Katy Freeway		216,551
217	Cypress P&R	Cypress Cypress Park and Ride	Downtown Stops along Smith and Louisiana Streets	Northwest Freeway HOV, Katy Freeway		418,466
219	W.L York/NW Station/Cypress	Cypress Cypress Park and Ride Jersey Village Northwest Station Brookhollow West West Little York Park and Ride	Downtown Stops along Smith and Louisiana Streets	Northwest Freeway HOV, Katy Freeway		35,226	Midday service for 216 and 217
221	Kingsland P&R	Kingsland Park and Ride	Downtown Stops along Smith and Louisiana	Katy Freeway HOV		180,677
222	Grand Parkway P&R	Grand Parkway Park and Ride	Downtown Stops along Smith and Louisiana	Katy Freeway HOV		638,269
228	Addicks P&R	Addicks Addicks Park and Ride	Downtown Stops along Smith and Louisiana	Katy Freeway HOV		187,790
229	Addicks/Kingsland/Grand Parkway P&R	Grand Parkway Park and Ride Kingsland Park and Ride Addicks Addicks Park and Ride	Downtown Stops along Smith and Louisiana	Katy Freeway HOV		48,360	Midday service for 221, 222 and 228
236	Maxey P&R	Baytown Baytown Park and Ride	Downtown Stops along Congress, Franklin, Milam, Travis, St. Joseph and Pierce	East Freeway		48,028
237	Baytown P&R	Baytown Baytown Park and Ride	Downtown Stops along Congress, Franklin, Milam, Travis, St. Joseph and Pierce	East Freeway		5,702
244	Monroe / El Dorado P&R	El Dorado Park and Ride	Downtown Stops along St. Joseph, Pierce, Travis, Milam, Franklin and Congress	Gulf Freeway HOV		138,768
247	Fuqua / Bay Area P&R	Bay Area Park and Ride	Downtown Stops along St. Joseph, Pierce, Travis, Milam, Franklin and Congress	Bay Area Boulevard, Gulf Freeway HOV		197,277
249	Bay Area / El Dorado / Fuqua / Monroe P&R	Bay Area Park and Ride	Downtown Stops along St. Joseph, Pierce, Travis, Milam, Franklin and Congress	Bay Area Boulevard, Gulf Freeway HOV		35,433	Midday service for 244 and 247
255	Kingwood P&R	Kingwood Park and Ride	Downtown Stops along Congress, Franklin, Milam, Travis, St. Joseph and Jefferson	Eastex Freeway HOV		80,622
256	Eastex P&R	Eastex Park and Ride	Downtown Stops along Congress, Franklin, Milam, Travis, St. Joseph and Jefferson	Eastex Freeway HOV		137,025
257	Townsen P&R	Townsen Park and Ride	Downtown Stops along Congress, Franklin, Milam, Travis, St. Joseph and Jefferson	Eastex Freeway HOV		152,350
259	Eastex/Townsen/Kingwood P&R	Kingwood Park and Ride	Downtown Stops along Congress, Franklin, Milam, Travis, St. Joseph and Jefferson	Eastex Freeway HOV		25,459	Midway service for 255, 256 and 257
265	West Bellfort	West Bellfort Park and Ride	Downtown Stops along Louisiana, Smith, Franklin and Congress	Southwest Freeway HOV		259,130
269	West Bellfort	West Bellfort Park and Ride	Downtown Stops along Louisiana, Smith, Franklin and Congress	Southwest Freeway HOV		14,709	Midday service for 265
270	Missouri City P&R	Missouri City Missouri City Park and Ride	Old Braeswood TMC Transit Center	Fort Bend Tollway Frontage Road, Fondren, S. Main, Pressler		127,741
292	Southwest Freeway / TMC P&R	West Bellfort Park and Ride	Old Braeswood TMC Transit Center	Southwest Freeway HOV, Main Street		72,690
297	Gulf Freeway / TMC P&R	South Point Park and Ride	East @ Cambridge	Gulf Freeway HOV, South Freeway, OST		167,893
298	Katy Freeway / TMC P&R	Kingsland Park and Ride	Old Braeswood TMC Transit Center	Katy Freeway HOV, Studemont		317,593
309	Gulfton Circulator	Westpark/Lower Uptown Transit Center	Westpark/Lower Uptown Transit Center	Glenmont, Hillcroft, Bellaire, S. Rice		141,198	Runs in a loop
310	Gulfton Circulator	Westpark/Lower Uptown Transit Center	Westpark/Lower Uptown Transit Center	Glenmont, Hillcroft, Bellaire, S. Rice		152,143	Runs in a loop
314	Hiram Clarke curb2curb					99,606
329	Southeast/Sunnyside curb2curb					42,089
344	Acres Homes curb2curb					103,077
360	Peerless Shuttle	South Union Southeast Transit Center	South Park Jutland Road & Bellfort Street			134,832
363	Missouri City curb2curb					152,821
377	Kashmere/Maxey Road curb2curb					33,355	Kashmere Late night zone discontinued in 2025 and replaced by local bus service
399	Kuykendahl Shuttle	Greenspoint Greenspoint Transit Center	Greenspoint Kuykendahl Park & Ride	Ella Blvd, Kuykendahl Rd		37,215
402	Quickline Bellaire BRT	Old Braeswood TMC Transit Center	Sharpstown Clarewood Drive & Ranchester Drive	Bellaire Blvd		89,124	No weekend service
433	Silver Line Post Oak BRT	Spring Branch East Northwest Transit Center	Gulfton Westpark/Lower Uptown Transit Center	Post Oak Blvd		186,253	Originally 33 Post Oak
500	IAH Downtown Direct	Downtown GRB North Transit Center	Bush IAH Airport Terminal C	Eastex Freeway HOV		36,834	Was 500 Airport Direct prior to its original discontinuation in 2011 due to low ridership; revived in 2025 as part of the METRONow plan

Discontinued

Route Name	Reason for discontinuation	Route Color
1 Hospital	Eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'
3 West Gray	Section eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'
5 Kashmere	Section eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'
7 Tanglewood		'
8 South Main	Eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'
9 North Main	Section eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'
11 Nance	Section eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'
12 Allen House
13 Plaza del Oro Circulator
13 Westridge	Shown on the Reimaging Side By Side map; absorbed into route 84 in the New Bus Network release	'
15 Fulton		'
16 Memorial
17 Gulfton
18 Kirby	Eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'
19 Wilcrest	Eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'
21 Northshore Limited
22 Almeda
24 Kempwood
24 Northline	Eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'/
26 Outer Loop	Eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'
27 Inner Loop	Eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'
28 Southmore
31 Memorial Limited
32 Harwin Limited
32 Renwick / San Felipe	Split into 32 Renwick and 35 San Felipe in 2024	'
33 Post Oak	Replaced by Silver Line	'
34 Montrose	Eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'
35 Fairview	Originally 35 Leeland, later 35 Fairview/Leeland; discontinued in 2004	'
36 Lawndale	Section eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'/'
37 El Sol	Eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'
39 Long Point
39 Parker Circulator
40 Pecore	Section eliminated in 2015 due to new route system
41 Garden Villas Express
41 Gulf Meadows Circulator
42 Holman	Eliminated in 2015 due to new route system
43 South Belt Limited
43 Pinemont Plaza
43 Kirkwood	Proposed service as part of New Bus Network, but never implemented	'
48 Navigation	Was 48 Navigation/West Dallas until 2011; eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'
50 Harrisburg	Section eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'/
50 Heights	Section renumbered as a portion of route 40 in the New Bus Network	'/'
51 Buffalo Speedway
53 Briar Forest	Eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'
54 Aldine/Hollyvale Circulator
55 Greenspoint/Kingwood Limited	Ran from May 30, 2004 to October 30, 2004
55 E Tidwell	Shown on the Reimaging Side By Side map but never existed; combined with 45 Tidwell	'
57 JFK Limited
59 Southwest Freeway P&R
60 Hardy	Section eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'
60 South MacGregor	Section eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'
63 San Felipe Limited	Fondren Road section split off to 163 Fondren Limited in the 1990s; remainder discontinued in 1997
64 Gulfton Limited	Merged into 17 Gulfton
66 Irvington	Merged into route 78; now covered by 79 Irvington
66 Yale	Eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'
70 University	Section eliminated in 2015 due to new route system
71 Cottage Grove	Discontinued in 2024 due to low ridership; replaced with zTrip on-demand taxi service	'
74 Carver Road Circulator
75 Taft
75 Energy Corridor	Replaced by 75 Eldridge in 2011	'
77 Liberty	Section eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'/
78 Alabama	Section eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'
81 Westheimer-Sharpstown	Eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'/
84 Fountain View	Became a branch of 82 Westheimer
84 T.C. Jester Limited
88 Broadway Limited
88 Hobby Airport	Eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'
89 Yale	Merged into route 64, now route 66
89 South Park Circulator		'
91 North Shepherd / Texas Medical Center	Renumbered to 291
92 Westwood / Texas Medical Center	Renumbered to 292
93 Greens Road	Renumbered to 102 in the 1990s due to shuttle expansions
93 Northwest/Greenway Plaza Shuttle	Discontinued in 2004
94
95 Uptown Post Oak	Renumbered to 295
96 Uptown St. James
98 Texas Special Blue
99 Texas Special Red
101 Airport Express
107 FM 1960
112 FM 149
112 Bush IAH Downtown Direct
119 Wilcrest Commuter	Renumbered from route 19 in the 1990s; renumbered back to route 19 in 1997
131 Memorial Limited	Eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'
132 Harwin Limited	Eliminated in 2015 due to new route system	'
143 South Belt Express
160 Memorial City Express	Discontinued in 2025 and absorbed into 162 Memorial Express	'
163 Fondren Limited	Replaced part of Route 63 San Felipe/Fondren Limited; replaced by current 63 Fondren in 2015 due to new route system	'/
164 Hillcroft
201 North Shepherd
203 North Shepherd/Seton Lake	Split into 201 North Shepherd and 212 Seton Lake
205 Kingwood
206 Eastex
210 West Belt	Discontinued in 2004
214 Northwest Station	Merged into route 216
215 West Little York Commuter
227 Katy Freeway P&R	Merged into route 298
245 Edgebrook P&R
246 Bay Area	Merged into route 247
248 El Dorado	Merged into route 244
256/255 Kingwood/Eastex	Split into routes 255 and 256 in 2025	'
261 West Loop P&R
262 Westwood	Merged into route 265
263 Alief	Merged into route 265
271 Missouri City - SH 6 P&R	Discontinued in 2025	'
273 Gessner P&R	Merged into route 274
274 Westchase/Gessner P&R	Originally 274 Westchase P&R; eliminated in 2015 due to new route system, with portions covered by 151 Westpark Express
283 Kuykendahl	Discontinued in 2020
284 Kingwood/Townsen-Greenway Plaza/Uptown	Discontinued in 2004
285 Kingsland/Addicks-Uptown/Greenway Plaza	Discontinued in 2004, replaced by 298
286 Little York/Pinemont/Uptown P&R	Discontinued due to low ridership
289 San Jacinto P&R
291 Conroe Park & Ride	Switched to a third-party provider in 2025
295 Uptown Post Oak Addicks/Galleria Commuter
311 Bayou Event Shuttle	Discontinued due to low ridership
312 Grocers Shuttle	Absorbed into 5 Southmore in 2020
313 Allen Parkway Special
320 TMC Red Shuttle	No longer operated by METRO
321 TMC White Shuttle	No longer operated by METRO
322 TMC Blue Shuttle	No longer operated by METRO
323 TMC North Circulator	Merged with 325 to form the 326 in 2004
324 TMC South Circulator	Merged with 324 to form the 326 in 2004
325 Smith Lands Circulator
326 TMC Campus Trolley	Replaced 323 and 324
352 Swingle Shuttle
364 MCTX Flex Route
402 P & HC Shuttle
403 S & K Shuttle
404 Northwest Shuttle
404 Beechnut Flyer	Eliminated in 2001 due to low ridership
412 Greenlink Circulator Green Route	Cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic
413 Greenlink Circulator Orange Route	Cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic
418 Harris County Jury Shuttle	Discontinued in 2023 due to low ridership
420 Post Oak Special Gold
421 Post Oak Special Green
426/427 TMC Swiftline
464 Bell Station Trolley	Discontinued in 2004
465 Main Street Square Trolley
466 St. Joseph/Preston Trolley

Transit centers

Bold = Terminates at the Transit Center

Italics = A branch terminates at the transit center

/ / = METRORail connections

Transit Center	Parking	Routes
Acres Homes	-	3 Langley-Little York 30 Clinton/Ella 44 Acres Homes64 Lincoln City 344 Acres Homes curb2curb
Bellaire	-	2 Bellaire20 Canal/Memorial 49 Chimney Rock/S. Post Oak 65 Bissonnet 309/310 Gulfton Circulators 402 Bellaire Quickline
Burnett	-	3 Langley-Little York 51 Hardy-Kelley 52 Hardy-Ley79 Irvington
Downtown	-	6 Jensen/Greens51 Hardy-Kelley52 Hardy-Ley54 Scott161 Wilcrest Express162 Memorial Express
Eastwood	65 spaces	4 Beechnut9 Gulfton/Holman25 Richmond 40 Telephone/Heights41 Kirby/Polk50 Broadway 80 MLK/Lockwood 244 Monroe/El Dorado P&R 249 Bay Area / El Dorado / Fuqua / Monroe P&R
Fannin South	1437 spaces	8 West Bellfort 11 Almeda/Lyons73 Bellfort87 Sunnyside
Fifth Ward/Denver Harbor	24 spaces	11 Almeda/Lyons28 OST-Wayside 48 Market66 Quitman77 Homestead78 Wayside 80 MLK/Lockwood137 Northshore Express 377 Kashmere/Maxey Road curb2curb
Fondren	779 spaces	63 Fondren98 Briargate 314 Hiram Clarke curb2curb 363 Missouri City curb2curb
Greenspoint	-	6 Jensen/Greens56 Airline/Montrose85 Antoine/Washington86 FM 1960/Imperial Valley 99 Ella-FM 1960 102 Bush IAH Express399 Kuykendahl Shuttle
Hiram Clarke	83 spaces	11 Almeda/Lyons14 Hiram Clarke54 Scott98 Briargate 314 Hiram Clarke curb2curb
Hobby	-	40 Telephone/Heights50 Broadway73 Bellfort 88 Sagemont
Kashmere	17 spaces	3 Langley-Little York26 Long Point/Cavalcade29 Cullen/Hirsch36 Kempwood 51 Hardy-Kelley 52 Hardy-Ley80 MLK/Lockwood97 Settegast 377 Kashmere/Maxey Road curb2curb
Magnolia Park	78 spaces	20 Canal/Memorial 28 OST-Wayside38 Manchester-Lawndale 50 Broadway76 Evergreen
Mesa	100 spaces	45 Tidwell 52 Hardy-Ley 78 Wayside97 Settegast
Mission Bend	862 spaces	2 Bellaire4 Beechnut25 Richmond 75 Eldridge151 Westpark Express
Northline	-	23 Clay-West 43rd 36 Kempwood 45 Tidwell56 Airline/Montrose 79 Irvington96 Veterans Memorial
Northwest	195 spaces	39 Katy Freeway47 Hillcroft49 Chimney Rock/S. Post Oak58 Hammerly66 Quitman70 Memorial72 Westview84 Buffalo Speedway 85 Antoine/Washington89 Dacoma Shuttle 161 Wilcrest Express 162 Memorial Express 216 W L York / Northwest Station P&R 217 Cypress P&R 219 W.L York/NW Station/Cypress 298 Katy Freeway / TMC P&R433 Silver Line
Palm Center	-	5 Southmore 87 Sunnyside
Southeast	21 spaces	5 Southmore 28 OST-Wayside 29 Cullen/Hirsch 54 Scott60 Cambridge360 Peerless Shuttle
Tidwell	809 spaces	6 Jensen/Greens80 MLK/Lockwood83 Lee Road-JFK
Texas Medical Center	-	2 Bellaire 4 Beechnut10 Willowbend14 Hiram Clarke27 Shepherd 28 OST–Wayside41 Kirby/Polk56 Airline/Montrose60 Cambridge68 Braeswood 84 Buffalo Speedway87 Sunnyside270 Missouri City - TMC P&R 292 Southwest Freeway - TMC P&R 297 South Point/Monroe - TMC P&R298 Addicks/Northwest Transit Center –TMC P&R402 Quickline Bellaire
West Loop	772 spaces	7 West Airport32 Renwick 49 Chimney Rock/S. Post Oak 68 Braeswood
Westpark/Lower Uptown	242 spaces	20 Canal/Memorial 292 Southwest Freeway / TMC P&R 309/310 Gulfton Circulators433 Silver Line
Wheeler	-	5 Southmore 25 Richmond65 Bissonnet152 Harwin South Express153 Harwin North Express

Park and Ride lots

Metro operates 28 different park and ride locations.

Park & Ride	Parking	Routes
Addicks	2438 spaces	67 Dairy Ashford 75 Eldridge 162 Memorial Express 228 Addicks P&R 229 Grand Parkway/Kingsland/Addicks 298 Katy Freeway/TMC P&R
Bay Area	1155 spaces	247 Fuqua/Bay Area P&R 249 Bay Area/El Dorado/Fuqua/Monroe P&R
Baytown	16 spaces	237 Baytown P&R
Cypress	1500 spaces	217 Cypress P&R 219 Cypress/NW Station/W L York P&R
Eastex	877 spaces	83 Lee Road-JFK 256 Eastex P&R 259 Kingwood/Townsen/Eastex P&R
El Dorado	1227 spaces	244 Monroe/El Dorado P&R 249 Bay Area/El Dorado/Fuqua/Monroe P&R
Fuqua	938 spaces	88 Sagemont 247 Fuqua/Bay Area P&R 249 Bay Area/El Dorado/Fuqua/Monroe P&R
Gessner	415 spaces	46 Gessner 151 Westpark Express
Grand Parkway	1714 spaces	222 Grand Parkway P&R 229 Grand Parkway/Kingsland/Addicks
Hillcroft	922 spaces	151 Westpark Express 152 Harwin South Express 153 Harwin North Express 309/310 Gulfton Circulator
Kingsland	2377 spaces	221 Kingsland P&R 229 Grand Parkway/Kingsland/Addicks 298 Katy Freeway/TMC P&R
Kingwood	1034 spaces	255 Kingwood P&R 259 Kingwood/Townsen/Eastex P&R
Kuykendahl	2171 spaces	202 Kuykendahl P&R 209 Kuykendahl/Spring P&R 399 Kuykendahl Shuttle
Maxey Road	1129 spaces	137 Northshore Express 236 Maxey P&R
Missouri City	1750 spaces	270 Missouri City P&R
Monroe	904 spaces	40 Telephone/Heights 244 Monroe/El Dorado P&R 249 Bay Area/El Dorado/Fuqua/Monroe P&R 297 Gulf Freeway/TMC P&R
North Shepherd	603 spaces	3 Langley/Little York 27 Shepherd 30 Clinton/Ella 40 Telephone/Heights 59 Aldine Mail 64 Lincoln City 96 Veterans Memorial 99 Ella-FM 1960 108 Veterans Memorial Express
Northwest Station	2361 spaces	216 W L York/NW Station P&R 219 Cypress/NW Station/W L York P&R
Seton Lake	1286 spaces	44 Acres Homes 212 Seton Lake P&R
South Point	496 spaces	297 Gulf Freeway/TMC P&R
Spring	1263 spaces	86 FM 1960/Imperial Valley 99 Ella-FM 1960 204 Spring P&R 209 Kuykendahl/Spring P&R
Townsen	996 spaces	257 Townsen P&R 259 Kingwood/Townsen/Eastex P&R
West Bellfort	2024 spaces	8 West Bellfort 161 Wilcrest Express 265 West Bellfort P&R 269 West Bellfort P&R 292 Southwest Freeway/TMC P&R
West Little York	1102 spaces	45 Tidwell 46 Gessner 216 W L York/NW Station P&R 219 Cypress/NW Station/W L York P&R
Westchase	1468 spaces	151 Westpark Express
Westwood	826 spaces	292 Southwest Freeway/TMC P&R

Advertising policy

Metro has had a policy since its founding in which it refuses to place advertisements on buses, claiming that such a move would create an unsightly appearance on the buses. Metro had originally attempted to generate extra revenue by only advertising in its bus shelters, but a city ordinance blocked the decision. After a failed attempt to get permission to partially use advertisements on buses, Metro has since decided to continue enforcing its policy.
Due to the lack of funding for METRORail expansion, the policy has been proposed to be expanded to light rail vehicles in order to generate additional revenue. Metro began advertising the Houston Zoo on the side of three light rail vehicles in 2010. In late September 2010, due to the decreased budget, Metro began to seriously consider advertising on their buses.

Fares

In the fall of 2006, Metro revealed plans to rework its fare system. The new system involves pre-paid fare cards, called Q Cards, that can be recharged on local buses and Metro TVMs. 3-hour passes are electronically added to the card each time it is used. Frequent users get "Rider Rewards" that offer five free rides per 50 paid trips. The new RideMetro Card will, whose soft opening was in December 2025 and will make the changeover from Q Card in April 2026, offer a free local ride per 10 rides taken.
Senior citizens 65–69 will continue to receive a discounted rate as will disabled patrons. Senior citizens over 70 may ride for free. Children under 5 also ride for free when accompanied by an adult. This was intended to keep the base fare low and phase out the previous fare system consisting of transfers, as well as day, weekly, monthly and annual passes, which occurred in early 2008. On November 2, 2008, local fares increased to $1.25 from $1. Currently another fare increase is being mulled as a means to pay for constructing the expansion of the light rail.

Service Type	Regular	Discounted
Local	$1.25	$0.60
Zone 1	$2	$1
Zone 2	$3.25	$1.60
Zone 3	$3.75	$1.85
Zone 4/500 IAH Downtown Direct	$4.50	$2.25
Zone 5	$8	$4
24-Hour Pass	$3	$1.50

METROLift

Metro Lift provides transportation needs for people with a disability, who cannot board, or ride from a regular Metro bus. The Metro Lift vehicles are shared-ride, meaning that they take multiple customers and groups. Metro tells its customers to use standard Metro bus services whenever possible. Metro Lift uses special vehicles that are distinct from fixed-route Metro buses. The Authority's METROLift paratransit service will have provided 1.9 million trips to 16,178 eligible riders in FY2017, using both METRO-owned lift-equipped vans and contractor-owned and operated accessible minivans.

HOV system

Metro has been known for pioneering the use of express buses in high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. This was part of the reversible HOV lane concept that began in 1979 with the completion of the North Freeway Contraflow Lane. This concept used the inside freeway lane of the "opposite" direction separated by traffic pylons and is closed to all vehicles except buses and vanpools. Although a head-on collision involving a car and a bus occurred in 1980, the concept became permanent, but with the HOV lanes separated from the rest of traffic with Jersey barriers.
The HOV lanes run between Downtown Houston and the suburbs and are found on portions of the Katy Freeway, Gulf Freeway, North Freeway, Southwest Freeway, Eastex Freeway and Northwest Freeway.
Since Metro Express buses use them during rush hour, most routes lead to the Park and Ride lots and use "secret" HOV lane exits that lead to the lots without having to exit the freeway to street intersections. The HOV system will soon get an overhaul in the event of major freeway construction to take place in Houston and may have HOV lanes in both directions with the concept of HOT lanes introduced.
In 2011, Metro began conversion of the HOV lanes to High Occupancy Toll lanes. Commuters with only one person in a vehicle will be able to pay a toll to use the lanes when the conversion is complete.

Future plans

METRO Solutions (2003)

METRO Solutions was a regional transit plan approved by voters in November 2003 by a 52–48 vote. The plan proposed:

of Light Rail Transit
of Commuter Rail Transit
9 New Transit Centers
9 New Park & Rides Lots
250 miles of two-way HOV lanes

In June 2005, METRO announced a revised plan for expansion of the METRORail system. The plan included one new light rail corridor and three bus rapid transit corridors. The bus rapid transit lines would have later been converted into light rail when ridership warranted the conversion.
On October 18, 2007, the plan was revised to allow for the possibility of more federal funding. METRO decided to have all the lines consist of light rail from the start after some public backlash to the agency turning back from its original plans of light rail corridors.
By 2017, only 15 miles of light rail were completed with no commuter rail lines established. 8 new transit centers, 7 new park & ride lots, and only one new two-way HOV corridor were completed as well.

METRONext (2019)

The public with a 68% vote approved the METRONext plan in November 2019. The plan calls for:

110 miles of Regional Express Network, including two-way HOV lanes
21 new or improved Park & Ride lots and Transit Centers
16 miles of light rail expansion
75 miles of a bus rapid transit network METRORapid
290 miles of BOOST and Signature bus service

The referendum authorized the agency to issue up to $3.5 billion in bonds to pay for the projects while the remaining $4 billion will come from federal grants and local funds.

Moving Forward Plan (bus rapid transit - BRT)

Under the METRONext "Moving Forward Plan", a superset of the proposed University METRORail line would be served by a new bus rapid transit line under the METRORapid brand. A preliminary version of the superset "University Corridor" BRT line, long, would extend to Westchase Park & Ride in the west, pass through the stops proposed for the derelict light rail plan, and continue north past Eastwood Transit Center to Tidwell Transit Center.
Additional BRT lines proposed under "Moving Forward" include:

"Interstate 45 North" from downtown to George Bush Intercontinental Airport via Greenspoint
"Inner Katy Corridor" to Northwest Transit Center, connecting to METRORail Purple/Green line stations
"Uptown/Gulfton" extension of the Uptown Line south to Gulfton
"West Houston Corridor" along Beltway 8 or Gessner Road between West Little York Park & Ride and Missouri City

METRONow (2025)

On February 24, 2025, METRO unveiled a new comprehensive plan, named METRONow plan, that aimed to improve mobility and increase ridership of their transit system. The four initiatives in the plan were to focus on safety and security, improve cleanliness, increase service and reliability, and expand accessibility.

Metro Police

Metro operates its own police department. With over 185 Texas peace officers and 88 non-sworn, civilian employees, the department's main goal is to ensure safety and security on the transit system. The department was established in 1982 and is accredited with the Texas Police Chiefs Association , one of only five public transit police departments in North America to be so.
State law grants Metro Police jurisdiction in the counties in which Metro is located, provides services, or is supported by a general sales and use tax. As peace officers, state law also grants Metro Police the power to arrest without warrant for any felony, breach of the peace, disorderly conduct or intoxication offense that is committed in their presence or view while in Texas. They may also make an arrest pursuant to a warrant anywhere in Texas.

Headquarters

METRO's headquarters are in the Lee P. Brown Administration Building in Downtown Houston. The $41 million, 14-story glass and steel building has over of space. The facility includes the Downtown Transit Center bus and rail platforms, a MetroRide store, and passenger restrooms. The building was designed by the Houston-based Pierce Goodwin Alexander & Linville.
The building was named for former Houston mayor Lee P. Brown in honor of his advocacy for the METRORail Red Line. “Houston in Harmony”, a 1999 mural commissioned in Brown's honor, was moved from the Houston City Hall Annex to the Administration Building in 2005.
Before the construction of the Administration Building, METRO was headquartered in Louisiana Place, also in Downtown Houston. The agency occupied of space across 10 floors, for which it paid a $3.8 million annual rent. Construction of the dedicated Administration Building, which was estimated to save the agency $273 million over a 30-year period, began in 2002, with 80% of the project's funding coming from the Federal Transit Administration. METRO began moving from Louisiana Place to the Administration Building in January 2005, and its lease at Louisiana Place expired the following April. Total Petrochemicals USA, a subsidiary of TotalEnergies, moved into the space that was previously occupied by METRO.

Ridership and demographics

A Regional Fixed Route Transit Rider survey sponsored by the Houston-Galveston Area Council, in partnership with METRO, was completed in 2017. Over 22,000 riders were surveyed—the most expansive ever conducted on a regional basis—and included eight regional fixed-route transit agencies which operate in H-GAC's eight-county region. The survey found that 58 percent of riders use transit to get to work, 20 percent use it for shopping or personal business, and about 10 percent of riders use a bus or train to get to school. 88 percent of riders reported that they rode transit at least three days per week with almost 50 percent of riders riding at least five days per week. The survey's findings concluded that 88 percent of all the trips were directly contributing to the region's economy.

Member cities

Metro provides transportation services to fifteen member cities, as well as some unincorporated portions of Harris County. Metro's service area pays a 1¢ sales tax to fund the agency's operations.
In addition to the city of Houston, Metro serves fourteen cities in the Greater Houston area, collectively termed the "Multi-Cities":

From 2019 to 2025, Metro also operated a park-and-ride shuttle between Houston and the non-member city Conroe.