Houston - Public transport
Travel by bus
Metro
For suburb or out of town commuters, the Metro service extends to Vanpools and Carpools, Park and Ride etc to allow the commuter every possibility of use of the HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle Lane).
Metro stops are easily identifiable by ‘Bus Stop’ indicators on the roadside. The buses are white with a large red and blue diagonal stripe.
Fares vary considerably from the free trolley service within the downtown limit, to single fares from $1.00 - $3.50 depending on the zone for use of the buses rising to $315.00 for a yearly pass. Exact change must be offered or relevant passes, of which an excellent selection is available.
The diesel trolleys are traditional, convenient and fun for tourists or residents. Running about every seven minutes during the week and ten minute intervals during the weekend, they cover a circular network within downtown.
Nearly 1500 buses covering 132 routes and some 25 park and ride facilities, METRO also extends services and park and ride programmes for special events in partnership with the sponsors of major public events, such as Rodeo Houston and the Houston Livestock Shows.
Tickets, tokens, passes, schedules and routes are available at Metro
Ride Stores as well as discounted I.D. cards and information on the other services such as Metrolift, a curb-to-curb service for both seniors and people with difficulty riding the scheduled services.
Metro Ride Stores are situated at:
· 813 Dallas 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Weekdays
· 720 Main 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Weekdays
200 Metro Stops offer Metro tokens, passes and stored Value Cards at conveniently located malls, check-cashing businesses and food markets all over Houston, including:
· Fiesta Marts
· Gerland's Food Fairs
· Kroger Food Stores
· Randalls Food Markets
· Rice Food Markets
The Metro Headquarters is situated at:
1201 Louisiana (at Dallas Street Downtown Houston)
Houston
Texas 77002
USA
Tel: + 1 (713) 635 4000 (bus routes/schedule information)
website: www.hou-metro.harris.tx.us
website: www.ridemetro.org
The websites are comprehensive, lists all schedules, routes and construction services on-line as well as information regarding the recent facility called Metrolink whereby customers may opt to have emailed scheduled etc.
Fare breakdown and prices for the various passes, including significant senior and teenager / child discounts are clearly explained in the ‘Fare information’ section of the site.
For travels further away
Greyhound bus station
6590 SW Frwy (Highway 59)
Houston Southwest
Texas 77031
Tel: + 1 (713) 532 3200 (main)
Tel: 1 800 454 2487 (charter)
website: www.greyhound.com/
Generally, opening hours at the bus station are 7.00am - 9.00pm (tickets are not available at the station)
A comprehensive web-site allows you to book on-line, check prices and availability at
Coach USA
is a bus and freight service offering tours of the area and Galveston and airport shuttles to and from downtown. Destinations and prices as well airport pickup points are available on
website: www.coachusa.com
Travel by train
Rail travel to and from Houston
Amtrak’s Sunset Limited line from Florida to California offers a Southern experience through New Orleans, Houston and Del Rio. The service stops at Houston at the downtown passenger terminal three times a week. The terminal is located at 902 Washington Ave., just north of downtown.
For information
Tel: 1 800 872 7245
website: www.amtrak.com
The website is a comprehensive site and has booking, service and route details.
