Dumbest Bus Stop Design Ever?

This is probably the worst bus stop design I've ever seen. Located at the intersection of Bellaire and Gessner in southwest Houston, Texas, it wastes space that could have been used as more seating for commuters, and provides a hiding spot for criminals.

Houston METRO's Absurd Anti-Advertising Policy

Photo: ridemetro.org

In case you haven't heard yet, the Houston Astros won the World Series. There was a big parade downtown on Monday, November 7 to celebrate that win by tying up the city's limited police resources and completely effing up traffic patterns for hours.

It's natural that people want to celebrate the victory of highly paid athletes, whose triumph in no way affects them in any real or meaningful way. I get that. 

I even get why all rides on METRO (Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County) public transit services "will be free throughout World Series Parade day." It does make sense to discourage automobile traffic downtown with such a big event happening. As a result, all riders on METRO today got free rides (myself included), even if their bus trips took them nowhere near the parade.

As I said, I get it. I also get why METRO is "offering free rides on all Metro buses, trains, Bike Share and Metro Micro  on Election Day, Tuesday, November 8. The free rides will run from midnight to 11:59 p.m. on November 8." They want to make voting as easy as possible. Fox26 reported this:

METRO announced they will give free rides to the voting booths for the 2022 midterm election. The League of Women Voters is partnering with METRO to offer rides to polling locations across the Houston area for registered voters on certain dates. METRO says voters can ride at no charge on METRORail, local buses, METRORapid, curb2curb, and METROLift paratransit services.

These free rides will be available the first week of early voting from Oct. 24 – Oct. 30, 2022, and on Election Day on Nov. 8, 2022.

My favorite part of that report is this:  

METRO says voters only need to tell the bus drivers and/or fare inspectors they are going to or returning from the polls.

In other words, you could get free rides all day on November 8, 2022 if you simply told the driver that you're on your way to vote. They had to take riders at their word, apparently, since they didn't require anyone to show their Texas Voter Registration Certificate — and even if someone did, it doesn't mean they hadn't already voted, intended to vote, or that the certificate was even theirs. 

So for two days in November, Houston METRO gave away ALL of its fare revenue. And here's a dirty little secret: They don't care. In fact, METRO seems to dislike money. 

Riding a Train to Downtown Houston

Public transportation is a great way to explore a city. Whether by bus or train, it can be a lot of fun to just get on and ride. Play tourist in your own town, see the sights. Discover new things in your own backyard. 

I was searching for great New York style pizza in Houston recently. The place I had in mind was Frank's Pizza in Houston's Historic District downtown. I decided to travel by rail because it's a relaxed way to enjoy some nice scenery and beautiful architecture, with no traffice or parking hassles. 

With some added upbeat music, this 12-minute ride goes by quickly. All aboard Houston Metro's Red Line to downtown!