Options for city-wide transit around Houston for Rice students range beyond the light rail

By James llamas     1/17/12 6:00pm

"I need to go to Target but can't find anyone to drive me!"

How many times have you or a friend despaired at being stuck on campus without a car? Fortunately, it turns out those of us without automobiles are not marooned here at Rice University. Houston, like other big cities, has an extensive transit system that goes just about everywhere you want to go.

"Yeah right," you say. "The light rail can take me to Downtown, Midtown or Reliant, but what if I want to go to the Galleria, or the movies, or a restaurant on Bellaire?" Well, there's more to METRO than the 18 trains running up and down Main Street. They also have over 1,200 buses running down every avenue and into every corner of central Houston, plus all sorts of lines out to the suburbs. Learning to take advantage of the bus system is not as self-explanatory as the rail line, but I think Rice students are up to the challenge.

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First we need to head off the conventional wisdom that prevents some students from even trying to see how METRO can meet their mobility needs.

"Buses are sketchy!" I think the main impression behind this vague statement is that the wrong kinds of people take the bus. Having boarded thousands of city buses, I can tell you that your fellow riders will be hardworking Houstonians that want a peaceful ride to work, school, shopping or home just as much as you do. Most buses have video surveillance, and drivers are trained to handle any situations that do arise. As for waiting at the bus stop, stick to the common sense of safety in numbers and avoiding dark, deserted places and you'll be as safe as you are anywhere else. Give it a try and you'll find that riding METRO's new hybrid buses is quite pleasant, even fun.

Now how would you go about getting from here to there by bus? Ridemetro.org has all the information you could possibly need in the way of maps and schedules, but it can sometimes be hard to figure out which route you really want. Luckily, someone invented Google Transit. Plug in your origin and destination in Google Maps on your computer or smartphone and choose the "transit" option. Out will pop step by step directions to get there by the shortest route possible. It's that easy.

Pretty soon you'll know the ins and outs of the system and feel comfortable going out with just a schedule (also available via smartphone) and your intuition. You'll know the alternate routes if the wait for a certain bus will be too long. You'll know which lines are frequent enough that you don't even need a schedule. You'll know which buses run until 1 a.m. or later and which end service earlier. Best of all, you'll know that you have the freedom to go anywhere, any time with just a tap of your Q-Card, the METRO fare payment smartcard

You will also find out METRO is far from perfect. Inconveniences like late buses, can be frustrating. Maybe you'll have ideas for how the system can be made more convenient. As a recently appointed member of METRO's Customer Advisory Council, I've had the opportunity to work with the staff and can tell you they welcome rider input and ideas. Submit a comment online or get in touch with me and I'll make sure your ideas are heard.

Finally, you know the best part of getting around by bus? For Rice students, it's free! Rice provides a Q-Card, free of charge for every undergraduate. Be sure to pick one up or to refill the one you have at the Cashier's Office. Even if you aren't an undergraduate, the fare is just $1.25 with free transfers. You never have to worry about parking, gas or being a little tipsy. If the bus does get stuck in traffic, just keep texting, reading, checking facebook, talking, listening to music, looking out the window or whatever you prefer to do while riding.

Still have questions? Check out http://passport.rice.edu/metro/maps or contact me at jll5@rice.edu. Give the bus a try. I think you'll find it works for you, too!

James Llamas is a Jones College senior.

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