Click here to download the latest Southeast Corridor METRORail News!

July 9, 2009: District D Update featuring Councilwoman Wanda Adams

Please join us for the next Communities in Motion workshop on Thursday, July 9.  The workshop will feature a "District D Update" with Councilwoman Wanda Adams. Click here for a PDF invitation to July's event.  We look forward to seeing you there!

(Click the image to enlarge invitation.)

These workshops are brought to you by the Greater Southeast Management District's Business and Economic Development Committee and METRO Solutions Communities in Motion. For a list of upcoming events, please click here to download a list of Southeast community workshops planned through December 2009.

June 2009
Southeast Corridor Light-Rail Construction Update

A record number of over 100 community and business people attended the June 11 Communities in Motion workshop titled "Southeast Corridor Light-Rail Construction Update". Jose Enriquez, Project Director for the Southeast Corridor, was the featured speaker. He provided an update on the light rail project for the corridor and responded to questions from the audience. Representatives from Parsons were also be available to discuss the small business program. 

May 2009
Safety and Security During METRORail Construction

On May 14, Communities in Motion and the Greater Southeast Management District presented "Safety and Security during Light-Rail Construction"

Thank you for joining us for May's workshop titled "Safety and Security During METRORail Construction."   This workshop featured Tim Kelly, Assistant Chief of Police for METRO, and Michael Martinez, head of the METRO Solutions Community School Safety Education Program. 

April 2009
"Surviving Tough Economic Times" with SCORE and Communities in Motion

Small business owners met at the Palm Center on April 9 to receive information and advice about Surviving Tough Economic Times.

On April 9, "Surviving Tough Economic Times" was the topic of discussion,  featuring SCORE, "Counselors to America's Small Business".  SCORE is a non-profit association dedicated to entrepreneur education and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide. SCORE volunteers are real-world professionals with time-tested knowledge who donate thousands of hours to help small businesses succeed.

SCORE representative, Mr. Irwin Miller, shared useful tips and advice for small business owners.  Mr. Miller encouraged small business owners that an economic downturn can create new and prosperous opportunity for your business.  Please click here to review Mr. Miller's presentation.

This workshop was a partnership between METRO Solutions Communities in Motion and the Greater Southeast Management District's Business and Economic Development Committee. 

March 2009
Communities in Motion Workshop featuring Leo Vasquez, Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector

METRO Solutions Communities in Motion and the Greater Southeast Management District's Business and Economic Development Committee have partnered to provide a series of workshops for area businesses.

At the March 12 Communities in Motion lunch gathering, Leo Vasquez, the new Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar, spoke about the role and responsibilities of his office.  In his new position, Mr. Vasquez pledges to serve the public with integrity and vision while preserving each citizen's right to vote.  In his first 100 days, he is proactively seeking the input from community stakeholders in order to develop a comprehensive strategic plan for the future of the office.

February 2009
METRO Celebrates Black History Month with the Greater Southeast Management District 

In honor of Black History Month, METRO and the Greater Southeast Management District hosted an Open House on February 24th featuring Southeast Corridor. Artist Carroll Parrott Blue gave an overview of the  concepts behind her station designs for the "Dream" station at MLK Blvd. and OST, and the "Contribute" station at Wheeler and University Oaks. Also featured was Third Ward area resident Nell Grovey Cole, who discussed her father, community activist Richard Randolph Grovey.  Historian Isaac Hampton gave a presentation on the early Black political organization and culture.

Click to enlarge event images below.

July 2008
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) granted its final approval of the Southeast Corridor Supplemental Final Environmental Statement (SFEIS) through a document known as a Record of Decision (ROD).

• Read the ROD
  • Appendix A - Mitigation and monitoring plan
  • Appendix B - Comments made to the SFEIS
  • Appendix C - Amended memorandum of agreement
  • Appendix D - Modified Southeast Corridor storage facility
•  Read the news release

May-June 2008
On May 9, 2008 a Southeast Corridor Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement was made available online, at select branch libraries and at METRO Headquarters at 1900 Main St.

On May 28, 2008 METRO held a Public Hearing to receive comments about the SFEIS.  The following materials were presented at the Public Hearing and are now available online:

• Boards displayed
• Slide show presentation
• Transcript of the Public Hearing

METRO received comments through June 11, 2008. 

February-March 2008
In February and March, METRO Solutions will implement a Safety Education Pilot Program in two schools and then extend it to other schools along the light rail corridors.

METRO has been working with the Houston Independent School District for several months and on Monday (Feb. 4) the Pilot Program will be implemented at Roosevelt Elementary (North Corridor).  In March, it will be implemented at Peck Elementary (Southeast Corridor).

The Pilot Program was designed for students from Pre-Kindergarten to Fifth Grade.  The curriculum is aligned with learning and testing objectives of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) and will address construction, rail, pedestrian, and vehicle safety.  The Pilot Program will include training school district staff and community organizations. 

Our objective is to implement the full Safety Education Program in late spring 2008 through 2012 , including elementary, middle, and high schools as well as daycare centers, private schools, charter schools and youth organizations.

January 2008
Ever since the opening of Southeast Corridor Office, communication with local stakeholders has increased.  Now, we've compiled some of their most recent questions and answered them in this fact sheet for your benefit.

Additionally, stakeholders have asked us to produce renderings to help them visualize what the finalized light rail project might look like in the Southeast Corridor.   The ones below are now available (click on each thumbnail to view larger image):

Martin Luther King (MLK)  Blvd. between Old Spanish Trail (OST) and Griggs		MLK near Madalyn Ln.

November 2007
On November 29, City of Houston Mayor Bill White, METRO Chairman David Wolff, and several elected officials symbolically cut the ribbon to the first of several Office Corridors -one for each corridor where a light rail expansion line will be built. 

The Southeast Corridor Office is located in the Palm Center, 5330 Griggs.  It is open for business Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The telephone number at the Southwest Corridor Office is (713) 343-4350.

October 2007
At the October meeting, METRO's Board of Directors unanimously adopted light-rail technology for the North, East End, Southeast, and Uptown corridors.  These four corridors had previously been planned to begin with Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) technology as an interim step towards Light Rail Transit (LRT).  Read the news release for more details.

February 2007
A Record of Decision (ROD) was granted to the proposed Southeast Corridor project.  The Environmental process in the Southeast Corridor took place concurrently with the North Corridor.

January 2007
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO), advised the public of the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Section 4(f) Evaluation covering the purposed construction of transit improvements in the Southeast Corridor. The corridor is located in a line from downtown Houston to a terminus on Griggs Road at east of Martin Luther King Boulevard in Harris County, Texas, within the City of Houston. The project is sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration.

The project involves the construction of Guided Rapid Transit (GRT) primarily within existing street rights-of-way. This project would improve mobility, accessibility, and system linkages. The corridor is approximately 6.3 miles in length, extending from downtown Houston, following a line on Capitol and Rusk Streets to Polk Street, south on Scott street, east on Wheeler Street, south on Martin Luther King Boulevard, and east on Griggs to Beekman Road. The FEIS includes discussion of the changes since the Draft EIS was distributed in July, 2006, including the selection of the locally preferred alternative (LPA), project impacts and mitigation measures, as well as substantive agency and public comments received on the Draft EIS and the responses to these comments.

Copies of the FEIS and Section 4(f) Statement are also available for review in hard copy format at: Houston Public Library Lonnie E. Smith Branch, 3624 Scott Street, Houston, TX 77004; Houston Public Library Young Branch, 5260 Griggs, Palm Center, Houston, TX 77021; Texas Southern University Campus Library, 3100 Clebrune, Houston, TX 77204; University of Houston M.D. Anderson Mernorial Library (Main), 114 University Libraries, Houston, TX 77008; Center Library (Julia Ideson Building) 500 McKinney, Houston, TX 77002; METRO Offices, 1900 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002; and Houston-Galveston Area Council, 3555 Timmons Lane, Suite 500, Houston, TX 77027.

A bound copy of the FEIS may be purchased for $60.00 (plus $6.00 for shipping and handling) or a CD of the document in Adobe Acrobat format for $4.50 (plus $1.00 for shipping and handling). To purchase a copy, please contact Ms. Rhonda Boyer, METRO P.O. Box 61429, Houston, TX 7208-1429.

July 2006 
METRO began circulation of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)  for a period of 45 days, which ended on September 11, 2006.

METRO and the project team compiled all the DEIS comments received and addressed them in a subsequent document referred to as Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), which began circulation on January 5, 2007, for a period of 30 days. While the FEIS was being prepared, METRO began Preliminary Engineering (PE) on the corridor. The early PE effort provided more refined technical information used to assist with addressing comments received during the DEIS. Final design and right-of-way acquisition is planned for 2007 through 2008. Construction on the corridor is scheduled to begin in mid-2007 and continue through 2010. In 2010 construction should be complete.

Past Meetings

• August 29 - DEIS Open House and Public Hearing - View presentation
• August 17 - DEIS OPen House (Same presentation as above)

Previous actions / information

• August 2006 - Update Southeast Corridor Newsletter (PDF file)
• February 2006 - Update Southeast Corridor Newsletter (PDF file)
• On Tuesday, February 28, and Wednesday, March 1, two Public Workshops were held .  The meetings were identical in content and style.  There were several stations and speakers to address the different aspects of the proposed project.  Click here to view a PDF file of the information boards presented at these Public Workshops.