GRAPHIC: Graphic shows words spelling out park and ride. The p in park is replaced by a parking sign and there is a school bus underneath the words. Graphic by The Signal reporter Marielle Gomez. — Graphic shows words spelling out park and ride. The p in park is replaced by a parking sign and there is a school bus underneath the words. Graphic by The Signal reporter Marielle Gomez.

Opening of El Dorado Park and Ride adds additional routes for downtown commuters

By Jasmine Coney Last updated Oct 1, 2017 689 0

Houston METRO’s El Dorado Park and Ride site opened Aug. 28 at 203 W El Dorado Blvd in Friendswood, Texas. METRO’s newest location provides commuters on the southern boundary of Houston a second venue for direct routes to downtown.

Positioned 1.1 miles away from Baybrook Mall, the site is surrounded by many restaurants, retail stores and residential communities. The design of this $18 million venue matches the dress code of its neighboring area. Sprinkled with trees around the 22-acre land, the three-bus canopy’s architecture is sleek, bare and features sharp angles with a minimal neutral color scheme. Projected to reach 1,300 daily boarders by 2030, this setting meets the commuter needs of the growing community.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County accommodates more than six million riders each month, with more than half a million riders using their Park and Ride locations, as stated in its latest monthly ridership report. A METRO Capital Committee Program document, created in November 2014, states the El Dorado Park and Ride was created to “…accommodate demand for commuter bus service to meet growing ridership and parking capacity issues along Gulf Freeway corridor to downtown.”

Initial discussions about providing a solution to the growing number of commuters at the Bay Area Park and Ride location began in 2003.

“A Park & Ride facility near the Gulf Freeway/Clear Lake area was identified in the 2003 METRO Solutions referendum,” said METRO spokeswoman Laura Whitley. “In addition, METRO is currently experiencing parking overcrowding issues at the Fuqua and South Point Park & Ride lots located north along the Gulf Freeway.”

The El Dorado Park & Ride location is expected to ease the overcrowding at the Fuqua and Bay Area facilities for METRO patrons in Webster, Bay Area and Clear Lake.

“The facility accommodates users of the Bay Area Park & Pool which is now closed. After evaluating several previous candidate sites along the Gulf Freeway near El Dorado Boulevard over the years, METRO identified this prime project site on an undeveloped parcel of land located near I-45 and along El Dorado Boulevard to locate its new Park & Ride facility,” Whitley said.

The El Dorado Park and Ride site consists of 22 acres, including approximately 1,225 free parking spaces with weekday inbound times ranging between 5:30 a.m. – 6:16 p.m. and weekday outbound 6:51 a.m. – 7:17 p.m. Buses run every 15 minutes, starting at the El Dorado Park and Ride and ending at the Congress and La Branch stop. All Park and Ride locations are closed on weekends and holiday closures are updated on http://www.ridemetro.org website on a subject to change basis.

“I just started riding during the school year; I go to University of Houston main campus and I live [nearby],” said UH-main sophomore Colton.

While the new El Dorado site is providing service for UH students and downtown commuters, some find the addition of this new Park and Ride does not meet their public transportation needs.

“The Clear Lake area has very limited public transportation,” said, UH-Clear Lake Director of Student Life Andrew Reitberger. “METRO runs to a couple of Park & Rides in the area for commuter traffic. It is my understanding that it doesn’t run on the weekend. Even though a good portion of Bay Area Boulevard is part of Houston, METRO does not provide any local service. Our students and many other members of the community could certainly benefit from additional service from METRO.”

The Park and Ride system is broken down into zones, determined by the distance from downtown or large business centers. The Bay Area Park and Ride’s zone routes, which at the time was the closest Park and Ride to the University of Houston- Clear Lake, belonged to two zones: one and four. Depending on which site a person boards, the payment requirement is different. Zone one charges $2 and zone four charges $4.50.

The El Dorado site only has zone four. The cost to ride each way is $4.50. All college students qualify for METRO’s discounted prices. Students wishing to purchase tickets can apply online, in person or by mail with a valid ID and one of the following: proof of hours; current class schedule with tuition receipt; verification of enrollment from your college; or a Student METRO Q Fare Card registration form, which must be signed and stamped by your school’s registrar. If you are interning, provide a letter provided by the company on company letterhead with starting and ending date. This allows access to ride for $2.25 each way at the El Dorado location or at any METRO location at a discounted student rate.