The Next Stop: METRO's Podcast Episode 54: What You Missed at METRO in 2022 Sanjay Ramabhadran: The continued economic growth of our region is going to be inextricably tied to the investments that we will make in improving our quality of life, and public transportation is a huge part of improving that quality of life. Doug Delony: I am Doug Delony. On this edition of the Next Stop: What you may have missed at METRO in 2022! [Introduction music plays] Doug Delony: You can think of this as our year-in-review episode from METRO Police to Commute Solutions to METRORapid expansion and new accessible bus stops. We have a lot to recap. Let’s get started with a touching story that happened at METRO’s headquarters along Main Street in Downtown Houston. In January, 10-year-old DeVarjaye Daniel was sworn in as an honorary officer with the METRO Police Department. DJ, who is battling brain cancer and spine cancer, has been sworn in by dozen law enforcement agencies. DeVarjaye Daniel: That I will faithfully… Vera Bumpers: Execute the duty… DeVarjaye Daniel: Execute the duty… Vera Bumpers: Of the office… DeVarjaye Daniel: Of the office… Vera Bumpers: Of a police officer… DeVarjaye Daniel: Of a police officer… Vera Bumpers: For the METRO Police Department… DeVarjaye Daniel: For the METRO Police Department. [Applause] Vera Bumpers: This is a backpack full of METRO goodies, so hopefully, you will never forget us, and we just… DeVarjaye Daniel: I’m never gonna forget this day. Vera Bumpers: We just want you to know that with God, all things are possible and that there is nothing too hard for God so that you will keep that on your mind always. Doug Delony: He proudly accepted his official badge from METRO Police Chief Vera Bumpers. Nearly 40 METRO Police Officers looked on as the fourth grader was also given his very own METRO PD uniform along with other mementos. Chief Bumpers also included a personal note of encouragement. MPD was the 47th law enforcement agency to swear DJ in as an honorary police officer. Also, in January, METRO adopted its agency-wide Climate Action Plan. The plan charts a path to a more resilient and sustainable future. It outlines steps the Authority will take to transform day-to-day operations and business practices. Implantation has already begun. METRO has moved forward with the purchase of several full-size electric buses and paratransit vehicles, and we’ll explore the use of vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cell electric technology. It’s all part of the Authority’s commitment to meeting a one hundred (100%) percent zero emissions bus replacement goal. Other plans call for upgrades at METRO facilities, like LED lighting and solar panels, along with even more recycling that already takes place. And, of course, public transit by nature takes more private vehicles off the road, reducing greenhouse gases. Switching it up, here is something that will tug at your heartstrings. You’ll love this story of Washanda and Austin Moore. These are soulmates who met on a METRO bus. Washanda Moore: My husband is a certified gymnastics teacher. I am totally retail, and we met 31 years ago. I caught the bus from Downtown on my way to work, what used to be Northwest Mall. He was already on the bus, and I was sitting near the front, almost behind him. I cannot remember the driver, unfortunately, but they were in a conversation, and I interrupted. We talked almost all the way to the mall. As I got off, the driver literally looked at him and said, “You need to get off the bus and go with her.” He looked at the driver, “Nah.” But he did get off the bus. I ended up not going to work that day. We actually ended up in the game room at Northwest Mall, where we played games all afternoon, and we’ve been pretty much together ever since. I am now 50. I have been married 31 years. We have three adult children. He got diagnosed with leukemia in May of 2021. He got introduced to METROLift when he became diagnosed. I am so grateful to METRO for giving him his disability car to ride. That meant everything to him, but he is strong. He’s fighting. I wished I could remember who the driver was. I will always thank him for making that man get off that bus. [Laughs] Doug Delony: Such an awesome story, and you can watch that entire video on METRO’S Youtube channel. Continuing our year-in-review, in February, Sanjay Ramabhadran became METRO’s Chair after being nominated by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. Here’s what they had to say shortly before he officially became Chair. Mayor Sylvester Turner: Let me just say Sanjay is a leader who knows how to bring people together and get things done. I have seen him do that over the last 20 years. Consistent and reliable. [Applause] Sanjay Ramabhadran: The greater Houston region has experienced tremendous economic growth, and I think you can trace a lot of that back to visionary investments we have made. Be it the Houston Ship Channel to international airports and now a Spaceport, our roadways, highways, toll roads, securing water rights with a growing population, and so on. However, the continued economic growth of our region is going to be inextricably tied to the investments that we will make in improving our quality of life, and public transportation is a huge part of improving that quality of life. Doug Delony: Chair Ram’s served on the Board of Directors since 2015. He has helped oversee the planning, design, construction, and launch of major projects, including METRONext, that enhance mobility throughout the region. In April, we brought you another touching story from METRO Police. It was about Sergeant Molina, an off-duty sergeant who helped pull a man from a burning car in the Clear Lake area. Take a listen. Sergeant Molina: I was with family. We witnessed a horrible accident. A vehicle overturned, landed on its side. It immediately, you know, engulfed in flames. I immediately, you know, went out there and along with two other good Samaritans that actually, you know, also witnessed the accident, and we could see him, you know, through the windshield, and, you know, he was screaming for help, and you know, we were trying to get him out. You know, after several attempts, we managed to break the sunroof and pull the driver out to safety. We’re out here. Yes, our main focus is at METRO, our buses, our trains, our transit centers, but we’re out there, and if somebody needs help, you know, anybody can flag us down. We’re police officers 24/7, 365 days out of the year. So whatever, you know, a citizen needs, you know, even if it’s not nothing on the property, if they see METRO, if they see an officer, hey, they can flag them down if they need assistance, and you know, we’ll be more than happy to help. Doug Delony: And, of course, that was Sergeant Molina you heard from there. METRO’s Chief of Police recognized Sergeant Molina with a Letter of Commendation, thanking him for his quick, life-saving actions. Back in May, METRO celebrated the completion of 2,500 universally accessible bus stops, marking the occasion with a ribbon cutting. In this story, you’ll hear from METRO Chair Ram, Board member Lex Frieden, and METRO President and CEO Tom Lambert. Sanjay Ramabhadran: A better walk, a better stop, and a better ride on the METRO system. [Applause] Sanjay Ramabhadran: We can all agree that transit’s value in promoting transportation equity is undeniable. Access is everything. And in order for us to have an equitable transportation system, we need to be investing in an accessible transportation system. Lex Frieden: This is a momentous occasion. You know, for me, when I look at an accessible bus stop, I don’t see the curb ramp. I don’t see the stop. I don’t see the pad. I see opportunity. I see the chance to go somewhere, to go and get an education, to go to work, to go church, to go get friends, to engage in recreation. Tom Lambert: We’re very proud of this accomplishment, but there’s more to come. We understand clearly that COVID-19 has shown us that access to dependable, affordable public transportation is more important than ever before. Doug Delony: Upgrades include sidewalk, wheelchair ramp, and bus shelter foundation improvements, and METRO is not done. We’ve made a substantial financial commitment to continue the upgrade of bus stops and shelters. Over the summer, METRO’s plan to expand METRORapid continued with a series of community meetings. METRORapid will allow for quicker commutes in some of the busiest parts of Houston, with stops near a number of colleges and easy access to METRO’s entire network. METRO’s Chelsey Trahan reports, and you’re also going to hear from project manager, Yuhayna Mahmud, in this story. Chelsey Trahan: The METRORapid University Line will provide a one-seat, 25-mile ride from here at the Westchase Park & Ride all the way to the Tidwell Transit Center, making important connections at Greenway Plaza, Texas Southern, The University of Houston, and more. Speaker 1: Show you where we are in this project. Chelsey Trahan: In July, METRO held nearly a dozen meetings at locations along the corridor to get your input on the METRORapid University Corridor Line. Speaker 2: This is part of the METRONext Moving Forward Plan. Chelsey Trahan: Spanning more than 25 miles, the line will serve neighborhoods like Gulfton, Montrose, and the Second, Third, and Fifth Wards. College students can also hop on the line as it passes by two HCC campuses, the University of St. Thomas, Texas Southern University, and the University of Houston. Yuhayna Mahmud: We started looking at this corridor to benefit those that are on the West side of town. We have West. We have Park & Rides and the Northwest Transit Center. It will provide a connection from the Galleria, so it’ll be a connection there that we can provide to our customers. Chelsey Trahan: University Corridor is home to some of the region’s most congested streets. Buses in the area operate in mixed traffic, producing inefficiency for customers and other motorists. The University Line will combat this issue by operating in a dedicated transit-only lane to move through traffic. The Bus Rapid Transit Line will enhance customers’ ability to connect to the METRORail, the METRORapid Silver Line, and many of our other high-frequency bus routes. The project is currently in the development phase. Impacts to the environment are also being studied. The goal is to begin construction on the University Corridor Line in 2025 and begin providing service in 2028. Doug Delony: Over the summer, in July, METRO celebrated the 32nd anniversary of the ADA—the Americans with Disabilities Act. Here’s a message from Sheron Blaylock in METRO’s Human Resources. Sheron Blaylock: Someone with a disability, we should be treating them just like we treat anyone else. [Music plays] Sheron Blaylock: METRO is a diverse population, and we welcome individuals from all aspects. It gives us that competitive edge because we are valuing the differences of individuals, you know. I think when you take that into consideration, nobody wants to work for an employer that does not value their differences. We attend ADA events, career fairs. You know, we have the mechanics, the maintenance department. We have the engineering role. We have HR—Human Resources, marketing, communications. We have a lot of positions. I think at METRO, you know, we understand and value that everyone is not the same, and if we can value those differences, it makes the environment more welcoming, okay? And we want everyone to feel welcome when they come into this Agency, and I think that that’s why you have a lot of individuals that stay here and ultimately retire from METRO. Without the ADA, I think that we would all be behind the ball. We’ve had an opportunity to bring on so many different individuals that have brought, again, their creativity, their expertise. I don’t think that we would be as strong as we are now as an Agency without ADA. Doug Delony: And of course, we can’t talk about the ADA without mentioning that Board member, Lex Frieden, was actually one of the authors of the ADA. Helping others is what METRO is all about. In 2022, we also celebrated the launch of the METRO Police Department’s C.A.R.E. Unit. Or C-A-R-E, which focuses on caring for those in need. Take a listen to this story featuring Moriah Ojo, Officer Franklin, and METRO Police Sergeant Buchanan. Moriah Ojo: So, C.A.R.E. stands for Crisis Assessment Response and Engagement. Officer Franklin: We’re a homeless outreach team that can help you from anything as simple as obtaining an ID all the way up to potentially getting housing. Sergeant Buchanan: We’re proactively seeking individuals who are in crisis, and that crisis may be homelessness. They may be displaced for one reason or another. They may be suffering from some mental-type crisis and mental issues, and they’re on the transit system. Moriah Ojo: Getting people clothing, getting people shelter, getting them a meal. We try to introduce ourselves to different agencies. Find out the work that they’re doing so that as we encounter people, we send them to the right places. Officer Franklin: As we encounter the population out on the streets, we can better assist them and direct them. So, we’re driving around constantly, making these different connections with the different agencies and with the transient population. Not only that, I could be one paycheck away from that person. We don’t know why that person’s on the street. Like I said, it’s the humanity side that picks up. That someone’s relative. I don’t want them—we tell them all the time, “We don’t want you on the street. We want to see you doing better. Do you want that for yourself?” And then you start to see them thinking, “Yeah, I do want better.” And that smile, that joy, that little beam of light that goes off in their eyes just lets us know that we’re doing something right. Doug Delony: In 2022, METRO highlighted its partnership with the Houston-Galveston Area Council and Commute Solutions by opening the HOV/HOT Express Lanes on the weekend. We also celebrated with a series of messages and stories from our METRO riders. One of those riders we met was Greg, who uses bus and rail every day. In fact, he got rid of his car six years ago. Take a listen to his story. Greg: I have been riding the METRO bus for six years. I got rid of my car six years ago. I just got tired of driving, and I got tired of maintenance, and I was at the point with the car of either trading it in for a new car or just not driving. I just decided I am going to go with METRO. I get a tremendous amount of work done on the bus. I’m able to work off my phone and do emails and do phone calls, and I’m completely relaxed. It makes me a much sharper individual. It makes me much more productive. Scenery—I can actually look around and not have to look at the road. From the ecological standpoint, you know, in terms of the issues with the environment, being able to take more cars off the freeway, I think, is just really a big deal. I feel like the entire METRO bus line is built just for me. Doug Delony: Also, in 2022, METRO and community leaders came together at two area schools to unveil new bus shelters. At Eisenhower High School, an Aldine ISD, a team of students spent months working on a design that is now showcased at the METRO stop right in front of the school. The fully accessible bus shelter celebrates the school’s 50th anniversary, and at Northside High School, a Houston ISD, a new bus shelter memorializes Northside resident, Josue Flores. It also commemorates what would have been his graduation from the school in May. It has a design that features the school’s logo and colors, along with Josue’s picture and story, and a tribute to his legacy. The bus shelter project began after a school leader contacted METRO about getting bus passes for students. This became a larger endeavor through METRO’s Adopt-A-Stop program. You can check out both of these shelters on our YouTube channel and on METRO’s Instagram. And we’re running out of time. Our last story in this podcast features METRO Police Officer Brian McDonough, who arranged getting help for a man in need. It’s another touching piece. Take a listen. Brian McDonough: I was coming in at the end of the shift for the last hour, and he met me at the door. And he was crying. He asked me if I spoke Spanish. He had $10 in his pocket, and he needed help to get reunited with his sister. He came over from Venezuela. He showed us paperwork from Immigration that he was processed through. They gave him a bus ticket to Houston, and here he was. I actually called my wife on the way home. She said, “You’ve done it before. Do it again.” So, I posted something up on my personal Facebook page, and I was able to get him a bus ticket to New York City to be reunited to his family. One of the other officers, Julianna Moreno, she out of her own pocket got him a cell phone, two pairs of shorts, socks, underwear, and just stuff that he needed for the trip. Definitely a team effort—a lot of the officers on my shift, Noe Gonzalez, Brendon Hernandez, Alex Carvajales. To this day I still, I talk to him to this day on my phone, and every time he texts me, I got to send it to the translation app. He tells me every day that he’s blessed that he met me and the other officers that helped him. He even gave me a charm off his necklace. When he handed it to me, he told me in Spanish, “Don’t forget me.” He is, he will be a lifelong friend. I believe that. Doug Delony: METRO’s Board of Directors honored Officer McDonough and several colleagues at the October Board meeting. President and CEO Tom Lambert said each of the officers exemplifies the very best of METRO and humanity. While we have to wrap up this edition of the Next Stop, know there is so much more to catch up on from the last year, from Free Rides to the Polls to a new generation of more accessible railcars, now serving METRO’s Red Line. And, of course, that big day for the entire METRO system and Houston as a whole, as we celebrated our World Champion Astros. Make sure you check out our YouTube channel. Subscribe to us on all of our social platforms. You can also visit ridemetro.org. It’s an entirely new website. Use the convenient search box in the upper right to search for METRO News, and you can stay up to date with us there as well. Thank you to you, the listener, and all of our METRO riders out there. I know we’re all looking forward to a great 2023. I’m Doug Delony. If you’d like to check out more episodes of this podcast, you can find all the links you need again on ridemetro.org. As always, drive less and do more with Houston METRO! [Music plays to end] RMETRO/pti:kh Page 1 of 1