The Next Stop: METRO's Podcast
Episode 65: New METRO Bus Shelters Are on the Way - What You Need to Know
12-01-2023


Casey McKay:  This program really does assist and provide a safer and, overall, a better quality experience for all those that we serve.  

Doug Delony:  IÕm Doug Delony. On this edition of the Next Stop: New bus shelters are on the way, and we have what you need to know.  

[Introduction music plays]

Doug Delony:  Today, on the Next Stop, we welcome Casey McKay. He is part of the PEC DepartmentÑthat is Planning, Engineering, and Construction teamÑhere at METRO. Specifically, he is the Senior Program Manager for our METRONext projects.  Welcome, Casey.  

Casey McKay:  Thank you, thank you. I really appreciate the time.  

Doug Delony:  And did I get that right? Is that P-E-C or is PEC? Or what do you guysÉ?

Casey McKay:  It is P-E-C.  

Doug Delony:  Okay.

Casey McKay:  You got it perfect.  

Doug Delony:  PEC might make people think theyÕre going to the gym or something. I donÕt know, okay? [Laughs]

Casey McKay:  [laughs]

Doug Delony:  LetÕs start this conversation by talking about METRONext. Of course, those of us who work here at METRO, we hear that all the time. We know what METRONext is, but I know that some people may not be totally familiar with it. So, what is METRONext?  

Casey McKay:  Sure. METRONext consists of many new projects thatÕll of course benefit our patrons and the community as a whole. And the program has 75 miles of new METRORapid bus service. A plan that operates really like a light rail. The largest of those BRT projects is the University CorridorÑBus Rapid Transit ProjectÑthatÕs a 25-mile-long project. WeÕre at 30 percent design already on that one, followed by the Inner Katy BRT and the Gulfton BRT. And then thereÕs also expansions to the two HOV lanes, Park and Rides, transit centers, light rail planned, community connector services, along with some other projects.  

Doug Delony:  I have to throw this out there: This was a voter-approved plan to combat HoustonÕs notoriously bad traffic.  

Casey McKay:  Correct.  

Doug Delony:  So, voters approved 500 miles of travel improvements as our population in our region is expected to grow to more than 10 million people by the year 2040. So, as this community grows, obviously, so will traffic. And trafficÕs just going to continue to get worse and worse, and thatÕs what METRONext Moving Forward Plan is hoping to resolve. To help ease traffic congestion by taking more cars off of the road. And it consists of many new projects that is going to benefit patrons and the community. ItÕs obviously a huge undertaking: METRORapid expansion, METRORail expansion, system enhancements. ThereÕs a lot to manage. How do you, how does your team juggle it all?  

Casey McKay:  Well, the Planning, Engineering, and Construction Department has doubled in size in the last two and a half years, from 31 full-time employees to 62 full-time employees. Many of us are involved with several projects at once, but some people do spend all their time on some of these massive, large projects. Personally, I am involved with preconstruction efforts on just about all of the projects due to being the Preconstruction Lead for PEC, which gets me involved with many different types of projects, which is really fun and definitely not boring. But the key is leveraging resources. Nobody is an expert at every kind of project. You have to know who the subject matter experts are, and you canÕt be shy to ask them for assistance.  

Doug Delony:  There is no I in team. YouÕre not expected to know every single thing, and IÕm sure, sometimes, when you guysÉ

Casey McKay:  Right.  

Doug Delony:  Émake presentations at board meetings and committee meetings, it can be quite overwhelming to try and know everything, but I guess itÕs just kind of impossible with that many people and that many projects, right?  

Casey McKay:  ThatÕs right.  

Doug Delony:  And itÕs not just METRO staff involved. I know METRO works with dozens of companies, contractors, and other providers to make sure that METROÕs needs are met and that the customerÕs needs are met. What are some of the challenges with working with so many different crews or different entities or other even government agencies?  

Casey McKay:  Yes, and this circles back to my comment about resources. In my opinion, the more resources we have, typically, the better off we are. And we have various consultants that have design or inspection specialties in horizontal work or vertical work or other types of work, which is what you need because it is extremely rare, again, to find people that are capable of designing, constructing, or inspecting all types of work. And it can take time to get used to a new team, which is typically the case in each project. However, with a good attitude and a willingness to work together, all of our projects turn out successful regardless of this hurdle.  

Doug Delony:  And I know itÕs always great to be successful in a project and wrap some of these projects up or get a new one underway, and thatÕs why right now, weÕre going to focus on a lot of the recent METRO work.  Our METRONext celebrations and ribbon cuttings have been focused on bus stops and bus shelter improvements, and we have two items that weÕre rolling out right now. First, we have METROÕsÑwhat we call the new ÒStandard Bus Shelter.Ó Those are being installed across the service area. And secondly, we also have new bus shelters and other enhancements coming to stops along the Boost Corridor, which is multiple specific routes. So, weÕll get into those Boost Corridor routes in a moment, but letÕs first talk about the new standard bus shelter. What do we mean when we say, ÒThe Standard Bus Shelter?Ó What are some of those improvements weÕre talking about with this new one versus the old one? 

Casey McKay:  Sure. And to give a little background there, so, we solicited a design and fabricate contract for the new standard bus shelters because we wanted the fabricator to be involved in the design to ensure the design was buildable. Therefore, VICO received this contract for 2,000 new shelters. ThatÕs 34 per month or 400 per year over the next five years. We worked closely with VICO to finish the design and prototype, which we inspected and tested for leaks with a firetruck at their facility. And ensuring the shelters donÕt leak is a major priority, along with the structural integrity.  

The City of Houston has increased the wind loading requirements, such as the structure must be able to withstand 139 mile-per-hour winds due to the strong hurricanes this region has faced. Therefore, we had to increase the bolt diameter from a quarter inch to a half inch to achieve these. The shelters are built of thicker structural steel members in general as well. Additionally, they are of a silver anodized color for a new appeal, and theyÕre having solar light kits installed with them by the METRO Facility Maintenance Department. 

Doug Delony:  I know lighting is always a big concern for people when it comes to safety, so itÕs great to hear aboutÉ

Casey McKay:  Mm-hmm.  

Doug Delony:  Éthe lighting enhancements. And I know thereÕs some numbers you threw out there, but the big takeaway is these are more rugged. They are more durable. And I knowÉ

Casey McKay:  Correct.  

Doug Delony:  Éthat just looking at them at a first glance, some people may go, ÒWhatÕs the difference between the old one and the new one?Ó Just at a first glance. But if you really take time and look at the details, you can tell theyÕre of higher quality. TheyÕve got that ventilation kind of at the top. They have slots at the top.  

Casey McKay:  Correct.  

Doug Delony:  To allow for some of that heat that people have said gets kind of trapped in the older ones. Some of that heat can dissipate. But the reality is on a hot day, itÕs still going to be hot in Houston. Houston gets hot, but at least we haveÉ

Casey McKay:  Yeah.  

Doug Delony:  Ésome of that ventilation. And as long as the sunÕs not coming in from the side, youÕre also in the shade as well, so I think there are huge benefits compared to the old design. So IÕm excited to see these kind ofÉ

Casey McKay:  Mm-hmm.    

Doug Delony:  Éget rolled out, right? Some of the immediateÉ

Casey McKay:  ThatÕs correct.  

Doug Delony:  Équestions I know will be, ÒAm I getting one of these new shelters at my stop?Ó And I guess the big message here is weÕre rolling out the launch of these shelters right now over several years. I know you mentioned five years just now. And these are locations all over the service area, not just one or two selected routes.  

Casey McKay:  Correct.  

Doug Delony:  This is part of the ÒThereÕs no I in team.Ó We have another team dedicated to finding out where we can install and select to install the new bus shelters, and which ones will be the first to get the new shelters. ThereÕs a lot of variables to consider, including the location of the stop, how much space is available. And, you know, we have more than 9,000 stops across our large service area. ThereÕs not always space available for a bus shelter of any kind. After all, we canÕt totally block the sidewalk, right? 

Casey McKay:  That is correct. Unfortunately, not every stop is able to fit one of these new standard bus shelters.  

Doug Delony:  From what I understand, the new standard bus shelter installation priority is going to depend on a number of factors, including the number of daily boardings at a particular stop, whether thereÕs access to a significant senior population, whether thereÕs access to a community with a high concentration of people living with a disability, whether it serves a significant activity center, such as hospitals, retail, or grocery stores, and whether it connects to other bus routes or METRORail stops. So, thatÕs kind of how weÕre prioritizing where some of these new bus shelters will be installed or replacing some of the old ones. 

Casey McKay:  Correct.  

Doug Delony:  So, letÕs move on to the Boost Corridor now. These are a little bit different from the new standard bus shelter from what I understand. These are selected routes among the most highly traveled in our system that will have improvements, including new shelters, new lighting, digital signs that show when the next bus is arriving. What do these new Boost shelters look like? Is that part of what your team does as well? Do they look different from the standard bus shelter?  

Casey McKay:  Yes. The Boost bus shelters are a fancier looking design than the standard bus shelters. They have angles and just a more modern look in general. These shelters all have LED lighting already installed in them by the fabricator, and those are operated by a light sensor. We have solar panels on these new shelters that power the lights. Furthermore, the Boost bus stops are going to have digital signs that relay the bus arrival information.  

Doug Delony:  These Boost routes, if you want to go take a lookÑif everybody wants to see where these Boost routes are, they can head over to ridemetro.org and search for the word ÒBoostÓ or go to /boost, and you can find the specific routes. I know I am excited for it because I frequently use the 54 and that runs through Third Ward, up through Midtown, and then goes all the way to the Downtown Transit Center, and so IÕm looking forward to some of these improvements. 

And it really is kind of scattered across some of our busiest routes like I mentioned before. ItÕs not a concentration of one certain area or neighborhood thatÕs gonna get these what you said ÒfancierÓ bus shelters. ItÕs kind of spread throughout the city and the busiest routes, so I think everyoneÕs going to benefit from it, whether itÕs going through your specific neighborhood or not. And like we mentioned before, multiple local businesses are involved with METRO making all this happen. ItÕs not one specific company or contractor. Suffice it to say, weÕre not one of these bus operating facilities trying to build these out on our own with some stuff we got from Home Depot. ItÕs quite a processÉ

Casey McKay:  Correct.  

Doug Delony:  Éright?  

Casey McKay:  It is a process. Our PEC team, along with the METRO Procurement Team, work diligently to ensure companies are bidding on our work. And luckily, we have been successful in getting several local companies to bid on projects and many have won bids. Once we get the bids in, the work isnÕt over though. A lot of coordination, prioritization, and organization is required to make a project successful. Countless hours go into first ensuring the bidder is qualified to perform the work, then leading the weekly meetings with the team and ensure everything is getting done per schedule, along with the problem-solving of issues as they arise, and then ensuring what was built is built correctly.  

Doug Delony:  And, you know, talking about those problem-solving issues. I know that it can be a challenge between the weather and trying to work with the city and different businesses that may or may not be impacted while this is happening because sometimes itÕs all about not just picking up the old shelter. Sometimes there has to be improvements around it with a new pad. So, itÕs a construction process to make this happen, and we just appreciate everyoneÕs patience. If they see the trucks roll up and they remove a bus shelter, and youÕre like, ÒWell, is a new one going to come?Ó 

Obviously, people can reach out to METRO with questions and concerns, but we do appreciate everyoneÕs patience from our patrons to our neighbors and all the companies that are involved as we make this happen, and we work through any problems that may arise. When you take a look at the METRONext program as a whole, and whether someone experiences the Boost Corridor or maybe their neighborhood is getting some of the new standard shelters, how do you think improvements like this impact our community with METRONext?  

Casey McKay:  Sure. And as a regular bus rider myself, I can attest that what METRO does for our community does not go unnoticed. Patrons appreciate what we do to get them safely around the community. The Boost bus route program is committed to providing riders with a better walk to their bus stop, get new sidewalks, a better bus stop, be it these new bus shelters, and a better ride by fixing the damaged roads the buses drive on. This program really does assist and provide a safer and, overall, a better quality experience for all those that we serve.   

Doug Delony:  And I just want to remind everyone that there is more to come with METRONext. So really, thereÕs so much involved with it, we could have done a two-hour podcast on it with five other guests. And we probably will spread this out over the coming years, but thereÕs much more to come, so everyone should check out ridemetro.org/metronext. And donÕt forget to sign up to be part of METROÕs Feedback Loop, where we conduct a series of surveys year-round, where patrons can give their input just about service overall and service improvements and whatnot. So, Casey, I know this was very much a quick crash course. I know thereÕs so much more to it, but is there anything else that youÕd like to say or add or address or anything that we did not go over in this conversation?  

Casey McKay:  Yes, I would just like to thank all of the other departments working with PEC to bring this program to fruition. It really does take an army to plan, design, and build a program of this size. We surely canÕt do it alone. Every METRO employee has a part of this in some way, so every METRO employee should be proud to tell their family and friends about what weÕre doing and how weÕre doing it to better our community one project at a time. 

Doug Delony:  ThatÕs excellent. Excellent. That wraps it up for this edition of the Next Stop. Thanks to you, the listener, and all of our METRO riders out there. As a reminder, you can reach METROÕs customer service team. Call us or even text us:  713-635-4000. IÕm Doug Delony. If youÕd like to check out more episodes and subscribe to this podcast, you can find all the links you need on ridemetro.org/podcast. As always, drive less and do more with Houston METRO.  

[Music plays to end]  


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