The Next Stop: METRO's Podcast
Episode 66: What You Missed at METRO in 2023
12-20-2023


Wayne Jackson:  My name is Wayne Jackson. I have been with METRO 40 years. I started December 6th of 1982. When they said they only had jobs available as a bus operator, I said, ÒIÕll take it.Ó 

Doug Delony:  IÕm Doug Delony. On this edition of the Next Stop: We celebrate a few of the great stories and big news items you may have missed here at METRO in 2023. 

[Introduction music plays] 

Doug Delony:  METRO is actively involved in the Houston community, offering public transit education and support to improve the quality of life for Houstonians. In this first story, meet one of our frequent riders, James, who uses METRO to get to the medical care he needs.  

James:  I started riding METRO in December of 2018. I drive from my apartment to the Kingwood Park and Ride, and I take the METRO bus from the Kingwood Park and Ride to Downtown Houston. And I take the train to the Houston Medical District, and from there, I walk to the hospital I need to go to. I drive a vehicle that uses a lot of fuel, and the METRO system allows me to travel without being so costly. Houston traffic can be very challenging, especially in the morning time. I am able to relax and prepare myself for my medical appointments and let someone else, the driver, deal with all the different traffic stuff. My cost of travel would probably double what IÕm paying right now. If it wasnÕt for METRO, I would probably be neglecting some of my medical care. I am just very appreciative to the METRO. 99% of the bus drivers that IÕve dealt with overÑsince 2018 have been very respectful, very considerate, and they just make you feel like youÕre not a burden to them. 

Doug Delony:  In 2023, we also met Mr. Clary. HeÕs a living example of one of the many ways METRO serves the community beyond transportation. In this story, youÕll hear first from Mr. Clary, and then youÕll also meet METRO Police Officer Omar Franklin.  

Mr. Clary:  I was homeless on the streets. I was sitting at the bus stop, and they just pulled up, and I said, ÒUh-oh. WhatÕs going on?Ó I thought, hey, they was gonna tell me, ÒYou canÕt just sit at this bus stop all day long. You know, you have to get on the bus.Ó 

Officer Omar Franklin:  IÕm a Police Officer that is currently on the CARE Unit Team. The CARE Unit is a homeless outreach team that stands for Crisis Assessment Response and Engagement. 

Mr. Clary:  Every other day, theyÕll pop up, you know, and, hey, I was just saying to myself, ÒHey, these people here, this is the CARE Unit.Ó I looked at the car when I first seen them. I said, ÒOh, this is METRO Police.Ó You know. 

Officer Omar Franklin:  WeÕre looking for anyone thatÕs along the METRO transit lines that may be in need of anything ranging from IDs all the way up to receiving a housing list. ItÕs not really about targeting people, but itÕs getting out there and creating engagement.  

Mr. Clary:  They did a lot of work for me.  

Officer Omar Franklin:  He has a fully furnished apartment. Free utilities. We did partner up with Salvation Army and through Salvation Army was his case manager. And then we worked with the Homeless Coalition of Houston.  

Mr. Clary:  TheyÕre going to help me get my Social Security Card and some identification. And I got a hoodie and some pants and some belts and a roof over my head. 

Officer Omar Franklin:  This is a full team effort. 

Mr. Clary:  They were for real. They really do help people out. 

Doug Delony:  Career opportunity continues to be a big initiative here at METRO. As part of our METRO Milestones video series, we met Mr. Wayne Jackson. He started with METRO over 40 years ago as a bus operator. Now, heÕs an instructor training the next generation of bus operators. Take a listen to his story. 

Wayne Jackson:  I was pretty young then. I started here when I was 26 years old, so, you know, itÕs been a while. My name is Wayne Jackson. I have been with METRO 40 years. I started December 6th of 1982. When they said they only had jobs available as a bus operator, I said, ÒIÕll take it.Ó If I was given an opportunity, IÕll make the best of it. IÕve driven the 14 Hiram Clarke, the 30 Cullen, the 77 Martin Luther King, on the 53 Westheimer. Those are some of the old routes. TheyÕre sending you to the end of the line for the 102. I feel that I have something to pass on. I have a lot of knowledge, but I have an awful lot of experience. When I leave here, I canÕt leaveÑI canÕt just take it with me. I need to pass it on, you know? When I came here, I received a lot of help from different people about the informationÑhow to do this and how to do that. People were very helpful, and I should be able to do the same and return the favor. Just try to build them up. Like I tell them, ÒAll I ask of you is just to do better every day.Ó ItÕs just a privilege to do this. You know, itÕs an honor. 

Doug Delony:  Interested in working with us? We have a wide range of opportunities. Visit ridemetro.org/careers. And some of our career opportunities come with on-the-job training with a focus on the future. In March, U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh joined METRO leadership and the Texas Gulf Coast AFL-CIO to tour METROÕs apprenticeship facility. Take a listen to the SecretaryÕs comments. 

U.S. Secretary Marty Walsh:  Behind me, we see an electric bus. ItÕs going to go to our communities. Underserved communities that are probably overburdened right now with rates of high pollution, and opportunities for clean buses to go to those same communities, so that the next generation of young people arenÕt struggling with asthma, arenÕt struggling with breathing illnesses. You have people inside this building that are working right now that are having opportunities that are working on the old buses to replace and fix the old buses, but theyÕre also going to be learning the technology of the new buses, so when the buses break down, thereÕs an opportunity for us to make sure that we have a skilled workforce.  

Doug Delony:  The D.C. delegation got a firsthand look at the AuthorityÕs first electric bus following approval by Harris County of a $9.1 million investment in union apprenticeship programs made possible by funding from the American Rescue Plan Act and President BidenÕs Build Back Better Agenda. With this funding, METRO is able to broaden its program and prepare mechanics for the coming transition to zero-emission buses.  


Next up, bus shelters. They were a big focus for us in 2023, and that will continue for the years to come as we roll out METROÕs new standard bus shelter. The newly designed bus shelters are being installed across the region, about 400 per year, and feature a silver, more durable structure with steel framing and better ventilation. Bus shelters also serve as a form of community engagement. We partnered with numerous schools throughout the Houston area to showcase student art on bus shelters located near school campuses. These often colorful bus shelters serve as a canvas for students whose designs are selected. One of the schools involved is Waltrip High School, a Houston ISD. Take a listen to this story and hear first from Principal Rhonda Honore and then student Veronica Fonsesa and her mother Antonia Martinez. 

Rhonda Honore:  Collaborations like this with businesses, with METRO specifically, it shows students that they are valued, you know? When they see this, they see a representation of themself, and thatÕs so important. It shows that this communityÑthat they matter, and that this community really values who they are as high school students. 

Veronica Fonseca:  So I really wanted to represent as many people and groups as I could that usually would not be represented in other situations. 

Antonia Martinez:  I feel proud and inspired. Just overall, filled with joy. [laughs] ItÕs hard to explain. 

Veronica Fonseca:  Even now, as I am in school, that people will drive by this bus station and think of Waltrip as something that has everything. 

Rhonda Honore:  When they see this, they see a representation of themself, and thatÕs so important. It shows that this communityÑthat they matter, and this community really values who they are as high school students.  

Doug Delony:  Now letÕs talk about METRORapid. Service expansion is in the works. This includes the University Corridor project. Plans call for 25 miles of accessible service from the Westchase Park and Ride to the Tidwell Transit Center. Take a listen to resident Ben Chou. 

Ben Chou:  I currently live off of Washington, and I would love to take public transit all the way down back to Chinatown where my parents have taken me every week to go eat with our family.  

Doug Delony:  METRORapidÕs University Corridor Line is about connecting people and communities. A top-of-the-line service, it will operate like light rail to deliver faster connections for a smooth convenient ride. For Ben Chou, this means a connection to the neighborhood he was born in.  

Ben Chou:  I grew up in Southwest Houston, really connected to Houston, went to undergrad at Rice. My grandfather, he lives in Southwest Houston but in the Fondren area, where itÕs a little bit hard because heÕs 95 years old to get to Chinatown. He cannot drive anymore. If we had the line, for example, this university line will connect my neighborhood near Montrose and Midtown all the way over to Chinatown to Asiatown. That would make my life a lot easier. I think IÕve attended three of the METRO outreach community meetings now. Two of them were at the Chinese Community Center, which I thought was remarkable. The meetings I think I got multiple emails from them. I saw them on public media websites. I think I saw them on social media. So, I found them multiple places. Government entities like METRO are really prioritizing the voices of communities that havenÕt been heard, so I really applaud METRO for doing that. And so, thank you. For me to be able to see and talk to the actual project manager who is organizing the entire construction of this line was actually meaningful to me because youÕre not just bringing someone whoÕs like a community engagement person. YouÕre actually bringing the person whoÕs making decisions to the communities that are going to be affected, so I highly encourage everyone to go out and actually talk to the folks who are the decision-makers. 

Doug Delony:  Learn more about the University Line, see the alignment, and get involved. Visit ridemetro.org/university. Your safety is a number one priority, and the METRO Police Department works around the clock to monitor and protect the transit system and our community overall. In this story, youÕll meet METRO PDÕs K-9 Unit and hear from Officers Armstrong and Kunjachen.  

Officer Armstrong:  We have eight total canine officers. All of our canines have different jobs. All of our canines are explosive dogs. We have some that are doingÑwe have a couple of dogs that do patrol work, so they can, you know, if you have a lost child, you know, somewhere. They can actually run those tracks. Our main focus for METRO is conducting platform sweeps, LRV sweeps.  Anywhere our buses and train systems go, we in the K-9 Department take our canines also.  

Officer Kunjachen:  Today, weÕre sweeping the Downtown, especially 1900 building, making sure everybodyÕs safe. 

Officer Armstrong:  There are a few of us that have been in K-9 for a number of years, and that we do all of our training. 

Officer Kunjachen:  Dog coming in.  

Officer Armstrong:  They consider this a working tool like anything else, you know? TheyÕre out there to do a job, but itÕs hard to distinguish between them and a pet. Like I tell people, IÕm around my canine more than IÕm around my family. Dotji, youÕre a movie star now. WeÕll sign autographs later, baby. You know, he lives with me, so he goes home with me, so IÕm at the house with him every day. He comes to work with me every day. This guy right here, heÕs the best partner to have. The best partner IÕve ever had, you know, as a K-9 Unit. Oh, I love my job. I love coming to work every day. 

Doug Delony:  Remember, if you see something, say something. You can reach MPD by dialing #MPD on your mobile phone, and you can also chat by text via the MPD Connect app. Download it today. In an emergency, dial 9-1-1.  

These stories are just a small sample of the many ways METRO served the Houston region in 2023, and we didnÕt even touch on the big events like the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the Final Four, Taylor SwiftÕs, and BeyonceÕs big shows. If you want to watch the video version of these pieces and others, head over to METROÕs YouTube channel. That wraps it up for this edition of the Next Stop. Thanks to you, the listener, and all of our METRO riders out there. IÕm Doug Delony. If youÕd like to check out more episodes and subscribe, 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] 

RMETRO/pti:kh






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