General Mobility Program

METRO’s General Mobility Program sets aside one-quarter of METRO's one-cent sales tax revenue for mobility projects in Harris County, the City of Houston and METRO's Multi-City members.

Since 1987, METRO has allocated more than $1.6 billion for road projects, through its General Mobility Program.

Last year alone, METRO paid $106.8 million to the City of Houston, Harris County, and other cities in METRO’s service area, for projects that included repaving, new sewers, new sidewalks and landscaping.

METRO projects it will spend another $1.23 billion through FY 2014.

Here are some recent construction projects funded by METRO’s General Mobility Program:

SPRING VALLEY VILLAGE

Spring Valley Village recognized METRO for funding its Voss / Bracher Road Construction Project during a ribbon-cutting Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 1006 Voss Road.

METRO awarded Spring Valley Village $3,305,000 for the design and construction of this project.

The work completed on the Voss/Bracher Road project includes:

Concrete curb and gutter reconstruction of the two-lane roadway from IH-10 westbound feeder road north to Lanell Street
Replacement of a wooden bridge with a concrete bridge
Construction of sidewalks on both sides of the street
Conversion of open-ditch roadway drainage to underground drainage system.

“If it hadn’t been for METRO, this city would have had bad traffic issues,” said Spring Valley Village Mayor T. Michael Andrews. “There’s no question about it, METRO has been our guardian angel.”

This project was actually slated for the year 2012, but thanks to METRO, Spring Valley Village saved money by completing the project ahead of time.

“With construction costs escalating every year at an average of seven to eleven percent, we would have been short if we waited,” said Mayor Andrews. “We’re looking at about at least a $400,000 savings.”

Present at the ribbon-cutting were city engineers, administrators, contractors, council members, the mayor and METRO representatives.

BUNKER HILL VILLAGE

Bunker Hill Village recognized METRO for funding its Memorial Drive Road Construction Project during on Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at the Bunker Hill Village City Hall.

“METRO has been great to us, this project is a great asset to all the citizens of this community,” said Bunker Hill Village Mayor Derry Essary.

METRO recently awarded Bunker Hill Village $1,372,100 for this construction project and is the sole source of funding for the project.

The construction work involves the repaving of Memorial Drive from Briar Forest to Gessner. It includes milling of the existing roadway, making base repairs where needed, overlaying new asphalt, guard rails and pavement stripping. Landscaping and installation of a left-turn lane on northbound Gessner onto westbound Memorial is also part of this project.

The work is expected to be completed before the end of August 2008.

The Bunker Hill Village Memorial Drive Road Project is one of many road projects funded through METRO’s General Mobility Program.

“The population at large should realize that METRO is not just buses and rail, but its HOV lanes, roads and the synchronization of the lights downtown,” said METRO Board Member Burt Ballanfant. “METRO does a lot of things and doesn’t really get the credit it deserves.”

PINEY POINT VILLAGE

Piney Point Village Mayor Carol Fox and city council members held a groundbreaking ceremony to honor METRO for its funding of the North Piney Point Road Project.

The ceremony took place Monday, April 28, at North Piney Point Road at Taylorcrest.

A reception was held afterward at the Piney Point Village City Hall, located at 7676 Woodway, Suite 300.

Mayor Fox thanked METRO for funding the project and for its commitment to keep traffic moving in Houston and surrounding areas.

METRO Board Member and past Piney Point Village Mayor, C. Jim Stewart, III, said that METRO is working hard to solve the region’s traffic congestion and air quality problems. "Many people do not appreciate public transportation right now, but with the increasing price of gasoline, many will have to resort to other commuting alternatives," added Stewart.

The General Mobility Program has contributed approximately $23 million toward projects benefiting Piney Point Village.

This latest project calls for the reconstruction of an important stretch of North Piney Point Road from Wendover to Beinhorn (0.4 miles in length). METRO’s General Mobility funds contributed $1.084 million dollars towards this project.

HEDWIG VILLAGE

Hedwig Village honored METRO at a groundbreaking ceremony on February 20, 2008, for funding the city’s East/West Mobility Project.

Hedwig Village’s East/West Mobility Project, is one of many road projects funded through METRO’s General Mobility Program.

“We want our residents to know that even if they’ve never boarded a METRO bus or used the light rail, if they drive a car in the Villages, they ride METRO,” said Hedwig Village Mayor Sue Speck. “Hedwig’s entire annual budget is only $4 million. We could have never afforded this project without METRO.”

The cost for the design and construction of Hedwig Village’s East/West Mobility Project is estimated at $7,512,000.00, with METRO contributing $7,186,000.00 and Hedwig Village, $326,000.00.

The money is going toward the rehabilitation of existing roadways, upgrades to the storm sewer systems, and the construction of sidewalk/hike and bike trails.

The groundbreaking ceremony was for the Gaylord Dr. segment of the project, located on Gaylord behind Hedwig Village’s eastern business district. The estimated construction cost for this phase of the project is $1 million, and will be funded entirely by METRO.