The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County is a major public transportation agency based in Houston, Texas, United States. It operates bus, light rail, bus rapid transit, HOV and HOT lanes, and paratransit service in the city as well as most of Harris County. It also operates bus service to two cities in Fort Bend County, and to Conroe in Montgomery County. The Metro headquarters are in the Lee P. Brown Administration Building in Downtown Houston. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 77,189,800, or about 240,200 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
METRORail is the 22.7-mile (36.5 km) light rail system in Houston, Texas. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 13,883,700, or about 43,200 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024. METRORail ranks as the second most-traveled light rail system in the Southern United States and the 12th most-traveled light rail system in the United States, and has the highest ridership per mile for light rail systems in the Southern US. METRORail is operated by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO).
Downtown is the largest central business district in the city of Houston and the largest in the state of Texas, located near the geographic center of the metropolitan area at the confluence of Interstate 10, Interstate 45, and Interstate 69. The 1.84-square-mile (4.8 km2) district, enclosed by the aforementioned highways, contains the original townsite of Houston at the confluence of Buffalo Bayou and White Oak Bayou, a point known as Allen's Landing. Downtown has been the city's preeminent commercial district since its founding in 1836.
Downtown Transit Center (Houston) is a bus and light rail transportation center in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States, operated by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO). It includes an island platformed METRORail light rail station and bays for bus service.
McGowen is an island platformed METRORail light rail station in Houston, Texas, United States. The station was opened on January 1, 2004 and is operated by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO). Located in Midtown, this station is at the intersection of Main Street and McGowen Street. The station is split into two platforms: northbound is located on Main north of McGowen and southbound is located on Main south of McGowen.
Ensemble/HCC is an island platformed METRORail light rail station in Houston, Texas, United States. The station was opened on January 1, 2004, and is operated by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO). Located Midtown, this station is close to both the Houston Community College System's Central College campus and The Ensemble Theatre, which together give the station its name.
Hermann Park/Rice U is an island platformed METRORail light rail station in south-central Houston, Texas, United States. The station was opened on January 1, 2004, and is operated by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO). Located in Hermann Park, it is located at the intersection of Fannin Street and Sunset Boulevard. The station also serves the main entrance of Rice University. Adjacent to the station is a stop on the Hermann Park Railroad, a narrow-gauge recreational sightseeing train for park visitors.
Memorial Hermann Hospital/Houston Zoo Station is an island platformed METRORail light rail station in Houston, Texas, United States. The station was opened on January 1, 2004, and is operated by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO). The station is located at the intersection of Fannin Street and Cambridge Street and serves Memorial Hermann Hospital, the Medical School portion of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the Houston Zoo. Ben Taub Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine are also within walking distance of the station.
Dryden/TMC Station is an island platformed METRORail light rail station in Houston, Texas, United States. The station was opened on January 1, 2004, and is operated by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO). The station is located within the Texas Medical Center and is located at the intersection of Fannin Street and Dryden Road. Outside of weekends, it is the busiest station on the Red Line and the METRORail network as a whole.
Texas Medical Center Transit Center station is a METRORail light rail station in Houston, Texas. It serves the Red Line. The station is located within the Texas Medical Center and is located at the intersection of Fannin Street and Pressler Street. A pedestrian overpass connects the light rail platforms with platforms for buses.
Smith Lands is an island platformed METRORail light rail station in Houston, Texas, United States. The station was opened on January 1, 2004 and is operated by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO). The station is located south of the Texas Medical Center at the intersection of Greenbriar Drive and Colonnade Drive; Old Spanish Trail crosses Greenbriar Drive approximately one block south of the station.
Stadium Park/Astrodome is an island platformed METRORail light rail station in Houston, Texas, United States. The station was opened on January 1, 2004, originally as Reliant Park station, and is operated by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO). The station is located at the intersection of Fannin Street and Holly Hall Street, next to NRG Park. This station is decorated with various photographs from The Astrodome's history including the Rodeo, the Houston Astros and an Elvis concert.
Fannin South is an island platformed METRORail light rail station in Houston, Texas, United States. The station was opened on January 1, 2004, and is operated by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO). Serving as the southern terminus of the Red Line, this is located at the intersection of Fannin Street and West Bellfort Avenue, and is co-located with the Fannin South Transit Center facility, which is located close to Interstate 610.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is a governmental agency and its purpose is to "provide safe, effective, and efficient movement of people and goods" throughout the state. Though the public face of the agency is generally associated with maintenance of the state's immense highway system, the agency is also responsible for aviation in the state and overseeing public transportation systems.
The University Line is a planned 25 mi (40 km) bus rapid transit route that would be operated by Metro in Houston, Texas, United States. It replaces a former METRORail light rail line that was proposed in the 2000s and 2010s. The University Line is scheduled to begin construction in 2025 and would be built in five sections between Westchase Park and Ride, Uptown, the University of Houston, and Tidwell Transit Center.
The Red Line is one of three light rail routes on the METRORail network operated by METRO in Houston, Texas. It is the oldest line in the METRORail system, with the first 7.5-mile (12.1 km) section of the line between Fannin South and UH–Downtown opening on January 1, 2004.
The Purple Line is a 6.6-mile (10.6 km) METRORail light rail/streetcar route operated by METRO in Houston, Texas, United States, serving Southeast Houston. The line opened on May 23, 2015.
The Green Line is a 3.3 mi (5.3 km) METRORail light rail/streetcar line operated by METRO in Houston, Texas, serving the East End area. The first seven-station segment of this line opened on May 23, 2015. The two-station eastern end of this route was delayed due to issues over crossing Union Pacific Railroad tracks, but eventually opened in January 2017.
Central Station is a light rail station served by METRORail in downtown Houston, Texas, United States. It serves as a major transfer point between the Red, Purple and Green lines. It is the busiest station on the Green and Purple lines.
Altic/Howard Hughes is a light rail station in Houston, Texas, on the METRORail system. It is served by the Green Line and is located on Harrisburg Boulevard at Altic Street in the East End. The station is named for Altic Street as well as Howard Hughes, who built a Hughes Tool Company factory in the area.
Red Line 
