Interviewer : Ben Lueders

Project : University of Houston

Tom Lambert, the CEO of Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County discusses the history of transit in Houston, including popular modes of travel and the reasons for their popularity. The interview focuses on the period immediately preceding and since the creation of METRO in 1979 to reorganize public transit in Houston and the surrounding areas. The company quickly made a large impact on Houston’s transportation infrastructure, and drastically improved the state of public transit in the city. Mr. Lambert details METRO’s strategies for successfully reinventing transit in Houston, detailing several proposals, many of which were successful and others that were never implemented. Lastly, he discusses recent attempts by METRO to improve and streamline service in the Houston area, including the development of Houston’s METRO Rail service, which began service in 2004. Mr. Lambert also discusses numerous expansions that have occurred in the city of Houston, as well a number of future expansions that will help alleviate congestion. He discusses plans such as further developments to the METRO Rail system and a transition to a grid system that will tie METRO into more employers. Mr. Lambert also discusses METRO’s partnerships including those with TranStar and the Gulf Coast Rail District.