Missouri City has officially begun construction on a new Metro-exclusive parking garage for Metro’s Park and Ride, which comes with a price tag of $70 million. This new facility will replace the current parking garage, which is in a shared lot with a Kroger supermarket.
The new parking garage will have a capacity of 1,750 spaces and will be exclusively for Metro’s use. It will be situated near State Highway 6 and the Fort Bend County Toll Road. To mark the beginning of construction, a groundbreaking ceremony was held, attended by Metro officials, community leaders, and representatives from NewQuest Properties.
During the ceremony, U.S. Rep. Al Green presented a symbolic check for $5 million, which represents the federal funding that Metro will receive for the project. Under the terms of a 40-year agreement approved by the Metro board on May 25, Metro will pay NewQuest up to $59.8 million to build the garage and will then lease the land for $325,000 annually.
The new parking garage will be an important component of Phase 3 of NewQuest Properties’ Fort Bend Town Center, a mixed-use lifestyle center. Metro expects the facility to be completed by the first quarter of 2025.
The need for a new parking garage arises from the growing population in Fort Bend County. As the region’s population is projected to increase from 6 million to 11 million people, the availability of safe and reliable public transportation will become increasingly valuable.
“The value of a one-seat, safe, reliable, frequent accessible transportation option is going to become even more important as our region goes from about 6 million people to 11 million people,” said Sanjay Ramabhadran, METRO chair. “You think traffic congestion is bad? Imagine what’ll happen when you add 5 million more people to the mix.”
According to research from Rice University’s Kennedy Institute for Urban Research, Houstonians currently lose an average of 74 hours per year due to traffic congestion, resulting in $1,257 lost per driver. By expanding public transportation options, Metro aims to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality, while also providing commuters with more quality time to spend with their families.
The new Metro facility will primarily serve residents of Missouri City who regularly travel to the Texas Medical Center. The commuter bus services will operate on weekdays only, running between the Texas Medical Center and Missouri City with access to downtown Houston.
The services will start as early as 5 a.m. and the last trip will end as late as 10 p.m., with buses arriving every 15 minutes. The facility will feature passenger pick-up and drop-off points, as well as amenities such as a covered waiting area, ticket vending machines, schedule information, and restrooms.
The cost of using the park and ride will depend on the zone. Missouri City falls into Zone 1 and Zone 2, with regular fares of $2 and $3.25, respectively. However, students, seniors, and people with disabilities who are not METROlift customers can avail of a discounted fare of $1 and $1.60 with a discounted fare card. In addition to the park and ride service, the new facility will also offer connections to Metro’s existing curb2curb service.
Metro curb2curb is an on-demand rideshare service that operates within specific zones, providing suburban commuters with an alternative to saving on fuel, vehicle maintenance, and parking fees.
