Light Rail Expansion Signals an Urbanizing Houston

“Change comes hard, but things do change” — those were the words of a Houston reporter almost 20 years ago, commenting on the stranglehold sprawl-oriented real estate interests had on the city.

Brian Wallstin of the Houston Press was referring to the highway-based model of growth that has come to characterize the region, a topic Streetsblog explored in a recent series.

But even back then, Wallstin implied, Houston’s good-old-boy network was standing on shifting political sands. And he was right — things do change.

The latest evidence comes from Michael Lindenberger at the Dallas Morning News’ Transportation Blog. Lindenberger reports Houston has received $900 million to expand Metro light rail. The federal grant will further a $1.6 billion project to expand Metro’s Red line and build a new 7-mile Purple line. It is the first time America’s fourth-largest city has received a major federal grant for passenger rail, a major milestone for the city, he says:

Elsewhere on the Network today: M-Bike.org explains that while Detroit’s suburbs might be terrible for cycling, the city — with its grid system, light traffic and growing number of bike lanes — has a lot to recommend it. Discovering Urbanism wonders what the rise of the “megalopolis,” or amorphous mega-regions containing multiple urban centers, means for the future of urban areas. And Boston Biker cheers the expansion of the city’s new bike sharing system, Hubway.