In the immediate aftermath of the storm, Metro buses were used to transport people to the George R. Brown Convention Center and NRG Park. A few days later bus service was restored.
But Metro CEO Tom Lambert says they did have some flood damage, like at the Kashmere Transit Facility. They also had to check the systems that operate the HOV lanes.
“A lot of those things are electronic, with electronic signage,” explains Lambert. “They’re like traffic control boxes that will work the gates and all that. So we took in some water there.”
Now Lambert says they’re trying to get a final dollar amount on their damages.
“We’ll work through the FEMA process,” adds Lambert. “We’ll also work through the Federal Transit Administration. They have an emergency relief process that they go through in partnership with FEMA.”
As part of the assessment process, Lambert says Metro staff is also looking at what they can do to mitigate damage from any future weather events.
And what about Metro ridership after the floods? Lambert says it’s back to pre-Harvey levels and they’re also seeing an uptick on the park-and-ride buses.
