HOUSTON, TX — Voters have given a green light to the METRONext Moving Forward Plan. The $3.5-billion bond referendum was largely based on community feedback gathered over the last three years at dozens of open houses and hundreds of other community meetings. The plan includes 500 miles of travel improvements.

The referendum's approval signals the beginning of a process to develop the plan's projects. Those include 290 miles of route enhancements, signature bus service plus accessibility and usability improvements for the disabled and seniors and other projects such as, 75 miles of METRORapid bus service, 21 new or improved Park & Ride transit centers and the 16-mile METRORail extension to Hobby airport.

During the course of the implementation of METRONext, exact routes of the METRORapid and METRORail connections shown on the plan will only be decided and finalized after an extensive community involvement process. METRO will borrow up to the approved $3.5 billion in bonds as needed. Funding for the rest of the $7.5-billion plan is expected to come from matching federal grants and future revenue.