METRORail University Line
The University/Blue Line is a planned METRORail light rail route to be designed, constructed, and operated by METRO in Houston, Texas.
History
Opposition
The homeowners of the upper-income Afton Oaks subdivision opposed a proposed expansion of the University Line through the neighborhood. Ultimately METRO revised the plans so that the line does not go through the neighborhood.An opinion was issued August 31, 2010, on an appeal made by Daphne Scarbrough, who owns a business on Richmond Avenue, on a lawsuit she raised May 23, 2007, regarding METRO's jurisdiction and its decision to align the rail down the center of Richmond. The appeal overruled all but one issue raised by Scarbrough, upholding the original decision to give METRO jurisdiction on Richmond to lay the rails.
Alignment issues
In a 2007 Houston Chronicle questions and answers page about the proposed University Line, Daphne Scarbrough and Christof Spieler asked why METRO did not include a station to serve Gulfton, a community of apartment complexes. METRO responded, saying that the agency originally envisioned "more of an express service" in that area. However, the agency stated that it would examine the idea of including a Gulfton Station in the project scope.Postponement
In 2010, Houston mayor Annise Parker delayed construction on the University Line in an effort to find a suitable funding source.However, the line has received some hope: METRO has reported to the local media outlets that it has received a federal Record of Decision, the final approval needed to design and/or construct the line. It is reported in the Houston Chronicle that METRO anticipates $700 million in federal funding for this line. While Go METRORail has no mention of this, METRO Solutions has posted a.pdf file of the letter from the FTA with all permission, and an inclusion of instructions to not pursue buying any light rail vehicles for this line until the investigation regarding the controversy over "Buy America" has concluded.
In May 2016, the project had its federal funding eligibility revoked after a decade of inactivity.
Route
The route begins in the west at the Hillcroft Transit Center traveling east on the Westpark right-of-way that METRO owns. A stop in the Gulfton neighborhood may be added. Continuing east, it will come to the transfer location with the Uptown/Gold Line at Bellaire/South Rice. Moving eastward will pass stops at Newcastle and Weslayan before crossing over US 59 to the Cummins Station. Moving onto Richmond Avenue, the University Line will make stops at Greenway Plaza, Kirby Drive, Shepherd Drive, Dunlavy Street, and Montrose Boulevard. Transfers to the Red Line will occur at Wheeler Station. Traveling eastbound on Wheeler, it will approach Almeda Station and then continue to go underneath SH 288. Shortly after, the line will travel northward on Hutchins and make a stop there. After making turns onto Cleburne, Dowling, and then Alabama, the University Line will stop at Texas Southern University and at Tierwester Street. After approaching Scott Street and turning northward at the University of Houston, the line will share tracks with the Purple Line for a short distance before turning onto Elgin, the transfer station to the Purple Line, and then onward to Cullen through the University of Houston and the new terminus, as determined by Go METRORail September 2010, the Eastwood Transit Center. The name of the line is in reference to the fact that the line is planned to go through all of the main universities in Houston.Stations
The following is a list of proposed stations for the University Line, listed in order from west to east:| University/Blue Line |
| Hillcroft Transit Center Station |
| Gulfton Station |
| Bellaire/South Rice Station* |
| Newcastle Station |
| Weslayan Station |
| Cummins Station |
| Edloe Station |
| Kirby Station |
| Shepherd Station |
| Menil Station |
| Montrose Station |
| Wheeler Station** |
| Almeda Station |
| Hutchins Station |
| TSU Station |
| Tierwester Station |
| TSU/UH Athletics District Station*** |
| Elgin Station*** |
| Cullen Station |
| Eastwood Transit Center |
*Note: Station shared with Uptown/Gold Line to provide transfers between the two lines
**Note: Station shared with Red Line to provide transfers between the two lines
***Note: Station shared with Southeast/Purple Line to provide transfers between the two lines