Uptown Houston officials find themselves in a tight spot along their Post Oak Boulevard rebuild, but say the issue will not affect when people hop aboard.

Workers recently replaced a roughly 100-foot segment along northbound Post Oak because the lanes — built specifically to allow Metropolitan Transit Authority buses to expedite transit service along the line — were nearly one foot too narrow.

“That was just an absolute mistake,” said John Breeding, president of Uptown Houston, which is rebuilding Post Oak to add more transit service.

Though significant to Metro’s plans to operate dedicated bus lanes that crews have spent the past three years building, the error will not impede service starting along the lines, Breeding said, adding the problem area represented less than one percent of the 2.3-mile route from Loop 610 to Westpark. Officials said plans to start operations in March 2020 remain on schedule.

“Changes and corrections are being made if necessary and nothing we are doing will impact whatsoever beginning operations when Metro is ready to go,” Breeding said.

Transit officials said they are working to identify and address any problems with Uptown.

“We have to make sure we can get our buses down there,” Metro spokesman Jerome Gray said, noting buses will not roll until officials are satisfied the project is built safely.

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The lanes are supposed to be 10 feet, 6 inches wide. Metro, however, discovered spots where the lanes are as narrow as 9 feet, 3 inches, according to a July assessment. Gray said officials confirmed some of the narrow spots during a test last month in which Metro placed a frame on a high water rescue vehicle to mimic the width and height of the 14 buses that would operate the route.

According to Breeding, plans call for lanes of 10 feet, 6 inches along most of the route, but 9 feet, 6 inches along the 16 stations — two stations for each stop along the bus line. Where they are too narrow, fixes will be made, he said.

“There are cases where we are an inch or inch and half out of compliance,” he said.

The buses are 8 feet, 6 inches in width, without side mirrors, according to a schematic by the manufacturer, New Flyer. Bus operators typically can work with just a few inches to spare, though Metro officials said widths below 10 feet could be problematic depending on vehicle speed.

The lanes are the centerpiece of a $192 million project by Uptown to rebuild utilities and the streetscape along Post Oak. The road was widened to include a dedicated bus lane in each direction, along with sidewalk and lighting improvements.

Though not a Metro project, transit officials have kept a close eye on the project, partly because it is associated with their efforts to add transit service.

Metro last year approved the purchase of the large buses intended to run the route, for a total cost of $11.5 million. The buses are the first, but likely not the last, bus rapid transit vehicles bound for Houston. Part of the region’s long-range transit plan includes on 75 miles of BRT service by 2020.

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Officials have called the service ideal for Houston, where large buses can deliver a rail-like service without the same cost.

The Post Oak project has been considered the test case for BRT in Houston, but has faced criticism for more than six years. Its value has been contested since Uptown officials sought and received $62 million in federal funds controlled by the Houston-Galveston Area Council for transportation projects.

In the ensuing years, the project faced legal challenges from residents opposed to spending city funds on the project and Uptown’s ability to condemn property. Opponents scuttled a plan by Uptown to seek additional money from regional officials.

Then as now, some residents and business owners along the route remain convinced the project is a large investment for little anticipated use.

“I do not know a single person who will use it,” said Fred Conroy, 51, who works near the corner of Post Oak and San Felipe.

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Breeding disagreed, saying Uptown officials are confident it can provide benefits and support more development in the area.

“We are bullish on the development side and, ultimately, I think transit is not the end but the means,” he said. “Improved accessibility makes this location more viable.”

He said the goal of the project is not to eliminate cars, but add to a choice that some workers in Uptown — perhaps up to 10 percent of them — utilize.

“One out of 10 decide (to ride) and I make a significant improvement in traffic for the whole area,” Breeding said. “This is a new kind of project and I am sure we will learn through operations how to make this work better and be more convenient.”

dug.begley@chron.com