New northside light rail line opens with free rides Metro's new light rail segment offers free rides to introduce 5.3-mile extension

Martial arts students cross the Red Line tracks at the Fulton/North Central Station during the new section's opening Saturday. Martial arts students cross the Red Line tracks at the Fulton/North Central Station during the new section's opening Saturday. Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close New northside light rail line opens with free rides 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

Weekend commuters, rail supporters and those with a little time to kill crowded Saturday onto trains to check out Houston's first new light rail line in a decade.

Despite the day's rain, passengers packed the first trains to make the trip as part of regularly scheduled service between the University of Houston Downtown and Northline Commons, north of Loop 610.

"It's great. I'm glad they finally opened," said Anthony Smith, who said he'll probably ride the new train daily.

Metropolitan Transit Authority spent four years and $756 million building the line, one of three new light rail lines set to open in the next 12 months. Officials celebrated the opening Saturday with concerts and activities in Moody Park, one of eight new stops on the rail line.

Others weren't committed to riding regularly, but welcomed the train to the Northside, where residents and officials hope it will invigorate the neighborhood.

"I would ride it to a big event downtown, rather than parking," Martin Lopez said as he escorted his children along the line, just to check it out.

Many people who hopped aboard just wanted to see what all the fuss was about, or to check out a new view of their familiar neighborhood. Lopez's daughter got a birds-eye view of her school, from the overpass that carries the tracks above a freight rail line north of Loop 610.

Others were looking for a quicker trip, which the train line can provide in some cases.

"It has its ups and downs," Devotia Poe said. "I can't just hop off where the bus would let me off, so in that case it is worse for me."

Even so, Poe said she expects travelers to adjust. In the neighborhood, some families might share a car or have no car at all, and the train improves their travel options.

With the 5.3-mile extension of the existing Main Street Line, the new section, dubbed the Red Line, stretches from Northline Commons to the Fannin South Transit Center, south of Loop 610 and Reliant Park.

Northside residents who work in the Texas Medical Center, in particular, likely will use the train, Poe predicted. Those needing to get to shopping and area services like clinics will also find it helpful, she said.

Saturday's rail line opening wasn't the only major transportation change in the region. A major 15.2-mile segment of the Grand Parkway between Interstate 10 and U.S. 290 also opened.

Much like the rail line, the new Grand Parkway segment is expected to improve access, this time for drivers traveling between Katy and Cypress. Though not all are open, eventually the I-10 to U.S. 290 segment will have exits and entrances to ten local streets. Officials expect some development along the route, though it will not have continuous frontage roads like freeways and tollways in more urban areas.

Drivers will have until Jan. 31 to use the tollway for free. Starting Feb. 1, a trip along the new segment will cost $2.88.