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Do not fill this in! == Transportation == {{Main|Transportation in Houston}} Houston is considered an [[Automobile dependency|automobile-dependent]] city, with an estimated 77.2% of commuters driving alone to work in 2016,<ref name="auto1">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |series=American Fact Finder |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=October 31, 2017 |title=2016 American Community Survey, 1-year estimates: Commuting Characteristics by Sex }}</ref> up from 71.7% in 1990<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/prod/1/gen/pio/cay961a2.pdf |title=Census and You |publisher=US Census Bureau |page=12 |date=January 1996 |access-date=February 19, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061215160852/http://www.census.gov/prod/1/gen/pio/cay961a2.pdf |archive-date=December 15, 2006 |url-status=live }}</ref> and 75.6% in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |last=Freemark |first=Yonah |url=https://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2010/10/13/transit-mode-share-trends-looking-steady-rail-appears-to-encourage-non-automobile-commutes/ |access-date=October 31, 2017 |date=October 13, 2010 |title=Transit Mode Share Trends Looking Steady; Rail Appears to Encourage Non-Automobile Commutes |website=Transport Politic |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180116171634/https://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2010/10/13/transit-mode-share-trends-looking-steady-rail-appears-to-encourage-non-automobile-commutes/ |archive-date=January 16, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2016, another 11.4% of Houstonians [[carpool]]ed to work, while 3.6% used public transit, 2.1% walked, and 0.5% bicycled.<ref name="auto1"/> A commuting study estimated the median length of commute in the region was {{Convert|12.2|mi|km}} in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Srvy_JobsProximity.pdf |title=The growing distance between people and jobs in metropolitan America |last1=Kneebone |first1=Elizabeth |last2=Holmes |first2=Natalie |date=March 2015 |website=Brookings Institution |access-date=March 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180516163110/https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Srvy_JobsProximity.pdf |archive-date=May 16, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> According to the 2013 American Community Survey, the average work commute in Houston (city) takes 26.3 minutes.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/112057/103196.pdf?sequence |title=Commuting to Work in the Largest 30 U.S. Cities |last=Sivak |first=Michael |date=May 2015 |website=University of Michigan |access-date=March 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412071925/https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/112057/103196.pdf?sequence |archive-date=April 12, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> A 1999 [[Murdoch University]] study found Houston had both the lengthiest commute and lowest [[urban density]] of 13 large American cities surveyed.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kenworthy |first=Jeffery R. |date=1999 |title=Patterns of automobile dependence in cities: an international overview of key physical and economic dimensions with some implications for urban policy |url=http://web.mit.edu/11.951/oldstuff/albacete/Course%20Reader/Transportation/High-Speed%20Tranist%20Literature%20Review/Kenworthy%20and%20Laube%201999.pdf |journal=Transportation Research Part A |volume=33 |pages=691–723 |via=Massachusetts Institute of Technology |access-date=March 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809101714/http://web.mit.edu/11.951/oldstuff/albacete/Course%20Reader/Transportation/High-Speed%20Tranist%20Literature%20Review/Kenworthy%20and%20Laube%201999.pdf |archive-date=August 9, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> Harris County is one of the largest consumers of [[gasoline]] in the United States, ranking second (behind [[Los Angeles County, California|Los Angeles County]]) in 2013.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://blog.chron.com/txpotomac/2012/09/four-texas-counties-among-nations-top-ten-for-gasoline-consumption/ |title=Four Texas counties rank among nation's top ten for gasoline consumption |last=Kasperkevic |first=Jana |date=September 28, 2012 |work=Houston Chronicle |access-date=March 19, 2018 |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180320043811/https://blog.chron.com/txpotomac/2012/09/four-texas-counties-among-nations-top-ten-for-gasoline-consumption/ |archive-date=March 20, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> Despite the region's high rate of automobile usage, attitudes towards transportation among Houstonians indicate a growing preference for [[walkability]]. A 2017 study by the [[Rice University]] Kinder Institute for Urban Research found 56% of Harris County residents have a preference for dense housing in a mixed-use, walkable setting as opposed to single-family housing in a low-density area.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=https://kinder.rice.edu/uploadedFiles/Kinder_Institute_for_Urban_Research/HAS/2017%20Kinder%20Houston%20Area%20Survey%20FINAL.pdf |title=The Kinder Houston Area Survey: Thirty-Six Years of Measuring Responses to a Changing America |last=Klineberg |first=Stephen L. |date=May 2017 |website=Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Rice University|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171013234123/http://kinder.rice.edu/uploadedFiles/Kinder_Institute_for_Urban_Research/HAS/2017%20Kinder%20Houston%20Area%20Survey%20FINAL.pdf|archive-date=October 13, 2017|url-status=dead|access-date=March 19, 2018}}</ref> A plurality of survey respondents also indicated traffic congestion was the most significant problem facing the metropolitan area.<ref name=":0" /> In addition, many households in the city of Houston have no car. In 2015, 8.3 percent of Houston households lacked a car, which was virtually unchanged in 2016 (8.1 percent). The national average was 8.7 percent in 2016. Houston averaged 1.59 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Car Ownership in U.S. Cities Data and Map |journal=Governing |url=http://www.governing.com/gov-data/car-ownership-numbers-of-vehicles-by-city-map.html |access-date=May 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180511162014/http://www.governing.com/gov-data/car-ownership-numbers-of-vehicles-by-city-map.html |archive-date=May 11, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ===Roadways=== [[File:45intoI-10 2.jpg|thumb|The [[Interstate 10 in Texas|Interstate 10]]/[[U.S. Highway 90 (Texas)|U.S. Route 90]] and [[Interstate 45]] [[stack interchange]] northwest of Downtown Houston|alt=]] The eight-county Greater Houston metropolitan area contains over {{Convert|25000|mi|km}} of roadway, of which 10%, or approximately {{Convert|2500|mi|km}}, is [[Limited-access road|limited-access highway]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |url=http://www.h-gac.com/taq/plan/2040/docs/2040-RTP-revised-April-2016.pdf |title=2040 Regional Transportation Plan |date=March 30, 2016 |website=Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC) |access-date=March 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908161824/http://www.h-gac.com/taq/plan/2040/docs/2040-RTP-revised-April-2016.pdf |archive-date=September 8, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Houston region's extensive freeway system handles over 40% of the regional [[Units of transportation measurement|daily vehicle miles traveled]] (VMT).<ref name=":1" /> [[Arterial road]]s handle an additional 40% of daily VMT, while [[toll road]]s, of which Greater Houston has {{Convert|180|mi|km}}, handle nearly 10%.<ref name=":1" /> Greater Houston possesses a [[Spoke–hub distribution paradigm|hub-and-spoke]] limited-access highway system, in which a number of freeways radiate outward from Downtown, with [[ring road]]s providing connections between these radial highways at intermediate distances from the city center. The city is crossed by three [[Interstate Highway System|Interstate highways]], [[Interstate 10 in Texas|Interstate 10]], [[Interstate 45]], and [[Interstate 69]] (commonly known as [[U.S. Route 59]]), as well as a number of other [[United States Numbered Highway System|United States routes]] and [[Texas state highway system|state highways]]. Major freeways in Greater Houston are often referred to by either the cardinal direction or geographic location they travel towards. Highways that follow the cardinal convention include [[U.S. Route 290]] (''Northwest Freeway''), Interstate 45 north of Downtown (''North Freeway''), Interstate 10 east of Downtown ''(East Freeway''), [[Texas State Highway 288]] (''South'' ''Freeway''), and Interstate 69 south of Downtown (''Southwest Freeway''). Highways that follow the location convention include Interstate 10 west of Downtown (''[[Katy, Texas|Katy]] Freeway''), Interstate 69 north of Downtown (''[[East Texas|Eastex]] Freeway''), Interstate 45 south of Downtown (''[[Gulf of Mexico|Gulf]] Freeway''), and [[Texas State Highway 225]] (''[[Pasadena, Texas|Pasadena]] Freeway''). {{Citation needed|date=October 2023}} Three loop freeways provide north–south and east–west connectivity between Greater Houston's radial highways. The innermost loop is [[Interstate 610 (Texas)|Interstate 610]], commonly known as the ''Inner Loop'', which encircles Downtown, the [[Texas Medical Center]], [[Greenway Plaza]], the cities of [[West University Place, Texas|West University Place]] and [[Southside Place, Texas|Southside Place]], and many core neighborhoods. The {{Convert|88|mi|km|adj=on}} [[Texas State Highway Beltway 8|State Highway Beltway 8]], often referred to as ''the Beltway'', forms the middle loop at a radius of roughly {{Convert|10|mi|km}}. A third, {{Convert|180|mi|km|adj=on}} loop with a radius of approximately {{Convert|25|mi|km}}, [[Texas State Highway 99|State Highway 99]] (the ''Grand Parkway''), is currently under construction, with eight of eleven segments completed {{as of|2018|lc=y}}.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |url=https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/projects/studies/houston/sh99-grand-parkway.html |title=SH 99 / Grand Parkway Project |date=2022 |website=Texas Department of Transportation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180304020957/https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/projects/studies/houston/sh99-grand-parkway.html|archive-date=March 4, 2018|access-date=May 25, 2022}}</ref> Completed segments D through I-2 provide a continuous {{Convert|123|mi|km|adj=on}} limited-access tollway connection between [[Sugar Land, Texas|Sugar Land]], [[Richmond, Texas|Richmond]], [[Katy, Texas|Katy]], [[Cypress, Texas|Cypress]], [[Spring, Texas|Spring]], [[Porter, Texas|Porter]], [[New Caney, Texas|New Caney]], [[Cleveland, Texas|Cleveland]], [[Dayton, Texas|Dayton]], [[Mont Belvieu, Texas|Mont Belvieu]], and [[Baytown, Texas|Baytown]] .<ref name=":3" /> A system of toll roads, operated by the [[Harris County Toll Road Authority]] (HCTRA) and [[Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority]] (FBCTRA), provides additional options for regional commuters. The Sam Houston Tollway, which encompasses the mainlanes of Beltway 8 (as opposed to the [[frontage road]]s, which are untolled), is the longest tollway in the system, covering the entirety of the Beltway with the exception of a free section between Interstate 45 and Interstate 69 near George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The region is serviced by four spoke tollways: a set of [[managed lane]]s on the Katy Freeway; the [[Hardy Toll Road]], which parallels Interstate 45 north of Downtown up to [[Spring, Texas|Spring]]; the [[Westpark Tollway]], which services Houston's western suburbs out to [[Fulshear, Texas|Fulshear]]; and [[Fort Bend Parkway]], which connects to [[Sienna Plantation, Texas|Sienna Plantation]]. Westpark Tollway and Fort Bend Parkway are operated conjunctly with the Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority. Greater Houston's freeway system is monitored by Houston TranStar, a partnership of four government agencies which is responsible for providing transportation and [[emergency management]] services to the region.<ref>[http://www.houstontranstar.org/about_transtar/ About Houston TranStar] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205224259/http://www.houstontranstar.org/about_transtar/ |date=February 5, 2012 }}. ''Houston TranStar.'' 2008. Retrieved on February 17, 2008.</ref> Greater Houston's [[arterial road]] network is established at the municipal level, with the City of Houston exercising planning control over both its [[Municipal corporation|incorporated]] area and [[extraterritorial jurisdiction]] (ETJ). Therefore, Houston exercises transportation planning authority over a {{Convert|2000|mi2|km2|adj=on}} area over five counties, many times larger than its corporate area.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |url=http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/transportation/docs_pdfs/2015_PolicyStatement.pdf |title=Major Thoroughfare and Freeway Plan Policy Statement |date=March 2015 |website=City of Houston |access-date=March 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180321063323/http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/transportation/docs_pdfs/2015_PolicyStatement.pdf |archive-date=March 21, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> The ''Major Thoroughfare and Freeway Plan'', updated annually, establishes the city's [[street hierarchy]], identifies roadways in need of widening, and proposes new roadways in unserved areas. Arterial roads are organized into four categories, in decreasing order of intensity: ''major thoroughfares'', ''transit corridor streets'', ''collector streets'', and ''local streets''.<ref name=":2" /> Roadway classification affects anticipated traffic volumes, roadway design, and [[right of way]] breadth. Ultimately, the system is designed to ferry traffic from neighborhood streets to major thoroughfares, which connect into the limited-access highway system.<ref name=":2" /> Notable arterial roads in the region include [[Westheimer Road]], [[Memorial Drive (Houston)|Memorial Drive]], [[Texas State Highway 6]], [[Farm to Market Road 1960]], [[Bellaire Boulevard]], and [[Telephone Road]]. ===Transit=== [[File:METRO Light Rail3.jpg|thumb|right|[[METRORail]] light rail]] The [[Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County]] (METRO) provides [[public transport]]ation in the form of buses, [[light rail]], [[High-occupancy vehicle lane|high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes]], and [[paratransit]] to fifteen municipalities throughout the Greater Houston area and parts of unincorporated Harris County. METRO's service area covers {{Convert|1303|mi2|km2}} containing a population of 3.6 million.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |url=http://www.h-gac.com/taq/regionally-coordinated-transportation-plan/documents/Appendix-D-Transportation-Resource-Inventory.pdf |title=Gulf Coast Regionally Coordinated Transportation Plan – 2016 Transportation Resource Inventory Update |date=2016 |website=Houston–Galveston Area Council |page=62 |access-date=March 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180321192527/http://www.h-gac.com/taq/regionally-coordinated-transportation-plan/documents/Appendix-D-Transportation-Resource-Inventory.pdf |archive-date=March 21, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> METRO's local bus network services approximately 275,000 riders daily with a fleet of over 1,200 buses.<ref name=":4" /> The agency's 75 local routes contain nearly 8,900 stops and saw nearly 67 million boardings during the 2016 fiscal year.<ref name=":4" /> A [[park and ride]] system provides commuter bus service from 34 transit centers scattered throughout the region's suburban areas; these express buses operate independently of the local bus network and utilize the region's extensive system of HOV lanes.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |url=http://www.h-gac.com/taq/plan/2040/docs/2040-RTP-revised-April-2016.pdf |title=2040 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) |date=March 2016 |website=Houston–Galveston Area Council |access-date=March 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908161824/http://www.h-gac.com/taq/plan/2040/docs/2040-RTP-revised-April-2016.pdf |archive-date=September 8, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> Downtown and the Texas Medical Center have the highest rates of transit use in the region, largely due to the park and ride system, with nearly 60% of commuters in each district utilizing public transit to get to work.<ref name=":5" /> METRO began light rail service in 2004 with the opening of the {{convert|8|mi|km|adj=on}} north-south [[METRORail Red Line|Red Line]] connecting Downtown, Midtown, the Museum District, the Texas Medical Center, and [[NRG Park]]. In the early 2010s, two additional lines—the [[METRORail Green Line|Green Line]], servicing the [[East End, Houston|East End]], and the [[METRORail Purple Line|Purple Line]], servicing the [[Third Ward, Houston|Third Ward]]—opened, and the Red Line was extended northward to [[Northline, Houston|Northline]], bringing the total length of the system to {{Convert|22.7|mi|km}}. Two light rail lines outlined in a five-line system approved by voters in a 2003 referendum have yet to be constructed.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.chron.com/opinion/outlook/article/Vote-against-Metro-referendum-could-mean-more-rail-3923747.php |title=Vote against Metro referendum could mean more rail |last=Smalley |first=George F. |date=October 5, 2012 |work=Houston Chronicle |access-date=March 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180321130407/https://www.chron.com/opinion/outlook/article/Vote-against-Metro-referendum-could-mean-more-rail-3923747.php |archive-date=March 21, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[METRORail Uptown Line|Uptown Line]], which runs along Post Oak Boulevard in [[Uptown Houston|Uptown]],<ref>{{Cite news|date=August 23, 2020|title=Metro's Silver Line starts, first of many bus rapid transit planned in region in lieu of rail|url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/transportation/article/Metro-s-Silver-Line-starts-first-of-many-bus-15508912.php|access-date=October 21, 2020|newspaper=Houston Chronicle|language=en-US |last1=Begley |first1=By Dug }}</ref> was under construction as a [[bus rapid transit]] line—the city's first—while the [[METRORail University Line|University Line]] has been postponed indefinitely.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/University-Line-federal-funding-pledge-pulled-7846885.php |title=Federal funding pulled for light rail line construction along Richmond Avenue |last=Begley |first=Dug |date=May 24, 2016 |work=Houston Chronicle |access-date=March 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180321130304/https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/University-Line-federal-funding-pledge-pulled-7846885.php |archive-date=March 21, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> The light rail system saw approximately 16.8 million boardings in fiscal year 2016.<ref name=":4" /> [[Amtrak]]'s thrice-weekly Los Angeles–New Orleans {{line link|Amtrak|Sunset Limited}} serves Houston at a [[Houston station (Texas)|station]] northwest of Downtown. There were 14,891 boardings and alightings in FY2008,<ref>{{cite web |title=Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2008, State of Texas |work=amtrak.com, Amtrak |access-date=March 28, 2009 |url=http://www.amtrak.com/pdf/factsheets/TEXAS08.pdf | url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227012831/http://www.amtrak.com/pdf/factsheets/TEXAS08.pdf |archive-date=February 27, 2009 }}</ref> 20,327 in FY2012,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2013/02/brookings-institution-study-amtrak.html |title=Amtrak ridership up in Houston area, Brookings Institution reports |newspaper=[[Houston Business Journal]] |access-date=November 2, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111022338/http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2013/02/brookings-institution-study-amtrak.html |archive-date=November 11, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> and 20,205 in FY2018.<ref>{{cite web |title=State of Texas Fact Sheet FY2018 |url=https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/corporate/statefactsheets/TEXAS18.pdf |publisher=National Passenger Railroad Corporation (Amtrak) |date=June 2019}}</ref> A daily [[Amtrak Thruway]] connects Houston with Amtrak's Chicago–San Antonio {{line link|Amtrak|Texas Eagle}} at [[Longview, Texas|Longview]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Texas Eagle Thruway Motorcoach Schedules |url=http://texaseagle.com/thruway.php}}</ref> ===Cycling=== Houston has the largest number of bike commuters in Texas with over 160 miles of dedicated bikeways.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://houstonbikeways.org/index.php/home/ |title=Home |publisher=Houstonbikeways.org |access-date=June 28, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725004319/http://houstonbikeways.org/index.php/home/ |archive-date=July 25, 2013}}</ref> The city is currently in the process of expanding its on and off street bikeway network.{{when|date=May 2018}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://houstonbikeways.org/index.php/news/20-current-news/81-new-shared-lane-designation |title=New Shared Lane Designation |publisher=Houstonbikeways.org |access-date=June 28, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725004323/http://houstonbikeways.org/index.php/news/20-current-news/81-new-shared-lane-designation |archive-date=July 25, 2013}}</ref> In 2015, Downtown Houston added a cycle track on Lamar Street, running from [[Sam Houston Park]] to [[Discovery Green]].<ref name=lamar>{{cite web |publisher=City of Houston |title=Lamar Cycle Track Page |access-date=May 4, 2018 |url=https://www.houstonbikeways.org/lamar-cycle-track-page |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161124020057/https://www.houstonbikeways.org/lamar-cycle-track-page |archive-date=November 24, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> Houston City Council approved the Houston Bike Plan in March 2017, at that time entering the plan into the Houston Code of Ordinances.<ref name=bikeways>{{cite web |publisher=City of Houston |access-date=May 4, 2018 |title=Houston Bikeways Program |url=https://www.houstonbikeways.org/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413164708/https://www.houstonbikeways.org/ |archive-date=April 13, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> In August 2017, Houston City Council approved spending for construction of 13 additional miles of bike trails.<ref>{{cite news |author=Elliot, Rebecca |title=Hike and bike trail extensions coming to four bayous |newspaper=Houston Chronicle |date=August 23, 2017 |access-date=May 4, 2018 |url=https://www.chron.com/news/politics/houston/article/Hike-and-bike-trail-extensions-coming-to-four-11953077.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180505070019/https://www.chron.com/news/politics/houston/article/Hike-and-bike-trail-extensions-coming-to-four-11953077.php |archive-date=May 5, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> Houston's [[bicycle sharing system]] started service with nineteen stations in May 2012. [[Houston Bcycle]] (also known as B-Cycle), a local non-profit, runs the subscription program, supplying bicycles and docking stations, while partnering with other companies to maintain the system.<ref name=bikelaunch>{{cite news |newspaper=Houston Chronicle |author=Turner, Allan |title=Houston saddles up for downtown bike share program |date=May 2, 2012 |access-date=May 4, 2018 |url=https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Houston-saddles-up-for-downtown-bike-share-program-3526047.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417105805/https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Houston-saddles-up-for-downtown-bike-share-program-3526047.php |archive-date=April 17, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> The network expanded to 29 stations and 225 bicycles in 2014, registering over 43,000 checkouts of equipment during the first half of the same year.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://houston.bcycle.com/News.aspx?itemid=634 |title=Houston bikesharing program enjoys robust growth |access-date=August 24, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826113924/https://houston.bcycle.com/News.aspx?itemid=634 |archive-date=August 26, 2014 |author=Begley, Dug |newspaper=Houston Chronicle}}</ref> In 2017, Bcycle logged over 142,000 check outs while expanding to 56 docking stations.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Houston Chronicle |title=Houston Bike Share names new executive director |date=March 27, 2018 |access-date=May 4, 2018 |url=https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/bellaire/events/article/Houson-Bike-Share-named-new-executive-director-12784587.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180505070304/https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/bellaire/events/article/Houson-Bike-Share-named-new-executive-director-12784587.php |archive-date=May 5, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> ===Airports=== [[File:New C North at IAH (37103365490).jpg|thumb|upright|Newest part of [[George Bush Intercontinental Airport#Terminals|Terminal C]], used exclusively by [[United Airlines]], at George Bush Intercontinental Airport|alt=]] The [[Houston Airport System]], a branch of the municipal government, oversees the operation of three major public airports in the city. Two of these airports, [[George Bush Intercontinental Airport]] and [[William P. Hobby Airport]], offer [[commercial aviation]] service to a variety of domestic and international destinations and served 55 million passengers in 2016. The third, [[Ellington Airport (Texas)|Ellington Airport]], is home to the [[Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base]]. The [[Federal Aviation Administration]] and the state of Texas selected the Houston Airport System as "Airport of the Year" in 2005, largely due to the implementation of a $3.1 billion airport improvement program for both major airports in Houston.<ref>{{cite press release |title=FAA selects the HAS as 2005 Airport of the Year |publisher=Houston Airport System |date=March 24, 2006 |url=http://www.fly2houston.com/0/8343/0/1906D1940/ |access-date=December 16, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928091537/http://www.fly2houston.com/0/8343/0/1906D1940/ |archive-date=September 28, 2007}}</ref> [[George Bush Intercontinental Airport]] (IAH), {{Convert|23|mi|km}} north of Downtown Houston between Interstates 45 and 69, is the eighth busiest commercial airport in the United States (by total passengers and aircraft movements) and forty-third busiest globally.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |url=http://www.fly2houston.com/newsroom/media-kit/fact-sheets/ |title=Fact Sheets |date=2017 |website=Houston Airport System |access-date=March 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180325232222/http://www.fly2houston.com/newsroom/media-kit/fact-sheets/ |archive-date=March 25, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://d14ik00wldmhq.cloudfront.net/media/filer_public/26/8c/268cc811-12d8-4e5a-bf7e-1e8ef23f1594/iah-fact_sheet-3-1-18.pdf |title=George Bush Intercontinental Airport Fact Sheet |date=March 1, 2018 |website=Houston Airport System |access-date=March 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180325105823/https://d14ik00wldmhq.cloudfront.net/media/filer_public/26/8c/268cc811-12d8-4e5a-bf7e-1e8ef23f1594/iah-fact_sheet-3-1-18.pdf |archive-date=March 25, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> The five-terminal, five-runway, {{Convert|11000|acre|hectare|adj=on}} airport served 40 million passengers in 2016, including 10 million international travelers.<ref name=":6" /> In 2006, the [[United States Department of Transportation]] named IAH the fastest-growing of the top ten airports in the United States.<ref>{{cite press release |title=2005 Total Airline System Passenger Traffic Up 4.6% From 2004 |publisher=[[Bureau of Transportation Statistics]] |date=April 27, 2006 |url=http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/2006/bts020_06/html/bts020_06.html |access-date=December 16, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060922202239/http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/2006/bts020_06/html/bts020_06.html |archive-date=September 22, 2006}}</ref> The [[Houston Air Route Traffic Control Center]] is at Bush Intercontinental. Houston was the headquarters of [[Continental Airlines]] until its 2010 merger with [[United Airlines]] with headquarters in Chicago; regulatory approval for the merger was granted in October of that year. Bush Intercontinental is currently United Airlines' second largest [[airline hub|hub]], behind [[O'Hare International Airport]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/united-continental-planning-houston-flight-resumption-1504124008 |title=United Continental Planning Houston Flight Resumption |last=Carey |first=Susan |date=August 30, 2017 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |access-date=March 25, 2018 |language=en-US |issn=0099-9660 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180325171259/https://www.wsj.com/articles/united-continental-planning-houston-flight-resumption-1504124008 |archive-date=March 25, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> United Airlines' share of the Houston Airport System's commercial aviation market was nearly 60% in 2017 with 16 million enplaned passengers.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://d14ik00wldmhq.cloudfront.net/media/filer_public/21/50/2150fc6c-beba-4f96-ad3a-003c008aae76/fy17_report_11.pdf |title=Houston Airport System Statistical Report: 2017 Fiscal Year Summary |date=2017 |website=Houston Airport System |publisher=City of Houston |access-date=March 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180302044742/https://d14ik00wldmhq.cloudfront.net/media/filer_public/21/50/2150fc6c-beba-4f96-ad3a-003c008aae76/fy17_report_11.pdf |archive-date=March 2, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> In early 2007, Bush Intercontinental Airport was named a model "port of entry" for international travelers by [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Airport designated 'model port of entry' |first=Bill Jr. |last=Hensel |date=April 5, 2007 |work=Houston Chronicle |access-date=June 21, 2008 |url=http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2007_4319002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100712130946/http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2007_4319002 |archive-date=July 12, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[William P. Hobby Airport]] (HOU), known as Houston International Airport until 1967, operates primarily short- to medium-haul domestic and international flights to 60 destinations.<ref name=":6" /> The four-runway, {{Convert|1304|acre|hectare|adj=on}} facility is approximately {{Convert|7|mi|km}} southeast of Downtown Houston. In 2015, [[Southwest Airlines]] launched service from a new international terminal at Hobby to several destinations in Mexico, Central America, and [[the Caribbean]]. These were the first international flights flown from Hobby since the opening of Bush Intercontinental in 1969.<ref>{{cite web |title=Southwest launches new international service at Houston Hobby Airport today |work=Dallas Morning News |date=October 15, 2015 |access-date=December 18, 2015 |url=http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2015/10/southwest-launches-new-international-service-at-houston-hobby-airport-today.html/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151219000710/http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2015/10/southwest-launches-new-international-service-at-houston-hobby-airport-today.html/ |archive-date=December 19, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Houston's aviation history is showcased in the [[1940 Air Terminal Museum]] in the old terminal building on the west side of the airport. In 2009, Hobby Airport was recognized with two awards for being one of the top five performing airports globally and for customer service by [[Airports Council International]].<ref>{{cite web |title=William P. Hobby Airport Rated Among Top Five Performing Airports Worldwide |work=Houston Airport System |date=March 10, 2009 |access-date=March 28, 2009 |url=http://www.fly2houston.com/0/1650213/0/1906/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090314202933/http://www.fly2houston.com/0/1650213/0/1906/ |archive-date=March 14, 2009}}</ref> In 2022 Hobby Airport was certified as the first 5-Star Airport in North America by Skytrax. It became the first Airport in North America to do so and just the 16th airport worldwide to receive the accomplishment.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Plaisted |first=James |date=January 7, 2022 |title=Houston William P. Hobby Airport is the first 5-Star Airport in North America |url=https://skytraxratings.com/houston-hobby-airport-becomes-the-first-5-star-airport-in-north-america |access-date=August 4, 2022 |website=Skytrax |language=en-GB}}</ref> Houston's third municipal airport is [[Ellington Airport (Texas)|Ellington Airport]], used by the military, government (including [[NASA]]) and general aviation sectors.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Ellington Airport |work=Houston Airport System |access-date=March 28, 2009 |url=http://www.fly2houston.com/EllingtonAbout |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070302010555/http://www.fly2houston.com/EllingtonAbout |archive-date=March 2, 2007}}</ref> {{Clear}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. 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