Lubbock, Texas

==Infrastructure==
The [[Texas Department of Criminal Justice]] operates the Lubbock District Parole Office in Lubbock.<ref>[http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/parole/parole-directory/paroledir-rgnldisparoff5.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926122729/http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/parole/parole-directory/paroledir-rgnldisparoff5.htm|date=September 26, 2011}}</ref>

The [[Texas Department of Transportation]] operates the West Regional Support Center and Lubbock District Office in Lubbock.<ref>[http://www.txdot.gov/contact_us/west_region.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005232057/http://www.txdot.gov/contact_us/west_region.htm|date=October 5, 2012}}</ref><ref>[http://www.txdot.gov/local_information/lubbock_district/contact_us.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005231919/http://www.txdot.gov/local_information/lubbock_district/contact_us.htm|date=October 5, 2012}}</ref>

The [[United States Postal Service]] operates post offices in Lubbock.

===Transportation===

====Highways====
[[File:Downtown Lubbock 2008.jpg|thumb|right|Downtown Lubbock seen from [[Interstate 27 (Texas)|I-27]]]]
Lubbock is served by major highways. [[Interstate 27 (Texas)|Interstate 27]] (the former Avenue H) links the city to [[Amarillo, Texas|Amarillo]] and [[Interstate 40 (Texas)|Interstate 40]], a transcontinental route. I-27 was completed through the city in 1992 (it originally terminated just north of downtown). Other major highways include [[U.S. Highway 62 (Texas)|US 62]] and [[U.S. Highway 82 in Texas|US 82]], which run concurrently (except for 4th Street via US 82 and 19th Street via US 62) through the city east–west as the Marsha Sharp Freeway, 19th Street (US 62 only), 4th Street/Parkway Drive (US 82 only) and [[Idalou, Texas|Idalou]] Highway. [[U.S. Highway 84 (Texas)|US 84]] (Avenue Q/[[Slaton, Texas|Slaton]] Highway/[[Clovis, New Mexico|Clovis]] Road) is also another east–west route running northwest–southeast diagonally. [[U.S. Highway 87 (Texas)|US Highway 87]] runs between [[San Angelo, Texas|San Angelo]] and Amarillo and follows I-27 concurrently. [[Texas State Highway 114|State Highway 114]] runs east–west, following US 62/82 on the east before going its own way. Lubbock is circled by [[State Highway Loop 289 (Texas)|Loop 289]], which suffers from traffic congestion despite being a potential bypass around the city, which is the reason behind I-27 and Brownfield Highway being built through the city to have freeway traffic flow effectively inside the loop.

The city is set up on a simple [[grid plan]]. In the heart of the city, numbered streets run east–west and lettered avenues run north–south – the grid begins at Avenue A in the east and First Street in the north. North of First Street, city planners chose to name streets alphabetically from the south to the north after colleges and universities. The north–south avenues run from A to Y. What would be Avenue Z is actually University Avenue, since it runs along the east side of Texas Tech. Beyond that, the A-to-Z convention resumes, using US cities found east of the [[Mississippi River]] (e.g. Akron Avenue, Boston Avenue, Canton Avenue). Again, the Z name is not used, with Slide Road appearing in its place.

====Rail service====
Lubbock currently does not provide [[intercity rail]] service, although various proposals have been presented over the years to remedy this. One, the ''[[Caprock Chief]]'', would have seen daily service as part of a [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]], Texas—[[Denver]], Colorado service, but it failed to gain interest.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lubbock officials backing plans for Amtrak rail service |url=http://www.amarillo.com/stories/080201/tex_amtrakrail.shtml |date=August 2, 2001 |work=[[Amarillo Globe-News]] |access-date=2008-05-14 |first=Chris |last=Van Wagenen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604000244/http://amarillo.com/stories/080201/tex_amtrakrail.shtml |archive-date=June 4, 2011 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Lubbock is served by the BNSF Railway company, Plainsman Switching Company (PSC), and [[West Texas and Lubbock Railway|West Texas & Lubbock Railway]] (WTLC). PSC interchanges with BNSF (also with UP through a UP-BNSF Haulage agreement) in Lubbock and has 19 miles of track within city limits of Lubbock with 36 customers. Options exist for transloading a variety of materials on the line, from wind-turbine parts to steel shafts. PSC handles many commodities such as cottonseed, cottonseed oil, cottonseed meal, cottonseed hulls, milo, corn, wheat, pinto beans, sand, rock, lumber, nonperishable food items, chemicals, paper products, brick, and bagging material, and can also store cars. WTLC interchanges with BNSF (also with UP through a UP-BNSF Haulage agreement) in Lubbock. WTLC has a yard on the west side of Lubbock, where they switch cars to go down their line to Levelland or to Brownfield. WTLC handles commodities of grains, chemicals, sands, peanuts, lumber, etc.

====Airports====
{{See also|Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport}}
[[File:Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport IMG 0260.JPG|thumb|right|[[Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport]]]]
The city's air services are provided by [[Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport]], which is named for the Lubbock businessman who became [[lieutenant governor]] and governor of Texas. It is on the city's northeast side. The airport is the eighth-busiest airport in Texas. Lubbock Preston Smith Airport also plays host as a major hub to FedEx's feeder planes that serve cities around Lubbock.

====Intercity bus service====
[[Greyhound Lines]] operates the Lubbock Station at 801 Broadway, just east of the Lubbock County Courthouse.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.greyhound.com/home/TicketCenter/en/terminal.asp?city=681791 |title=Greyhound |publisher=Greyhound |access-date=2015-07-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081122230451/https://www.greyhound.com/home/TicketCenter/en/terminal.asp?city=681791 |archive-date=November 22, 2008 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

====Public transportation====
{{See also|Citibus (Lubbock)}}
Public transportation is provided by [[Citibus (Lubbock)|Citibus]], a bus transit system running Monday through Saturday every week with a transit center hub in downtown. It runs bus routes throughout the city, with the main routes converging at the Downtown Transfer Plaza, which also houses the Greyhound bus terminal. Citibus has been in continual service since 1971, when the city of Lubbock took over public transit operations. The paratransit system is called Citiaccess.

Citibus' six [[diesel-electric hybrid bus]]es have begun service on city routes. Managers hope the buses will use 60% of the fuel their older, larger versions consume in moving customers across the city. The buses seat 23 passengers, can support full-sized [[wheelchair]]s, and will run on all but two city-based routes.

====Modal characteristics====
According to the 2016 American Community Survey, 80.9% of working Lubbock (city) residents commuted by driving alone, 12.9% carpooled, 1% used public transportation, and 1.5% walked. About 1.5% used all other forms of transportation, including taxi, bicycle, and motorcycle. About 2.3% worked at home.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Census Reporter |title=Means of Transportation to Work by Age |access-date=May 7, 2018 |url=https://censusreporter.org/data/table/?table=B08101&geo_ids=16000US4845000&primary_geo_id=16000US4845000 |archive-date=May 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508054041/https://censusreporter.org/data/table/?table=B08101&geo_ids=16000US4845000&primary_geo_id=16000US4845000 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2015, 7.3% of Lubbock households were without a car, which decreased to 5.6% in 2016. The national average was 8.7% in 2016. Lubbock averaged 1.74 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8 per household.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Car Ownership in U.S. Cities Data and Map |journal=Governing |date=December 9, 2014 |url=http://www.governing.com/gov-data/car-ownership-numbers-of-vehicles-by-city-map.html |access-date=May 7, 2018 |archive-date=May 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180511162014/http://www.governing.com/gov-data/car-ownership-numbers-of-vehicles-by-city-map.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Milwaukee Avenue====
In the early years of the 21st century, Lubbock turned its Milwaukee Avenue into a major thoroughfare. Previously, Milwaukee was a 4-mile dirt road on farm land with hardly any traffic a mile or more from major development. With growth headed westward, the city allocated nearly $20 million to convert the road into a seven-lane concrete thoroughfare. In 2004, the city funded the project and other developments to come by establishing a new fund that tapped part of the franchise fees received. As of 2018, more than $124 million in street construction has been possible from the fund, including Slide Road, 98th Street, Indiana Avenue, and the last phases of the [[U.S. Route 82 in Texas|Marsha Sharp Freeway]]. Public Works Director Wood Franklin said Milwaukee Avenue was conceived on the "build it and they will come" theory. Marc McDougal, then the mayor of Lubbock, described the project as a well calculated risk that subsequently greatly benefited the city.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.lubbockonline.com/news/20180728/leaders-say-lubbocks-milwaukee-avenue-took-creative-funding-project-of-similar-scope-not-foreseen |title=Leaders say Lubbock's Milwaukee Avenue took creative funding, project of similar scope not foreseen |author=Matt Dotray |date=July 28, 2018 |newspaper=Lubbock Avalanche-Journal |access-date=August 7, 2018 |archive-date=August 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807190016/http://www.lubbockonline.com/news/20180728/leaders-say-lubbocks-milwaukee-avenue-took-creative-funding-project-of-similar-scope-not-foreseen |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Lubbock Power and Light===
The majority of Lubbock is served by [[Lubbock Power and Light]], founded in 1916. After over 100 years of service, LP&L has decided to join the [[Electric Reliability Council of Texas]] and open the Lubbock market to competitive electricity providers. Their recent anticipated approval by the [[Federal Energy Regulatory Commission]] (FERC) has been approved as of September 28, 2023. LP&L is on track to be the first municipally owned utility to enter the competitive market in ERCOT on March 4, 2024.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/politics/government/2023/10/26/lpl-lubbocks-competitive-electric-shopping-window-to-open-jan-2024/71333556007/ |title=Competitive electric shopping window to open Jan. 2024 |website=lubbockonline.com |date=2023-10-26 |access-date=2024-02-18}}</ref>