Houston's Bus Network Redesign (2015) — Grid Network, Weekend Gains and Early Weekday Losses

On 16 August 2015 Houston's METRO implemented one of the largest bus network changes in US history, replacing a hub-and-spoke layout with a grid, more high-frequency routes and expanded weekend service. About 95% of residents then lived within a quarter mile of a frequent service.
Results were mixed and depend on the measurement window. Rice University's Kinder Institute reported that from September 2014 to September 2015, weekday ridership fell 8.4% and local bus ridership 3.9%, while Sunday ridership rose 19.7% and Saturday 3.2%; falling gasoline prices (about 30% cheaper) and two new light-rail lines were confounders, and fewer transfers can mean fewer boardings for the same trips. One year later, other reports showed bus-plus-rail boardings up 6.8% (but local bus only 1.2%).
The case is useful as an honest example of network redesign: improved coverage and frequency with a reorganised network, but short-run weekday boardings that did not rise as promised, and sources that disagree on the net effect.

Read the full analysis: https://nacto.org/latest/metro-bus-network-redesign-houston/