County Judge
Fort Bend County, TX
| Robert E. Hebert Fort Bend County Judge |
Phone (281) 341-8608 www.fortbendcountynews.info |
MEDIA ALERT
FAIRGROUNDS PARK AND RIDE OFFERS COMMUTERS OPTIONS!
FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS – The Fairgrounds Park and Ride held its official grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on April 3, 2012. The park and ride, located at State Highway 36 and U.S. Highway 59, offers commuters from Rosenberg and surrounding rural areas an alternative in transportation to Houston during working hours.
“What started out in 2005 as a vision is a reality today! This facility will assist with the coordination of transportation services for passengers and carpoolers in our rural areas, plus give our residents some budgetary relief from the high cost of gasoline by providing a convenient location for them to access commuter transportation services,” stated Paulette Shelton, Director of Fort Bend County’s Public Transportation Department.
The Fairgrounds Park and Ride is functional today due to the coordination of local, state and federal stakeholders. Funding for the project included a combination of local dollars and federal funding.
Fort Bend County Judge Robert Hebert stated, “The commute to and from Houston takes about an hour each way whether you drive your car or take the bus. Fort Bend residents who choose to use the new Fairgrounds Park and Ride will have an extra two hours each day to relax and read the paper or check emails. That’s about 20 additional 24-hour days per year of stress free commuting.”
Representatives attending the ribbon cutting included Gary Gillen, Commissioner, City of Richmond; Paulette Shelton; Travis Madison, TxDOT District Coordinator; Juan Salazar, Councilor, City of Rosenberg; Fort Bend Fair Queen; Vincent Morales, Mayor, City of Rosenberg; Richard Morrison, County Commissioner; Robert Hebert; and Grady Prestage and James Patterson, County Commissioners.
The facility offers safe parking for vehicles and $3.50 bus rides to the Galleria, Greenway Plaza and the Texas Medical Center as well as a transfer to METRO at the West Bellfort parking lot. Buses will leave every 20 minutes during peak morning hours and return at different times during midday and evening hours. Exact schedules can be found online at http://www.co.fort-bend.tx.us/getsitepage.asp?sitepage=23544. Frequent riders may also purchase discount ticket books online and save 10 percent. The Fairgrounds Park and Ride lot is also available for car pool and van pool parking.
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