Hermann Park/Rice University station

Hermann Park/Rice U is a light rail station in south-central Houston, Texas, United States. The station serves the Red Line of the METRORail system. It is located on the western side of Hermann Park at the intersection of Fannin Street and Sunset Boulevard.

Hermann Park/Rice U
General information
Location	6098 Fannin Street Houston, Texas
Coordinates	29°43′12.06″N 95°23′36.81″W
Owned by	Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County
Line(s)	Red Line
Platforms	Island platform
Tracks	Two
Connections	METRO: 56, 291, 292, 298 Hermann Park Railroad
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Accessible	Yes
History
Opened	January 1, 2004; 20 years ago (2004-01-01)[1]
Services
Preceding station METRORail Following station Memorial Hermann Hospital/Houston Zoo toward Fannin South Red Line Museum District toward Northline Transit Center/HCC
Location

The station serves Hermann Park and the main entrance of Rice University. The station is adjacent to a stop on the Hermann Park Railroad, a narrow-gauge tourist train, as well as a BCycle bike-share kiosk.^[2]

History

Hermann Park was first proposed as a rail destination in 1990 plans for Houston's rail network.^[3] When a rail line along Main Street was approved in 2000, Hermann Park was one of the destinations the route intended to serve.^[4]

To fit with the greenspace aesthetic of Hermann Park, the station was decorated with a garden-themed floor mosaic.^[5] On November 1, 2003, METRO used the station as the location of a preliminary train tour.^[6]

The station opened on January 1, 2004, as one of sixteen inaugural METRORail stations. An opening ceremony was held at the station, which featured live Zydeco music, a petting zoo, and horse carriage rides.^[1]

In February 2017, a Rice University professor on a bicycle was struck and killed by an oncoming train at the station.^[7] This, as well as another fatal incident at the adjacent intersection of Main Street and Sunset Boulevard the following year, prompted a redesign of the pedestrian and bicyclist crossings leading up to the station.^[8] The incident also led to METRO redesigning its train livery to include bright reflective striping for better visibility.^[9]

References

1. Wall, Lucas (January 1, 2004). "New ride for the new year: Festivals mark inaugural day for Metro train". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Corporation. p. A1 – via NewsBank.
2. Begley, Dug (April 4, 2013). "Commuting options on the rise in Houston". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Corporation – via NewsBank.
3. Roth, Bennett; Pope, Tara Parker (November 4, 1990). "Seeking the Inside Track: 5 rail plans have marked differences". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Corporation. pp. 1C – via NewsBank.
4. Connelly, Richard (February 3, 2000). "Train In Vain? - Main street's light rail is on it's [sic] way, and boosters hope to see passengers lining up for a ride". Houston Press. New Times Media – via NewsBank.
5. Clifford, Pugh (June 20, 2002). "Corridor of Culture Light rail opens up possibilities for a pathway to city's museums". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Corporation. p. 1 – via NewsBank.
6. Wall, Lucas (November 1, 2003). "Rail vote Nov. 4: Voters already won or lost". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Corporation. pp. 29A – via NewsBank.
7. Glenn, Mike (February 4, 2017). "Beloved Rice scientist dies in bicycle-light rail accident". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Communications. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
8. Ramapriyan, Rishab. "Rice attempts to improve biker safety in wake of deadly accidents". The Rice Thresher. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
9. Begley, Dug (March 13, 2017). "Metro pledges action after collision record draws concerns". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Communications.