Next stop: Referendum?

It's looking like the route of Metro's future University light rail line could end up being more controversial than we thought — but it turns out Metro might be able to put the line wherever it wants to, thanks to a rather nonspecific clause in the 2003 rail referendum.

Controversy erupted over the University line, which will run east-west from the University of Houston to the Galleria area, after Metro announced it was looking at putting part of the line along Richmond Avenue. The referendum authorized 64 miles of future light rail lines, one of them aligned along Westpark and named accordingly. But just because voters approved that plan doesn't mean Metro has to follow it, officials of the transit authority say:

Metro president and CEO Frank Wilson said last week that Metro is doing "precisely what the referendum requires" in considering both routes.

Actually, it is relying on a single paragraph, repeated three times in the referendum text:

"Note: Final scope, length of rail segments or lines and other details, together with implementation schedule, will be based upon demand and completion of the project development process, including community input."

That's the same paragraph Metro is using to justify substituting bus rapid transit lines for rail lines — at least for a while — in several areas originally slated to be part of the MetroRail network. It's not a good explanation for some of the Richomonders, who say they'll demand a new referendum if Metro goes ahead with plans to lay the rail along Richmond. They're afraid construction of a Richmond rail line will kill off businesses and cause property values to plummet; building on Westpark is a better option, they say, because it'll involve less disruption and won't cost as much. Opponents of the Westpark alignment point out that there's nothing along Westpark, so ridership would be low.

Metro Chairman David Wolff told residents last week no decisions have been made yet and assured plans will consider "studies of all options and input from the community," according to the Chronicle. The route of the University line is expected to be set late this year.