If you live outside the 610 Loop but need to commute into downtown or the Texas Medical Center, save money and relax in comfort by riding a METRO Park & Ride express bus. For much of the route, buses travel on HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) express lanes to avoid traffic, making few, if any stops.
Service is available from areas like Cypress, Grand Parkway, Bay Area, Spring, Addicks and more.
Accessible Vehicles
Free Wi-Fi
Park & Ride Bus Routes
Start exploring individual Park & Ride bus routes by selecting your route from the list below. Each one contains a number and associated destination such as “204 Spring” or “222 Grand Parkway”.
Check it Out
Fares
Routes are divided into different zones throughout Houston and Harris County. Your fare is based on the zone where you board.
See what zone you’re in >
| Park & Ride Zone | Regular Fare | Discounted Fare |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | $2.00 | $1.00 |
| Zone 2 | $3.25 | $1.60 |
| Zone 3 | $3.75 | $1.85 |
| Zone 4 | $4.50 | $2.25 |
| Zone 7 | $8.00 | $4.00 |
The Regular Fare applies to all Park & Ride bus customers who aren’t eligible to receive a discounted fare.
The Discounted Fare applies to students, seniors 65-69, or people with disabilities who aren't METROLift customers. You must provide proof of eligibility to receive a discounted card.
Ways to Pay
There are multiple options for paying the regular or discounted fare when you board a Park & Ride bus, as shown below.
METRO Q® Fare Card
Learn moreMETRO Q® Fare Card
A contactless fare payment option – this is the form of payment used by most METRO riders. It functions as a debit card for riding METRO. You can continually load and store money on it – and then money will be deducted each time you pay your fare.
How To Pay
Tap your regular or discounted METRO Q® Fare Card on the validator inside the bus when you board (as shown in the photo) and the fare amount will be deducted. If you prefer to go contactless, you can wave your card close to the validator as well.
Make sure the light registers green in the upper right when you tap or wave.
Transfers
After the fare amount is deducted from your card, you’ll receive free transfers between any of these METRO services for up to three hours in any direction:
- Local bus
- METRORail
- METRORapid
- METRO curb2curb
For transfers to Park & Ride bus service, you only pay the fare difference for up to three hours in any direction.
5 for 50
Paying your fare with a METRO Q® Fare Card entitles you to METRO’s 5 for 50 offer – you’ll be credited with five free trips for every 50 paid trips.
Each of your five free trips may be used on any of the following services for up to three hours at no charge, regardless of the service(s) you typically use or where you board:
- Local bus
- Park & Ride bus
- METRORail
- METRORapid
- METRO curb2curb
Immediately after you reach 50 paid trips, your five free trips will be applied automatically to the next five trips you take.
METRO Q Mobile Ticket
Learn moreMETRO Q Mobile Ticket
This is a contactless fare payment option. Download the METRO Q Ticketing app to your smartphone and sign up for an account on the app. That will allow you to purchase regular fare mobile tickets to board a METRO bus. Discounted fare mobile tickets aren’t available for purchase.
How To Pay
Once you purchase and activate a mobile ticket, it will display animated colors and motion on your phone. Show that to the bus operator as you board, as shown in the photo. After you activate your mobile ticket, it's valid for three hours.
Transfers
After you activate a Local Single Ride or Local Day Passmobile ticket, you’ll receive free transfers between any of these METRO services in any direction:
- Local bus
- METRORail
- METRORapid
- METRO curb2curb
To transfer to Park & Ride service, you'll need to purchase and activateaPark & Ride mobile ticket. It entitles you to free transfers between any METRO service of equal or lesser value.
5 for 50
Paying your fare with a METRO Q Mobile Ticket entitles you to METRO’s 5 for 50 offer – you’ll be credited with five free trips after you’ve activated 50 mobile tickets.
For each of your five free trips, you can choose to activate a Local Single Ride mobile ticket or any Park & Ride mobile ticket for up to three hours at no charge.
METRO Day Pass
Learn moreMETRO Day Pass
A contactless fare payment option – this offers the best value if you ride local services three or more times in a day (at different times of the day). It functions as a debit card for riding METRO. You can continually load and store money on it – and then money will be deducted each time you pay your fare.
The maximum daily amount deducted is $3 from a regular METRO Day Pass or $1.50 from a discounted METRO Day Pass. If you use the pass on a Park & Ride bus, the cost to ride doesn't get applied to those deductions. The pass is only valid on the day of activation; it expires at 2 a.m. the following morning.
How To Pay
Tap your regular or discounted METRO Day Pass on the validator inside the bus when you board (as shown in the photo) and the fare amount will be deducted. If you prefer to go contactless, you can wave your card close to the validator as well.
Make sure the light registers green in the upper right when you tap or wave.
Transfers
After each of the first two times the fare amount is deducted from your card, you’ll be entitled to free transfers between any of these METRO services for up to three hours in any direction:
- Local bus
- METRORail
- METRORapid
- METRO curb2curb
After the third time the fare amount is deducted from your card, you’re entitled to unlimited use of those services for the rest of the day.
METRO Money
Learn moreMETRO Money
A contactless fare payment option – this is a popular choice for agencies, hotels and convention groups looking to provide a disposable fare card to clients, customers or guests. The card comes preloaded with amounts ranging from $1.25 to $20. These cards can't be reloaded.
How To Pay
Tap your METRO Money card on the validator inside the bus when you board (as shown in the photo) and the fare amount will be deducted. If you prefer to go contactless, you can wave your card close to the validator as well.
Make sure the light registers green in the upper right when you tap or wave.
Transfers
After the fare amount is deducted from your card, you’ll receive free transfers between any of these METRO services for up to three hours in any direction:
- Local bus
- METRORail
- METRORapid
- METRO curb2curb
For transfers to Park & Ride bus service, you only pay the fare difference for up to three hours in any direction.
Cash
Learn moreCash
You’re welcome to pay with cash and/or coins.
How To Pay
Deposit it into the fare box when you board the bus, as shown in the photo. No change is given.
Transfers
When paying with cash, transfers to other METRO services aren’t included.
Next Bus Arrival
There are various ways that METRO can provide you with reliable, estimated bus arrival times. These real-time updates allow you to stay informed and avoid delays.
Receive the next bus arrival time directly to your phone. Text your bus stop numberfollowed by a space and yourroute number to 697433. You'll receive a text back with theestimated real-time arrival (RT) and scheduled arrival time (SC) of the next buses at your stop.
See the next bus arrival timesby using the map to select the location where you'll begin your trip. Select your bus route from the routes shown along the left side of the screen and then choose the direction you're traveling in. Estimatedreal-time arrivals are shown in green and scheduled times are shown in white along the bottom of your screen.
See the next bus or train departure times by entering your destination and selecting the transit icon (usually a bus or train symbol). You’ll see the timing of scheduled departures from your stop and any delays will be shown in red next to the scheduled time.
After entering your destination, select the public transportation icon (usually a bus or train symbol). Google Maps™ will display your route options. Choose the route that suits you best and tap on it to view more details. You will see the scheduled time as well as the estimated real-time arrival of the next vehicle(s).
See estimated real-time bus and train arrival information on digital signs.
At select bus stop locations, you'll see digital signs like the one pictured above. Additionally, all METRORail and METRORapid platforms feature scrolling LED digital signs, and most transit centers feature scrolling LED digital signs or high-definition LCD monitors. In addition to estimated arrival times, the LCD screens may also display service alerts, detours, stop closures and other METRO announcements.
Track Your Bus or Train directly from the homepage of the METRO website. Select your route, destination andstop. Click or tap on Track Now and you'll see the route number and estimated real-time arrival as well as the next scheduled departures.
Reach METRO's automated next bus arrival system by calling Customer Service at 713-635-4000. When prompted, enter your bus stop number followed by your route number, or press the pound sign (#) for stop number lookup. Estimated real-time and scheduled times of the next buses at your stop will be recited.
Rider Tools
Below are some tools to make your METRO riding experience easier and more convenient so you can drive less and do more.
Plan Your Trip
Plan My Trip
System Map
Explore METRO transit services near you
Interactive Map PDF Map
Questions and Answers
Valuable information to help you ride
Find Answers
Savings Calculator
Compare your cost of driving vs. what it would cost to ride METRO - and see how much money you'd save each month.
Get Started
ONE to Ride App
Plan and manage your trip on METRO Local bus, Park & Ride bus, METRORail or METRORapid using an interactive map.
Park and Ride Zones
Park & Ride Bus Zones
Find your zone by clicking or tapping on the tab that represents the location within the region where you’ll be boarding.
The following routes travel on Interstate 10, east of Houston:
| Route | Downtown Destination | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| 236 Maxey | Central Business District | 1 |
| 237 Baytown | Central Business District | 4 |
The following routes travel in the HOV express lane on Interstate 45, north of Houston:
| Route | Downtown Destination | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| 202 Kuykendahl | Central Business District | 3 |
| 204 Spring | Central Business District | 3 |
| 209 Spring / Kuykendahl | Central Business District | 3 |
| 212 Seton Lake | Central Business District | 3 |
| 291 Conroe | Central Business District; Texas Medical Center | 7 |
The following routes travel in the HOV express lane on U.S. Highway 59, northeast of Houston:
| Route | Downtown Destination | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| 256 Eastex / 255 Kingwood | Central Business District | 2 |
| 257 Townsen | Central Business District | 2 |
| 259 Kingwood / Townsen / Eastex | Central Business District | 2 |
The following routes travel in the HOV express lane on U.S. Highway 290, northwest of Houston:
| Route | Downtown Destination | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| 216 West Little York / 214 Northwest Station | Central Business District | 2* |
| 217 Cypress | Central Business District | 4 |
| 219 Cypress / Northwest Station / West Little York | Central Business District | 2 |
* If your destination is Texas Medical Center, your transfer from the 216 to the 298 at Northwest Transit Center includes an upcharge of $1.25.
The following routes travel in the HOV express lane on Interstate 45, southeast of Houston:
| Route | Downtown Destination | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| 244 Monroe / 248 El Dorado | Central Business District | 1 |
| 247 Fuqua / 246 Bay Area | Central Business District | 2 |
| 249 Bay Area / El Dorado / Fuqua / Monroe | Central Business District | 1 |
| 297 Gulf Freeway | Texas Medical Center | 2 |
| Route | Downtown Destination | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| 270 Missouri City - Fondren | Texas Medical Center | 1 |
| 271 Missouri City - SH6 | Texas Medical Center | 2 |
The following routes travel in the HOV express lane on U.S. Highway 59, southwest of Houston:
| Route | Downtown Destination | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| 269 West Bellfort / Westwood / Hillcroft | Central Business District | 2 |
| 292 Southwest Freeway | Texas Medical Center | 2 |
The following routes travel on Interstate 10, west of Houston:
| Route | Downtown Destination | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| 221 Kingsland | Central Business District | 4 |
| 222 Grand Parkway | Central Business District | 4 |
| 228 Addicks | Central Business District | 3 |
| 229 Grand Parkway / Kingsland / Addicks | Central Business District | 3 |
| 298 Katy Freeway | Texas Medical Center | 4 |
