STARTING IN JULY, YOU’LL ONLY NEED 2 BUS RIDES TO GET TO GALVESTON 
Since 2013, when the last regular bus service was canceled, taking a trip from Houston to Galveston on public transportation has been a bit of a challenge: It might take you 1 light-rail train ride, 4 buses, a 3-mile walk, and 4 hours. Thanks to a 2-year grant from TXDoT, support from Galveston County and Texas City, and an approval by Houston’s Metro Board today, it’s about to get a whole lot easier. Beginning July 10th, an Island Express route coordinated by the 2 cities’ transportation agencies will allow weekday service between the Downtown Transit Center in Houston and Island Transit’s Downtown Transit Terminal at 25th St. and the Strand in Galveston 3 times a day — with a transfer at the Bay Area Park & Ride — for $9. There’ll be a stop in Texas City, and bikes can ride too. Metro expects about 20 riders a day to use the service. [OffCite; Christof Spieler] Draft schedule for Island Express: Metro
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Great…hopefully this bus route/service is a precursor to a lonnnng overdue express MetroRail or CommuterRail line connecting the same points.
Oh no, please don’t try this… The gulf freeway is finally taking shape. Not this now.
wait, why is it only weekday? I want to go to the beach on the weekend, not on a work day.
For only 20 riders/day, it would be nice to know what the cost was.
For an average of 20 riders a day, it might be cheaper to just Uber these 20 folks to the island.
20 riders per bus? or per day? I just hope Metro is not over predicting ridership.
I’m with Inner-Inner-Looper,
I would do this on a weekend for sure. I’d even take the redline into downtown just to make it an almost all Metro trip.
How about adding victory lakes park and ride in league city ir is there a plan in future to add. Will weekends be eventually added ?
This is only 2 bus rides if you live at the downtown transit center.
@ Memebag: So, you’re saying the homeless can have a day at the beach, too?
I agree with those asking for weekend service. As for only 20 people a day: it had been noted in an article in Cite magazine, about a year ago that a Metro P&R bus had a final stop within a couple of miles of a Island Transit P& R bus. They suggested that a small effort by the transit agencies could connect the two. If that’s what has happened, then the 20 people are 20 new riders added to the existing riders on the current bus service. That would also explaing the lack of weekend service. P&R buses usually don’t have weekend service.
Wish they would have never discontinued the commuter rail on this route (1994).
“Texas Limited passengers can spend a few leisurely hours in Galveston touring the historical Strand area before boarding the train for the 4 p.m. departure. Round-trip tickets for adults are $30 coach and $40 first class from Houston and $20 coach and $28 first class from League City.”