Hermann Park/Rice University station

{{Infobox station

| name = Hermann Park/Rice U

| image = HermannPark-Rice Station.jpg

| image_size =

| image_caption =

| address = 6098 Fannin Street

| borough = Houston, Texas

| coordinates = {{Coord|29|43|12.06|N|95|23|36.81|W|type:railwaystation_region:US-TX}}

| line = {{rint|houston|red}} Red Line

| other = {{rint|bus|1}} METRO: 56, 291, 292, 298
{{rint|heritage|rail}} Hermann Park Railroad

| structure = At-grade

| platform = Island platform

| tracks = Two

| parking =

| bicycle =

| baggage_check =

| passengers =

| pass_year =

| pass_percent =

| pass_system =

| opened = {{start date and age|2004|01|01}}{{cite news |first=Lucas |last=Wall |work=Houston Chronicle |page=A1 |title=New ride for the new year: Festivals mark inaugural day for Metro train |date=January 1, 2004 |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=&sort=YMD_date%3AA&page=1&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=metro%20%22hermann%20park%22%20rice%20station&fld-nav-1=YMD_date&val-nav-1=1990%20-%202029&docref=news/0FFD30926CA496FD |publisher=Hearst Corporation |via=NewsBank}}

| closed =

| rebuilt =

| accessible = Yes

| code =

| owned = Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County

| zone =

| services = {{Adjacent stations|system=METRORail|line=Red|left=Memorial Hermann Hospital/Houston Zoo|right=Museum District}}

| mpassengers =

| mapframe = yes

| mapframe-custom = {{Infobox mapframe |shape=none |line=none |marker=rail-light |marker-color=#{{rcr|METRORail|Red}} |zoom=15 }}

}}

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.

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.{{Cite news |last=Begley |first=Dug |date=2013-04-04 |title=Commuting options on the rise in Houston |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=WORLDNEWS&req_dat=0FC00B934DD580D0&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F14ACC5541CA85978 |work=Houston Chronicle |publisher=Hearst Corporation |via=NewsBank}}

History

Hermann Park was first proposed as a rail destination in 1990 plans for Houston's rail network.{{Cite news |last=Roth |first=Bennett |last2=Pope |first2=Tara Parker |date=1990-11-04 |title=Seeking the Inside Track: 5 rail plans have marked differences |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=WORLDNEWS&req_dat=0FC00B934DD580D0&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F0ED7B062A92D0D5F |work=Houston Chronicle |publisher=Hearst Corporation |pages=1C |via=NewsBank}} When a rail line along Main Street was approved in 2000, Hermann Park was one of the destinations the route intended to serve.{{Cite news |last=Connelly |first=Richard |date=2000-02-03 |title=Train In Vain? - Main street's light rail is on {{as written|i|t's [sic]}} way, and boosters hope to see passengers lining up for a ride |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=WORLDNEWS&req_dat=0FC00B934DD580D0&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F153D1B8F0C4A58D8 |work=Houston Press |publisher=New Times Media |via=NewsBank}}

To fit with the greenspace aesthetic of Hermann Park, the station was decorated with a garden-themed floor mosaic.{{Cite news |last=Clifford |first=Pugh |date=2002-06-20 |title=Corridor of Culture Light rail opens up possibilities for a pathway to city's museums |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=WORLDNEWS&req_dat=0FC00B934DD580D0&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F0F44C315DFF4D6F1 |work=Houston Chronicle |publisher=Hearst Corporation |pages=1 |via=NewsBank}} On November 1, 2003, METRO used the station as the location of a preliminary train tour.{{Cite news |last=Wall |first=Lucas |date=2003-11-01 |title=Rail vote Nov. 4: Voters already won or lost |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=WORLDNEWS&req_dat=0FC00B934DD580D0&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F0FE9152B74E80C6C |work=Houston Chronicle |publisher=Hearst Corporation |pages=29A |via=NewsBank}}

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.

In February 2017, a Rice University professor on a bicycle was struck and killed by an oncoming train at the station.{{Cite news |last=Glenn |first=Mike |date=2017-02-04 |title=Beloved Rice scientist dies in bicycle-light rail accident |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Beloved-Rice-scientist-dies-in-bicycle-accident-10907787.php |access-date=2018-11-18 |work=Houston Chronicle |publisher=Hearst Communications |language=en-US}} 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.{{Cite news |last=Ramapriyan |first=Rishab |date=2018-06-26 |title=Rice attempts to improve biker safety in wake of deadly accidents |url=http://www.ricethresher.org/article/2018/06/rice-attempts-to-improve-biker-safety-in-wake-of-deadly-accidents |access-date=2018-11-18 |work=The Rice Thresher}} The incident also led to METRO redesigning its train livery to include bright reflective striping for better visibility.{{Cite web |last=Begley |first=Dug |date=2017-03-13 |title=Metro pledges action after collision record draws concerns |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/transportation/article/Metro-pledges-action-after-collision-record-draws-10996681.php |website=Houston Chronicle |publisher=Hearst Communications}}

References

Category:METRORail stations

Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 2004

Category:2004 establishments in Texas

Category:Railway stations in Texas at university and college campuses

Category:Railway stations in Harris County, Texas