Houston Airports and Transportation AIRPORTS
The Houston Airport System has a mission of helping to ensure that its employment, services and facilities are accessible to the public, customers and travelers.
Home base for Continental Airlines, a major hub for Southwest Airlines, and a route stopover for dozens of other national and international airlines, Houston serves thousands of air travelers. Every day, more than 1,600 flights land and take off from Houston, which has one of the largest airport systems in the country. A $2.6 billion construction and development plan for the airport system launched in 1998 will make Houston's airport system among the best in the world for both passengers and air cargo. For up-to-the-minute information, including flight arrival and departure times, visit the Houston Airport System Web site. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
2800 N. Terminal Road Houston TX
(281)230-3000 William P. Hobby Airport
7800 Airport Blvd Houston TX
(713) 640-3000 Airport Shuttle Service
SuperShuttle is a shuttle van service available to and from the airport. SuperShuttle is committed to providing exceptional guest service for our customers with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs and those who are accompanied by service animals. SuperShuttle does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities in the provision of its services. For transportation into airports, customers are required to make advanced reservations. When making an accessible reservation, customers should specify whether or not an accessible vehicle is required or if a service animal will be accompanying the customer. For transportation from airports, for customers requiring the use of accessible transportation, reservations are encouraged, but not required. Click here to make reservations or call 800 BLUE-VAN (258-3826). PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Once you're in Houston, an extensive travel network lets you explore the city at your own pace. The METRORail is very accessible to passengers. All 16 stations provide flat level boarding from the station to the train. There is a 24" strip of contrasting color truncated dome material signifying the edge of the platform the length of the graduated walkway (ramp) from street level to the station platform. Audible announcements (English and Spanish) are made 1 minute before the train arrives and when the train is at the station. The Ticket Vending Machine (TVM) is located at both ends of the platform for riders who need to buy tickets. Instructions in Braille are on the front of the machine, and users may access audio instructions. Altenatively, a quick tap of a preloaded Q Card on the Q Box located on the side of the TVM offers quick and easy payment for the fare. Inside the METRORail car, audio (English and Spanish) and visual announcements are provided as the train approaches and departs each station. The announcement will tell you the station name, and whether to exit on the left or right side of the car. Visual electronic signs that display the approaching stops are also located inside at both ends of the train. When walking within the train, steps or changes in the floor level are marked by contrasting stripes. All entrances and exits are accessible for passengers in wheelchairs. There are four designated areas for senior citizens and people with disabilities, which are clearly marked with two decals for each seat. The seats in these areas can be flipped up to accommodate four riders using wheelchairs. A rider in a wheelchair can also choose to ride in any available space, and there are vertical stanchions at each entrance to provide assistance when the train is moving. When the doors are closing, an audible sonar alert will sound and light above the doors, as the push buttons blink on and off. Bus System
Houston’s fixed-route bus system, operated by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO), is 100% accessible. No advance notice is required to ride. Accessible features include: Ramps or lifts on all buses for riders using wheel chairs or scooters or ambulatory riders who have difficulty reaching the first step. Two priority seating areas for elderly and people with disabilities, equipped with an easy-to-reach stop call bell and special securement belts designed to secure patrons who use a wheelchair or scooter. Bus pads, sidewalk links, and curb cuts at most of our 10,500 bus stops. Solid square bus poles at all bus stops. Bus stop announcements, both audible and visual, at major stops, main intersections and transfer points along the route. Larger, brighter destination signs on the front and side of the bus. Lighted “Stop Request” signs inside the bus for the riders with hearing impairments. 15 Transit Centers connecting bus routes in neighborhoods for safe and easy transfers from one route to another. Major transit centers are located Downtown and the Texas Medical Center, connecting METRO bus routes to the accessible METRORail.
If requested, drivers will call out stop names for individuals who are blind or visually-impaired. METRO has several types of bus service: Local, Express, and Park & Ride. Click here to learn more about each type of service. Local Service runs mostly on city streets, stopping at every other corner along its route. One-way fare is just $1. Express Service travels up to six miles along its route with no stops. One-way fare is $1.50, except for the 170 Missouri City Express. Park & Ride Service is for long-distance commuting. METRO's 28 Park & Ride lots provide bus service to key destinations in the service area. One-way fare falls into four zones based on the distance a bus travels: Zone 1-$1.50; Zone 2-$2.50; Zone 3-$3; and Zone 4-$3.50. The Texas Medical Center (TMC) Circulator fare is $1 and may be paid with Q Card or cash. All fares may be paid with the METRO Q Card or cash (exact change). Cards are available at many area stores, click here for more information.
METROLift is a public transportation service offered by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County for persons with a disability who cannot board, ride, or disembark from a regular METRO fixed-route bus, even if that bus is equipped with a wheelchair lift or ramp.
ADA certified visitors might be eligible for METROLift services. They must furnish METROLift with a copy (front and back) of their ADA I.D. card(s) or a letter of eligibility from their transit service provider at least five days before scheduling their first trip. Also, they must send a money order for the number of trip tickets they will need or purchase the tickets when they arrive in Houston. For more information about METROLift click here.
METRO Light Rail System
Explore Houston on the city's new light rail system. From the University of Houston Downtown passing through the Museum District and all the way to Reliant Stadium, the 7.5-mile new METRORail line connects Houston's major cultural and entertainment centers. For more information about METRORail, click here. CAR RENTALS
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), car rental agencies must make cars with hand controls available to customers with disabilities. Some mobility devices such as left hand controls with spinner knobs, left foot accelerators and pedal extenders are available at no additional charge. Most rental car agencies require hand control accommodation requests at least 48 hours in advance.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Click here for more information or to make a reservation call (800) 325-8007.
AVIS
Click here for more information or to make a reservation call (800) 831-2847 TTY/TDD.
Hertz
(800) 654-3131 or (800) 654-2280 TTY/TDD TAXICAB COMPANIES
$6 Cab Fare Anywhere Downtown
The City of Houston has authorized a flat taxi fare of $6 for all trips in the downtown area. This $6 fare will apply anywhere within the Central Business District, bounded by Interstate 45, Interstate 10 and U.S. 59. The fare, in addition to increased downtown taxi stands, provides an easy alternative to driving to lunch, business meetings and activities throughout the downtown area. No surcharges will apply to the fare, which can accommodate multiple riders under the $6 total rate. It is recommended that individuals who require lift-equipped transportation provide advance notice when scheduling taxicab service. Availability of lift-equipped taxicab service varies widely by company. Please call in advance to find out individual company policy and procedure. Note also that the number of accessible cabs in a particular taxicab company’s fleet varies widely; if one company is unable to accommodate your needs, it is recommended that you call another company. Click here for a list of Houston taxicab companies. The City of Houston has an ordinance that prohibits discrimination based upon a person’s disability or required reasonable accommodation (including service animals), and provides consequences for such discrimination. If you have any comments on how you think taxicab service can be improved, or a complaint about the program or a particular taxicab company, please contact the City of Houston via the following: City of Houston Administration & Regulatory Affairs Department
Transportation Section
5050 Wright Road
Houston, TX 77032
281.233.7860
blanton.daniels@cityofhouston.net
Click here to submit your complaint/comment online. |
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