HOUSTON -- The Metropolitan Transit Authority board approved the Richmond-Wheeler route for its University light rail line, KPRC Local 2 reported Thursday.

Houston's mayor said the line is good for the city's future.

"These lines are important to all Houstonians, even if they're not in your particular neighborhood or there's not a stop where you are living or working now," Mayor Bill White said.

The mayor said he believes the light rail expansion will help ease Houston's freeway congestion.

Opponents voiced their concerns.

"You have chosen to destroy 197 large trees on Richmond Avenue and you'll be building this line over a major water pipeline the entire distance -- from Main Street to Cummins," an opponent said.

Dozens of people gathered at METRO's board meeting to voice their support for or opposition to the placement of the new route.

Supporters said the line would allow more people to get to the University of Houston, Texas Southern University, Rice University and the University of St. Thomas.

"If we want to be a first-class city we've got to have a first-class rail system," City Councilman Peter Brown said. "We've got to get on with the business of building that first-class rail system."

Opponents said the noise and congestion would ruin their quality of life and ambiance in established neighborhoods.

"There are few houses on Elgin. Why dislocate the residents on Wheeler, some who have lived on Wheeler for 40 years or more to accommodate a rail?" opponent Michelle Mays asked.

METRO Board Chairman David Wolff said they want to work with the community to find a good compromise.

"We intend to work constructively with you and we will get this done in a way that we think the neighborhood, you'll want to stay there for another 14 or another 40 years," he said.

The vote means the University line would be about 10 miles long. From Main Street, the line will travel west on Richmond to Cummins, south on Cummins to the Westpark right-of-way and west to the Hillcroft Transit Center. On the other side of Main Street, the line will travel east on Wheeler Street, then to Ennis and Alabama to the University of Houston, and further extended, if possible and financially feasible, north on Scott Street and east on Elgin St. to the Eastwood Transit Center, according to METRO.

Officials said construction would be done in pieces so residents and businesses would only be inconvenienced for a few months.

In another major move, METRO voted to move forward with light rail instead of using Bus Rapid Transit. METRO originally went with bus transit on four of the lines because it did not have the ridership to justify rail. METRO officials said they now believe they can convince the federal government to hand over the funds needed for rail lines.

More Information:

Map Of Light Rail Routes