HOUSTON -- A controversial plan to expand METRO's light rail system is moving ahead with four new routes originally slated for bus service now getting rail lines instead, KPRC Local 2 reported Friday.

In the midst of the controversial decision to approve light rail on Richmond Avenue, METRO also voted Thursday in favor of light rail over Bus Rapid Transit.

But not everyone is happy with the decision.

"It's going to be pretty hard. It's going to be just like the ones that happened on Main Street. You're going to lose business," business owner Johnnie Wickham said.

Wickham owns a cafe in the Palm Center, where METRO plans to build a transit center for the new southeast line. She fears all of the construction would hurt traffic through the area.

METRO rider Tony Green agreed.

"There are a lot of people who live in this area and a lot of people who need access to MLK coming and going. By them putting the rail in, it would cause construction and breakdown of the movement," Green said.

Originally, METRO planned to have buses that look like trains and run on guideways operating on the routes. But now it said light rail will run lines through Uptown, the north, east end, and the southeast parts of town.

A METRO spokeswoman said the concerns of residents and business owners are legitimate.

"It's a pain. It's a pain that we all have to bear in the meantime (but) will bring benefits in the long run," said Sandra Aponte Salazar, a METRO spokeswoman.

Metro also said the move improves its chances of receiving funding from the Federal Transit Administration, which could fork over 50 percent of the estimated $1.3 billion cost for all five lines.

Some business owners said light rail is welcome in their neighborhood.

"I think it's going to be a big boost for the neighborhood. The whole idea with rail is that it connects people to jobs across the region," business owner Brian Smith said.

More Information:

Map Of Light Rail Routes