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By the end of the day Wednesday, we should know exactly where Metro will expand its lines north of downtown. These lines could lead to more rail.

KHOU-TV

Metro has two routes which may lead to more rail.

There’s plenty of excitement over the two most talked about routs, but neither of those will get you to the big airport.

“Those buses should be full you know, but most of the time they’re empty,” said Mario Umanzor, Poppa Burgers.

Umanzor’s burger shop on North Main could soon have an up-close view of a bus-rapid-transit line, a key part of Metro’s North Corridor expansion plan.

He wonders whether it’s even needed.

“See? See that? See what I’m talking about? The bus is empty. What do we need that for?” he said.

The line would extend downtown’s light rail to just north of I-10, then link up with a new rapid-transit bus route, which would run up North Main and Burnett, ending at the Northline Mall on Fulton.

One plan has the bus line running down the center of Fulton. Some neighborhood groups complain it would force the removal of historic trees.

The other plan would divert the line along Irvington, then run west on Cavalcade to meet Fulton. Roosevelt Elementary sits near the north end of both routes.

Parents had worried the new line would pose a danger to children. Now, the Metro board is likely to elevate the route near the school, satisfying parents like Don Quintero.

“I envision in the future Roosevelt kids as well as Herrera Elementary kids getting on the stop going to the museums and the Museum District that’s fine arts that’s health that’s science that’s the zoo,” said Quintero.

But Umanzor is still not satisfied. A Metro representative stopped by last week to tell him it might need to buy half his property and take away his seating area, as they widen North Main.

“What am I gonna do? This is where I make my living,” he said.

A Metro spokesperson says overall, ridership is up system wide.

Eventually, those dedicated bus lanes could be converted to light rail.

A vote to finalize the route is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

The Metro board could also vote for a delay.