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Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris Co., Texas board members recently approved names for the 16 METRORail stations planned along the 7.5-mile light rail starter system under construction.



Beginning with the northern terminus, the names are: U of H Downtown, Preston, Lamar/McKinney, Bell, Downtown Transit Center, McGowen, Ensemble/HCC, Wheeler, Museum District, Hermann Park/Rice University, MacGregor/Zoo, Dryden/Texas Medical Center, Texas Medical Center Transit Center, Smith Lands, Reliant Park and Fannin South.



In the course of determining the names, the board also approved a policy outlining name selection criteria. The challenge lay in choosing names that clearly communicates a station’s location to all passengers — frequent, infrequent and prospective.



Therefore, the staff recommended using a street name, a well-known destination or a combination of both. The policy dictates that business, product and personal names may not be used unless the name also is a street or well-known destination. Any station name changes would require board approval.



METRO began constructing its light-rail line in April and plans to begin operations in early 2004, connecting downtown Houston employment centers with Midtown, the Third Ward, the Museum District, major universities, Hermann Park and the Zoo, Texas Medical Center and Reliant Park (formerly the Houston Astrodome).