Other Public Transport Options
Other types of transportation in Houston include the ferries, the trolleys, horse carriages and bicycling.
Ferries
There are two main ferries operating in Houston, the Galveston-Port Bolivar Ferry and the Lynchburg Ferry. The Galveston-Port Bolivar Ferry connects Galveston Island to the Bolivar Peninsula, a small peninsula east of Galveston. The Lynchburg Ferry is a popular and historic ferry crossing the Houston Ship Channel and connects near the San Jacinto Battleground by old Hwy 134 to Crosby-Lynchburg Road. Both ferries transport for free and there are no restrictions to trailers or pedestrians. The schedule for both ferries depends on season and on volume of traffic with less trips at non-peak times such as late in the evening.For schedules, visit http://www.dot.state.tx.us/travel/ferry_schedules.htm.
Trolley
Downtown Houston offers a trolley through METRO. Trolleys have certain intersection routes throughout downtown Houston that they continuously circle. For example, they run from the Downtown Transit Center to Minute Maid Park (Baseball) or connect the Toyota Center (Basketball) to other trolley routes or the downtown rail line. The use of the trolley through downtown is at no cost.
Other
Other transportation in downtown Houston includes horse carriages which can be found near the parks providing scenic tours or transports throughout downtown and midtown Houston.
Some people may consider riding a bicycle, but it should be mentioned that riding a bicycle in Houston is neither popular nor common. There is a severe lack of safe bicycle paths and the few that are marked are often disregarded by motor vehicle drivers. Bicycles are mostly used for sport exercise and must then share the roads with other vehicles, such as cars, trucks and motorcycles. Unless there is no other choice, it is not recommended to use a bicycle for standard transportation in Houston. If riding a bike, a helmet must be worn.
