METRO Light Rail Section 5 is a 1.5-mile segment of Houston’s light rail system running through Main Street Square, a three-block area in the heart of downtown Houston that connects rail commuters with downtown landmarks, employers, shopping, restaurants and entertainment venues, as well as other parts of the city. The high-profile project was fast tracked to provide essential infrastructure to advance revitalization efforts and to establish a safe and convenient stepping-off point as rail commuting was beginning to take hold in Houston. Main Street Square designs center around a dramatic water feature with arched jets activated by the motion of the passing trains, a concept that ties into Houston’s identity as the Bayou City.

Working as a consultant to architects PGAL, engaged by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO), M2L developed an overall landscape design for railway medians while collaborating on other urban design elements and streetscape features like sidewalks, roadway paving and esplanades. Bold pavers and patterns as well as fresh landscaping and shaded benches helped complement the holistic design and transform this important downtown locale into a vital neighborhood hub. Improvements sponsored by the Main Street Square Redevelopment Authority and other stakeholders brought additional plantings, benches and shaded areas to the space.