The city of Sugar Land is adding an eighth vehicle to its microtransit fleet as demand from the program grows.

Zooming in: At a March 3 meeting, Sugar Land City Council unanimously approved a $2.92 million agreement—including $1.43 million in new funds—with the Houston-Galveston Area Council for the Sugar Land On-Demand microtransit pilot program, extending the agreement through Feb. 28, 2027.

Council also unanimously approved a $1.74 million contract with River North Transit LLC, renewing their contract as the vehicle’s operators through March 17, 2027.

Diving in deeper: The microtransit program launched March 18, 2025, within an 18-square-mile area, later expanding west and south May 26 and north and east Oct. 13, said Melanie Beaman, Sugar Land’s transportation and mobility manager.

What’s next: Beaman said an expansion for the program is not feasible at this time, as it would require about 15-20 vehicles.

Missouri City’s Cartwright Road will soon see the first of two reconstruction phases, officials announced at a March 26 public meeting.

Zooming in: The project will reconstruct roadway pavement and improve drainage along the corridor, stretching from Oyster Creek to West Baron Lane, said Robert McBride, project director at Lichliter/Jameson & Associates.

The details: McBride said the project will be split into two phases, with the first including construction from Oyster Creek to just east of FM 1092, and will include:

• Road reconstruction
• Replacing sidewalk
• Drain and sewage improvements for extra capacity due to the area’s flood history

March 3 marked the official start date of the last 100 days until the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes to Houston.

What's new: The city has begun to celebrate with visual displays, including the illumination of prominent buildings in Downtown Houston's skyline. City Hall, 1000 Main and the Bank of America Tower will now shine blue, Houston's official FIFA World Cup color, to celebrate the milestone.

In similar news: Aside from visual displays, some entities within Houston are also beginning to prep infrastructure for the arrival of the tournament and the influx of visitors it will bring in June.

CenterPoint Energy officials said in a March 4 news release that the company has begun to perform hazard mitigation inspections of its equipment and field reviews serving event-zone areas, such as NRG Stadium, airports and key hospitality areas.

Looking ahead: As the countdown to the tournament continues, several events and milestones are expected to take place across the city over the next few months.