It was a rare victory for a neighborhood battling Metro.

Last night, Metro officially decided to move the University light-rail line so that trains wouldn't be rumbling down Wheeler Avenue on their way to and from UH and TSU.

Residents had been hopeful of such a move a week or so ago after meeting with Metro officials behind closed doors, but the agency has a way of disappointing such raised hopes.

Instead of going down Wheeler from Main Street, under 288, the route will shift to Alabama.

It's not much of a shift in terms of overall length of the line, but instead of the well-kept homes on Wheeler the line will be going past the shotgun shacks of Alabama.

The hope is that the line will spur some development along that street, but we'll see.

The people who live along Richmond Avenue could only sit in jealousy last night. Metro still shows all signs of sticking with the planned route to the west on their street, which in many parts is lined with trees and comfortable homes.

-- Richard Connelly