Updated May 2025.

DATA USE AGREEMENT

1. GRANT OF LIMITED LICENSE.

(A) These terms of use (here forth referred to collectively as the "Agreement") are a legal agreement between you, either as an individual or on behalf of an entity, and the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (“METRO”). This Agreement shall govern your use of METRO's Application Programming Interface (“API”) and all data made available to you by METRO-owned applications, including transit data (collectivity comprising the "Data"). METRO’s API allows your third-party application to integrate with METRO-owned applications by accessing the Data made available to you via these applications.

(B) METRO hereby grants you a limited, worldwide, non-exclusive, revocable license to reproduce, redistribute, incorporate for personal or commercial use, and publicly display the Data, in source or object form, in accordance with this Agreement. All other uses of the Data not addressed by this Agreement are unlicensed and not approved by METRO expressly or by implication. Unlicensed use of the Data by you or recipients to whom you provide the Data constitutes a breach of this license subject to remedial action by METRO. By utilizing the Data under this license, you covenant and are agreeing to the following:

i. You shall not spam, overwhelm, or otherwise have an adverse effect on METRO’s API or its application(s) to the detriment of METRO, its third-party contractors, or its affiliates.

ii. You may reproduce and distribute copies of the Data in any medium, with or without modifications, and in source or object form, provided that you must do the following:

(a) You shall make available to any other recipients of the Data this Agreement; and

(b) Whenever applicable, you shall cause any modified Data to carry prominent notices stating that someone modified the Data.

iii. You shall to the maximum extent practicable, within 24 hours of receipt of written notice from METRO or as soon as possible, comply with any METRO demand for you to limit or terminate use of the Data that diminishes the rights of METRO or is otherwise prejudicial to METRO’s interest(s) and cause others to do the same.

iv. Unless an authorized METRO employee gives you prior written permission to do otherwise, you shall present the Data with the following notice, in a prominent place near or around the displayed Data and visually distinct and separate from surrounding text and design elements: "Data is provided by permission of The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas."

v. METRO owns and retains all rights it has in its trademarks comprising its names, logos, digital assets, and symbols (collectively the “Marks” herein); and, amongst the Marks, you are only hereby authorized to use the specific mark “METRO” in connection with your use of the Data but only to identify the METRO goods and METRO services associated with and/or implicated by the Data; and that when you choose to use the mark, “METRO” you shall indicate that the mark is the property of METRO by marking it with an asterisk (“*”) and stating in a prominent place near or around the METRO* and visually distinct and separate from surrounding text and design elements: “The METRO logo is the registered trademark of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas. All rights reserved.”

vi. Other than in accordance with the prescribed use of the mark, “METRO,” you are not authorized to and shall not make any use of METRO’s Marks, or any confusingly similar variant thereof, solely by virtue of your use of the Data.

(C) You understand and agree that METRO retains all right, title, and interest in the Data, and any intellectual property rights embodied therein, that you acquire no such rights from any use of the Data without METRO’s informed express written authorization, and that you will not attempt to restrict, limit or prevent METRO's use of the Data or METRO's Marks in connection therewith.

(D) You understand and agree that METRO shall have a right to limit the scope and applicability of this license, in which case METRO may not authorize said Data use and may take remedial action to limit your use of the Data whenever METRO determines the existence of one or more of the following circumstances as applicable to the Data: (i) it is developed at private expense, (ii) that it embodies trade secrets, (ii) that it is commercially or financially confidential, or privileged; (iv) that applicable law requires that METRO grant you more limited rights in the Data than those expressly granted to you by METRO in this license.

2. TERM.

(A) This Agreement and all rights herein granted to you by METRO shall commence upon your contacting or otherwise accessing a MERTO API, a METRO downloadable asset (i.e. METRO’s images and videos), a METRO application, or some other data made available to you through METRO. This Agreement shall remain effective for as long as you, your representatives, your affiliates, and your assignees are accessing, using, reproducing or displaying the Data or until METRO terminates or revokes your license to use the Data, whichever comes first.

3. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY.

(A) THE DATA IS PROVIDED TO YOU "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ACCURACY, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

(B) METRO does not warrant that: (i) the Data will meet your specific requirements; (ii) the Data is fully compatible with any particular platform; (iii) your use of the Data will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free; (iv) the results that may be obtained from the use of the Data will be accurate or reliable; (v) the quality of any products, services, information, or other material purchased or obtained by you by use of the Data will meet your expectations; or (vi) any errors in the Data will be corrected.

4. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.

(A) YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT METRO SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL, USE, DATA OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES (EVEN IF METRO HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES) RELATED TO THE DATA, including, for example: (i) the usage or the inability to use the Data; (ii) the cost of procurement of substitute goods and services resulting from any goods, data, information or services purchased or obtained or messages received or transactions entered into through, from, or by your reliance on the Data; (iii) unauthorized access to and/or alteration of your transmissions or data; (iv) statements or conduct of any third party on the Data; (v) or any other matter relating to the Data.

(B) This Limitation of Liability shall apply to all said damages, regardless of whether damages are based upon contract, negligence, strict liability in tort, warranty, or any other legal theory, arising out of or related to your use of the Data. You understand and agree that you and METRO intend that this limitation should apply even if it causes any warranty to fail of that warranty’s essential purpose.

5. INDEMNIFICATION.

(A) You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless METRO and its officers, directors, and employees from and against all fines, suits, proceedings, claims, causes of action, demands, or liabilities of any kind or of any nature arising out of or in connection with your use or distribution of the Data in accordance with METRO’s indemnification requirements.

6. CONFLICTING AND ADDITIONAL TERMS.

(A) In the event of any conflict between this Agreement and other terms governing use of the Data, this Agreement will control as to matters expressly addressed herein, unless otherwise expressly permitted by an authorized METRO employee. The following shall apply as it relates to unauthorized changes to language relating to the Data:

i. You shall not have the authority to bilaterally modify and/or supplement language in this Agreement; and

ii. You understand and agree that all other terms, conditions, and additional language implicating the Data, whether issued by you, your representatives, your third-party affiliates, your assignees, or any and all entities having access to or custody of the Data are hereby rendered void and shall have no effect on this Agreement unless they benefit METRO; notwithstanding informed situation-specific permission provided by an authorized METRO employee.

(B) METRO may withdraw, alter, amend, modify or supplement this Agreement at any time and without notifying you. METRO reserves the right to modify all data made available to you and to increase or decrease the Data’s use or application, including the related API at any time in METRO’s sole discretion. Please check this Agreement periodically to remain apprised of any modifications and updates to it.

(C) This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between you and METRO but, with METRO’s informed express written authorization, it may be modified or supplemented by additional mutually agreed upon language specific to the Data.

(D) With respect to Contractors and/or third parties with separate METRO provided license terms and conditions governing their use of the Data, those terms and conditions may incorporate this Agreement by reference. Nothing set forth in this Agreement, or by virtue of its publication, may be construed as a waiver by METRO of confidentiality or any other rights set forth in such terms and conditions, all of which are expressly reserved.

7. JURISDICTION AND VENUE.

(A) The laws of the State of Texas shall govern all rights and obligations under this Agreement, without giving effect to any principles or conflicts of law. You agree with METRO that the courts in the State of Texas shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any disputes under or relating to this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement is a waiver of any defenses or rights otherwise available to METRO. Venue for any disputes under or relation to this Agreement shall be Harris County, Texas.

8. SEVERABILITY.

(A) Non-enforcement or waiver by METRO of any breach of any term, covenant, condition, or agreement herein contained shall not be deemed to be a waiver of any subsequent breach of the same, or of a breach of any other term, covenant, condition, or agreement herein contained.

(B) The delay or failure of METRO to exercise any rights under this Agreement will not constitute a waiver or forfeiture of such rights.

View METRO's privacy policy.

Updated June 2025.

THIRD-PARTY TRADEMARK AGREEMENT (“AGREEMENT”)

1. TRADEMARK OWNERSHIP.

(A) The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas ("METRO") trademarks and is the sole owner of, as they are made accessible to third parties via METRO’s websites and applications, its names, logos, and symbols (the “Marks”) and its images and videos (the “Downloadable Assets”).

(B) METRO does not allow a third party (“you”) to use its Marks and Downloadable Assets unless one of the following applies:  

• (i) METRO has granted you, in writing, a limited license expressly permitting your use. (This Agreement contains one such limited license in Section 2. Limited Third-Party License.); or
• (ii) Your use of METRO’s Marks and Downloadable Assets is consistent with a purpose licensed under this Agreement; or
• (iii) You’ve notified METRO and you’ve subsequently received from METRO prior written approval for a proposed use of METRO’s Marks and Downloadable Assets inconsistent with or exceeding the Scope of a purpose described in this Agreement under Section 2. Limited Third-Party License, or you’ve received from METRO written preapproval addressing explicitly your proposed use of our Marks and Assets and specifying that you are not obligated to notify METRO in each instance of such use.

(C) By accessing METRO’s Marks and Downloadable Assets, you agree that you are entering into this Agreement with METRO and understand that, regardless of any and all third-party use, METRO retains all title, ownership, rights and interest in and to our Marks and Downloadable Asset(s).

2. LIMITED THIRD-PARTY LICENSE.

2.1 Grant of Third-Party License with Limitations.

(A) METRO hereby grants you, the third party, a non-exclusive, non-transferable, royalty-free, limited and revocable license (“License”) to use, reproduce, and publicly display METRO’s Marks and Downloadable Assets in, source or object form, subject to the Scope, terms, and conditions of this Agreement.

• (i) Wherein METRO finds that a third party has used a METRO Mark or a METRO Downloadable Asset without first obtaining a required approval from METRO, said use is not licensed by way of this Agreement, is presumed unlicensed, and may constitute a violation of METRO’s trademark rights that is subject to remedial action by METRO.
• (ii) Wherein METRO finds that a third party’s use of a confusingly similar mark, that is a mark resembling one or more of METRO’s Mark(s) and Downloadable Assts(s), is likely to cause confusion, METRO does not license neither directly or impliedly, nor does METRO permit said third-party use of that confusingly similar mark. Said use may constitute a violation of METRO’s trademark rights that is subject to remedial action by METRO.

Scope of Third-Party License (“Scope”).

(A) YOUR USE, REPRODUCTION, OR DISPLAY OF OUR MARKS AND DOWNLOADBLE ASSETS SHALL BE FOR THE LIMITED PURPOSE OF PUBLISCIZING OR COVERING NEWSWORTHY INFORMATION, CURRENT EVENTS, AND/OR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND EVENTS.

(B) Only publication or coverage that is consistent with Quality Control restrictions in this Agreement is within Scope. You must obtain METRO’s prior written approval for all other proposed uses of our Marks and Downloadable Assets.

2.3. Quality Control.

(A) Unless METRO provides you with written preapproval, you shall not use our Marks or Downloadable Assets, or confusingly similar versions of our Marks or Downloadable Assets, in any manner suggesting that METRO or any of its subsidiaries is the source of your goods or services or that METRO or any of its subsidiaries or sponsors, is affiliated with, certifies, approves or endorses you, your company, your products or services, or your views and opinions. Such uses may be considered trademark infringement or trademark dilution that violates METRO’s trademark rights.

(B) You shall not use our Marks or Downloadable Assets in any manner that tarnishes, degrades, disparages, or reflects adversely on METRO or its reputation and goodwill. You shall not do or cause to be done any act or thing challenging, contesting, impairing, invalidating, or tending to impair or invalidate any of METRO’s rights in our Marks or Downloadable Assets or any registrations derived from such rights.

(C) Do not use our Marks or Downloadable Assets in any media or in any manner that is inaccurate, distasteful, obscene, sexually explicit, vulgar, profane, offensive, libelous, slanderous, religiously or racially offensive, or that defames METRO.

(D) Under certain circumstances, METRO may find your use of our Marks or Downloadable Assets mutually beneficial, particularly where our Marks or Downloadable Assets carry goodwill and where your use can generate further goodwill inuring to the benefit of METRO.  Under such circumstances, you may notify METRO (see Section 9. Contact) to discuss possible contractual terms governing such use, including the scope of your use rights, scope of your use restrictions, and your user obligations (including quality requirements for publication and the like).

(E) You shall not use our Marks and Downloadable Assets in any media or in any manner that is fraudulent or that violates any law or regulation.

3. TERM.

Your License along with your other rights granted under this Agreement (or granted by and through a separate agreement with METRO, modifying, supplementing or preempting this Agreement) shall commence upon your accessing a METRO Mark or Downloadable Asset and shall remain effective for as long as you are using, reproducing or displaying our Mark or Downloadable Asset or a confusingly similar version of the same. Subsequently, this Agreement shall no longer be in effect, as it relates to your use of the mark or asset, upon the earliest occurrence of any of the following:

• (1) Your completion of depublication and cessation of any and all use of our Mark or Downloadable Asset or a confusingly similar version of that mark or asset;
• (2) METRO’s termination or revocation of your applicable license to use our Marks or Downloadable Assets; or
• (3) Upon the expiration or lapse of a METRO designated license period or timeframe including contingent options to extend your licensed use.

Regardless of any rights that are granted to you by way of this Agreement, METRO’s rights and remedies that are provided for under this Agreement, incorporated into this Agreement, or made available to METRO via applicable law, are hereby expressly reserved.

4. TERMINATION.

METRO may terminate or revoke this Agreement, your License, and all other rights granted herein at any time without notifying you. Upon your notice of said termination or revocation, you shall immediately cease from all current and further use of our Marks and Downloadable Assets.

5. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY.

METRO makes no warranties regarding our Marks and Downloadable Assets and hereby disclaims all express and implied warranties, including those otherwise implied by law. METRO does not warrant or guarantee the validity of its Marks and Downloadable Assets nor does METRO warrant or guarantee that its Marks and Downable Assets do not infringe on third parties’ rights or that they are properly registered and maintained on a consistent basis.

6. INDEMNIFICATION.

You will indemnify, defend, and hold METRO harmless from and against any and all third-party claims, damages, costs, and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, arising from your past or current use of our Marks and/or Downloadable Assets that is inconsistent with this Agreement or that exceeds the Scope of this Agreement. This obligation shall survive the expiration, termination, or lapsing of METRO granted licenses for your use of our Marks and/or Downloadable Assets.

7. JURISDICTION AND VENUE.

The laws of the State of Texas shall govern all rights and obligations under this Agreement, without giving effect to any principles or conflicts of law. You agree that the courts in the State of Texas shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any disputes under or relating to this Agreement. Nothing in this agreement is a waiver of any defenses or rights otherwise available to METRO. Venue for any disputes under or relating to this Agreement shall be in Harris County, Texas.

8. ENTIRE AGREEMENT.

(A) In our sole discretion at any time, METRO may may withdraw, alter, amend, modify or supplement this Agreement at any time and without notifying you. METRO reserves the right to begin using new Marks and Downloadable Assets, to update its existing Marks or Downloadable Assets, and to increase or decrease public use of its Marks and Downloadable Assets. Please check this Agreement periodically to remain apprised of any modifications and updates.

(B) With respect to Contractors and/or Third Parties with separate METRO provided license terms and conditions governing their use of METRO’s Marks and Downloadable Assets, those terms and conditions may incorporate this Agreement by reference. Nothing set forth in this Agreement, or by virtue of its publication, may be construed as a waiver by METRO of confidentiality, privacy, or any other rights set forth in such terms and conditions, all of which are expressly reserved.

(C) By accessing our Marks and/or Downloadable Assets, you acknowledge and agree that non-enforcement or waiver by METRO of any breach of any term, covenant, condition, or agreement herein contained is not a waiver of any subsequent breach of the same, or of a breach of any other term, covenant, condition, or agreement herein contained.

9. CONTACT.

(A) For questions, comments, and approvals regarding METRO’s Marks or METRO’s Downloadable Assets, contact METRO’s Media team at media@ridemetro.org.