WASHINGTON - For the first time in his long-running dispute with Houston Metro, Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston, has managed to insert language into a $51.6 billion spending package that could block federal funding to expand the light rail system along Richmond and Post Oak. Culberson, vowing to win passage of committee-approved restrictions by the entire House and Senate, told the Houston Chronicle on Wednesday the restrictions would "protect the quality of life" of constituents along Richmond Avenue and prevent Houston Metro from expanding beyond what it can afford. Metro chief Gilbert Garcia ducked a public fight with Culberson, a member of powerful House Appropriations Committee. Garcia hailed the legislation's inclusion of $200 million for Metro next year and said he hoped to work with Culberson to address the lawmaker's ongoing concerns. Rep. Gene Green, D-Houston, said he didn't expect the measure to survive the Democrat-controlled Senate, adding that some of the restrictions Culberson sought had been worked out in 2006 in bipartisan negotiations. Culberson, a long-time critic of Metro, said voters had not approved a Richmond Avenue line in the 2003 referendum and property owners along the route overwhelmingly oppose the route now. Added to that, Houston Metro "cannot afford to build" the additional two lines, Culberson insisted. "Metro is under water financially right now and is about to drown," Culberson said. "Why hand them a couple more bricks?" Culberson's language in the $51.6 billion spending package for 2013 for the department of transportation and the department of housing and urban development also requires the transportation department's watchdog Inspector General to conduct "a detailed financial audit and stress test" of Houston Metro. Houston Metro has "demonstrated a pattern of deceiving the public about the scale and costs of the rail plan and their ability to pay for it," Culberson said. "I am very concerned that Metro is building more than they can afford at the expense of the excellent bus service it has operated for years." Garcia said he was pleased Congress' had continued funding for Houston Metro expansion but was "very disappointed" Culberson was calling for "yet another Metro audit." The organization has undertaken a series of financial reforms over the past two years, Garcia said, and cleared its latest three year review by the Federal Transit Administration with a perfect score. Garcia said there would be no immediate impact from proposed legislative restrictions on future federal spending for proposed lines. "We intend to continue the regular (planning) process as we would," Garcia said. "But the higher priority for us regardless of the recent action (in Congress) is completing the three lines with $900 million in federal support and then completing the next referendum on the ballot which we have in November." If the Culberson restrictions adopted by the House Appropriations Committee survive a vote by the full House and the Senate, "we'll just have to focus on it at that time," Garcia said. "We're just hopeful that people in Washington, D.C., will recognize they should respect the will of local voters on local matters such as the Houston Metro system." http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Light-rail-funding-in-question-3650601.php
I'm glad he represents my district. This silly rail needs to be stopped. Kudos to a job well done by John Culberson.
Some of us require fact, logic and reason to spend money on things. I suppose you are not among that bunch.
Pot calling kettle black. Who wants to help poor people that need good transit? Not a selfish person like you. Stop trolling.
What are the demographics in the area this line was supposed to roll through? Is this the I/10 memorial/river oaks corridor?
Wow! So you're funding this whole thing? Awesome. You really are a generous guy, not at all like those who think highly of themselves because they advocate for money to be taken from Group A and given to Group B. But then, I know little about this Culberson guy. I suspect he'd support this very measure if the people who kept him in office were clamoring for it. He is a Republican, after all: he has no principles.
Ugh... So sad that he's my parents' representative in the US House. There are representatives that look after their constituents. For example Kay Bailey Hutchinson recently got a few million dollars for bike trails in Texas. That's a person in office working for her constituents. (Even though she's a Republican, I'll be sad when she leaves office) Then there are people like our other senator (John Cornyn) and Congressmen like John Culberson. Those are the bums that need to be thrown out asap.
Trains can actually run on time since they have a dedicated track. Buses are stuck in whatever traffic condition is available.
not in all cases....you can create dedicated bus lanes or even elevate them to get them out of traffic
