Metro applies brakes to 121 projects Work on hold until feds reinstate $900 million in transit funding By CHRIS MORAN HOUSTON CHRONICLE Oct. 21, 2010, 8:37PM The Metropolitan Transit Authority has put 121 light rail expansion contracts on hold as a result of the Federal Transit Administration's decision last month to withhold a $900 million grant. The move slows down work on five new rail lines on which Metro already has spent $600 million. None are near completion, and if Metro were forced to cancel the projects for lack of funds, all it would have to show for the investment are "a lot of nice new utilities" and "newly paved streets," said George Greanias, the agency's president. Board Chairman Gilbert Garcia emphasized that Metro expects the $900 million grant to be restored. The FTA held up the grant after finding that Metro violated "Buy America" procurement rules in the purchase of rail cars from a Spanish firm. Metro can requalify for that money by canceling the $331 million contract and rebidding it. The Spanish firm is eligible to rebid as long as the rail cars are manufactured in the U.S. Cash-flow crisis In the meantime, the grant's delay causes a cash-flow crisis. Metro had been planning to spend $458 million on rail expansion in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. After the FTA decision, it trimmed that back to $143 million, Greanias wrote in a letter to board members. Metro is suspending or reducing the amount of 80 construction and supply contracts, 30 engineering contracts, six small business and workforce training contracts and five community outreach contracts. In addition to receiving the rail line report from Greanias at Thursday's monthly meeting, the Metro board approved a new process for disbursing money it gives local cities and the county for road projects. Metro has put a stop to borrowing to cover its obligations to the cities. It has amassed a debt of $167 million. From now on, Metro will use cash on hand to send road money to cities, and it will start by putting $30 million into an account for that purpose this month. It also adopted a statement that it will not delay payments to cities in favor of spending on its own operations or rail construction projects. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7258520.html
really new paved roads and new utilites?! Has anyone here been on Harrisburg? Im sure its a part of the city that nobody cares about, but what they've done is tear up the roads in hopes of having the cars that travel on it even it out. they sure do have some nice sidewalks tho.
Harrisburg is home to a lot of people, including myself for 18 years. The street being torn up really affects people that work at Maximus Coffee, the port, any type of warehouse or just those looking to get into downtown with no hassle.
Whoever made the idiotic decision to violate the Buy America mandate (pretty much the entire purpose of the $900 MILLION grant) should be lynched. Too stupid to ****ing live! WTF were they thinking?
METRO is such an epic failure... it's quite infuriating. it's literally like they are run with no leadership whatsoever.
What facts are you basing that on? The houston line is the 2nd densist light rail line in the country. What is the point of running rail to the suburbs? How is rail down the highway or a bus down an HOV lane any different?
wow. seriously, what your too good for us who live in harrisburg st? ive been living here all my life and i love it. great atmosphere, but this construction is just ridiculous.
They said it was a delay in funding not a cancellation. My guess is that the feds want to move the funds to the 2011 accounting year. It would show a reduction in spending in 2010, but the money would still be spent in 2011 anyway.
Yet no one else complained or ****ed it up to the tune of a billion dollars... other agencies around the country took the money gratefully and followed the rules of stimulus spending. Everyone except for the morons at Houston Metro.
Get ready, you suburb dwelllin', F150 drivin', Burger King breakfast eatin' yuppies... light rail is coming to your gated community, and me and my homeless minority friends are coming for your flatscreen tvs! BA HA HA HA HA!!!
