Metrorail expansion hits snag Federal report leaves Houston off transit funds list, which may delay planned routes By LUCAS WALL Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Metro did not make the cut this year for a federal transportation agency's funding recommendations, putting the schedule for expansion of Houston's light rail in jeopardy. In a report to Congress released on Tuesday, the Federal Transit Administration details rail and bus projects that it believes should get funding assistance for the fiscal year 2006. Houston MetroRail appears in a 55-page appendix listing hundreds of pending projects across the United States not ready for grants. The "New Starts" report did not surprise Metropolitan Transit Authority officials, who said they've yet to receive a project rating from the FTA on the proposed Northline and Southeast light rail extensions. Nevertheless, they are disappointed and concerned Metro might not be able to break ground on the next rail segment in 2006 as planned. "For people who really care about Houston and believe, as I think every intelligent person does, that transit is a necessary part of the solution to our mobility problems, it is frustrating to see the money for transit going to these other cities," said Metro board Chairman David Wolff. "It's not like the money is going to come to this city instead for highways or parks or health care." The FTA lists 20 projects in 15 cities it would like to help fund next fiscal year. Another six are mentioned as potential funding candidates, including a third light rail line in Dallas. Houston has long struggled to obtain federal funding for its light rail system, the first 7 1/2 -mile piece of which opened last year. Metro paid for that initial $324 million segment on its own after U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, wrote a provision into law barring any federal grants because the transit authority had not obtained voter approval to build rail. After Metro passed a 2003 referendum calling for an 80-mile rail network by 2025, DeLay and other congressional critics dropped their opposition to federal funding, though they have continued to voice concerns over whether investing in light rail is a wise use of taxpayer dollars. Tuesday's report from the FTA is not the final word on which cities obtain $1.53 billion in transit capital grants next fiscal year. The report is a recommendation to Congress, which crafts the transportation appropriations bill later this year. "They still have an opportunity to receive funding this year as long as their submission is on track and the FTA approves it," said DeLay spokeswoman Shannon Flaherty. DeLay's office has been informed by the FTA that it received a revised application from Metro in November and is still evaluating it, Flaherty said. Metro submitted its application for federal funding by last summer's deadline. It wants to extend the Main Street light rail line to Northline Mall and build a second line from downtown to the southeast side. Without a favorable recommendation from the administration, transit projects were ineligible for funding in the president's budget for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1. President Bush's budget was released Monday. Metro officials over the past few months have been responding to numerous questions from the FTA on their application and waiting for a rating. The FTA rates rail projects on criteria including construction and operating costs, land use, mobility improvements, and environmental benefits. FTA spokesman Paul Griffo did not return a phone call Tuesday seeking an explanation for the delay in rating Houston's rail plans. Typically projects submitted by the August deadline appear in the February report to Congress, though not all projects with a recommended rating are budgeted funds the first year they make the document. If the FTA doesn't soon rate Metro's proposal, the authority could ask the Houston-area congressional delegation to fund light rail expansion. That occurred in this fiscal year's bill, when Metro got $8.5 million to continue planning efforts — one of 18 projects to be funded without FTA recommendation. Those special earmarks averaged only $5 million, however. This year Metro is hoping to obtain significantly more money to pay for preliminary engineering that would allow construction to begin in 2006 for the Northline extension and in 2007 for the Southeast line. Frank Wilson, Metro president and CEO, said the FTA has bombarded his staff with questions about its application for the next two rail lines. He and others met with FTA's regional staff in Fort Worth last month for a status review. "They have not given us a rating after all the work we've done," Wilson said. "Every week, every moment that goes by that we don't know for certain what we are doing, our schedule gets jeopardized." http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory/3030898
When other light rail projects in other cities are being funded with little or no question and the one here is being bombarded by questions from the FTA and is not being approved, I smell a rat. Pretty typical political bull****. There are plenty of politicos in these parts who just really want light rail to fail badly even though the initial line has been more successful overall than our Dallas counterpart and even more successful than others around the country. I guarantee this is just a case of someone in power wielding influence to get this shot down...cough, cough...Delay... I also guarantee the lines will still be built and the people who are trying to block it will lose...again. The areas where these two lines are being build are mostly low income and they are BEGGING for rail lines as our their representatives in both state and national leadership. It will get done.
The rail argument aside, why are we rewarding the people who pay the least in taxes and take the most from government services? Haven't these people cost us enough already???
I just happend to believe I'm not the only person from houston that doesn't enjoy drinking and driving, I mean hey its fun sure, but I don't want to go to jail, the line from houston to the southeast side would be awesome, I'm only in houston once a year because I like to drink a lot, and there is no way that anyone can tell me that they dont drink and drive, I mean its like you could either spend money on drinks or 30 bucks on a cab from one area of the city to the other. We need this public transportation very badly, I'm not a big fan of bush, but come on, he can set up other countries infrastructures, lets give halliburton a contract to set houston up with an infrastructure, GET IT DONE W! Of course Bush has a DWI to so I'm sure he can sympathize.
The mark of a society's greatness is not in the wealth it has amassed or the efficiency with which its govenrment operates or the wars we've won or the the monuments we've built - it is in how it treats its least fortunate. In reality, if you drive an SUV, live in a house with more bedrooms or bathrooms than you need (1 for 1), drive places close enough to walk, buy more food than you consume and throw things away before they have outlived their usefulness, YOU are actually a far greater strain on our planet than any impoverished person and the transportation we provide for them.
One thing good about Ex Mayor Lee Brown was he had connections in the Federal Government, which probably helped Houston in many ways while he was in office. I really don't see Mayor White having the same kind of pull Federally.
it has taken me a very long time to be "economic" with my needs and lifestyle. ihave what i need for my family, a few things more , and other than that, extras become a burden. TJ is about the most shallow human being you'll ever find. maybe he's just foolin' around, but if he's half serious, i only feel pity for him. what a loser.
The mark of a a society's greatness is the living standard of the poor people in that society. When a society reaches a point where even the poor are doing very well, then that society have reached true greatness.
For those of you that say "Houston needs public transportation", let me enlighten you by saying that WE ALREADY HAVE IT. It's called one of the most extensive bus networks in the country. That is public transportation. My beef is that people think a train can do something magical that a bus cannot. They both accomplish the same goal: transporting people. To whoever advocated rail as a service to drunkards coming out of bars, I'd advise you to check the schedules of the rail line. They don't run all night. Your choices will be either a cab or some of the late night bus routes, in other words the same choices that you have today.
The buses in the HOV lanes are ferrying commuters from the suburbs. Those suburban commuters are a major reason for the congestion on our freeways. Take a look-see at the rail plan that the city voted on last year. It doesn't even touch the suburbs. In fact it barely even extends out past LOOP 610!! The rail will NOT serve suburban commuters. We basically voted for an inner loop circulator service, not a freeway congestion relief plan.
And the rail doesn't do much for people inside the loop either. I live close to Fannin but if I took the rail my commute to work would be about 30 minutes longer each way. That's not worth it. If it was faster that would be a different story.
Commuting long distances on light rail? If that is the case, then I would hope that the trains don't make every stop on the way into downtown. That would take an absurd amount of time. Probably longer than simply fighting rush hour traffic in a car does today. I wouldn't be opposed to a commuter train (ie heavy rail) that leverages existing track infrastructure out to the suburbs. I would assume that would be a much cheaper alternative if done properly.
That is the plan. Metro's thinking, and it does make some sense, is that you have to be able to move the people around once you get them into downtown. Thus, you build your rail system from the inside-out.
