Houston METRO rail expansion receives $50 million
Written by jrood
The Federal Transit Administration notified Congress of its intent to grant the Houston METRO $50 million for project development work on the North and Southeast light rail lines. The funds will come from the fiscal 2010 federal budget and are expected to be made available to METRO by December 17. The release of the funds is significant. The NEW METRO has been working closely and cooperatively with the FTA since last September, when the FTA concluded that the prior administration had not followed appropriate procurement policies and procedures in entering into a contract to buy 103 rail vehicles from CAF USA. METRO Chairman Gilbert Garcia said "The NEW METRO understands that the FTA is our partner, and so we adopted a more proactive, cooperative approach in working with them. The release of $50 million is a clear sign we're moving in the right direction. We especially want to thank our Congressional delegation for all their hard work in making this happen." METRO President & CEO George Greanias also was pleased. "The rail expansion plan and budget for fiscal 2011 were prepared on the basis of earning the release of the $50 million," he said. "The receipt of the money will enable us to continue the pace we projected and keep the North and Southeast rail lines under construction."
