KHOU-11 reports that Metro will not be getting the $300 million in federal funding on which it had been counting:
The future of the Metro Solution’s Plan has always depended on federal money.
It’s a planned 50/50 match to move the bells and whistles beyond downtown and the Med Center to the north and southeast sides.
But Houston’s two planned lines approved, for preliminary engineering, didn’t make the cut this year.
In all, the Federal Transit Administration recommended $1.5 billion worth of projects in 2007.
There were five new ones added to the list: Denver, Salt Lake City, two in Portland, OR and in Dallas.
There are 15 projects at the same point of the process that are Houston’s two requests, five of them received funding this year.
This does not mean Houston’s plan is out of the running forever.
The FTA says ratings for the projects not yet recommended should not be construed as a statement about the ultimate merits of the project, but rather as an assessment of the project’s current strengths and weaknesses.”
Metro’s response, according to Jeremy Desel:
Metro officials say now they did not necessarily think they would receive funding this year.
Riiiight.
Last year we went through a similar dance with Lucas Wall and the Chron editorial board becoming hysterical when it appeared Metro wasn’t getting FTA approval. Is this a case of Metro’s funding being delayed? Maybe Rad Sallee is working on the story and we’ll soon find out.
Or is it truly the case that Metro has lost out on funding this year? THAT would be a big indication that Metro’s new Solutions (the living and breathing Solutions) is not a very good model, even in the (low threshold) eyes of the federal government.
Brace yourself: the response from 801 Texas Avenue will be ugly.
BLOGVERSATION: Isolated Desolation.
UPDATE (02-10-2006): There’s still no coverage from the Chronicle. Charles Kuffner comments today.
