Houston Light Rail being "De-Railed" (Dallas, Center: 2013, construction)

[HouTXmetro]

Money worries force Metro to slow rail plans | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Facing a $49 million budget shortfall this fiscal year, the Metropolitan Transit Authority has begun to slow construction on two light rail lines and may embrace more drastic measures in the coming months as uncertainty grows over a $800 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration.
Senior Metro officials emphasized that they did not anticipate any cuts to services due to the financial pressures and expressed confidence the FTA grant needed to pay for an estimated 30 miles of additional rail in Houston is forthcoming. But they nevertheless have begun to weigh the impact of continued delays on construction plans that anticipated completion in 2013.
"There's going to be some tough choices that we'll be making here, no doubt," Metro Chairman Gilbert Garcia said.
So far, officials said, the work that has been put off has been minimal on the North line, which is expected to run from north Houston to the Texas Medical Center and Reliant Park. Metro has delayed road reconstruction work on Fulton Street and has put off awarding a contract for the expansion and construction of a rail facility on Fannin at the south end of the line near Reliant Park and the 610 Loop.
Those delays could just mark the beginning, Metro's Acting President and CEO George Greanias said...........................

I just don't know what to say. It's one obstacle after another. How embarassing would it be to have one freaking 6 mile toy line and nothing else. We voted for rail and they need to make it happen. I'm tired of the excuses. And if the the FTA under a Democratic Administration will not secure funding for Metro, that means Metro must really be a screwed up organization.

[HookTheBrotherUp]

Originally Posted by HouTXmetro

Money worries force Metro to slow rail plans | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle



I just don't know what to say. It's one obstacle after another. How embarassing would it be to have one freaking 6 mile toy line and nothing else. We voted for rail and they need to make it happen. I'm tired of the excuses. And if the the FTA under a Democratic Administration will not secure funding for Metro, that means Metro must really be a screwed up organization.

Look on the bright side, they could have taxed you to make up the shortfall! They did the right thing for once; in my house, if money is tight, we don't keep spending, and cut back. Period. Simple as that.

[HouTXmetro]

Originally Posted by HookTheBrotherUp

Look on the bright side, they could have taxed you to make up the shortfall! They did the right thing for once; in my house, if money is tight, we don't keep spending, and cut back. Period. Simple as that.

I don't mind being taxed for something that I will use, that's why I voted for rail. But 2 things are obvious, Metro is pretty incompetent and there is a concerted effort to stop mass transit in Houston. It's just very fustrating and I wouldn't be surprised if the entire project is shelved. But point taken hook.

[jfre81]

METRO should be dismantled and they should start over, from scratch, and make a proper regional transit authority that will bring things to the next level around here. The one line will be there, so build from that.

This isn't so much from opposition but from METRO itself being incompetent.

[tstone]

Can't say I'm surprised at all.

[stoneclaw]

Man this is bulls$%%$! This city can't catch a break for nothing. If we don't have Tom Derail Delay fu$$%ng things up for us or Frank CEO sticky fingerz Wilson pocketing money, we have indefinite delays due to budget reasons. I share the O/P's frustration. Other cities seem like they can get it done with no problem (IE Dallas, Charlotte, Phoenix). This town's about to be left in the dust.

[DarkWolf]

Originally Posted by stoneclaw

Man this is bulls$%%$! This city can't catch a break for nothing. If we don't have Tom Derail Delay fu$$%ng things up for us or Frank CEO sticky fingerz Wilson pocketing money, we have indefinite delays due to budget reasons. I share the O/P's frustration. Other cities seem like they can get it done with no problem (IE Dallas, Charlotte, Phoenix). This town's about to be left in the dust.

Theyve had problems aswell. The only city thats doing well is Denver with all of its PPP's. Even here in the NYC region we had set backs ,but only on projects with less then 500 million.

[Supermac34]

I don't know the exact statistics, but Metro was using something like 90% of their budget on a project that serviced about 1% of the metro population. Yuck.

[300zxtwinturbo]

Yea the possibility of a good inner city rail system is the only reason why I have a hope of living my life here in houston. And will attract many young professionals to the inner loop, they scratch that and I dont know if i want to live here, driving ONLY isn't very much of an option

[tstone]

Originally Posted by Supermac34

I don't know the exact statistics, but Metro was using something like 90% of their budget on a project that serviced about 1% of the metro population. Yuck.

That point takes us to this recent thread:

Houston: Density & Land Area of Inner Loop (610)