Planned expansions of Metro's light rail boondoggle will likely be delayed, as the Federal Transit Administration declared that MetroRail isn't ready for prime time:
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.
And of course, the brass at Metro are whining:
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."Aww, poor guy! He actually has to have a legitimate working plan before he gets a giant pile of free money from you and me. You've got to feel for him.
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