U.S. reps say they'll push for light-rail funding

There's some news today on Metro's plan to expand its rapid-transit system: Two members of Congress from Houston have said they'll push for federal funding for more light rail, not the bus rapid transit lines Metro proposed for the northside, East End, southeast side and Uptown. The announcement from U.S. Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee and Al Green, both Democrats, came at a Metro board meeting yesterday where the agency OK'd negotiating with a team headed by Washington Group International on the design and construction of the $1 billion transit project and a proposed intermodal terminal downtown.

Under Metro's proposal for "guided rapid transit" — a change in terminology from "bus rapid transit" — the infrastructure for light rail lines would be built to the north, east, southeast and in Uptown, but buses would run along the lines until ridership justifies replacing the buses with trains. What Jackson Lee and Green are trying to do is get light rail built from the get-go, but it's not clear just how far they'll get with that, even in the Democrat-controlled Congress. There are still potential roadblocks, including U.S. Rep. John Culberson, whose involvement in the planning of the University light rail line has gotten a lot of attention. "The message will have to be reinforced in Washington that Houston is now serious about moving forward with a Metro system," Jackson Lee said. "But because of the competitiveness of federal funding and the numbers seeking federal funds, we will have to be both bipartisan and strong." Metro is hoping that the federal government will fund half the cost of the new construction.

As for Houston Transit Partners, the team Metro agreed yesterday to work toward a contract with, its members have a great deal of experience with transit projects across the country, including the Gold Line and Eastside Extension in Los Angeles, the Las Vegas Monorail and the Hudson-Bergen line in New Jersey. Metro's board chose the team because of its technical expertise and how it planned to minimize construction impact and include small and disadvantaged businesses in the planning and building process. Metro hopes to sign a contract with Houston Transit Partners by the fall.

A team to build the proposed University line, which would run from the University of Houston to the Hillcroft Transit Center, will be chosen soon, according to the Chronicle.