| The federal government is rewarding METRO and the Houston region with up to $18.5 million in grant money for construction of a new transit center. The money was originally part of the financing for the METRORail Northline extension. When that project was completed early and significantly under budget, METRO sought to utilize those savings for additional transit improvements.. Today the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration awarded use of a portion of those savings to help build a new Northline Transit Center at the end of the Red Line. The transit center will have seven bus bays and a 660-space parking garage. The total cost for the project is estimated at $37 million. As part of the METRONext Moving Forward Plan approved by nearly 70 percent of voters last fall, METRO is building or improving 21 transit centers and Park & Rides. “We are very pleased with the federal government’s decision. As METRO continues to look for opportunities to improve mobility throughout our region, federal participation will be critical,” said METRO President & CEO Tom Lambert. METRO has often been recognized for being financially prudent by ratings agencies and the Authority is committed to being good stewards of tax dollars. METRO is one of three transit agencies announced in a news release today that will be allowed to use cost savings for additional projects. “FTA considers and approves additional project activities using the federal share of a project’s cost savings,” said FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams. “We encourage project sponsors who deliver complete projects under budget to discuss these options with us to maximize the benefits that cost savings can bring to their communities.” |
Source: METRO
