House lawmakers dealt a major setback to expansion of light rail in Houston on Tuesday, rejecting efforts to restore federal funding for the system.
"Local lawmakers couldn't persuade House colleagues to support an amendment ending the ban on federal funding for light rail in Houston. That ban was inserted in last year's spending bill by House Majority Whip Tom DeLay in an effort to block the 7.5-mile Main Street rail line now under construction. Houston transit officials subsequently cobbled together local money for the Main Street starter line, hoping to subsidize any expansions approved by voters with federal money." A voice vote of House members defeated the measure intended to strike the ban, which effectively keeps Houston as the only city prohibited from building light rail with federal dollars.
Thanks to Christian Peralta
FULL STORY: Funding ban on light rail remains in place
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UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research