Houston MTA OKs capital budget expansion

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County Board of Directors Tuesday said it voted unanimously to increase the capital budget for fiscal year 2011 MetroRail Expansion project from $158 million to $343.5 million.

“It comes upon completion of several milestones that were set up as requirements before we would move forward with this action,” said Metro President and CEO George Greanias. “One of those, of course, was the termination, successfully, of the rail car contract with the Spanish car company [CAF]; and the preparation of a new procurement plan moving forward in conjunction with the FTA.”