Houston readies for FFGA ceremony
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefFederal, state, and local officials will hold a Full Funding Grant Agreements (FFGA) special signing ceremony Monday, Nov. 28, for Houston’s light rail expansion projects.
Harris County (Tex.) Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) says the ceremony will be attended by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, three Texas U.S. House representatives, and Houston Mayor Annise Park. Metro Board Chair Gilbert Garcia and Metro President and CEO George Greanias also will be present.
Metro is billing the event as “Houston’s First Ever Full Funding Grant Agreements for Light Rail,” indirectly highlighting the fact that Texas’ largest city committed to its first light rail transit line (of roughly 7 miles) without significant federal backing.
Metro notes the expansion projects generating the ceremony Monday include the North (Red) Line, running from University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) to Northline Transit Center, Houston Community College, and Northline Commons Mall. The Southeast (Purple) Line connects downtown with Texas Southern University and the University of Houston central campus.
