Subject: Federal Transit Administration

• Good News For Metro! A Political Speech!

  August 20, 2008

• This Blows!

  Houston has a national rep for taking down buildings. So why are these eyesores still standing?

  February 15, 2007

• Letters to the Editor

  April 13, 2006

• Letters

  November 6, 2003

• Feds All But OK Funding For Two More Light-Rail Lines, Costing Whatever

  Photo by pfrench99More news -- good or bad depending on your side of the fence -- about Metro's planned light-rail lines came today when board chairman David Wolff announced that Metro has all but got its first funding agreement from the Federal Transit Administration.For 2010, the feds listed the North and Southeast corridors as two of the five recommended projects on its budget, and Metro is set to get $75 million for each.  Construction on both lines could start as early as June, Wolff s

  May 20, 2009

• Feds Say Metro Has Violated Civil Rights Laws (Without Specifics)

  We reported yesterday on things looking up for Metro, but today Hair Balls learned that our transit authority is violating the federal government's definition of civil rights. According to a letter dated April 27, the Federal Transit Administration conducted a Title VI Compliance Review of Metro earlier this year, which, among other things, ensures "that the level and quality of transportation service is provided without regard to race, color, or national origin" and evaluates the "social an

  May 21, 2009

• Metro's Latest Civil Rights Trainwreck

  A couple months back, we wrote about Metro receiving notification from the Federal Transit Administration, saying Metro had violated federal civil rights laws, but we hadn't seen a draft of the preliminary report. Now we have, and, apparently, Metro hasn't been too concerned with the federal laws. According to the report, "the general consensus among the staff was that there was little to no awareness of METRO's Title VI Program," a program designed to ensure that Metro doesn't discriminate base

  July 17, 2009

• Metro Still Has To Prove To The Feds It's Not Screwing Low-Income Riders

  Photo by pfrench99​The Federal Transit Administration released its final report on Metro's compliance -- and non-compliance -- with federal civil rights laws, and according to the report, Metro is still deficient in two areas, including not being able to prove that its November 2008 fare increase or recent service eliminations did not hurt minority or low-income riders.From the report:METRO remains deficient in this area because it has planned or implemented substantial new services during 20

  July 29, 2009

• Who Lied During The Dispute Over How Much The New Rail Lines Would Cost? Maybe No One

  ​We may finally have some answers to the questions that emerged after it was reported that Metro lied about the cost of two proposed light rail corridors. During a Metro meeting in April, Houstonian Paul Magaziner told the board that the projects would cost $1.8 billion. Frank Wilson, Metro's president, told Magaziner that those numbers were "extremely exaggerated."But according to documents from the Federal Transit Administration -- obtained by Hair Balls today -- Metro is seeking federal fun

  August 18, 2009