Light rail on track at the ATA
May 2007
RTA board members regularly contact ATA staff about implementing the light rail plan approved by voters in November. Since the first week after the election the ATA has been pursuing an aggressive strategy to assess the feasibility of the plan and then, if necessary, scale it back to something that can be built with the available money.
The voter-approved plan counts on getting 50 percent federal funding for the project. To get in line for that funding the ATA has begun an “alternatives analysis” as part of the prescribed federal planning process. Of critical importance, federal money cannot be given if light rail jeopardizes the existing bus system.
While the most strident light rail supporters want to see tracks on the ground yesterday, it’s just not that simple. The ATA, along with the City Council and Mid-America Regional Council, are moving as fast as could be hoped.