Light rail gets ‘recommended’ in federal report

Deirdre Newman

The CenterLine light rail project received from the Federal Transit

Administration on Tuesday a “recommended” rating that will allow it

to be considered for federal funding.

The rating came in the administration’s Annual New Starts Report

for the 2004-05 fiscal year. The New Starts program reviews new and

existing transit systems and makes funding recommendations based on

an evaluation of a project’s likelihood of moving forward in the

shortest possible time. In the report, the administration evaluates

and rates each potential New Starts project based on a comprehensive

planning and programming development process that all projects must

follow.

CenterLine is one of only 10 projects in the early stages of the

New Starts development process that was recommended for federal

funding.

The Orange County Transportation Authority, which developed the

light rail project, is asking the government to fund 50% of the

project, which is expected to cost between $900 million and $1

billion to build.

“It’s a huge milestone, definitely, because now they’re saying,

‘Here you go -- you’ve been recommended for funding,’” transit

authority spokeswoman Lisa Sanchez said. “Now it’s just a matter of

getting the funding.”

The 9.3-mile CenterLine route will provide service from Santa Ana

to John Wayne Airport.