FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 05, 2001
CONTACT: Kimberly Riddle
Tel.: (202) 366-5580
DOT 31-01
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta today announced that
President Bush’s proposed FY 2002 budget will not provide new funding for the
Seattle Central Link Light Rail Project.
“In the
interest of good stewardship, we cannot commit taxpayers’ money until it is
determined that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Sound Transit have
satisfactorily addressed the issues raised in the Inspector General’s
report,” said Secretary Mineta.
The
Secretary’s decision is based on the U.S. Department of Transportation
Inspector General’s (IG) Interim Report on the Seattle Central Link Light Rail
Project. Although the review of the
project is not complete, the IG concluded that a number of outstanding issues
exist that warrant prompt action by the FTA and Sound Transit (Central Puget
Sound Regional Transit Authority). The
interim report recommended funding decisions for the project be held in abeyance
until the Secretary determines that FTA has resolved these issues and Congress
has had time to review the grant agreement.
Sound
Transit is planning a 23.5-mile Central Link light rail transit (LRT) project
running north to south from Northgate, through downtown Seattle, Southeast
Seattle and the cities of Tukwila and SeaTac, Washington.
The project will consist of 23 stations, four new park-and-ride lots, and
one existing lot. The system would
operate on existing and new right-of-way (ROW), including the existing 1.6 mile
Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel. Sound
Transit estimates a total of 156,400 daily riders on the 23.5-mile system in
2020.
The
Full Funding Grant Agreement for the Seattle Central Link Light Rail Project
remains in place for future years. An
FFGA is a federal commitment to financially support a major transit project
contingent upon annual transit appropriations by Congress.
President Bush’s FY 2002 budget proposal will be released on Monday,
April 9, 2001.
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