MTA to Buy 42 More Subway Cars in Italy : Transportation: Critics argued for additional bids. But agency officials say they can buy new vehicles at old prices under deal with firm that made current fleet.

The cash-strapped Metropolitan Transportation Authority agreed to pay an Italian manufacturer $80 million for 42 Red Line cars Wednesday, despite some objections that cheaper and better-quality cars might be found through a wider bidding process.

MTA directors voted 10 to 1 to buy the new subway cars from Breda Costruzioni Ferroviarie, the firm that provided the Red Line’s current fleet of 30 vehicles. An option on the original contract allows the agency to buy the cars at nearly the same price as before, about $1.6 million each.

But some officials criticized the decision, saying that putting the contract out to bid would be a fairer method and could produce a better deal for an agency struggling to close a $126-million operating budget shortfall.

“We can always exercise the (Breda) option,” alternate director Nick Patsaouras said. “The issue is fair play.”

Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich said that Breda-made cars on the 4.4-mile Red Line have shown excessive wheel wear far earlier than expected. “What’s it worth with the problems they’ve come up with?” asked Antonovich, who cast the dissenting vote in Wednesday’s action.

MTA planners recommended that the agency stick with the Italian concern because it is a known quantity. Using the same manufacturer would result in significant savings by keeping the subway project on schedule, eliminating the need for a stockpile of spare parts for another brand of car and locking in the original price, a staff report said.

The report said current market prices could push costs past the Breda offer by about $280,000 per vehicle.

“We clearly come out ahead,” said MTA Director Evan Braude, a member of the Long Beach City Council. “We’re buying new cars at old car prices.”

Officials also say that upgrading the quality of steel and other adjustments would improve the durability of the wheels on the new cars. In the present fleet, some wheels, which were made with low-grade steel, have worn out after only 3,000 miles, although their life span is supposed to be about 100,000 miles.

Planners said the contract option approved Wednesday would have expired in a month, adding to the urgency of exercising that option now. But Patsaouras accused the MTA staff of putting off the issue until time constraints dictated choosing Breda.

With the order of 42 new cars, the value of the original contract increases to $135 million for Breda, based in Pistoia, Italy.

Two years ago, transportation officials came under fire for tapping a Japanese company to provide 41 cars for the Green Line light-rail system. The contract was eventually canceled.

For the new Red Line purchase, MTA officials said U.S. involvement will account for at least half of the work. Final assembly of the cars will be in New Jersey. No local firms are involved.

“There are no rail companies here in Southern California,” Braude said.

In unrelated action, the MTA put off a discussion of next year’s budget, which was to be presented Wednesday. Officials said it was not ready.