Light-Rail Line to East L.A. May Be Postponed

Federal approval for the planned light-rail link between downtown Los Angeles and the Eastside could be significantly delayed, potentially adding millions to its cost, after a key congressman questioned the project and said he could not commit to funding it at this time.

Los Angeles officials said Wednesday the setback could cause them to miss a June 2 deadline for signing the construction contract, raising the prospect that the project could cost $100 million more if the contract must be rebid. The six-mile Gold Line extension from Union Station to Atlantic Boulevard in East Los Angeles is the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s No. 1 priority.

Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta and the Federal Transit Administration could still approve the project, but local officials worry that the concerns raised by Rep. Ernest J. Istook Jr. (R-Okla.), chairman of the House Appropriations transportation subcommittee, could postpone that step for many months.

“It will be difficult for the FTA to sign the full-funding grant agreement in light of an objection,” said Roger Snoble, chief executive of the MTA.

“The anxiety level is going up,” he added. “With 13 days left and a recess for Memorial Day next week, there’s not a lot of time to make some significant changes.”

The Gold Line currently runs from Pasadena to Union Station. MTA officials have estimated the total cost of the extension into East L.A. at $898 million.

The Federal Transit Administration told Congress on April 2 that it planned to approve a $490-million grant for construction of the extension.

That notification triggered a 60-day review period by Congress.

On Tuesday, a week and a half before the end of that period, Istook raised concerns about the MTA’s project in a letter to the federal transit agency.

Given the tight federal budget and that other transportation projects have already been approved, he wrote, “This submission is simply unrealistic; we do not have the money.”

Istook asked for more information about MTA’s operating finances and the effect that rising steel prices would have on the projected cost.

He said he was also “concerned that this project was rated at the outer edge of eligibility” for new light-rail projects seeking federal dollars.

The congressman did leave an opening: “Whether it could ultimately be approved cannot be decided until the later stages of the appropriations process.” Congress often does not finish passing appropriations bills until the fall.

Last year, the congressman’s concerns about a light-rail line in Seattle delayed its formal approval for months. A Federal Transit Administration spokeswoman said at the time that the agency would not sign the agreement to fund Seattle’s project until Istook’s issues had been addressed. Istook plans to tour the Los Angeles project site May 28.

On Wednesday, officials with the federal transit agency declined comment on Istook’s letter about the Eastside extension.

“It would be premature to respond to others before we respond to the chairman,” said spokeswoman Drucie Andersen.

The project’s supporters in Washington said they were trying to stay optimistic.

At a Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Washington on Tuesday, hours before Istook’s letter was circulated, at least seven members of Congress pledged to help the rail project.

The project’s lead advocate in the House, Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-East Los Angeles), said she would continue to work with her colleagues to push the grant.

In a written statement, Roybal-Allard called it a positive step that Istook will visit the proposed route. “I’m encouraged by the fact that the chairman is willing to further discuss the matter,” she wrote.

Some, however, applauded Istook’s letter.

Manuel Criollo, a spokesman for the Bus Riders Union, said he believed the MTA should stop chasing rail dollars and fulfill its obligations to improve bus service under a 1996 consent decree.

“If you’re talking half a billion dollars, you can serve 1.5- to 2-million people across the county by bus,” Criollo said.

MTA board member and county Supervisor Gloria Molina, who represents the project area, said she spoke to Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas) on Wednesday about Istook’s letter and planned to get other elected officials to join Istook’s tour.

She and other MTA officials are confident they can quickly satisfy Istook’s concerns.

“They’re very legitimate questions,” Molina said, explaining that she agrees that the project must prove cost-effective. “We can meet that standard.”

Molina added that MTA officials can make a compelling argument for moving forward with the project now. “Costs are going to go escalate,” she said, “so it’s better to start now with the bid we have.”

Rick Thorpe, who oversees construction for the MTA, agreed.

“If they wind up expiring, then we’re at the contractor’s mercy and would obviously request an extension at that point,” he said.

A spokesman for Washington Group International, lead contractor on the winning construction bid, said it was too early to comment on whether the bid would be extended.