President Obama on Monday proposed spending $200 million in his 2012 budget on the Central Corridor light-rail line, a signal of heightened administration interest in the project.
Obama had proposed spending $45 million on Central Corridor in his 2011 budget, which hasn't been approved by Congress. "This is another concrete example of the administration's strong support for the Central Corridor LRT Project," said Susan Haigh, chair of the Metropolitan Council, which is overseeing construction of the line.
But many Republicans in Congress have vowed to kill the program that is providing future funding for transit projects that include the Central Corridor. The line, linking the downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul, is expected to begin service in 2014.
Backers of the $957 million project are counting on the federal government to pay half the cost, with local and state governments covering the rest.
PAT DOYLE
