The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is having difficulty funding a new subway line.
The Central Subway is a $1.6 billion portion of the greater Third Street Lightrail Project. Phase one, which was completed in 2007, saw new lightrail stations and tracks in the Mission Bay and Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhoods. The proposed 1.7-mile subway line would connect the Caltrain depot at 4th and King streets to Chinatown.
The city is three months shy of a deadline to tell Federal Transportation Agency officials how it will come up with at least $137 million for the project, and possibly up to $225 million, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The federal government has committed $492 million to the project and has already delivered $72 million.
The hunt for the money comes at a bad time for the city. Muni has been forced to cut service and raise fares. Both Congress and San Francisco government are in transition, which may spell trouble for the project.
"We are extremely concerned that there not be any hiccups that would turn off the FTA," said Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, chairman of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, a partner with Muni on the project. "All trains need to come in on time. Nobody can risk being off track."
Various bond programs have been looked into for funding on the project. The city is hoping to secure money from two state transportation bond measures, including the high-speed rail bond because it provides funds for connecting transportation, as well as other grant and bond programs to make up the $137 million. Some $88 million has been promised by the state, but because of budget problems the money may be delayed, which would force the city to scramble to come up with extra funds.
Despite all the issues facing the project, Randy Rentschler, a spokesman for the transportation commission, said the city will see the project through to completion.
"We are fully committed to this project," Rentschler said. "We’ve committed money in the past, and we want to make sure this project gets built."
