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Despite a lack of federal dollars, Houston Metro’s board Oct. 26 voted unanimously to proceed with a local funding plan for the $300 million Downtown-to-Astrodome light-rail line.

The board plans to fund the project without any fare or tax increases or any debt by using a combination of reserve money, a defeased lease contract involving Metro facilities and surplus property sales, and existing local funds. Metro also assures that no regularly scheduled projects would be set aside to accommodate the project.

With preliminary engineering on the 7.5-mile line concluding, the board plans to seek city council approval to construct the light-rail line on city streets. In January, it plans to award contracts for construction, light-rail vehicles and power systems, followed by groundbreaking in March 2001, and service commencement in January 2004.