Tag Archives: Gilbert Garcia

Metro restarts some light rail construction

Posted on January 8, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

As if to punctuate Gilbert Garcia’s op-ed, the news for Metro at the start of 2011 is good. Last month, the Federal Transit Administration sent the first $50 million of the grant money for use on the North and Southeast … Continue reading →

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Garcia writes about the New Metro

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Metro Board Chair Gilbert Garcia wrote an op-ed for the Sunday Chron that outlined what Metro did in 2010 and plans to do in 2011. If you’ve already listened to my interview with Garcia and Board member Christof Spieler, what … Continue reading →

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NPR on LRT

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Nice story on NPR about the expansion of light rail around the country. Pretty much everywhere you look in large urban areas, there’s light rail, construction of light rail, or plans for light rail. Couple of points from the story … Continue reading →

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A message from Metro

Posted on December 26, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Spotted by me at the Smithlands light rail station: I believe this subject came up in my interview with Gilbert Garcia and Christoph Spieler but figured it deserved its own mention regardless. Expect the Board to explore further changes to … Continue reading →

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Interview with Gilbert Garcia and Christof Spieler

Posted on December 20, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

To say the least, 2010 has been an eventful year for Metro. I think everyone would agree that in many ways, the agency is in stronger shape and is headed in a better direction than it was at this time … Continue reading →

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Metro reaches settlement with CAF

Posted on December 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Fresh from the inbox: The Metropolitan Transit Authority announced today that it has reached a settlement with CAF USA, Inc. (a subsidiary of the Spanish Firm Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, S.A.) over two disputed contracts for the construction of … Continue reading →

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Moving on at Metro

Posted on December 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Frank Wilson is gone at Metro, and others are following him out the door. “A number of the senior appointees that Frank Wilson brought in are no longer here,” said George Greanias, Wilson’s successor, but he did not describe it … Continue reading →

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Metro to try mediation with CAF

Posted on October 23, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever works. The Metropolitan Transit Authority plans to negotiate the cancellation of a $331 million contract with a Spanish rail car manufacturer through mediation, local transit bosses said Wednesday. That is why, despite the agency’s announced intention to cancel the … Continue reading →

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How Metro nearly cost itself $900 million

Posted on September 21, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

It’s an impressive feat, for some sense of the word. In the first months of the procurement process, documents show, [former Metro CEO Frank] Wilson intended to use local rather than federal funds to buy the light-rail vehicles, possibly in … Continue reading →

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Metro to hire Greanias as CEO

Posted on September 3, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Metro board appears poised to name interim CEO George Greanias as its permanent CEO. The comments by board chairman Gilbert Garcia came after Greanias outlined his plans for fundamental changes in the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s culture and values, making … Continue reading →

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Metro’s cash crunch

Posted on August 26, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From last week, a story about how times are tough at Metro. Facing a $49 million budget shortfall this fiscal year, the Metropolitan Transit Authority has begun to slow construction on two light rail lines and may embrace more drastic … Continue reading →

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DA clears Metro

Posted on July 27, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. Months after prosecutors took boxes of documents from Metro’s downtown headquarters and experts examined the agency’s computers, the investigation into allegations that Metropolitan Transit Authority administrators illegally destroyed public documents has ended, Metro officials said today. In a letter … Continue reading →

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Metro finance update

Posted on July 23, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

What’s going on with Metro these days? Although leaders of the region’s transit agency are confident that they will secure $900 million in federal funding to build more light rail lines in Houston, they have begun discussing fare increases and … Continue reading →

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One Metro lawsuit pulled from court docket

Posted on May 24, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Looks promising. Metro expects to reach a settlement soon in an open-records lawsuit that triggered a series of accusations and investigations that gripped the transit agency for months, board chairman Gilbert Garcia said. The trial of the lawsuit by attorney … Continue reading →

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Metro responds to FTA letter about “Buy America”

Posted on May 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, Metro had received a letter from the FTA that challenged its compliance with the FTA’s “Buy America” requirement due to Metro’s agreement to buy two prototype light rail cars that would be built in Spain. Metro has … Continue reading →

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Wilson resigns

Posted on May 8, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

He’s out. Frank J. Wilson relinquished the leadership of the Metropolitan Transit Authority on Friday, leaving Metro’s reconstituted board and an acting chief executive with the task of completing the light rail system Wilson was hired to build six years … Continue reading →

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Metro still has unresolved issues

Posted on May 2, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

With the FTA and its Buy American requirements. A central issue in a federal investigation of the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s compliance with “Buy America” regulations remained unresolved after meetings in Washington, Metro board Chairman Gilbert Garcia said on Thursday. Plans … Continue reading →

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It’s always something

Posted on April 28, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Good news for Metro. The “forensic accounting review” by UHY Advisors examined all business expense reports submitted to Metro by its chief executive, Frank Wilson, and chief of staff, Joanne Wright. Both joined Metro in May 2004; Wilson previously was … Continue reading →

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Firing Frank

Posted on April 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor Annise Parker has said she wants the new Metro board to fire Frank Wilson, the agency’s CEO. So why hasn’t that happened yet? There are a couple of complicating factors. Among them are uncertainty about the outcome of two … Continue reading →

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The tasks before the new Metro board

Posted on March 24, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The new Metro board has its work cut out for it. Gilbert Garcia, the financial analyst nominated by Mayor Annise Parker Thursday as Metro’s new board chairman, said the controversies won’t prevent him and his colleagues from proceeding diligently with … Continue reading →

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Parker names new Metro board

Posted on March 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Excellent. [Mayor Annise Parker’s] choices, which require City Council approval, include Gilbert Garcia, an investment banker and Parker transition team co-chair; Christof Spieler, a blogger and transportation analyst on the board of the Citizens’ Transportation Coalition; lawyers Dwight E. Jefferson … Continue reading →

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The transition team

Posted on December 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Meet the team that will help Mayor-Elect Annise Parker get the ball rolling. State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, one of the only area political heavyweights to endorse Parker, will lead efforts on intergovernmental relations. Coleman also has been involved in … Continue reading →

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