While the $500,000 cap on light rail spending that was mysteriously placed in the state budget last year has been removed from this year’s spending proposal, it has been replaced by another cap.
The newly-agreed-to budget that was released late Monday includes a provision that caps state funding on light rail projects at 10 percent of the overall project cost.
The initial House budget proposal lifted the spending cap entirely, but the Senate included the 10 percent cap in its plan, which ultimately made its way into the final proposal.
That directly impacts the Durham – Orange Light Rail Project, which has a projected cost of $1.6 billion with 25 percent of that funding projected to come from the state.
While GoTriangle had been “optimistic” the cap would be removed, it’s unclear what its placement in the budget means for the overall viability of the 17-mile project that would connect Durham and Chapel Hill.
The budget proposal will be voted on in the House and Senate in the coming days before going to the governor’s desk.
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