While plans are moving forward for the TramLink BR streetcar line proposed for a 3.4-mile stretch along Nicholson Drive, city-parish officials have decided to defer for a year their request for $67.5 million in federal funds.
Securing the federal money is key for the future of the project, and will cover about 50% of the estimated $170 million total price tag.
The city-parish originally planned to seek funding from the Federal Transit Authority for the streetcar in the federal 2018 fiscal year budget, which goes into effect Oct. 1. But interim Chief Administrative Officer William Daniel, who is continuing to serve in Mayor Sharon Weston Broome’s administration until she selects a replacement, says officials were running behind on the application process due to last summer’s flood.
“With the flood there were things we were supposed to get done and were not able to so our application was really incomplete,” Daniel says. “Rather than submit an incomplete application we decided to wait.”
Now, the city-parish will apply for funds in the federal 2019 fiscal year budget, which goes into effect Oct. 1, 2018. The application will be due this fall and officials will find out in the spring of 2018 if the funding is approved. Given the funding application delay, the tram would likely not be operational until 2022.
Still, officials are continuing to forge ahead with the project under the assumption federal dollars will materialize. Late last year, engineering firm HNTB was selected to complete $10 million worth of design and engineering work for the project. Though the country has a new president in the White House since the process began, Daniel and others say they do not expect the Trump administration to negatively impact Baton Rouge’s chances of receiving millions in federal funds.
“We’re still very optimistic,” Daniel says. “This is a long-standing program with lots of support and it’s funded every year. Most of the people that run this program are civil service employees, which means they don’t get replaced so unless Congress make some huge cut this program will continue.”
—Stephanie Riegel
