HOUSTON -- Houston's ambitious plan to expand light rail and other public transportation in the city did not get a financial boost on Tuesday. However, a promise was made that money might be easier to get in the future.

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On Tuesday morning, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters visited Houston at the site of Metro's future terminal for light rail, and bus traffic.

Peters promised that the federal government is streamlining the process to get federal dollars for the projects such as Houston's light rail system, but right now that process can take as long as 13 years.

"If it literally does take longer to approve, review, and fund a transit program than it did to put a man on the moon, then Houston has a problem, but so does the rest of the nation," said Mary Peter, U.S. Secretary of Transportation.

Metro's expansion projects, including the addition of 30 miles of light rail, are already underway with a mix of public and private funding.