In a major shift, Metropolitan Transit Authority board voted to convert all of its ongoing and future mass transportation projects to light rail. In what could be considered a roll of the dice, the regions mass-transit governing body, scrapped plans to use light rail in combination with rapid bus transit systems.

Metro had considered using technology that would operate rapid transit buses on dedicated lanes for some of its planned mass transit corridor expansion projects. Some of those projects had already received federal approval to go with the buses as opposed to light rail.

Metro's light rail system has been mired in controversy from the get go. The transit system has met opposition to its plans for where rail lines would exist to complaints of excess current causing damage to nearby structures and infrastructure.

Officials told 11 News they are confident they will be able to get the federal funding needed to build out the new rail lines as well as get those monies already approved for rapid bus service converted to light rail.

Metro also voted on a Richmond-Wheeler route for its controversial University light rail line.

From Main Street, the line will travel west on Richmond to Cummins, south on Cummins to the Westpark right-of-way and west to the Hillcroft Transit Center.  On the other side of Main Street, the line will travel east on Wheeler to Ennis, north on Ennis to Alabama and east on Alabama to Scott. 

Two years ago, Metro’s analysis showed that ridership numbers would not be sufficient along its planned Uptown, North, East End and Southeast lines in order to receive federal funding for the rail expansion projects. At the time, the board decided to support a plan whereby train-like buses that would run along a guideline not much different from rail would be used until ridership was to the point to justify the construction of rail lines.

Since then, Metro crunched the numbers again and now feels confident the ridership would be enough to justify going all light rail from the get go.