HOUSTON – A new $80 million METRO infrastructure contract is sparking debate inside the agency’s boardroom, with one board member openly questioning whether taxpayers are getting clear answers about how the money will be spent.
The funding request comes on top of more than $40 million already approved for similar paving and roadwork projects across Houston yet some METRO board members say they still don’t have a full picture of what work is underway, which streets are included, or how the money has been allocated so far.
And during this week’s board meeting, those frustrations boiled over.
Board member Roberto Treviño delivered some of the sharpest criticism, saying METRO staff is asking the board to approve tens of millions in spending without providing basic details.
“The board has yet to receive a complete list of streets that this work was done,” Treviño said during the meeting. “Here’s package three, and yet again we’re doing work. What work are you asking the board to approve that is in the value of in excess of $80 million?”
Treviño said approving the contract without transparency leaves board members unable to make informed decisions or explain the spending to the public.
He ultimately voted against the proposal.
METRO’s Executive Vice President of Infrastructure Improvements, Shri Reddy, defended the approach, saying contractors bid on the project based on broader categories like bus routes, major thoroughfares, and two-lane roads.
He said the latest package covers about 70 lane miles of roadwork, and the detailed street list is still being finalized with the City of Houston.
“This isn’t one street at a time, like on first package and second package,” Reddy said. “We’re going to do five times the volume. We will have better updates in terms of a longer list of streets.”
Reddy added that METRO has ongoing work on Texas Avenue, Washington Avenue, Kirby, Holcombe, parts of Harrisburg, and East 20th Street.
METRO Board Chair Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock said the agency routinely shares information and that projects are publicly visible.
“We are very much aware of what’s under construction,” Brock said. “Not only are they reported at every single board meeting, but we have signs out that say, you know, this is a metro construction project.”
However, she acknowledged that the list Treviño was referencing is not a complete one.
In a statement to KPRC 2, Anna Carpenter, METRO’s Director of Communications, said the agency is approaching its maintenance projects more strategically to improve mobility and prioritize safety.
“METRO is assessing maintenance projects from a macro approach in an effort to improve on-time performance and address growing traffic gridlock,” Carpenter said.“METRO is prioritizing thoroughfares that are dangerous and hindering mobility. The street selection and timeline is also dictated by major construction disruptions and events like the I-10 project, NHHIP, and the World Cup.”
Carpenter emphasized that METRO provides monthly reports to board members and will continue to do so.
She also clarified the structure of the latest funding request:
“Package 3 is a larger version of Packages 1 and 2,” she said. “In all of these packages, we have maintenance quantities to cover roadway resurfacing, sidewalks, and bus stops. Package 3 quantities were bid for 70 lane miles. These lane miles could be anywhere in the METRO service area, based on the criteria described above.”
Despite METRO’s explanations, Treviño says the board should not approve such a large contract without a clear list of streets, timelines, and cost breakdowns.
“When you bid work out, there has to be a scope of work,” Treviño said. “We essentially know where the work is, but you’re not sharing it with the board.”
The board ultimately moved toward approving the $80 million package, though concerns about transparency remain unresolved for at least one member.