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Problems surrounding the Red Line are starting to be a regular thing, it seems. This week’s installment: most of the proposals for the transit line are too costly to qualify for federal funding — money we’re relying on to pay for half of the project.

All proposals that involve extensive tunneling — three light rail proposals, plus four others for rapid buses in dedicated bus lanes — reportedly exceed the Federal Transit Administration’s cutoff for cost effectiveness and thus are not qualified for federal funding.

Two other proposals that remain entirely above ground — one light rail and one bus option — meet the cost-effectiveness requirement in their current form. However, City Hall has already rejected these plans, citing concerns about their impact on traffic.

Now, officials hope to “tweak” the current plans to make them meet the cost-effectiveness cutoff. Some options include eliminating stations or building the line in segments.

Another idea that’s meeting some resistance: keep the tunneling downtown, but run the transit above ground along Edmondson Avenue. West Baltimore residents who live along that path are concerned the city will “destroy” their neighborhood in the process.

I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to question whether this project will become a reality in my lifetime.

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