The Butler Transit Authority took a bold step Monday in breaking ground for its proposed multi-modal transit facility along Hansen Avenue.

The authority kicked off the project despite having commitments for less than 50 percent of the money needed to complete it as envisioned. It would be unfortunate if the remaining money needed is not forthcoming anytime soon.

Officials of the transit agency must have a significant amount of optimism about future funding. Otherwise, it would seem foolish to have embarked on an initiative that had little chance of ever being completed.

All considered then, for the Butler area community, the transit center has evolved into a wait-and-see scenario, with the knowledge that time will have a bearing on the center's eventual final price tag.

Construction costs are destined only to increase.

The latest estimate targets the total cost of the center at $13.5 million, up $10.1 million over the initial estimate in June 2001 of $3.4 million.

The center's estimated cost nearly doubled between June 2001 and March 2003, when it was pegged at $6.4 million. Meanwhile, the latest estimate, which was put forth in July, is $2.2 million more than the project cost anticipated last November.

Part of the cost increase is a result of changes to the project's plans. Originally, the project was to involve renovation of an old office building and construction of a bus garage and a 50-space park-and-ride lot on 2.7 acres. Since then, the project has evolved into a plan that calls for four new buildings on seven acres, with a 100-space park-and-ride lot. Plans for renovating the old building were abandoned.

The four buildings will be a two-story office building and indoor terminal and transfer center, a storage building for the authority's buses and the county's Butler Area Rural Transit (BART) buses, a bus maintenance garage, and a bus washing garage.

Of the current total estimated cost, the authority has commitments for nearly $6 million — $3.7 million from the federal government, $2 million from the state and $240,000 from the county.

Apparently the transit agency, which officially changed its name Wednesday from the Butler Township-City Joint Municipal Transit Authority, has its sights set mostly on more federal funding. That was mentioned in July when authority officials reported that site-preparation work was likely to begin this fall, and there was no evident change in those funding hopes at Monday's groundbreaking.

"This phase (site preparation) will be done in April," said John Paul, authority executive director. "All that's left is construction."

But Paul provided no indication Monday of when the facility would be finished.

"It depends on funding; it always does," he said.

It is to be hoped that by April more money will be on the way. However, at this juncture the uncertainty of that is great amid such expensive federal ventures as the war in Iraq and the nation's ongoing operations in Afghanistan.

The $6 million received so far has allowed the authority to complete property acquisition and pay architectural and engineering fees, and will allow site preparation to be completed. In addition, the government allocations provide money for a project manager.

What has been accomplished to date are significant steps forward. But without more money, the center site will be just a tract of vacant land.

The prospects for quick funding might seem brighter if the project cost had not escalated so much. But if the authority deserves praise, it is for the fact that it is trying to build the project correctly the first time.

Hopefully its gamble won't backfire.