The Federal Transit Administration has given an environmental green light to Metro's planned University light rail line, an 11.3-mile, double-track span that will connect the Hillcroft Transit Center on the city's southwest side with the central University of Houston campus.

The successful environmental review clears the way for Metro's continued work on design, engineering, utility coordination and other pre-construction matters.

Metro acting president and CEO George Greanias described the approval as a "big step" for the project, which will serve as the "spine" of the agency's regional mass transit plan, linking rail, buses and park-and-ride facilities.

With 19 stations, the University line will include stops near Greenway Plaza, University of St. Thomas, Texas Southern University and UH. It will terminate at the Eastwood Transit Center just northeast of UH.

The transit agency projects the line will have 49,000 boardings daily by 2030.

A start date for construction has not been set.

The project is part of a five-line plan, three of which — the East End, North and Southeast segments - now are under construction.

While Metro officials expect the University line will draw $700 million in federal funding, Mayor Annise Parker earlier this year questioned whether the transit agency could fund the project.

She also questioned the final feasibility of the proposed Uptown line, now in the design phase, which would serve the Galleria area.

Together, those lines would constitute about 15 of the 30 miles of track in the second phase of the agency's foray into light rail.

Parker, a light-rail advocate, joined others who have reviewed Metro's plans in questioning how the agency would repay the $2.6 billion in bonds it plans to issue through 2014.

The FTA in December approved the start of preliminary engineering on the project after a review of the "reasonableness" of Metro's financial forecasts.

allan.turner@chron.com