Months after Mayor Tim Keller said there was no guarantee for the Albuquerque Rapid Transit project to receive funding from the Federal Transit Administration, Keller announced Monday that $14 million is set to come in from the FTA, according to the Albuquerque Journal.

"We know our project meets FTA guidelines for their grant," Keller had said of the bus rapid transit project at a March news conference.

The $14 million will go to reimbursing the city for roadwork on Central Avenue, according to the Journal. From the initial concept of ART, it was anticipated that the majority of the $133 million project would be paid for using federal grant funds, including $75 million from the Federal Transit Administration and the Department of Transportation over the course of FY18 and FY19, according to a June report from the city inspector general.

That report found $9.7 million had been received in reimbursements from the federal government. It was previously reported by Business First that the city anticipated $106 million total from the federal government.

In the 73-page report, recommendations from the inspector general's office included using due diligence in awarding contracts to companies such as Build Your Dreams, which is producing the electric buses for nearly $23 million, avoiding spending of restricted funds for other uses and exercising caution in using funds that are not guaranteed to be reimbursed.

Another recommendation called for a more restrictive and clearer city ethics code, along with stricter guidelines for vendors and contractors.

To get the project off the ground, the city faced lawsuits and outcry from businesses along Central Avenue that opposed the project, with many saying it would destroy historic Route 66 and hurt businesses along the corridor.

ART supporters said the project would increase private development along the corridor, and improve access to jobs, residences and businesses, as well as deal with increasing pedestrian and bicycle safety issues.