Subway gains momentum.

Just before breaking for the holidays, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill that lifted the 21-year-old ban on tunneling under Wilshire Boulevard, drawing a mix of cheers and groans from local political leaders.

The move gives momentum to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's so-called "Subway to the Sea" proposal--a key element of his 2005 campaign--that is expected to cost upwards of $5 billion.

Villaraigosa is backed by a number of local leaders, including City Councilmembers Jack Weiss, Tom LaBonge and Bill Rosendahl.

But not everyone is for the subway.

L.A. County Supervisor and Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board Member Michael Antonovich criticized the proposal, which he said could cost $10 billion and would siphon funds away from other transportation projects.

"Funding this $10 billion 'Subway to the Sea' will cripple the regional transportation needs of taxpayers in the county's other 84 cities and unincorporated communities." he said in a statement.

Staff reporter Richard Clough can be reached at [phone], ext. 251, or at [e-mail].