[TAG Houston Region: State of Mobility 2023]
[00:00:16]
GOOD AFTERNOON, TAG FAMILY.WELL, AGAIN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY NAME IS CHRISTINA CABAL.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TAG.
UM, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WHAT, UH, I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF TO EVERYONE, BUT WE'LL TRY AND GET AROUND TO DO SO.
SO, AT THIS TIME, IT'S MY PLEASURE JUST TO, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK AND INTRODUCE THE LEADERS AND THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT REALLY PRACTICE SERVANT LEADERSHIP.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT SUPPORT US DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT, UH, GET EMAILS, PHONE CALLS, TEXTS, UH, FROM MYSELF AND ESMERALDA MORE THAN THEY PROBABLY WANT, BUT ARE THERE FOR US 110%.
AND FIRST, AND I'M SPEAKING OF OUR BOARD, OUR ILLUSTRIOUS TAG BOARD.
SO BLESSED TO HAVE A GROUP OF GREAT LEADERS.
UM, SO IF THEY DON'T MIND STANDING, AND YES, I WILL BE TAKING ROLE OF WHO STANDS FIRST.
WE'LL START WITH MUSTA, MUSTAFA TAMIS, OUR CHAIR, AND JIM RUSS, OUR VICE CHAIR, MICHAEL PEARSON, OUR TREASURER, OUR OUR FORMER CO-CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBER, DR. CAROL LEWIS.
RAJ BA, RAJU, VERONICA CHAPPA KRINSKY.
WHERE'S THIS, THIS IS LIKE A AMERICAN IDOL HERE.
THIS IS GETTING, GETTING COMPETITIVE.
MR. DARREN WILLER, DCCF, THANK YOU.
AND THE INCOMPARABLE ONE OF OUR CO-FOUNDERS, MY FRIEND OF 20 YEARS, MR. JACK DRAKE.
I ALSO WANNA THANK, AND MANY PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THIS, IT'S A TWO PERSON SHOP AT TAG.
UM, AND SO IT'S MYSELF AND ONE OTHER PHENOMENAL WOMAN.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DO, UH, WITHOUT HER, BUT LOVE HER TO DEATH IS ESMERALDA TAMMA PROGRAM AND EVENT COORDINATOR.
OKAY, SO THE NEXT, NEXT I WOULD LIKE TO JUST ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE SOME OF OUR, UH, OUR MEMBERSHIP.
AND, YOU KNOW, NOT MANY PEOPLE REALIZE THIS, BUT TECH IS BLESSED TO HAVE OVER 150 DIFFERENT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ENTITIES BE PART OF OUR MEMBERSHIP.
AND I WOULD BE REMISS THOUGH, IF I DID NOT RECOGNIZE OUR 15, ABOUT TO BE 16 MOBILITY PARTNERS.
THEY'RE LISTED ON THE SLIDE HERE.
AND PLEASE, I WANNA THANK THEM AND LET'S GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE, BECAUSE IS THROUGH THEIR YEAR ROUND 365 DAY SUPPORT THAT WE CONTINUE TO GO TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, AS WE'VE MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES, BOTH ESAL AND I WERE SO EXCITED TO SEE THAT, UH, THIS EVENT SOLD OUT.
IT WAS A HOT TICKET, UM, AND JUST SO THRILLED THAT ALL OF YOU COULD BE HERE.
AND SO, I REALLY WANNA TAKE A MINUTE TO RECOGNIZE OUR INCREDIBLE EVENT SPONSORS, STARTING WITH OUR UNDERWRITER, SESCO CEMENT.
NEXT WOULD BE OUR PLATINUM SPONSORS, HNTB, OUR, OUR SILVER SPONSOR, OLA INCORPORATED, AND THE EAST, EAST END DISTRICT.
AND WE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE 15 BRONZE PON SPONSORS.
AND I'D ASK THAT SHALL DECIDE, AGAIN, FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, AND I'LL BE ABLE TO READ OUT ALL THE NAMES OF 15 BRONZE SPONSORED.
THANK YOU SO MUCH MAKING THIS POSSIBLE TODAY.
IN ADDITION, WE WERE HONORED TO BE JOINED BY NUMEROUS VIPS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS.
SO NOW, INCLUDING THE GUEST OF HONOR, MAYOR TURNER, WE HAVE 52 APPOINTED AND ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO HAVE JOINED US TODAY.
AND THE ORIGINAL PLAN, AS WE ALL KNOW THESE THINGS, TAKE A LIFE FOR THEMSELF, WAS TO INTRODUCE ALL OF THE VIPS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS.
[00:05:01]
UP TO ME WHEN THEY SAID HELLO AND SAID, HEY, JUST A BIG SHOUT OUT AND WE'LL STAND.SO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, COULD I ASK ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS, APPOINTED OFFICIALS AS WELL TO PLEASE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED? I AM COUNTING I THINK, ANOTHER STATEMENT TO OUR COMMITMENT TO, UH, TRANSPORTATION.
HAVE 52 HERE IN ONE ROOM IS PHENOMENAL, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH.
YOU KNOW, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE SO MUCH TO BE EXCITED FOR.
AND TODAY'S REALLY A CELEBRATION.
THE STATE OF MOBILITY IS A CELEBRATION OF BEING PART OF, OF SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY, RIGHT? SOME ADVOCATING TOGETHER FOR TRANSPORTATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, THIS ALSO CELEBRATION OF OUR WONDERFUL MAYOR, UH, OUR HOUSTON MAYOR, MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER, BECAUSE THIS IS HIS EIGHTH AND UNFORTUNATELY FINAL STATE OF MOBILITY ADDRESS.
AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, BITTERSWEET.
UH, BUT, AND WE WILL MISS HIS DEDICATED LEADERSHIP.
BUT WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE WITH HIM, UM, OUR ENTIRE AND AS, AND ESPECIALLY WHAT, WHAT HE AND OUR REGIONWIDE LEADERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH DURING TOGETHER.
AND WE'LL BE CELEBRATING, PARTICULARLY THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SECURE DURING HIS TENURE.
WE HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER.
AND, BUT WE STILL HAVE SOME WORK TO DO.
SO IN OUR PROGRAM, MAYOR TURNER'S GONNA DO, AND, AND MUSTAFA TAMIS WILL GO BACK AND KIND OF TALK ABOUT WHERE WE STARTED, LOOK A QUICK LOOK BACK, KIND OF WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHERE WE'RE HEADED.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY FORESEE IS OUR CHALLENGES AHEAD.
WHAT'S EVEN MORE EXCITING, THOUGH, AND I DON'T WANNA LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG, IS TODAY TAG WILL BE ANNOUNCING, UM, SOME NEW FEATURES ON WHAT IS OUR MOST, ONE OF OUR MOST POWERFUL ADVOCACY TOOLS, WHICH IS THE MOTION MAP.
SO MAKE SURE YOU TAKE OUT YOUR PHONES, 'CAUSE WE'LL BE, UH, LETTING YOU ABOUT THOSE SHORTLY.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY FUNNY, I'M A BIG BELIEVER OF THIS.
IT'S KIND OF SERENDIPITOUS THAT MAYOR TURNER IS HERE TODAY BECAUSE HE WAS HERE WHEN WE ORIGINALLY LAUNCHED IT.
SO IT'S COMING FULL CIRCLE AND IT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO GROW, AND I'M JUST THRILLED TO BE HERE FOR THOSE HIGHLIGHTS.
AND SO, TO GET OUR PROGRAM STARTED, UM, I WILL ASK DR. CAROL LEWIS, OUR FORMER CO-CHAIR AND MENTOR AND GREAT ROLE MODEL TO COME UP TO INTRODUCE THE MAYOR, AND SHE'LL BE FOR, AND SHE, THE MAYOR, WILL BE JOINED BY MUSTAFA TAMES TO START THE, THE PANEL INTERVIEW.
DR. LEWIS, THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHRISTINA.
IT'S DELIGHTFUL TO SEE ALL OF YOU HERE TODAY.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE DAY.
UM, I'M GONNA START OFF BY SAYING MAYOR TURNER, UH, YOU HAVE BEEN EXCEPTIONAL THROUGHOUT THIS TENURE, AND I HEARD SOMEONE SAY, OH, WHEN THEY SAID THIS WAS GONNA BE THE LAST TIME.
SO, UH, WE REALLY THINK, FEEL THAT WAY.
I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT WHEN MAYOR TURNER FIRST STARTED BACK IN 20 16, 1 OF THE FIRST THINGS HE DID WAS GO TO THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION AND TELL THEM THAT THIS IS A NEW DAY, AND THAT WE COULD NO LONGER CONTINUE TO RELY SOLELY ON PERSONAL AUTOMOBILES AND VEHICLES TO MOVE US AROUND OUR REGION.
HE SAID THEN THAT WE NEED TO BE MULTIMODAL.
WE FOLLOWED A FEW MONTHS LATER WITH OUR FOLKS FIRST MOTION MAP.
UH, WE WERE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
AND AS, UH, CHRISTINA MENTIONED TODAY WE'RE, IT'S ALMOST POETIC THAT MAYOR TURNER IS ABLE TO BE HERE WHEN WE UNVEIL THE NEXT NEW IMPROVED AND LATEST VERSION OF THE MOTION MAP.
IT'S GOT LOTS OF REALLY COOL FEATURES IN IT, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, SORT OF EXPERIMENT AND, AND SEE WHAT'S THERE.
UM, I HOPE YOU'LL ALLOW ME IN MAYOR, I THINK YOU'LL SAY IT'S OKAY FOR ME TO, UM, MENTION THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED ON THAT MOTION MAP.
UH, THE GIS TEAM FROM LJA NAME'S GEORGE CULVER.
CASEY LIED, MARGARET HOLMES WENT HAHN.
UM, WE ALSO HAD OUR TEAM FROM TAG, WHICH IS BOB RAJ BA WHO, ROB MAXWELL AND CHRIS CARTER.
SO ALL OF THOSE FOLKS HELPED TO PUT TOGETHER WHAT YOU WILL END UP SEEING AT THE END OF TODAY.
SO MAYOR, WE THANK YOU FOR BEING THE PERSON WHO HELPS LAUNCH THAT OFF FOR US.
UH, WHEN WE STARTED WITH, UM, TAG AND THE MOTION MAP, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS MULTIMODAL, AND IT WAS JUST AS MAYOR TURNER HAD LAUNCHED US.
AND SO DURING HIS TENURE, WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS HIM TO BE ACTING ON WHAT HE ACTUALLY SAID.
SO WE HAVE THE SUCCESSFUL METRO REFERENDUM THAT OCCURRED UNDER HIS, UH, ADMINISTRATION, AND WE HAVE THE SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATION AND ENDING TO, UH, OUR N-H-H-I-P PROJECT.
[00:10:01]
BOTH OF THOSE WILL STAND OUT, UH, FOR MAYOR TURNER AS THINGS THAT HE WAS ABLE TO LEAD US TO ACCOMPLISHING AS A COMMUNITY.WE'D BE HAPPY TO BRING HIM UP.
AND I WILL SAY THAT PERSONALLY, HE IS A JOY TO WORK WITH.
UM, SOMETIMES FOLKS MAY COME INTO THE ROOM AND YOU'RE A LITTLE INTIMIDATED OR WHATEVER, DON'T WANT TO SAY, UH, WHATEVER YOU MIGHT WANT TO SAY, SO THAT THE MAYOR, UH, BUT HE'S VERY OPEN.
HE ASK, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE THINKING.
HE REALLY SOLICITS INPUT AND HE'S JUST A JOY TO WORK WITH.
SO WE JUST APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE, MAYOR TURNER.
AND WE'D LIKE TO BRING YOU TO THE STAGE ALONG WITH MUSTAFA TO ME.
UH, WE'D LIKE TO BRING YOU TO THE STAGE ALONG WITH MS. DFA TAMEZ FOR A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE STATE OF MOBILITY.
SO WE'LL JUST HAVE YOU ALL TO JUST KIND OF REFLECT ON THE LAST EIGHT, EIGHT YEARS, UH, TWO THAT WE HAD TO DO IT ONLINE BECAUSE OF COVID, BUT WE'RE JUST EXCITED TO BE HERE IN PERSON AND HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
OH, PLEASE COME FORWARD, MAYOR TURNER, AND MAKE SOME COMMENTS BEFORE WE SEE MUSTAFA
LOOK, LET ME, UH, LET ME START DR. LEWIS.
AND I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH HER, UH, EVEN BEFORE BECOMING MAYOR.
I WANT TO THANK HER FOR HER LEADERSHIP, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO RAIL AND GULF COAST RAIL.
SO REALLY APPRECIATE HER AND HER WORK AT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY.
UM, AND LET ME JUST SAY IT'S, IT IS, UM, IT'S A, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE FOR MY JUST THE SEVENTH OR THE EIGHTH.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DID DURING COVID, DID WE NOT, I THINK WE MISSED IN 2020, UH, AND THEN PICKED BACK UP AGAIN.
SO, UM, I, I AM HONORED TO BE HERE THIS TIME AS AS WELL.
LOOK, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR, THE LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW, I DON'T RUSH ANYTHING, SO I, I'M JUST TAKING MY TIME AND, UH, UH, I KNOW, UM, MY STAFF AND I ARE GOING TO SIT DOWN.
BUT, YOU KNOW, UH, I HAVE A FEW THINGS TO SAY.
UH, IN MY LAST, IN THIS LAST DEAL, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, OF COURSE, ALL OF THE 52, UH, ELECTED OFFICIALS HERE FROM ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.
UH, THERE ARE OTHER MAYORS HERE, AND I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, YEAH, GIVE IT UP TO THE MAYORS.
AND THEN THERE ARE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE HERE, UH, FROM ALL FROM THE, FROM THE REGION.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THEM AND, AND COLLABORATING WITH THEM.
UH, THERE ARE COUNTY OFFICIALS AT ALL LEVELS THAT ARE, THAT ARE HERE, APPRECIATE THEM.
AND THEN THERE ARE MY CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE.
AND IF YOU ALLOW ME, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE VOTING ON MY BUDGET IN A, IN A FEW WEEKS.
SO, UH, WILL ALL OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS STAND? UH, DAVE ROBINSON, VICE MAYOR, MOTHER CAST TATUM, COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CISNEROS, MAYOR PRO TIMM, DAVE MARTIN, UH, THESE ARE ALL MY SPECIAL FRIENDS,
AND WHEN YOU'RE PRESENTING YOUR LAST BUDGET, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, I JUST LOVE THEM DEARLY.
UH, YOU KNOW, LET ME, LET ME SAY THAT, UH, UH, I REFLECT BACK WHEN I FIRST CAME BEFORE TAG ON THE STATE OF TRANSPORTATION, UH, TRANSPORTATION, UH, PAT WASH, UH, WAS DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AT THE TIME, AND, UH, WORKED WITH ME CLOSELY AND, UM, PREPARED THE REMARKS THAT I HAD TO MAKE.
AND I WENT BACK AND, AND I PULLED THAT SPEECH, UH, THAT I GAVE WHEN I FIRST CAME, UH, BEFORE TAG.
AND, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE HIS WORK AND THE LEGACY THAT HE HAS LEFT, LEFT BEHIND.
I WANT TO THANK TO ALL OF, UH, MY DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, UH, THAT ARE HERE WHO OFTEN GO UNKNOWN AND, AND UNRECOGNIZED THAT THEY'RE NOT ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, BUT THEY ARE THE ONES WHO HELPED ME TO GET THE JOB DONE.
SO IF YOU ARE, IF YOU ARE A CITY DIRECTOR OR A CITY EMPLOYEE, UH, UH, PLEASE STAND AND, UH, AND SO YOU CAN BE RECOGNIZED, CAROL, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.
THESE, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT MAKE IT, THAT MAKE THE, UH, THE CRUISE SHIP
[00:15:01]
WORK.AND I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THEM.
AND, UH, AS PAT WASH KIND OF WROTE THE COMMENTS SOME EIGHT YEARS AGO WHEN I FIRST, UH, DAVE FIELDS NOW HAS STEPPED UP IN THIS ROLE.
AND, UM, MUCH OF THESE REMARKS, UH, WILL BE, UH, CREDITED TO, TO DAVE FIELDS.
SO, UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THEM.
LEMME DO THIS AND THEN WE'LL SIT DOWN AND HAVE A CONVERSATION.
UM, WHEN I STOOD BEFORE YOU EIGHT YEARS AGO IN MY FIRST STATE OF MOBILITY ADDRESS, I STOOD UP HERE AND I USED WORD SELDOM HEARD BEFORE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND I PROMISE A TRANSPORTATION PARADIGM SHIFT.
UH, I PROMISE YOU CHANGE, NOT BECAUSE IT WAS POLITICALLY EXPEDIENT, UH, BECAUSE THE OLD WAY OF NOT WORKING, UH, SIMPLY WAS NOT WORKING FOR US IN THE REGION.
AND I TALKED ABOUT TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT WITH MULTIMODAL INVESTMENTS.
I TALKED ABOUT SANJAY, UH, UPGRADING, UH, METROS OUTLOOK FOR THE FUTURE WITH LONG-TERM CAPITAL PLANS.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT AN EFFICIENT FREIGHT, UH, SYSTEM.
UH, WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, ELI ELIJAH WORKING TOGETHER, COORDINATING AGENCY COORDINATION.
AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, FUNDING.
HOW DO WE GET ALL OF THIS ACCOMPLISHED? UH, AND WHERE DOES THE FUNDING COME FROM? AND HOUSTON IS A CITY KNOWN FOR BIG, WIDE ROADS AND FAST DRIVING.
UH, WE WERE ALSO KNOWN FOR POTHOLES CRASHES.
AND OF COURSE, WORST OF ALL FATALITIES, I PROMISE YOU CHANGE BECAUSE POTHOLES HAVE NO PARTY AFFILIATION.
I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE, UH, CRASHES KEEP HOUSTON FROM BEING THE GREAT CITY THAT IT CAN BE.
AND FATALITIES ARE JUST 100% WRONG.
AND, UH, WHAT WE'VE ALL DISCOVERED, AND CERTAINLY WHAT I'VE DISCOVERED, PROMISES ARE EASY.
MAKING CHANGE IS OFTENTIMES VERY HARD.
THEY CHANGE WHEN, UH, YOU THINK BIG, YOU PUT IN THE WORK AND EVERYONE PLAYS A VITAL PART.
I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK YOU IN MANY WAYS TO KIND OF LOOK AROUND THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND SEE WHETHER OR NOT THE VISION IS COMING INTO REALITY AND WHETHER OR NOT THE HARD WORK OF THE PEOPLE THAT I'VE ALREADY ACKNOWLEDGED.
AND I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, METRO, I TALK MORE ABOUT THEM IN IT.
BUT, UH, SANJAY AND ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS, IF YOU ARE STAND, TOM, IF Y'ALL ARE JUST STANDING DURING MY TENURE, I'VE HAD TWO CHAIRS.
KAREN PAPIN WAS THE FIRST, SANJAY RAM IS THE SECOND.
AND, UM, BUT THERE'S BEEN ONE CEO THROUGHOUT IT ALL.
TOM LAMBERT AND TOM HAS BEEN WITH METRO NOW FOR 44 YEARS.
AND SO, UH, SOME EIGHT YEARS WHERE WE ARE TODAY, WHAT I CAN SAY TO YOU IS THAT THERE IS MORE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT IN THIS CITY.
WE HAVE UPDATED THE METRO PLAN WITH METRO NEXT WITH A LONG RANGE CAPITAL PLAN.
UH, THE FOCUS IS HEAVILY ON MULTIMODAL FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION WITH GREATER CONNECTIVITY AND FOCUSING ON EVEN MORE GREEN SPACE.
AND ELIJAH AND OTHERS, THERE IS MORE COORDINATION.
UH, AND SO, UM, AND LET ME ADD, UH, WITH THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING AND THE INFLATION, UH, REDUCTION ACT, THERE IS MORE FUNDING.
OUR NEW VISION STARTS WITH THE ONE THING THAT EVERYONE CAN AGREE UPON IS THAT ONE OF OUR PRIMARY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN GOVERNMENT IS TO ENSURE THE PUBLIC SAFETY.
BUT FOR
IN 2022, OVER 300 PEOPLE WERE KILLED, AND NEARLY 1600 PEOPLE WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED ON OUR STREETS.
THOSE NORM NUMBERS ARE ALARMING, BUT OUR VISION ZERO PROGRAM HAS US ON A NEW PATH.
AND WHILE CITYWIDE CRASHES HAVE INCREASED BY 12% SINCE 2014, CRASHES HAVE DECREASED BY 26% ON STREETS THAT WERE REBUILT SINCE ADOPTING VISION ZERO.
AND I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
IT MEANS THAT THE PLACES WE FIX, WE FIX, RIGHT? AND THAT IS THE PATH.
[00:20:01]
THAT IS THE PATH TO SAFER HOUSTON STREETS.AND I HOPE OUR FUTURE EMBRACES THIS SUCCESS AND BROADENS IT TO MAKE OUR STREETS EVEN SAFER.
UH, NOW LET ME SAY, UH, THE PARADIGMS DON'T SHIFT BECAUSE OF ONE PERSON ALONE.
OUR TRANSPORTATION PARADIGM IS SHIFTING BECAUSE EVERY PARTNER IN THIS ROOM IS THINKING ABOUT ALL THE WAYS YOU CAN TRAVEL.
AND LOOKING BACK, WE HAVE LEARNED WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ONLY BUILD ROADS FOR DRIVING, THEN ALL PEOPLE WILL DRIVE.
AND WHEN WE INVEST IN TRANSPORTATION CHOICES, PEOPLE USE ALL OF THOSE CHOICES.
THEY MAY NOT USE 'EM ALL AT THE SAME TIME, AND THEY MAY NOT USE 'EM AT THE RATE AND PACE WE WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO USE.
BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE NATIVE HOUSTONIANS, OUR CULTURE WAS DRIVING CARS AND TRUCKS.
THAT WAS OUR CULTURE AND THE WAY PAST LEADERS DESIGNED THIS CITY.
IT WAS DESIGNED FOR CARS AND TRUCKS, AND THAT WAS OUR MINDSET, AND THAT'S HOW WE OPERATED IT.
BUT WHEN YOU START TO REDESIGN A CITY OF 640 SQUARE MILES, DON'T EXPECT EVERYBODY TO RUN TO THAT ALL AT ONCE BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT.
BUT TIMES ARE CHANGING, GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ARE INCREASING AND PEOPLE SIMPLY DON'T WANT TO BE IN TRAFFIC ALL DAY LONG.
AND SO EVEN AFTER YOU HAVE BUILT IT, IT TAKES TIME FOR PEOPLE TO REDESIGN THEIR MINDS, EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE DESIGNED THEIR STREETS AND COMMUNITIES.
BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU DON'T BUILD IT, BECAUSE AS MY DAUGHTER WOULD SAY, IF YOU DON'T BUILD IT, THEN YOU ARE BUILDING A CITY FOR YESTERDAY AND THE GENERATIONS TO COME WILL HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT WE DID NOT DO.
SO YOU BUILD IT AND THEN YOU WORK AND EDUCATE AND LET PEOPLE KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE FEARFUL OF CHANGE.
AND THAT IS WHY METRO'S METRO NEXT PLAN IS SO IMPORTANT TO HOUSTON, A COMPLETE TRANSIT NETWORK SUPPORTED BY 70% OF OUR VOTERS FOR FAST, FREQUENT, RELIABLE SERVICES CITYWIDE.
AND THE ROUTE THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TODAY, THE UNIVERSITY CORRIDOR BUS, RAPID TRANSIT CORRIDOR, 25 MILES LONG FROM WEST CHASE PARK AND RIDE ON THE WEST SIDE TO TIDWELL TRANSIT CENTER ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE, CONNECTING PEOPLE JOBS IN SCHOOLS AND PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS.
AND THIS PROJECT WILL FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE OUR STREETS WITH BUSES AND DEDICATED LANES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET.
EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CERTAINLY KNOWS ABOUT IT, AND METRO HAS ALREADY ACCELERATED THEIR DELIVERY.
WORKING CONCURRENTLY ON THREE BROT ROUTES, THREE BOOST ROUTES, THE BIDIRECTIONAL HVS UNIVERSITY ACCESSIBILITY, AND OVER 4,000 STOPS AND LIGHT RAIL EXTENSION TO THE COURTHOUSE.
AND I WANT TO THANK METRO FOR ALL OF THEIR WORK.
AND WE THANK THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FOR INCLUDING $150 MILLION FOR THE UNIVERSITY CORRIDOR IN THE FISCAL YEAR 20 20 20 24 BUDGET.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN A VERY ACTIVE PARTNER IN OUR PARADIGM SHIFT.
THEY HAVE COMMITTED TO INVESTING IN SAFE, MULTIMODAL STREETS ACROSS THE NATION, AND THEY'RE SHOWING THEIR COMMITMENT RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SINCE THE PASSAGE OF THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW, HOUSTON HAS RECEIVED NEARLY $50 MILLION FOR SAFER STREETS.
THIS INCLUDES CAPITAL DOLLARS FOR TELEPHONE ROAD AND THIS AND THAT STREET.
I WANT TO GIVE PUBLIC WORKS AND PLANNING PLENTY OF CREDIT FOR THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE.
I ACCEPT THE MONEY, THEY HELP TO BRING THE MONEY, SO THANK YOU ALSO VERY MUCH.
PLUS PLANNING DOLLARS FOR HILLCROFT AVENUE.
THAT'S IN ADDITION TO METRO'S 20 MILLION FOR ELECTRIC BUSES AND PLANNING FOR TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT AT THE TIDWELL TRANSIT CENTER.
AND MY THANKS TO, AGAIN, TO THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FOR VALIDATING OUR VISION AND INVESTING IN HOUSTON'S NEW TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
[00:25:01]
AND I MENTIONED THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION INTENTIONALLY BECAUSE WHEN I'M GOING BACK TO DC I WANT TO SEND THIS TAPE TO THEM, A VIDEO TO LET THEM KNOW HOW APPRECIATIVE WE ARE IN HOUSTON.PARADIGMS ARE SHIFTING ON OUR ROADS, AND THEY'RE ALSO SHIFTING IN HOW WE WORK TOGETHER.
YOU HAVE HEARD ME SAY OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT THE NORTH HOUSTON HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT CAN BE TRANSFORMATIVE ONLY IF THE PARTNERS CAN COME TOGETHER.
IT'S A TRANSPORTATION PROJECT THAT CAN WRITE HISTORIC ROADS OF FLOODING IN HOUSTON'S NEIGHBORHOODS.
IT CAN HELP PEOPLE WALK, BIKE, AND RIDE TRANSIT AND DRIVE.
IT CAN SERVE TO CONNECT NEIGHBORHOODS AND NOT SEPARATE THEM.
IT CAN ADD TO GREEN SPACE AND NOT TAKE IT AWAY.
AND IT CAN DO ALL OF THAT WHILE KEEPING OUR RESIDENTS IN THEIR HOMES.
ALL THOSE GOALS ARE NOW POSSIBLE BECAUSE THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, TDOT, ALL CAME TOGETHER AND AGREED TO A PATH FORWARD WITH THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, CONFIRMED THAT THEY WILL HELP US ALL STAY ON TRACK.
BUT I WANT TO THANK TDOT AND ELIJAH.
ELIJAH, PLEASE STAND REPRESENTING TDOT THIS AFTERNOON.
THIS PROJECT WILL BE THE FIRST STEP IN A DIFFERENT VIEW OF REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION.
ONE, WE HOPE CAN BE THE FOUNDATION FOR A NEW PARADIGM ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THERE ARE SO MANY MORE PARTNERS AROUND OUR TRANSPORTATION TABLE THAT DESERVE RECOGNITION, OUR FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES FOR GOING TO WASHINGTON DC AND COMING HOME WITH FUNDS TO HELP US DO THIS WORK.
TAG FOR YOUR TIRELESS, ADVOCATING FOR THE REGION TECH STOCK FOR INVESTING IN SAFETY FUNDS IN HOUSTON THIS PAST YEAR ALONE, HARRIS COUNTY TURS AND THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS FOR ALL YOUR INVESTMENT INVESTMENTS AND SAFE MULTIMODAL STREETS.
OUR AIRPORTS, MARIO DIAZ, FOR BEING RECOGNIZED AS A FOUR STAR FOR INTERCONTINENTAL, A FIVE STAR FOR HOBBY AIRPORT, TRANSPORTING MORE THAN 52 MILLION PASSENGERS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
THE PORT OF HOUSTON FOR ITS WIDENING AND DEEPENING OF THE CHA OF THE CHANNEL TO BRING IN MORE OF THE LARGEST SHIPS INTO OUR AREA.
IT IS A, A TESTAMENT TO OUR PARADIGM SHIFT IS SHEPHERD IN DURHAM, WHICH INCLUDES PORTIONS BEING RECONSTRUCTED BY TWO TURS.
AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON REIMAGINING THE CORRIDOR FOR OUR YOUTH, FOR ALL USERS TO BE ABLE TO MOVE SAFELY.
AND OUR CITY STAFF FOR WORKING ON THE ASPIRATIONAL GOAL OF HOUSTONIANS, BEING ABLE TO DRIVE WHILE DRINKING A CUP OF COFFEE WITHOUT SPILLING IT ON THEIR SHIRTS AND THEIR TIES.
REHABBING NEARLY 250 MILES OF STREETS LAST YEAR AND OVER 1000 LANE MILES SINCE THE START OF THE MAYOR STREET REHABILITATION INITIATIVE IN 2020.
AND RETIMING OVER 800 TRAFFIC SIGNALS.
ALL OF THESE THINGS HAVE OCCURRED OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS.
I'LL END WITH ADVICE FROM MY DAUGHTER WHO SAYS, DON'T IMAGINE WHAT HOUSTON USED TO BE.
IMAGINE WHAT HOUSTON CAN AND SHOULD BE.
HOUSTON'S NEW TRANSPORTATION PARADIGM IS NOW SET FOR THAT FUTURE.
AND AS MY TERM COMES TO AN END, NO MAYOR CAN RIGHTFULLY CLAIM MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
BUT WHAT MAYORS CAN DO IS PASSED THE BATON TO THE NEXT MAYOR WITH THE CITY HAVING MOVED FURTHER DOWN INTO THE FUTURE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND I STAND BEFORE YOU UNAPOLOGETIC IN BEING ABLE TO SAY TO YOU AND OTHERS, THIS CITY IS IN A BETTER PLACE THAN IT WAS WHEN I INHERITED.
AND I AM PREPARED TO PASS THE BATON TO THE NEXT MAYOR, AND I HOPE HE OR SHE WILL KEEP IT ON TRACK AND KEEP IT MOVING IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION FOR THE FUTURE OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE YOUR MAYOR.
[00:30:14]
THANK YOU, MAYOR.UM, AS ALWAYS, YOU, YOU HAVE BROUGHT ENERGY INTO THE ROOM.
UM, I I I WANNA I WANNA BEGIN HERE, UM, WITH A PROGRAM NOTE BEFORE, JUST TO SHOW YOU HOW MUCH INFRASTRUCTURE HAS BEEN DONE IN YOUR TENURE WHEN WE STARTED OUT, WE MET FOR THIS EVENT YEARS AGO TO, TO ASK YOU TO COME HERE.
MY MY MEETING AFTER THAT WAS WITH OUR SPONSORS HERE AT SESCO CEMENT, UH, WHO WERE IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING THE LARGEST CEMENT TERMINAL IN THE PORT OF HOUSTON IN THE WORLD.
UM, THEIR VIDEO SAID THAT THERE ARE 20% OF THE MARKET IN CEMENT IN, IN, IN OUR REGION.
AS I WAS COMING UP EARLY, THEY SAID, NO, NO, NO, IT'S 21%
WITHIN THE TIME OF YOUR TENURE, THERE HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF SUCCESS AND WORK BEEN DONE IN BUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
AND I WANNA TALK ABOUT I 45 FOR JUST A QUICK MINUTE.
UM, LAST TIME WE WERE ON STAGE TOGETHER HERE AT TAG, UH, YOU HAD SPOKEN TO CHAIRMAN BUGS.
UH, HE HAD ANNOUNCED THAT HE HAD SPOKEN TO YOU.
YOU HAD ANNOUNCED THAT YOU HAD SPOKEN TO HIM.
UH, APPARENTLY THERE WAS A DEAL THAT HAD COMING INTO PLACE AND THEN IT TOOK A YEAR TO GET TO THIS POINT.
UH, OUR OUR COUNTY ATTORNEYS HERE,
I WANNA ASK YOU THIS BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS, APPOINTED OFFICIALS, A LOT OF AGENCY LEADERS HERE.
WHAT IS THE LESSON FOR US AS WE MOVE FORWARD? BECAUSE CERTAINLY WE'RE SEEING FUNDING COME IN, BUT WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS? I THINK IT JUST, WE, WE HAVE TO STAY FOCUSED ON THE PEOPLE THAT, UM, UH, WE HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF SERVING.
AND I DO THINK YOU HAVE TO KEEP PEOPLE AT THE, AT THE CENTER AND, UH, AND THEN WE HAVE TO TAKE SELF OUT.
I THINK WE MAKE A HUGE MISTAKE NOT JUST ON PROJECTS OF THIS KIND, BUT ON ANYTHING WHEN SELF IS AT THE CENTER AND THE PEOPLE ARE BEHIND US.
SO I THINK IF WE KEEP FOCUS AND, UH, AND THEN CONTINUE TO ASK THE QUESTION, WHAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE HERE TO REPRESENT, I THINK EVENTUALLY WE'LL GET TO THE RIGHT PLACE.
BUT THAT ALSO MEANS IS THAT NOBODY IS, IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT 100% OF THE TIME, AND IT'S ALL RIGHT TO YIELD.
UM, AND IT'S ALL RIGHT TO COMPROMISE AND COMPROMISE.
IT SHOULDN'T BE A NEGATIVE ANYMORE.
YOU, I MEAN, UM, YOU CAN, YOU CAN START HERE, START HERE.
BUT IF, IF, IF EACH PARTY TAKES THE POSITION THAT I'M ABSOLUTELY RIGHT AND YOU HAVE TO COME ALL THE WAY OVER HERE, THEN YOU'RE NOT GONNA ACHIEVE VERY MUCH.
OR IT IS GONNA TAKE MUCH LONGER TO GET TO WHERE YOU NEED TO BE.
UM, SO EVERYBODY HAS TO REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, MUSTAFA, YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO YOUR POSITION.
I HAVE A RIGHT TO MY POSITION, BUT IF YOU HOLD TO YOURS AND I HOLD TO MINE AND NOTHING MOVES, THEN WE BOTH LOSE.
SO HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE GET TO, TO THE BEST SOLUTION POSSIBLE WHERE THE PEOPLE END UP OF THE, OF THE RECIPIENTS, THE BENEFACTORS OF WHAT WE DO? AND I THINK EVEN IN THIS PROJECT, UH, AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, WHERE WE ENDED WAS NOT TOO MUCH FROM WHERE WE STARTED MM-HMM
IT JUST TOOK TWO YEARS TO GET THERE.
BUT IT'S NOT LIKE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE END RESULT, YOU HAVE A DRASTIC NEW, UM, PLAN.
AND, AND I THINK THAT, AND I THINK THAT'S THE LESSON LEARNED HERE.
WE DO HAVE A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH, BUT IT'S GONNA COST US ALL MORE BECAUSE THINGS INFLATION HAS RISEN AND, AND, UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO AS MUCH AS I WOULD'VE LIKED FOR US TO DO, FOR EXAMPLE, BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN THE WORLD CUP CUP COMES TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN 2026.
UM, AND, AND, AND YOU'VE TAUGHT ME, CAROL SAID THAT YOU'RE NOT INTIMIDATING.
I'VE BEEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THINGS WITH YOU.
YOU'RE PRETTY DAMN INTIMIDATING.
I'VE BEEN ON THOSE PHONE CALLS WITH YOU AND WE'VE, WE'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR A LONG TIME AND, AND I'M SO NICE.
UH, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW, UH, WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN AND YOU'RE FACING SOMETHING DIFFICULT, THERE IS NO FRIEND LIKE SYLVESTER TURNER THAT I HAVE SEEN YOU COME TO PEOPLE'S RESCUE.
I HAVE SEEN YOU MOVE MOUNTAINS FOR PEOPLE.
[00:35:01]
IS A BETTER PLACE FOR IT.I, I SEE OUR COMMISSIONER, BRIANIS AND SANJA HERE ON THE FRONT END.
YOU TALKED ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY CORRIDOR, UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF EXCITEMENT ABOUT THAT.
IT'S ONE OF THE, I THINK THE ONLY, UH, PROJECT IN TEXAS LIKE IT, UH, AND THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING AND, AND, AND THE VISION FOR IT.
HOW MUCH URGENCY AROUND THIS TO KIND OF MOVE QUICKLY ON THIS PROJECT IN YOUR MIND? WELL, THERE'S A LOT OF URGENCY AROUND IT.
AND WHEN THE FUNDING IS AVAILABLE, YOU HAVE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FUNDING.
LIKE RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, OTHER CITIES ARE NOT WAITING AROUND SAY, UH, SAYING, WELL, LET'S MAKE SURE HOUSTON GETS WHAT IT WANTS.
OTHER CITIES ARE, WE ARE ALL COMPETITIVE CITIES, COUNTIES, YOU KNOW, STATES.
WHEN FUNDING IS AVAILABLE, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO PUT TOGETHER PLANS WITH THE CONSENSUS FROM OUR REGION THAT WE CAN SAY TO THE POWERS THAT BE, WE ARE READY TO GO.
AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY, UH, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WENT AND PUT $150 MILLION INTO THEIR 2024 BUDGET ON THIS PROJECT BECAUSE THEY WERE CONVINCED THAT THE HOUSTON REGION WAS IN A SENSE, READY TO GO.
THEY ARE LOOKING FOR SHOVEL READY PROJECTS THAT THEY CAN HOLD UP AND SAY, LOOK AT WHERE THESE DOLLARS ARE BEING, ARE BEING, UH, INVESTED.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE TO WORK OUT.
WE, WE DO HAVE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE CONSENSUS, YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH ALL OF YOUR STAKEHOLDERS.
UH, BUT WE NEED TO MOVE WITH THE GREATEST DEGREE OF URGENCY.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO OVER THE LAST, SAY EIGHT YEARS IS BE VERY RESULT ORIENTED.
DON'T SPEND A WHOLE LOT OF TIME GOING BACK AND FORTH AND GETTING NOWHERE.
UM, SO THIS PROJECT, THIS UNIVERSITY LINE, ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY, 25 MILES CAN, IT WILL BE TRANSFORMATIONAL FOR OUR, FOR OUR AREA.
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FROM WEST CHASE TO TIDWELL AND ON AND BEYOND, IT'S OVER A BILLION DOLLAR PROJECT.
AND I GIVE A GREAT DEAL OF CREDIT, UH, TO METRO, UH, TO SANJAY AND THE BOARD AND ALL OF THE STAFF MEMBERS, THE COLLABORATION WITH THE COUNTY, UH, WITH ALL OF THE PARTNERS, UH, TO GETTING US TO THIS POINT.
NOW WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO CLOSE THE DEAL AND GET MOVING.
YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT YOUR CONVERSATION WITH LIZA, UM, ELI PAUL AT TDOT, THE COUNTY, UH, HERA, CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, UH, HOUSTON GALVES AREA COUNCIL.
I FEEL LIKE THERE'S NEVER BEEN A POINT WHERE, WHERE THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES ARE TALKING MORE WITH EACH OTHER TODAY THAN WE, THAN WE'VE HAD IN RECENT HISTORY.
WHAT IS THAT WE NEED TO KEEP DOING IN ORDER TO BUILD ON IT RATHER THAN GO BACKWARDS? YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS RELATIONSHIP DRIVEN.
ELIJAH AND I HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
YOU KNOW, I WORKED WITH HER HUSBAND IN THE LEGISLATURE, IN THE LEGISLATURE, WE WORKED TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S NEVER, RELATIONSHIPS MEAN EVERYTHING, BECAUSE WHEN YOU ESTABLISH POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS, YOU ESTABLISH A LOT OF TRUST.
WHAT PEOPLE MAY NOT, PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW.
I TALK WITH FOLK ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE ALL THE TIME ON THE PHONE.
THEY'LL CALL ME, I CALL THEM AND JUST SAY, HEY, WHAT IN THE HELL ARE Y'ALL DOING UP THERE?
AND, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER.
SO RELATIONSHIPS MEAN EVERYTHING.
AND, UM, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
IT'S HARD TO BOUNCE BACK WHEN YOU MAKE THINGS PERSONAL.
PEOPLE I THINK CAN UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU'RE PASSIONATE ON THE ISSUES AND WHEN YOU'RE PASSIONATE ON THINGS FOR THE PEOPLE AND THE DISTRICTS THAT YOU REPRESENT.
UH, THE RELATIONSHIP THAT I HAVE WITH THE MAYORS IN THIS REGION IS GREAT.
DOESN'T MEAN WE DON'T DIFFER, BUT WE DON'T FALL OUT.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD ALWAYS REACH TO THE POINT WHERE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, REGARDLESS OF WHERE WE STAND ON THE ISSUES, WE OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO GO TO BREAKFAST, LUNCH, OR DINNER, HAVE A DRINK,
[00:40:01]
AND WE'LL BE OKAY.AND, UH, WHEN IT GETS BEYOND THAT WHERE YOU CAN'T STAND TO BE AROUND FOLK, THEN YOU GOT A PROBLEM.
BECAUSE THEN IT BECOMES HIGHLY, HIGHLY PERSONAL.
AND SO, UM, IN MY TIME IN THE LEGISLATURE, AND EVEN AS MY TIME AS MAYOR, I, I TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM PERSON.
EVEN ON CITY COUNCIL, WE DON'T ENGAGE IN, WITH FEW EXCEPTION, WE DON'T ENGAGE IN A, IN A
UH, WE DON'T ENGAGE IN PERSONALITIES WITH FEW EXCEPTION EVERY NOW AND THEN, SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, GOES ASTRAY.
UM, BUT THE KEY IS IN THOSE MOMENTS, YOU DON'T GO WITH THEM.
AND PEOPLE WILL SHOW WHO THEY ARE IF YOU ALLOW THEM TO GO THEMSELVES.
AND THERE ARE TIMES, AND COUNCILORS WILL TELL YOU, I HAVE MY LITTLE BALL THAT I HOLD UNDER THE TABLE AND I'LL JUST SQUEEZE THE HELL OUT OF IT,
SO YOU, YOU DON'T WANT TO ADD TO A CHAOTIC SITUATION.
UM, AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, I THINK YOU CAN MAKE PROGRESS, UH, AND YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD.
WELL, LET ME, UM, WHEN WE, WHEN WE ASKED YOU TO, UH, BE DUE TO YOUR FIRST STATE OF MOBILITY YEARS AGO, I REMEMBER WE WERE IN YOUR OFFICE, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT YOU HAD JUST GONE TO TDOT, UH, COMMISSION, AND YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT MULTIMODAL.
UH, AND WE THOUGHT AS WE LOOKED AROUND, WE ALWAYS DID EVENTS WITH INDIVIDUAL AGENCIES, BUT NOBODY EVER PUT THE WHOLE PICTURE TOGETHER.
AND THAT YOU CAME AND, AND BEGAN TO DO THAT WITH US.
AND WE, UH, UH, ROLLED OUT OUR MOBILITY MAP, OUR, OUR OUR MOTION MAP, WHICH TAKES ALL THE PROJECTS FROM THE REGION AND THAT ARE, THAT ARE NOT FUNDED IN ONE PLACE.
SO I, I'M GONNA ASK YOUR PERMISSION TO, TO RUN A, A SHORT VIDEO ABOUT OUR MOTION MAP.
AND I WANT TO ASK YOU A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, AND WE'RE GONNA START WRAPPING UP THE PROGRAM AFTER THAT.
SO WITH THAT, UH, IF YOU CAN RUN THE VIDEO OF, OF MOTION MAP.
THE MOTION MAP REPRESENTS THE PRIORITIES.
OUR REGION NEEDS TO KEEP UP WITH THE GROWTH.
IT HAS THE PEL STUDIES, THE HIGHWAY PROJECTS, THE TOLL ROAD PROJECTS.
I THINK THE MOTION MAP IS A GREAT TOOL TO USE IN MY ROLE WHEN I'M LOOKING AT FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IN OUR REGION.
THE MOTION MAP REPRESENTS ENCAPSULATION OF THE WIDE ARRAY OF NEEDS FOR IMPROVED TRANSPORTATION IN OUR REGION.
I USE THE MAP TO UNDERSTAND THE BIGGER PICTURE.
IT'S ALSO A RESOURCE TO HELP STAKEHOLDERS COMMUNICATE WITH STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS, WHICH IS WHY THE MOTION MAP IMPROVEMENTS AROUND TRANSIT AND OTHER TRAVEL MODES ARE SO WELCOME TO ME.
PEOPLE MOVE ABOUT OUR REGION IN MANY WAYS.
WALKING, ROLLING, BIKING, RIDING, TRANSIT, AND YES.
ALL ARE IMPORTANT AND ALL ARE INCREASINGLY REFLECTED ON THE MOTION MATTER.
THERE IS A, UH, THERE'S A, WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THAT, THE MOTION MAP, BECAUSE IT REALLY BEGAN WITH YOUR VISION OF IT.
IT IS NOT A CHOICE BETWEEN, UM, BRT VERSUS CARS RIGHT.
OR TRAIN VERSUS OTHER ELEMENTS OF IT.
THAT, AND TAG HAS OVERSEEN ITSELF AS A, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION MOBILITY COMMUNITY WHERE WE ALL COME TOGETHER AS EQUALS FIGURE OUT SOLUTIONS AND, AND, AND MOVE THEM.
RIGHT? AS YOU LOOK TOWARDS HOUSTON'S FUTURE, YOU TALKED ABOUT PASSING A BATON.
I KNOW YOU ASKED ME TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT SOME BALLOT INITIATIVE TO EXTEND THE TERMS. I EXPLORED THAT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY.
NO
HERE'S ENCOURAGED A, A WRITING
[00:45:01]
CAMPAIGN.UH, NOW LET ME STOP THAT RIGHT NOW.
NO, WHEN MY, WHEN DECEMBER 31ST, 1159 COMES, UM, I MEAN, I'LL BE STILL SIGNING SOME EXECUTIVE ORDERS, UM, BY THEN, BUT, UH, NO, IT'S, UM, IF I COULD STAY, I WOULD STAY.
UM, I STILL BELIEVE THE TERMIN LIMITS IS ONLY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS WRONG.
COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE 'EM, STATE DOESN'T HAVE 'EM.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOESN'T HAVE ANY.
I I HAVE, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY HOUSTONIANS WOULD IMPOSE SOMETHING ON ITSELF WHEN NOBODY ELSE, UH, DOES IT, IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME.
BUT I'LL LEAVE THAT FOR, UM, FOR FUTURE HOUSTONIANS TO DEAL WITH.
UM, BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO, WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN WHILE WE CAN AND THEN, UM, AND THEN TRY TO GIVE THE NEXT MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, UM, AS MUCH OF A RUNWAY TO CONTINUE TO BUILD.
AND I AM HOPEFUL, UM, THAT THE NEXT MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL WILL DO EVEN GREATER THAN WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS.
CAN I ASK THE, THE, THE BOARD MEMBERS, JACK AND OTHERS TO COME UP? UH, REAL QUICKLY, WE MAYOR, WE, WE WANTED TO, UM, COMMEMORATE, UH, YOUR LEADERSHIP, UH, FOR US.
IF YOU ARE TRULY A HOUSTON'S MAYOR, UH, YOU HAVE BROUGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER.
YOU'VE TACKLED DIFFICULT PROBLEMS, WHETHER IT'S FROM PENSION OR TRANSPORTATION THROUGHOUT YOUR TENURE.
AND I THINK THAT SOMETIMES, UH, THOSE OF US IN POLITICS, WE LIKE THE, THE, THE BATTLING OF BACK AND FORTH AND AS, AS A SOURCE OF ENTERTAINMENT.
AND I'VE SEEN YOU, UH, TACKLE VERY DIFFICULT ISSUES.
AND JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT SYLVESTER TURNER WAS GONNA BE REALLY TOUGH, HE'S GENTLE.
AND WHEN YOU THOUGHT SYLVESTER TURNER WA WASN'T PUSHING GOD, YOU KNOW HOW TO BRING A BULLDOZER TO A FIGHT
AND SO YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN A LEADER.
AND JACK'S GONNA TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT AN AWARD AND, AND, AND, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA, WE, WE LEFT TO PRESENT IT TO YOU.
THANKS MS. FOR ALL THE LEADERSHIP THAT YOU'VE PROVIDED THIS.
AND, AND MAYOR, JUST, YOU KNOW, I'LL BE LOOKING FOR THAT WRITING CAMPAIGN.
IT'S A SEND NOT TO VOTE IN MY HOUSE.
ALRIGHT, SO IF I COULD, UH, TURN THE ATTENTION, UM, AND THE MIC OVER TO OUR COLLEAGUE, MY COLLEAGUE, MY FRIEND OF 20 YEARS, ONE OF THE CO-FOUNDERS OF TAG JACK DRAKE.
AND HE WAS GOING TO OFFER THE MAYOR A TOKEN OF OUR APPRECIATION.
AND MEANWHILE, I'LL ASK OUR BOARD, PHENOMENAL BOARD TO COME UP AND JOIN US.
YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA SPEND THERE.
WE'RE GONNA LET, UH, SONJA WAS TRYING TO MAKE THE MOVE HERE.
SYLVESTER TURNER WAS BORN IN ACRE HOME, WENT TO HARVARD, THEN TO AUSTIN AND BACK TO HOUSTON TO WORK FOR US ALMOST EIGHT YEARS AGO.
MAYOR, YOU SUPPORTED TAG EVEN IN YOUR YOUTH.
ATTENDING MANY MEETINGS, SHAKING HANDS, KISSING BABIES AND SUCH.
AND YOU WERE PART OF OUR MAYORAL FORUM DURING THE 2015 ELECTION.
IN FACT, AND I KNOW EVERYBODY WOULD AGREE, WE THINK THAT YOUR PERFORMANCE THAT DAY WITH SEVEN OTHERS ON THE STAND BEFORE THAT TAG AUDIENCE IS PRETTY MUCH WHY YOU WON.
IS THAT RIGHT? THE POWER OF TAG NOW THAT YOU'VE SPOKEN TO TAG FOR THE EIGHTH TIME, WE THINK IT'S ABOUT TIME THAT WE THANK YOU WITH MORE THAN A FREE LUNCH.
'CAUSE TRUTH BE KNOWN, WE DO THAT FOR MOST SPEAKERS.
SO LET ME SAY THIS, WHAT COULD IT BE? MAYOR, AS YOU HOLD THIS AND MAYBE SHOW IT TO OTHERS OUT HERE,
[00:50:02]
THIS IS AN AUTHENTIC SEAFARING COMPASS.IT IS AN APPROPRIATE GIFT FOR YOU, SIR.
WHY? FOR EXAMPLE, BECAUSE YOU HAVE KEPT YOUR BEARINGS, YOU HAVE STEERED A STEADY COURSE, YOU HAVE ADVANCED US ACROSS ROUGH SEAS.
YOU HAVE BEEN A GOOD AND WORTHY SAILOR AS CAPTAIN OF THE GOOD SHIP HOUSTON.
AND BECAUSE YOU HAVE LED BOLDLY ON MOBILITY, INSCRIPTION READS A TRUE PARADIGM SHIFT FOR HOUSTON'S TRANSPORTATION TAG IS PROUD OF YOU AND THE VOYAGE YOU HAVE COMMANDED.
JOIN ME NOW FELLOW MOBILITY ADVOCATES IN APPRECIATION OF TAG'S, FAITHFUL FRIEND AND OUR TRANSPORTATION ADVOCATE, OUR MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER.
OKAY, WE WANT TO GRAB YOU FOR ONE LAST THING.
UH, IF YOU WANT, WE HAVE UH, WE HAVE A MEMBER OF OUR TAG GROUP THAT'S, UH, YEAH.
SO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WANNA THANK YOU SO MUCH, THE MAYOR, INSIGHTFUL COMMENTS, BUT WE DO HAVE ONE MORE PIECE OF BUSINESS BEFORE WE LET EVERYONE GO BACK INTO THE WORLD.
BUT YOU KNOW, WE, AGAIN, ANOTHER BITTERSWEET MOMENT WE HAVE IS THAT, UM, THAT WE WANNA SHARE IS UNFOR UNFORTUNATELY, BUT EXCITED FOR HER.
UM, ESMA MAYO, WHO MANY OF YOU KNOW AND LOVE AND A INVALUABLE P MEMBER OF THE TAG TEAM WILL BE LEAVING IN SHORTLY FOR ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY.
AND WE ARE VERY SELFISHLY SAD THAT SHE IS LEAVING.
UM, BUT THEN AGAIN, SUPER EXCITED BECAUSE IT IS A NEW CHAPTER AND KNOW THAT SHE WILL CONTINUE TO ROCK IT OUT WHEREVER SHE GOES.
AND IF SHE COULD COME UP AND JOIN US BECAUSE ON BEHALF OF TAG AND THE ENTIRE BOARD, WE WANNA THANK YOU.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD GIVE HER A STANDING OVATION AND ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR ALL THAT SHE HAS DONE FOR TAG.
YEAH, WE'LL TAKE ONE MORE PICTURE.
SO WHAT YOU WANT TO CONCLUDE? OKAY, SO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU.
THE, JUST WANNA THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MYSELF AND ENTIRE ORGANIZATION AND ALSO MAKE SURE THAT YOU NOTE OUR NEXT EVENT WILL BE JUNE 8TH.
EVERYONE, MARK THEIR COUNT AS JUNE 8TH WITH WTS WOMEN IN TRANSPORTATION.
WE'LL BE CELEBRATING WOMEN IN TRANSPORTATION THAT HAVE GRADUATED INTERNS IN THOSE STUDYING, IN IN TRANSPORTATION.
[00:55:01]
JOURNEY WHEREVER YOU GO.