[Press Conference: "Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Funding Announcement"]
[00:00:19]
WE KNOW OF THE DAILY CHALLENGES AND FRUSTRATIONS THAT MANY RESIDENTS, MOTORISTS AND PEDESTRIANS ENDURE AS THEY'RE DELAYED BY BLOCK TRAINS AND THEY THRIVE TO AND FROM WORK SCHOOL AND MORE.UH, SO THAT'S WHY TODAY, UH, I'M EXCITED, UH, THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS A RECIPIENT OF THE RAILROAD CROSSING ELIMINATION GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $36.9 MILLION FOR THE WEST WEST BELT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
PHASE ONE, AND I MIGHT ADD THE LARGEST ALLOCATION IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, UH, MADE AVAILABLE BY THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW.
THE RAILROAD CROSSING YOU SEE NEARBY WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS HISTORIC INVESTMENT.
IT IS A PART OF A TOTAL PROJECT COST OF $123 MILLION, 61.4 MILLION FROM THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, AND 24.5 MILLION FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S LOCAL MATCH.
IT WILL CREATE A 9,000 FOOT SEAL CORRIDOR AND QUIET ZONE BETWEEN RONALDS, UH, AND LELAND STREET ADMINISTRATIVE BOWS.
YOU AND I KNOW THIS WORK IS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT PARTNERS AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, AND I MUST THANK OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION FOR PASSING THIS LANDMARK LEGISLATION GIVING UP TO THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION AND SENDING DOLLARS DIRECTLY TO COMMUNITIES TO ADDRESS OUR NATION'S AGENT INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, TODAY WE HAVE STAFF FROM CONGRESSWOMAN CILA JACKSON LEE, CONGRESSWOMAN SYLVIA GARCIA, CONGRESSWOMAN LIZZIE FLETCHER, AND CONGRESSMAN DAN CRENSHAW'S.
SO WHERE ARE THEY? RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE ALSO HAVE THE HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT TWO COMMISSIONER ADRIAN GARCIA, WHO REPRESENTS, UH, UH, THIS AREA AND PROVIDED SUPPORT TO OUR APPLICATION, ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS CARLOS CISNEROS AND ROBERT GALLEGOS, REPRESENTING THE DISTRICT THAT WILL BE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THE, BY THIS PROJECT AND CERTAINLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ALL OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, VICE MAYOR, PROM, MOTHER CASTEK, TATUM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN
GIVE IT UP TO ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND WE ALSO HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM STATE SENATORS, CAROL ALVARADO AND BORIS MILES, STATE REPRESENTATIVES, ANNA HERNANDEZ, CHRISTINA MORALES, AND HAROLD TON ARE ALSO JOINING US TODAY.
WE ALSO WERE FORTUNATE TO RECEIVE SUPPORT AND ARE JOINED BY REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE EAST END MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, THE EAST END CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, TURS 15 AND 23, HOUSTON DYNAMO, METRO LINK, HOUSTON, PORT HOUSTON, GULF COAST RAIL DISTRICT, HAT, SEVERAL RAIL COMPANIES, INCLUDING B-N-S-F-U-P-R-R, AND HB AND T, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE COMMUNITY.
AND I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, CAROL HADDOCK, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS AND EVERYBODY AFFILIATED WITH PUBLIC WORKS, SANJAY RAM FROM MET CHAIR METRO, VERONICA DAVIS.
UH, SINCE I'VE BEEN MAYOR, IT HAS BEEN A PARAMOUNT DURING OUR ADMINISTRATION THAT WE SEEK TRANSFORMATIONAL INVESTMENTS FOR OUR CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE.
YOU DON'T BUILD THE CITY FOR THE PRESENT OR THE PAST, BUT FOR THE FUTURE, THE WEST BELT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, PHASE ONE, WE'LL PROVIDE, UM, LORD, SORRY, LORD, GIVE IT UP TO DR.
LORD BY PRESIDENT, CEO HOUSTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE LEADING CHAMBER, YOU KNOW, UH, THE WEST BELT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT WILL PROVIDE A SAFER ROUTE FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS, DECREASE THE POTENTIAL FOR TRAINING VEHICLE COLLISIONS, ELIMINATE VEHICLE CROSSING RAILROAD TRACKS, DECREASE VEHICLES IDLING AT CROSSINGS, RESULTING IN AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS BY LOWERING VEHICLE EMISSIONS AND PROVIDING FASTER, MORE RELIABLE ROUTE FOR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS.
THIS IS ALSO A CRITICAL FUTURE STEP IN DEVELOPING A FUTURE FIVE MILE LONG QUIET ZONE THAT WILL REMOVE TRAIN HORN NOISE FOR NEARLY 15,000 HOUSEHOLDS
[00:05:01]
ALONG THE WEST BELT, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND ECONOMIC VITALITY OF THE COMMUNITY.IN CLOSING, I WANT TO AGAIN THANK YOU ADMINISTRATOR, THOSE THE BIDEN HARRIS ADMINISTRATION AND CONGRESS FOR PASSING THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW.
AS I NOTED BEFORE, THIS IS NOT ONLY THE LARGEST GRANT IN TEXAS, BUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS ALSO THE ONLY CITY IN TEXAS TO WIN COMPETITIVE GRANTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THE RAISE GRANT, SAFE STREET FOR ALL, AND NOW A RAILROAD CROSSING ELIMINATION GRANT.
TODAY WE RECEIVED A RAISE GRANT ON TELEPHONE ROAD FOR 21,000,002 AIRPORT TERMINAL PROGRAM GRANTS FOR GEORGE BUSH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND WILLIAM HARVEY AIRPORT FOR 43.6 MILLION 142 MILLION FROM THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS FOR THE PORT OF HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL PROJECT 1120 8 MILLION ON SAFE STREETS FOR ALL ON BI NET, 604,000 FOR SAFE STREETS FOR ALL TO THE EAST END MANAGEMENT DISTRICT SAFE STREETS FOR ALL ACTION PLANNING.
GRANT TO THE HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL 552,000 RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES ON HILL CROSS AVENUE PLANNING GRANT METRO RECEIVED 21.6 MILLION FOR ELECTRIC BUSES AND CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT STUDY AT TIDWELL FOR 376,000.
AND TODAY, THE RAILROAD CROSSING ELIMINATION GRANT FOR 36.9 MILLION.
SO A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR FRIEND SECRETARY P BUTTIGIEG TO GIVE IT UP TO SECRETARY P BUDGIE, AND TO ALL OF OUR FRIENDS AND AT THE FEDERAL RAILROAD AUTHORITY FOR BOTH THEIR PRESIDENTS AT PAST MEETINGS AND TOWN HALLS TO HAVE RESIDENTS AND GIVE A BIG THANK YOU TO PRESIDENT BIDEN FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT FOR CITIES COUNTY PROSECUTOR.
SO WE THANK YOU, UM, MR. ADMINISTRATOR FOR BRAVING OUR HOUSTON WEATHER, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING YOU BACK IN HOUSTON SOON.
UH, AND I NOW HAVE THE PLEASURE OF WELCOMING, UH, THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATOR, UH, BOAST, UH, TO THE PODIUM AND GIVE HIM A WARM WELL, IT'S ALREADY WARM
IT IS, UH, IT IS GREAT TO BE BACK HERE IN HOUSTON.
UH, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IT'S, IT'S MY THIRD TIME, UH, SINCE AUGUST OF LAST YEAR TO BE HERE.
I WANT TO THANK THE CITY FOR ORGANIZING THIS EVENT AND FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE PROJECT THAT WE'RE CELEBRATING TODAY.
IT'S A VERY GOOD DAY FOR HOUSTON AND THE MANY PEOPLE TRAVELING THROUGH AND LIVING BETWEEN RE STREET AND LELAND STREET.
I KNOW THE BLOCK CROSSING AND GRAY CROSSING SAFETY IS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY HERE HAS WORKED VERY HARD TO FIND A SOLUTION FOR.
IN MANY INSTANCES, WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER AND TODAY IS A MAJOR STEP FORWARD TO INCREASE SAFETY AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AS SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG HAS SAID MULTIPLE TIMES, MOST OF THE GOOD IDEAS DON'T COME FROM WASHINGTON, BUT MORE OF THE FUNDS SHOULD.
ON BEHALF OF THE BIDEN HARRIS ADMINISTRATION, I AM THRILLED TO AWARD NEARLY $37 MILLION TO BUILD FOUR UNDERPASSES AND CONSTRUCT A 9,000 FOOT SEALED CORRIDOR.
THE CROSSINGS IMPACTED BY THIS AWARD ARE ONES WHERE MORE THAN 850 INCIDENTS OF TRAIN BLOCKAGES HAVE BEEN REPORTED THROUGH RA'S PUBLIC ONLINE PORTAL.
THIS YEAR ALONE, THE NEW UNDERPASS WILL MEAN THERE'S NO POSSIBILITY OF COLLISIONS BETWEEN TRAINS AND VEHICLES AND NO WAITING TIMES FOR A TRAIN TO PASS.
THAT MEANS SAFER TRAVEL FOR DRIVERS, LOTS OF TIME BACK IN PEOPLE'S DAILY LIVES, FASTER RESPONSE TIME FOR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS, AND A HIGHER QUALITY OF LIFE.
HOUSTON IS MUCH TOO FAMILIAR WITH DISRUPTIONS AND DELAYS AT HIGHWAY RAIL CROSSINGS, AND UNFORTUNATELY, INCIDENTS OF GRAY CROSSINGS AND REPORTS OF BLOCK CROSSINGS REMAIN FAR TOO COMMON, NOT JUST HERE, BUT ACROSS THE NATION.
THAT'S WHY FRA WILL CONTINUE TO ADVANCE INITIATIVES THAT DECREASE THE UNACCEPTABLE STATUS QUO OF 2000 GREAT CROSSING COLLISIONS AND MORE THAN 200 CASUALTIES AT CROSSINGS.
EVERY YEAR, WE'RE GONNA KEEP ENGAGING COMMUNITIES LIKE THE EAST END AND RAILROADS TO WORK TOGETHER TO DRIVE DOWN MORE THAN THE 30,000 REPORTS OF BLOCK CROSSINGS THAT FRA RECEIVED
[00:10:01]
ON THE ONLINE PORTAL JUST LAST YEAR.HERE IN TEXAS, THAT MEANS FINDING WAYS TO DECREASE THE NUMBER OF COLLISIONS REPORTED IN HARRIS COUNTY, AS WELL AS THE REPORT OF BLOCK CROSSINGS THROUGHOUT THE STATE, WHICH RANKS SECOND AND FIRST RESPECTIVELY.
NATIONWIDE, THANKS TO THE PRESIDENT'S BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW AND THE RAILROAD CROSSING ELIMINATION PROGRAM, WE'RE FUNDING NEW INFRASTRUCTURE TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES THROUGH THE FIRST EVER FEDERAL PROGRAM DEDICATED TO ELIMINATING GREAT CROSSINGS.
WE'RE AWARDING FIVE GRANTS IN TEXAS, TOTALING NEARLY $87 MILLION, THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF ANY STATE IN THE COUNTRY.
IN FORT WORTH WHERE I WAS YESTERDAY IN FORT WORTH, WHERE I USED YESTERDAY, WE'RE INVESTING MORE THAN $17 MILLION TO HELP CONSTRUCT A FOUR LANE GREAT SEPARATED ROAD AND ELIMINATE A CROSSING THAT'S PREVENTED OR SLOWED DRIVERS AND PEDESTRIANS FROM GETTING TO WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.
WE'RE BUILDING AN OVERPASS IN SAN ANTONIO TO DECREASE WAIT TIMES FOR DRIVERS AND IMPROVE SUPPLY CHAIN FLUIDITY.
IN TOTAL, WE'RE AWARDING $570 MILLION TO 63 PROJECTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO, UH, HELP APPROXIMATELY 400 CROSSINGS IN 32 STATES.
AND WITH THE $3 BILLION RAILROAD CROSSING ELIMINATION PROGRAM, THE FUNDS ARE GONNA BE AVAILABLE FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
AND MORE IMPROVEMENTS ARE ON THE WAY.
THIS IS TRUE THROUGH FUTURE ROUNDS OF THE RCE PROGRAM, AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER COMPETITIVE FRA PROGRAMS, SOME THAT THE CITY IS FAMILIAR WITH, SUCH AS THE CONSOLIDATED RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM, OR CHRISSY FOR SHORT THAT SLATED TO AWARD MORE THAN $1.4 BILLION IN THE COMING MONTHS.
BUT AGAIN, WE'RE HERE TO CELEBRATE PHASE ONE WEST BELT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT RIGHT HERE IN HOUSTON.
EVEN WITH THIS NEW PROGRAM AND THE UNPRECEDENTED INVESTMENTS IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE LAW, WE STILL RECEIVED REQUESTS FOR ABOUT FOUR TIMES THAN THE FUNDING WE HAD AVAILABLE FOUR TIMES THE $600 MILLION.
SO I WANNA CONGRATULATE YOU ALL AGAIN FOR YOUR VERY STRONG AND COMPETITIVE APPLICATION.
AND THE FOLKS BEHIND ME ARE AN INDICATOR OR THE PARTNERSHIP, THE EFFORT THAT IT TAKES FROM THE RAILROAD COMPANIES UP, B-N-S-F-H-B, AND T, TO THE PORT OF HOUSTON, TO THE COUNTY, TO THE CITY.
SO I WANT TO CONGRATULATE THEM ALL, AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE'RE INVESTING IN AMERICA AND DELIVERING THE COMMON SENSE THINGS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR AND DESERVE.
AND WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH.
LEMME BRING UP, UH, CAROL LEWIS, UH, THE GULF COAST RAIL DISTRICT BOARD CHAIR, DR. LEWIS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR TURNER ON BEHALF OF THE GULF COAST RAIL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND THERE ARE SEVERAL OF US HERE TODAY.
UH, AND WE HAVE SO MANY STAKEHOLDERS, MANY OF WHOM THE MAYOR NAMED.
WE ARE JUST 100% THRILLED TO BE HERE TO ACCEPT THIS GRANT AND TO CELEBRATE THIS OCCASION.
UM, ADMINISTRATOR BOW, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR TURNER.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT THAT WE'VE GOTTEN THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
AS A BIT OF HISTORY, GULF COAST RAIL DISTRICT STARTED THE SEAL CORRIDOR IDEA BACK IN 2012.
WE HAD PUBLIC MEETINGS, WE DID THE ENVIRONMENTAL WORK, AND UNFORTUNATELY WE ENDED UP WITH A LITTLE BIT OF A GAP IN TERMS OF FUNDING.
AND SO WE WERE VERY PLEASED FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT UNDER MAYOR TURNER'S DIRECTION TOOK THIS ON AND APPLIED FOR THIS GRANT.
SO VERY, VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, I WANNA JUST MENTION SOMETHING.
THE BENEFITS THAT WERE MENTIONED, UM, BY BOTH MAYOR TURNER AND ADMINISTRATOR BOWES.
I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WE AS TRANSPORTATION PROFESSIONALS THINK ABOUT IN ADDITION TO THE HINDRANCES THAT WE KNOW WE HAVE BECAUSE OF THE CROSSINGS.
THE THING THAT HAPPENS IS THE FIRST, SECOND, THIRD TIME A TRAVELER GETS TO A BLOCK CROSSING, WHAT DO THEY DO THAT MAKE UP THEIR MIND? THEY'RE NOT GOING THAT WAY ANYMORE.
SO WE HAVE MORE THAN 700 CROSSINGS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, MORE THAN 2000 IN OUR REGION.
SO THINK ABOUT HOW THAT DISTRIBUTES, UH, IN AN IMBALANCE SORT OF WAY, OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
SO ALL OF THESE FOLKS ARE NOW TRAVELING ON OTHER ROADWAYS AND THEY'RE NOT DOING THEIR MOST DIRECT AND STRAIGHTFORWARD TRIP BECAUSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THEM IN TERMS OF GRADE CROSSINGS.
SO I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT GULF COAST RAIL DISTRICT HAS UNDER OUR PURVIEW, UH, WHAT WE NOW CALL THE HOUSTON AREA RAIL TRANSFORMATION COMMITTEE.
THAT COMMITTEE IS MADE UP OF A NUMBER OF AREA FOLKS, INCLUDING, I'M GONNA LOOK BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA FORGET ANYBODY,
[00:15:01]
THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY, EVERY CONTIGUOUS COUNTY, T STOCK PORT, HOUSTON METRO, THE CLASS ONE RAILROADS.AND SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS LOOKING AT FIRST OF ALL THE PRIORITY GREAT SEPARATIONS THAT WERE MENTIONED IN TEXT BEAUMONT RAIL STUDY, WHICH GAVE US ABOUT 56 THAT ARE PRIORITIES THROUGHOUT OUR REGION.
THE OTHER THING WE'RE GOING TO BE ADDING IS OTHER, UH, DIFFERENT WAYS TO ADDRESS SAFETY AND NOISE CONCERNS THROUGHOUT THE REGION.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HEART CONTINUING THE HEART, CONTINUING LOOK FORWARD FOR, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADMIT, SUBMIT ON SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES THAT ADMINISTRATOR BOWES MENTIONED.
AND SO TODAY WE'RE JUST THRILLED 'CAUSE THIS IS 11 YEARS IN THE MAKING.
SO WE'RE EXTREMELY HAPPY ABOUT THE AWARD WE GOT AND ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO BEGIN THIS GREAT SEPARATION.
I CONCLUDE MY REMARKS, MAYOR TURNER.
AND RECOGNIZED FROM THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER, AGENT GARCIA.
THIS IS A GREAT DAY, RIGHT? YES.
AND SO ONCE AGAIN, IT MATTERS WHO'S IN OFFICE.
SO PLEASE, ADMINISTRATOR, THANK PRESIDENT BIDEN, UH, VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS, UH, AND OUR, UH, ENTIRE DELEGATION FOR THEIR TYLER TO WORK IN MAKING SURE THAT THESE ISSUES THAT DR. LEWIS AND HER TEAM HAVE WORKED ON FOR SO LONG.
DON'T GO, UH, UNFUNDED AND GO FORGOTTEN.
I DO WANT TO TAKE A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO RECOGNIZE FRANCIS CAST DEIS, PRESIDENT OF THE EAST END CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND ONCE COUNCIL MEMBER, ALWAYS A COUNCIL MEMBER.
BUT TO THAT END, AS THE COMMISSIONER WHO REPRESENTS, UH, THE ENTIRE EAST SIDE OF HARRIS COUNTY EAST END HOUSTON, AND RECOGNIZING THAT ONE OF OUR STUDIES IDENTIFIED APPROXIMATELY 1200 RAIL CROSSINGS, UH, THE POINT OF CHANGING OUR TRANSIT, UH, SYSTEM AND, AND HABITS, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT THE COMMUNITY TAKES AND COMMUTER STATE IS, UH, NOT TO BE, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US NOT TO FORGET THE ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT IT HAS ON NEIGHBORHOODS AND SMALL BUSINESSES IN OUR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES.
AND SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS 37 MILLION, THE LARGEST IN TEXAS.
AND ONCE AGAIN, ADMINISTRATOR, THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO VISIT US, NOT FORGET US, AND TO BE PRESENT, TO HEAR US AND FOR YOUR WORK THAT IT TOOK TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS ALLOCATION COULD BE HAD.
BUT MAYOR TURNER, I HAVE ONE TO CLOSE BY ACKNOWLEDGING YOU, YOUR LEADERSHIP, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE APPLICATION WAS COMPLETE AND, UH, AND COMPETITIVE WITH, UH, THOSE THAT WE WERE COMPETING WITH AROUND THE COUNTRY.
SO AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS AND IT'S A GREAT DAY TO BE IN HOUSTON.
THANK YOU ON COUNCIL MEMBER HOL NOW OF DISTRICT H WELL, THIS, THIS IS SO EXCITING.
AND, UM, THE, THE MAYOR SAYS IT A LOT THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE DON'T, UM, GET THINGS DONE WITHOUT COLLABORATING WITH OTHERS.
AND, AND THIS IS SUCH A TESTAMENT TO THAT, YES, IT WAS A STRONG APPLICATION, BUT IT WAS EVEN STRONGER BECAUSE OF ALL THE PARTNERS THAT HAVE REALLY HELD HANDS AND PULLED IN THE SAME DIRECTION.
AND I WANNA JUST THANK, UM, YOU CAROL, FOR, UM, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND, AND, UM, AND, AND ALL THE, THOSE THAT HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE HOUSTON AREA RAIL TRANSFORMATION.
I THINK THAT'S BEEN A VERY STRATEGIC PART OF, OF, OF MAKING THAT HAPPEN TO ONE OF THE THINGS YOU DIDN'T MENTION IS THAT IT'S ALSO BEEN A, AN IMPORTANT EFFORT IN MAKING SURE THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS AT ALL LEVELS ARE ON BOARD.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE ARE HERE TODAY.
UM, I DID ALSO WANNA SAY THAT SOMETHING THERE THAT YOU, THAT YOU ALSO SAY A LOT IS, YOU KNOW, THAT WE, WE BUILD FOR THE FUTURE, NOT JUST FOR THE PRESENT.
YOU KNOW, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS TO LOOK FORWARD AND, AND, UM, IN PARTICIPATING, UM, YESTERDAY EVENING IN THE REGIONAL GOODS MOVEMENT PLAN, PUBLIC MEETING, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE AND THEN HOW IN 2019 THAT THERE WERE, UM, UH, 111 MILLION TONS OF FREIGHT THAT MOVED BY RAIL THROUGH THIS AREA, BUT THAT IN JUST 17 YEARS, BY THE YEAR 2050, THAT THE ANTICIPATED TONNAGE THAT'S EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH THE SAME AREA IS MORE THAN DOUBLE THAT 238 MILLION TONS.
MORE THAN DOUBLE OF THAT, UH, FREIGHT WILL BE COMING THROUGH OUR COMMUNITIES.
SO IT IS URGENT, IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, TO HAVE THESE GREAT SEPARATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, TO EVERYBODY.
AND SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN A, A LEADING ADVOCATE IN VOICE, UH, IN ADDRESSING RAILROAD CROSSINGS FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, AND CERTAINLY
[00:20:01]
WAS SPEAKING ABOUT IT EARLIER TODAY AT CITY COUNCIL.UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS FROM DISTRICT I, GOOD AFTERNOON.
IT'S AN EXCITING AND PROUD DAY TODAY.
AND, AND, AND I'VE BEEN CARRYING THIS HOUSTON CHRONIC BOOK FOR PAGE THE LAST FEW DAYS.
FIRST OF ALL, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO DISTRICT I AND TO DIRECTOR, OUR ADMINISTRATOR, BOOSE AND THE FRA.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AGAIN.
TODAY IS THE STORY DAY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, FOR THE EAST END COMMUNITY, AND FOR BOTH DISTRICT I AND DISTRICT EIGHT'S RESIDENTS.
THIS TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECT WAS CONCEIVED WELL OVER 15 YEARS AGO WHEN THE COMMUNITY BEGAN TO GRAPPLE WITH THE MANY EFFECTS STEMMING FROM BUSIER FREIGHT TRACKS.
AND SINCE THAT TIME, ENHANCING SAFETY AND IMPROVING MOBILITY HAS BECOME OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO THE MANY COMMUNITIES ADJACENT TO THESE RAIL CORRIDORS.
WITHIN HOUSTON CITY LIMITS ALONE, WE HAVE OVER 700 ACTIVE AND BUSY GREAT CROSSINGS.
MANY OF THOSE ARE LOCATED HERE IN THE EAST END, WHERE WE HAVE NUMEROUS TRACKS THAT CRISSCROSSED THE COMMUNITY AND EVEN ENCIRCLE MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
IT'S NOT UNCOMMON FOR ONE, TWO, OR THREE TRACKS TO BE OCCUPIED BY STOP TRAINS MULTIPLE TIMES PER DAY, BLOCKING NUMEROUS STREETS AND CRITICAL CROSSINGS.
WE'VE EVEN, WE'VE EVEN EXPERIENCED INSTANCES WHERE STOP TRAINS HAVE OCCUPIED MULTIPLE TRACKS SIMULTANEOUSLY, LEAVING THE COMMUNITY ALONG WITH SEVERAL SCHOOLS, AND A VERY BUSY FIRE STATION STATION 18 COMPLETELY ENCIRCLED BY STOP TRAINS.
BUT THANKFULLY, THE WEST BE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE SOME RELIEF BY PROVIDING SAFE, RELIABLE PASSAGEWAYS FOR MOTORISTS FIRST RESPONDERS AND PEDESTRIANS.
IT CERTAINLY WON'T SOLVE ALL THE MOBILITY CHALLENGES CAUSED BY GREAT CROSSINGS HERE IN THE EAST END.
BUT ONCE COMPLETE, THE NEW UNDERPASSES WILL PROVIDE FOR NEEDED EAST WEST MOVEMENTS OF BOTH NAVIGATION BOULEVARD AND COMMERCE STREET AND NORTH SOUTH MOVEMENTS ON YORK STREET.
AS A LIFELONG EAST ENDER, I CAN'T TELL YOU JUST HOW EXCITED I AM ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
RESIDENTS WILL EXPERIENCE RELIABLE MOBILITY OPTIONS, IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE, AND INCREASED HOME VALUES FOR DECADES TO COME.
LET ME EXPRESS MY SINCERE THANKS AGAIN TO THE FRA AND THE ADMINISTRATOR, BOSE, FOR THE PERSONAL ATTENTION YOU HAVE GIVEN TO OUR COMMUNITY AND THE COMMITMENTS YOU'VE MADE TO HELP IMPROVE RAIL OPERATIONS HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
I ALSO WANNA THANK MAYOR TURNER FOR HIS UNWAVERING SUPPORT.
I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT PROJECT FOR HIM, AND I'M HAPPY TO KNOW ADDITIONAL FUNDING WAS SECURED UNDER HIS WATCH AND WE DISCUSSED IT, LIKE HE SAID EARLIER TODAY, UH, IN REGARDS TO OUR CITY BUDGET TO HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO, DO SOME MORE IMPROVEMENTS.
LET ME ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS AND THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IN PARTICULAR, DIRECTOR HADDOCK, VERONICA DAVIS, CATHERINE PARKER, CATHERINE SUMMERLAND, AND DAVID BUILDS FOR ALL THEY DID TO HELP PUT TOGETHER THIS APPLICATION AND FOR THEIR ONGOING WORK AND ADVOCACY, YOU FINALLY, I WANNA RECOGNIZE OUR EAST END COMMUNITY.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WITH, WITHOUT THEIR HELP, WE WOULD BE HERE TODAY WITH THE FRA ADMINISTRATOR AND NEARLY $37 MILLION INVESTMENT HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR YOUR ACTIVE AND VOCAL SUPPORT FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS.
MY OFFICE HAS ASKED YOU ALL TO REPORT INSTANCES OF PROLONGED BLOCKAGES SO THAT WE, THAT WAY WE CAN BETTER TRACK THE PROBLEM.
YOU ALL HAVE STAYED ON TOP OF REPORTING THESE ISSUES THROUGH THE FRA PORTAL.
AND SO I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY AND AWARENESS AND MAKING TODAY A REALITY.
AND THEN BEFORE I ASK, UH, COMMISSIONER GARCIA TO COME BACK AND, UM, BUT I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO HAVE, UH, DIRECTOR HAD COME AND JUST SAY SOMETHING
BECAUSE AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE ARE CITIES AND TOWNS, UH, ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES
[00:25:01]
THAT ARE SEEKING, UH, THESE DOLLARS.SO, UH, DIRECTOR HADIT, IF YOU ARE COMING TO SPEAK AND SAY THANK, LEMME SAY THANK YOU TO YOU, AND THEN I'LL, AND SPEAK ON BEHALF OF YOU AND DR.
FIRST OFF, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO'S HERE TODAY FIRST FOR, UH, FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS.
THIS TRULY IS A WHOLE COMMUNITY BUSINESS, PRIVATE, PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP TO GET TO THIS POINT.
AND IT, IT IS TRULY OUR PLEASURE AS PUBLIC WORKS TO BE THE ONE WHO FACILITATED PUTTING THE RIGHT WORDS ON THE PAPER, BUT IT WAS THE COMMUNITY AND THE BUSINESSES AND, AND THE MANY OF THE PUBLIC PEOPLE, OUR, OUR PARTNERS IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND AND OUR PUBLIC WORKS TEAM, AND THEY'RE OUT HERE THAT I ASK 'EM TO STICK THEIR, STICK THEIR HANDS UP REAL QUICK.
WHO, WHO PUT THE RIGHT WORD? THIS IS THE FIRST OF, OF WHAT WE HOPE WILL BE MANY, AND I'M GONNA LOOK BACK HERE AND GO MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO, UH, TO HAVE THESE TYPE OF EVENTS.
UM, BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, WE, WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES HERE IN HOUSTON.
UH, WE'RE A CITY THAT CONTINUES TO GROW, EVOLVE, UH, READAPT, UH, REIMAGINE.
AND, UH, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REALLY DIG INTO AND ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE LINGERING, UM, QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES THAT CAN BE FIXED BY INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO IT IS OUR PLEASURE TO DO THAT.
AND I'M, I'M NOT GONNA TALK ANY LONGER, BUT I'M GONNA SAY LET'S GET THIS SIGNED AND LET'S GET GOING.
I WAS, UH, I INTENDED TO, UH, PUT, UH, AT LEAST TO SUMMARIZE IT, UH, IN SPANISH, BUT I DON'T WANNA HOG THE, UH, ON THE MIC.
SO LET ME, UM, LET ME ASK, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER GARCIA TO COME BACK AND IF YOU WILL, AND THEN I'LL MISS, I'M FEELING IN ANY MISS
BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS PRESENT.
AND LOOK, I'M, I'M GONNA BRING THE ADMINISTRATIVE BOW BACK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, TO ADMINISTRATIVE VOTE MEMBER HONOR.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANYBODY? COME TO ME, SIR.
I, I THOUGHT I HEARD COMMISSIONER GARCIA JUST SAY SOMETHING ABOUT FATALITIES.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SERIOUS INCIDENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED AT THE, UH, RAILROAD CAUSES THAT ARE BEING CHANGED AND HAVE THERE BEEN TOTALITIES OR DOES ANYBODY KNOW HOW MANY THERE, THERE HAVE BEEN? AND WE'LL GET YOU EXACT, UH, FIGURES ON THAT AFTER THIS, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THIS YEAR THERE HASN'T BEEN, UH, SO IT'S, WE'RE ON A GOOD STREAK AND A POSITIVE STREAK.
AND, AND IT JUST POINTS TO, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM.
WHAT YOU SEE BEHIND ME IN THE PROJECT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY IS, IS A LONG TERM SOLUTION, A PERMANENT SOLUTION.
BUT WE KNOW THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO ON A DAILY BASIS HERE.
AND AT THE FRA, WE HAVE SOME STAFF MEMBERS WHO'VE BEEN WORKING IN THIS AREA, WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY, UH, WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, WITH THE COUNTY, AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
AND, UM, AGAIN, WHILE IT'S NOT A PERFECT SITUATION, UH, SINCE AUGUST, UH, WE HAVE HAD A RENEWED FOCUS
[00:30:01]
IN THIS AREA AT THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, AND WE'RE NOT WALKING AWAY.AND THEN BEFORE WE CLOSE IT OUT, I'M GONNA ASK SANJAY RAM, UH, CHAIRMAN OF METRO TO AT LEAST COME, I SAY, HELLO, THANK MAYOR TURNER.
AND I WANT TO TAKE A PAGE FROM, UH, WHAT, UH, DIRECTOR HADDOCK SAID.
WE REALLY HOPE THIS IS FIRST OF MANY, MANY MORE OCCASIONS.
WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING A 25 MILE LONG BUS RAPID TRANSIT CORRIDOR, WHICH WILL CROSS FOUR RAILROAD CROSSINGS, TWO OF WHICH ARE AMONG THE TOP CULPRITS IN TERMS OF, UH, STALL RAIL, UH, VEHICLES, BLOCKING IT FOR OURS ON END.
AND WE HOPE THAT THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE WE ARE TRULY RE-IMAGINING WHAT A CITY ROADWAY CAN BE, NOT JUST FOR CARS, BUT ALSO FOR BUS RAPID TRANSIT FOR PEDESTRIANS, SAFE CROSSING FOR BIKES AND PET ACROSS THE RAILROAD CROSSINGS, WHICH BE AN EXAMPLE WE HOPE THAT CAN BE EMULATED, NOT JUST IN HOUSTON, BUT ELSEWHERE IN TEXAS.
BUT WE WANT TO BE THE FIRST TO SHARE HOW IT'S DONE.
SO THANK YOU ADMINIS BO THANK YOU FOR THIS TRAFFIC.
ALRIGHT, BRINGING UP, UH, BRINGING UP, UH, SANJAY WAS INTENTIONAL
OKAY, HAVING SAID THAT, UH, LET ME THANK YOU.
I KNOW THERE'LL PROBABLY A FEW PICTURES AND THEN WE ARE GONNA GET THE, UH, ADMINISTRATOR ON HIS WAY.
I DO WANT TO THANK HIM THOUGH FOR PERSONALLY COMING, UH, TO THE CITY OF, AND I KNOW WE, I KNOW WE JU WE'VE JOKED A LOT ON SOME OTHER THINGS, UH, BUT THIS IS TRANSFORMATIONAL.
THE FUNDING HERE IS TRANSFORMATIONAL.
IT IS A PART OF A BIGGER, BIGGER PROJECT.
AND, AND LET ME JUST ADD ADMINISTRATOR.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO JUSTICE 40, YOU CAN CHECK THE BOX WHEN IT COMES TO INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN UNDER RESOURCED.
WHEN YOU COME TO A COLLABORATIVE, UH, ARRANGEMENT, PARTNERSHIPS ON, ON MULTIPLE LEVELS, YOU CAN, YOU CAN CHECK THE BOX.
AND WHEN YOU COME TO SOMETHING THAT IS VERY FUTURISTIC, UM, YOU CAN CHECK THE BOX.
AND SO THESE I THINK ARE THE SORT OF PROJECTS.
THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR IS WHAT THE BIDEN, HARRIS AND CONGRESS ENVISIONED, AND WE ARE GONNA DO OUR VERY BEST TO LIVE UP, UH, TO, UM, THE TRUST THAT YOU ALL HAVE PLACED IN US.
HAVING SAID ALL THAT, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING AND, UM, WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.