[Press Conference: "METRO FutureLink Electric Bus & AV Shuttle Unveiling ]
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FABULOUS WEATHER AGAIN IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
UH, WE WERE JUST JOKING ABOUT THIS A LITTLE EARLIER.
ABOUT SIX MONTHS BACK, WE HAD A PRESS CONFERENCE RIGHT HERE WITH, UH, LABOR SECRETARY MARTY WALSH AND FROM THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF CLIMATE ACTION.
AND THE WEATHER WAS ALMOST AS GOOD AS IT IS RIGHT NOW.
SO HENCE FORTH ALL PRESS CONFERENCES AT METRO WILL BE AT THE CASHIER BUS OPERATING FACILITY.
I SERVE AS THE CHAIR OF THE METRO BOARD, AND IT'S AN HONOR TO BE WITH YOU THIS MORNING.
BEFORE I GET STARTED, I WANT TO INTRODUCE, UH, MY COLLEAGUE ON THE BOARD, BOARD MEMBER DIANE LUDER, BECAUSE OUR PRESIDENT AND CEO TOM LAMBERT AND OUR CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER, KIMBERLY WILLIAMS
I WAS GONNA SEE IF I SHOULD PUT A LEADERSHIP HOUSTON PLUG OR NOT, THAT THAT WAS THE PAUSE.
UM, WE'VE GOT, UH, SEVERAL FOLKS FROM, UH, OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS OFFICES JOINING US.
LARRY FREEMAN FROM STATE REPRESENTATIVE JOLANDA JONES'S OFFICE IS HERE.
JULIA EMAMI SAEED FROM COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCON'S OFFICE IS HERE.
IF THIS WAS A FRIDAY COUNCIL MEMBER ALQUAN WOULD'VE BEEN RIDING A BUS TO THE CASHMERE BUS OPERATING FACILITY.
CC SCOTT FROM COUNCIL MEMBER LETICIA PLUMBER'S OFFICE IS HERE, AND AARON BURGESS FROM STATE REPRESENTATIVE SULEMAN LEILANI'S OFFICE IS ALSO HERE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US, AND OF COURSE, WE ARE THRILLED TO HAVE MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER AT, UH, THE KIR BUS OPERATING FACILITY.
THANK YOU MAYOR FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
WE ARE PROUD TO SHOWCASE TWO POWERFUL INNOVATIONS THAT REPRESENT METRO'S STEADFAST COMMITMENT TO PROGRESS.
THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS FROM THE CUSP OF FOR REVOLUTION, DRIVEN BY ADVANCEMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY AND A GROWING DESIRE FOR SUSTAINABLE MULTIMODAL MOBILITY AND TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS.
AT METRO, WE BELIEVE THAT INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY ARE NOT JUST RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE AGENCY, BUT TRULY THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO CREATE A BETTER TOMORROW.
WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT BUILDING A THRIVING, LIVABLE, AND EQUITABLE FUTURE FOR THE ENTIRE GREATER HOUSTON REGION, AND WE ARE HARD WORKING HARD TO MAKE IT A REALITY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
THE FUTURE LINK THAT YOU SEE TO MY RIGHT IS METRO SHUTTLE OF THE SHUTTLE OF TOMORROW.
THIS AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE MARKS THE NEXT PHASE OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN TO INTEGRATE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY INTO OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM.
WE HAD A PILOT PROJECT BACK IN 20 16 20 17.
THIS BUILDS ON THAT AND PROMISES TO REVOLUTIONIZE ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, OFFERING A CONVENIENT AND EFFICIENT TRAVEL EXPERIENCE FOR ALL, ESPECIALLY THOSE RESIDING IN OUR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
THIS IS ALSO A FULLY A DA COMPLIANT AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE, WHICH IS THE NEXT PHASE OF OUR, UH, PROJECT.
THE ELECTRIC BUS TO MY LEFT BEHIND ME IS JUST ONE OF MORE TO COME ELECTRIFYING OUR COMMUNITY, AND IT'S A PART OF METRO'S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN.
WE WERE RECOGNIZED BY THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION AS ONE OF THE FIRST LARGE PUBLIC TRANSIT AGENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO SUBMIT A CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND NOW TAKING ACTION ON THAT PLAN, THIS INVESTMENT SIGNIFIES THANK YOU.
THIS INVESTMENT SIGNIFIES A COMMITMENT TO A GREENER FUTURE BY PAVING THE WAY FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF ONLY NON EMISSIONS ZERO EMISSION VEHICLES.
TODAY, YOU'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET A FIRSTHAND LOOK AT BOTH OF THESE INNOVATIONS AND LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT THEY OFFER.
THIS IS JUST ANOTHER STEP IN OUR JOURNEY TOWARD A CLEANER, SMARTER, MORE CONNECTED AND EQUITABLE FUTURE.
AND WE ARE EXCITED TO HAVE EACH ONE OF YOU JOIN US HERE AS WE EMBARK ON THIS TRANSFORMATIVE VENTURE.
I WANNA ALSO RECOGNIZE HORACE MARS WITH TWU, OUR UNION PARTNERS THAT MAKE OUR BUSES AND TRAINS AND METRO LIT VEHICLES RUN AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE IN A STATE OF GOOD REPAIR.
THANK YOU HO FOR THE PARTNERSHIP AND FOR JOINING US HERE THIS MORNING.
YOU KNOW, SEVERAL YEARS BACK, MAYOR TURNER CALL FOR A PARADIGM SHIFT WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSPORTATION.
THIS FUTURE OF TRANSIT EVENT IS ONE OF THOSE PARADIGM SHIFTS TO
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MULTIMODAL SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY OPTIONS FOR A GROWING REGION.AND MAYOR TURNER, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR OUR REGION.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR METRO, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US THIS MORNING AND THROUGH THE LAST EIGHT YEARS IN MAKING SURE THAT AS OUR REGION GOES FROM 6 MILLION TO 11 MILLION RESIDENTS, WE TRULY HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO CHOOSE WHETHER THEY WANT TO WALK, BIKE, ROLL, RIDE, OR BE DRIVEN BY METRO TO THEIR DESTINATION.
SO WITH THAT MAYOR S TURNER, LOOK, LET ME, LET ME THANK, UH, SANJAY AND APPRECIATE HIS LEADERSHIP AS CHAIR OF THE METRO BOARD, UH, TO DIANE, ALWAYS GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.
UH, YES, WE HAVE SOME OUTSTANDING BOARD MEMBERS AND TO TOM WHO WILL BE WRAPPING UP, UH, RIGHT ALONG WITH ME IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, UH, AFTER GIVING CLOSE TO WHAT, 45 YEARS, UH, TO METRO.
AND I CERTAINLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE KIM.
KIM IS THE QUEEN OF INNOVATION.
UM, SO SHE, UM, SHE'S LIKE THE POINT PERSON HERE, UH, ON THESE, ON THIS PROJECT.
UH, BEFORE I GET STARTED, I, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, JESSE BOUNDS, WHO IS MY, UH, DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE ON TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION.
CHRIS IS THE DIRECTOR OF EVOL, UH, HOUSTON THAT FOCUS ON ELECTRIFICATION OF OUR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FLEET TRYING TO GET US TO 50% BY 2030.
LOOK, I'M, I'M DELIGHTED TO, UH, TO BE WITH ALL OF YOU, TO JOIN YOU TO CELEBRATE A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE IN THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION, UH, RIGHT HERE IN THE HOUSTON REGION, THE METRO REGION, UH, THE DE DEBUT, UH, OF METRO'S FUTURE LINK AND THE ELECTRIC, UH, VEHICLE, THE BUS, UH, THE FUTURE IS INDEED HERE.
AND IT, QUITE FRANKLY, IT LOOKS VERY BRIGHT FOR HOUSTON.
UH, THIS EVENT, UH, AS FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER JACK CHRISTIE WOULD SAY IS A BIG DEAL, UH, NOT JUST FOR METRO, UH, BUT FOR OUR CITY'S COMMITMENT TO INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY, AND A TRANSFORMATIVE SHIFT IN TRANSPORTATION.
UH, IT WAS IN FEBRUARY OF 2020 THAT THE CITY PUT FORTH ITS RESILIENT HOUSTON PLAN.
IT WAS ON EARTH DAY OF 2020 THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON PUT FORTH.
ITS FIRST OF A CLIMATE ACTION PLAN.
SO WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WITH METRO'S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, ALL FOCUS ON ENERGY TRANSITION, ELECTRIFYING OUR, UH, PUBLIC TRANSIT FLEET AS WELL AS PRIVATE VEHICLES AND A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS, UH, WE ARE BUILDING A MUCH MORE RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY.
AUTOMATION AND ELECTRIFICATION ARE CRUCIAL CONTRIBUTORS TO SUSTAINABILITY OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATION ARE NOT JUST BUZZ WORDS, UH, QUITE FRANKLY, THEY ARE THE CORE THEMES EMBEDDED NOT ONLY IN THE CITY'S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, BUT IN METRO'S OWN CLIMATE ACTION INITIATIVE.
I CAN RECALL NOT TOO LONG AGO WE WERE CELEBRATING THE, UH, GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR ABOUT $21 MILLION FOR ELECTRIC BUSES.
UH, BUT TO DATE, UH, WE ARE NOW LOOKING AT ONE THAT'S FULLY CHARGED.
I I CAN READ THAT FROM HERE,
AND TODAY WE CELEBRATE METRO'S COMMITMENT TO ADVANCING OUR CITY'S VISION FOR THE FUTURE WHERE TRANSPORTATION IS SAFE, EQUITABLE, AND RESILIENT.
AND LET ME TELL YOU, IT'S VERY, VERY TIMELY.
UM, WE ARE A LONG WAY FROM WHERE WE WERE SOME 30 PLUS YEARS AGO WHERE THE FOCUS WAS SIMPLY ON BUILDING ROADS FOR CARS AND TRUCKS.
THAT WAS HOUSTON OF YESTERDAY.
THAT WILL NOT SERVE US WELL FOR HOUSTON TODAY GOING FORWARD, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN WE ARE REMINDED OF THE NUMBER OF STORMS THAT KEEP COMING, THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, UH, WE HAVE TO REALLY BE MINDFUL OF THE TIMES IN WHICH WE ARE LIVING AND BUILD A TRANSIT SYSTEM, ECOSYSTEM THAT WILL MEET OUR FUTURE NEEDS, NOT OUR PAST NEEDS.
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I'M EXCITED THESE TRANSPORTATION ADVANCEMENTS ARE EXACTLY WHAT HOUSTON NEEDS.REDUCING OUR EMISSIONS, PROVIDING ACCESS TO KEY DESTINATIONS AND LEADING THE WAY IN INCORPORATING TECHNOLOGY ON OUR STREETS.
THE PARADIGM SHIFT THAT SANJAY SPOKE ABOUT AND TRANSPORTATION ALIGNS PERFECTLY WITH OUR CITY'S COMMITMENT TO INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY.
IT'S A RESPONSE TO COMMUNITY NEEDS AND A PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY COHESION AND THE DEPLOYMENT OF THESE ELECTRIC BUSES OR THESE, AND THESE AUTONOMOUS SHUTTLES LIKE METRO'S.
FUTURE LINK EMBODIES OUR COMMITMENT TO EMBRACING CUTTING EDGE SOLUTIONS THAT NOT ONLY MAKE US MORE RESILIENT, BUT ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CITY'S SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.
AND LET'S NOT SELL OURSELVES SHORT WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THE ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT WE ARE MAKING TODAY ARE BEING WATCHED BY OTHER CITIES ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY, AND QUITE FRANKLY, UH, BEING WATCHED BY THOSE IN DC AS WELL.
SO HOUSTON, AGAIN, CONTINUES TO BE OUT FRONT.
WE CAN NEVER AFFORD TO RELINQUISH THE ROLE THAT WE PLAY IN MOVING OUR COUNTRY AND OUR REGION FORWARD.
LASTLY, AS A RESILIENT CITY, WE UNDERSTAND THAT TRANSPORTATION IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF OUR DAILY LIVES.
AND METRO'S FUTURE LINK WITH ITS AUTONOMOUS CAPABILITIES AND ZERO EMISSIONS FOCUS REPRESENTS A FORWARD THINKING APPROACH TO MOBILITY THAT ENHANCES COMMUNITY RESILIENCE AND METRO'S FUTURE LINK AND THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE INITIATIVES ARE NOT JUST ABOUT NAVIGATING TODAY'S CHALLENGES, THEY'RE ABOUT FORGING A RESILIENT PATH TOWARDS A FUTURE WHERE HOUSTON STANDS AS A SHINING EXAMPLE OF URBAN INGENUITY AND ADAPTABILITY.
AND SO CONGRATULATIONS TO METRO.
LET'S CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR LEADERSHIP AND ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT FOR, UH, THE PAST EIGHT YEARS.
YOU KNOW, I'M VERY DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR THE UNWAVERING SUPPORT OF THE METRO BOARD, THE TIRELESS EFFORTS OF ALL METRO EMPLOYEES AND THE INVALUABLE PARTNERSHIP OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THEIR DEDICATION AND COLLABORATION MADE THIS DAY POSSIBLE.
I WANNA ALSO EXTEND A SPECIAL RECOGNITION TO THE INNOVATION QUEEN.
I I GOT A NEW TITLE FOR YOU NOW.
UH, KIM WILLIAMS AND HER ENTIRE TEAM, AND ALSO THE HOUSTON TEAM PARTNERSHIP.
KIM ACTUALLY FOR MANY YEARS, HAS LED A REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP OF A LOT OF REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS.
PORT HOUSTON, TEXAS, SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER, CITY OF HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, A LOT OF FOLKS REALLY LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY AND HOW WE REALLY DRIVE THAT TO HELP US IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
SO I REALLY WANT TO THANK HER FOR HER VISIONARY LEADERSHIP, WHICH HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN BRINGING THIS PROJECT FROM CONCEPT TO FRUITION, HER UNWAVERING COMMITMENT AND EXPERTISE FOR CRUCIAL IN OVERCOMING CHALLENGES AND ENSURING ITS SUCCESS.
I REMEMBER QUITE WELL WHEN THIS PROJECT WAS JUST A VISION, AND TODAY I STAND HERE FILLED WITH IMMENSE PRIDE.
HERE WE'RE CELEBRATING THIS MAJOR MILESTONE IN METRO'S COMMITMENT TO INNOVATION AND TO SUSTAINABILITY.
AS BOARD CHAIR ROM HAS SAID EARLIER, INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRANSIT TO CREATE A BETTER FUTURE.
AND WHAT DOES THAT BETTER FUTURE LOOK LIKE? IT'S EQUITABLE ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION FOR ALL RESIDENTS, REGARDLESS OF INCOME OR BACKGROUND.
IT'S REDUCED GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND CONGESTION.
IT'S SEAMLESS CONNECTIONS BETWEEN PUBLIC TRANSIT CYCLING AND OTHER SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY OPTIONS.
IT'S A TRANSIT SYSTEM THAT SUPPORTS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, MAKING COMMUNITIES MORE RESILIENT TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS IMPACTS BY MINIMIZING RESILIENCE AND RELIANCE ON PRIVATE VEHICLES.
IT'S A CLEANER, HEALTHIER, AND MORE EQUITABLE FUTURE FOR ALL.
SO I'M VERY PROUD OF TODAY, BUT I REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE LEADER OF THIS EFFORT AT METRO, UH, TO HAVE SOME REMARKS.
SO LET ME INTRODUCE THE QUEEN INNOVATION OFFICER AT METRO, KIM WILLIAMS. THANK YOU.
I'M KIM WILLIAMS, THE CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER FOR HOUSTON METRO, AND
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IT'S MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU HERE TODAY.I'M GRATEFUL TO THE VISIONARY LEADERSHIP OF THE METRO BOARD OF DIRECTORS, UH, AND OF COURSE OUR CEO TOM LAMBERT.
WITHOUT THEIR SUPPORT AND MUCH PATIENCE, WE WOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY.
THANK YOU TO MAYOR TURNER, UH, WHOSE LEADERSHIP ON CREATING A MORE SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT HOUSTON PROVIDED THE CATALYST FOR METRO'S SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES, WHICH YOU'LL LEARN MORE ABOUT METRO'S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND THESE VEHICLES YOU SEE BEFORE YOU ARE THE MANIFESTATION OF A TRUE ALL HANDS ON DECK PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY.
WHILE I GOT A LOT OF CREDIT TODAY, IT IS TRULY NOT ME ALONE.
THERE ARE MANY, MANY PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS, AND I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO KNOW ABOUT THEM.
SOME OF YOU HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE OUR ELECTRIC BUS DURING THIS YEAR'S CITY OF HOUSTON'S EARTH DAY, AND WE ARE EXCITED TO BEGIN SERVICE SOON.
TODAY WE'RE EXCITED TO SHARE THE FIRST VIEWING OF OUR HOUSTON SHUTTLE OF THE FUTURE METRO'S FUTURE LINK.
ONCE DEPLOYED, IT WILL BE ONE OF THE FIRST MID-SIZE AUTONOMOUS TRANSIT SHUTTLES IN THE COUNTRY THAT MEET ALL FEDERAL STANDARDS, AND THAT PROVIDED FULLY ACCESSIBLE EXPERIENCE FOR OUR RIDERS WITH A DISABILITY.
I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE OUR PROJECT PARTNERS WHO MADE THIS ONCE OF A ONE OF A KIND VEHICLE A REALITY.
AND IF YOU COULD JUST WAVE WHEN I CALL YOU, UH, PHOENIX MOTOR CARS FOR PROVIDING THE ELECTRIC SHUTTLE A E-COMM FOR ITS PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUPPORT.
ALRIGHT, STV FOR PLANNING AND OPERATIONAL SUPPORT TRANSCEND ENGINEERS AND PLANNERS FOR TRAFFIC ENGINEERING SUPPORT AND A METRO CERTIFIED SMALL BUSINESS.
AND LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, PERONE ROBOTICS FOR ITS INTEGRATION OF ITS NATIONALLY KNOWN AUTONOMOUS DRIVING SYSTEM.
I ALSO WANNA THANK OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
WE HAVE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE COMMUNITY IN DEVELOPING THIS PROJECT AND UNDERSTANDING HOW THIS TECHNOLOGY INTERACTS WITH THEIR NEEDS.
I WANNA THANK TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL AND TEAM HOUSTON OF THE TEXAS INNOVATION ALLIANCE.
I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE TIRELESS AND DEDICATED METRO TEAM WHO MADE THIS DAY POSSIBLE.
I WANNA ESPECIALLY THANK OPERATIONS CHUCK BERKSHIRE, SAM AND HIS TEAM LED BY ANDRE DRAGER FOR THEIR WORK, BRINGING OUR ELECTRIC BUS PROGRAM ONLINE, AND THEIR SUPPORT OF THE AB SHUTTLE.
I WISH I COULD NAME EVERYONE, BUT AS YOU LOOK AROUND, YOU WILL SEE METRO STAFF FROM EVERY FACET OF THE AGENCY.
I THANK YOU FOR ALL THE, THE LATE NIGHTS AND COUNTLESS MEETINGS.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE, WE ALL SERVE AS CUSTODIANS OF AN AGENCY WHILE WE ARE HERE, THIS IS PART OF A CONTINUUM.
IT'S MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE AS A REGION AND MAKING SURE THESE PROJECTS DON'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
UM, THE AUTONOMOUS SHUTTLE PROJECTS STARTED SEVERAL YEARS BACK WITH A SMALLER SHUTTLE ON TIGER WALK AT TSU.
THE ELECTRIC BUS PILOT PROJECT STARTED, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, GOING BACK TO 20 16, 20 17.
AT THAT TIME, WE WERE ABLE TO PILOT TEST AN ELECTRIC BUS THAT COULD GET US FROM ONE END OF THE ROUTE TO THE OTHER END OF THE ROUTE.
BUT IN JULY AND AUGUST, BATTERY TECH TECHNOLOGY COULD EITHER KEEP THE BUS COOL OR GET TO THE END OF THE ROUTE.
YOU NOW HAVE BATTERY TECHNOLOGY THAT GIVE US BOTH THE COOLING CAPACITY AND THE RANGE THAT WE NEED.
SO THESE ARE LONG-TERM COMMITMENTS THAT THE AGENCY MAKES, AND THEY TAKE SEVERAL YEARS TO COME TO FRUITION.
AND IT TAKES PARTNERSHIPS BOTH LOCAL AND WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AS THE MAYOR POINTED OUT, UH, THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, UH, GAVE US A GROUND OF $21 MILLION TO THE REGION.
SO I THINK THESE THINGS SPAN YEARS AND DECADES.
AND THE THE CRITICAL THING I, UH, THAT I WOULD SAY IS YOU PUT A PLAN TOGETHER AND YOU MARCH TOWARDS IT.
AND THESE THINGS TAKE TIME TO COME TO FRUITION.
AND FRANKLY, SEVERAL OF THE THINGS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE, PROBABLY FOLKS WILL COME TO APPRECIATE IT, 10, 15, 20 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
WE ARE NOT WORKING IN, UH, WEEKS AND MONTHS, BUT IN YEARS AND DECADES TO MAKE SURE THAT THE REGION HAS A SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT FUTURE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE FOCUSED ON.
DOES THE MAYOR WANNA TAKE IT? DOES THE MAYOR WANT TO TAKE IT? LET ME, LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY.
UM, WE DIDN'T GET TO THIS POINT IN MANY, IN MANY CASES JUST BECAUSE WE WANTED TO.
WHAT GOT US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY, WHERE THE FOCUS IS ON RESILIENCE, SUSTAINABILITY, UH, ELECTRIFYING OUR FLEET IS BECAUSE IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, WE HAVE FACED SEVEN
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FEDERALLY DECLARED DISASTERS.AND IT'S NOT JUST HAPPENING, UH, IN HOUSTON, BUT QUITE FRANKLY IT IS HAPPENING ALL OVER THE GLOBE.
UM, IF I MEAN RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY, THOSE OBJECTIVES, UM, DON'T END AT THE END OF ANYBODY'S TERM.
UH, THOSE THINGS, THOSE ARE, UH, UM, THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO CONTINUE.
UM, AND QUITE FRANKLY, UH, THE EMPHASIS NOW ACROSS THE GLOBE AND IN THIS COUNTRY ESPECIALLY, IS TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE ALL PLAY A COLLECTIVE PART IN CHANGING THE WAY OR PROVIDE ADDITIONAL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION.
UM, PROVIDING MODES OF TRANSPORTATION, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT ARE REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, MEETING THE TECHNOLOGY NEEDS, UH, FOLKS WITHIN OUR CITY, AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE NOT, THEY DON'T, UM, THEY DON'T GO AWAY BECAUSE, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, MY TERM ENDS AT THE END OF THE YEAR ARE BECAUSE TERM TOM LAMBERT, UH, IS RETIRING AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
IT'S, IT IS NOT ONE AND DONE AND YOU CLAIM VICTORY.
IT IS AN ONGOING EFFORT TO RETURN TO WHERE WE USED TO BE IN THIS CITY, FOR EXAMPLE, AND IN THE METRO REGION.
IF WE RETURN TO WHERE WE USED TO BE, THEN WE ARE FAILING THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN OUR CITY AND TO PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES WHO WILL BE MOVING TO OUR CITY.
AND I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WANT TO GO BACK WHERE WE WERE JUST CAR CENTRIC, UH, TRUCK CENTRIC.
AND THEN LASTLY, IF YOU DON'T, UM, PUT FORTH A SUSTAINABLE, RESILIENT, UH, TRANSIT MODEL, THEN THE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT ARE MADE AVAILABLE WILL SIMPLY PASS US BY AND WE'LL GO SOMEPLACE ELSE.
AND IF YOU ALL CAN RECALL IN THE 1990S WHEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON CHOSE NOT TO MOVE FORWARD AND OFFERING MULTIMODAL FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION, THOSE DOLLARS SIMPLY WENT TO OTHER CITIES.
OKAY? SO SIMPLY BECAUSE WE DON'T MOVE FORWARD DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE RESOURCES WILL NOT GET, UH, UM, FORWARDED TO OTHERS.
HOUSTON SIMPLY WILL BE BYPASSED.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WANTS THAT.
AND, UH, AND I THINK IT IS, IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE REMAIN A COMPETITIVE CITY, NOT JUST IN TEXAS, NOT JUST IN THE COUNTRY, BUT GLOBALLY.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE NEED TO DO OUR PART IN REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.
AND, AND, AND, AND WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO REPEAT ANOTHER SEVEN FEDERALLY DECLARED STORMS EVERY EIGHT YEARS IN THIS AREA.
CAN YOU IMAGINE THE COST THAT THAT WILL BE? SO, I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT, AND QUITE FRANKLY, I THINK, I DON'T THINK THE PEOPLE WILL ALLOW US, UH, JUST TO GO BACK AND TELL PEOPLE, GET IN YOUR CARS, GET IN YOUR TRUCKS, AND BUILD MORE ROADS AND ROADS AND ROADS AND ROADS.
I JUST DON'T THINK THAT THE PEOPLE IN THE, IN THE HOUSTON AREA, UH, WILL, WILL ACCEPT THAT.