[Safe Streets for All Grant Announcement]
[00:00:16]
LEMME JUST SAY, GOOD AFTERNOON.
UM, AND I'M HONORED TO BE JOINED, UH, TODAY, UH, BY CONGRESSWOMAN LIZZIE FLETCHER.
UM, AND THEN CONGRESSWOMAN SYLVIA GARCIA, WHO IS HERE, BUT WILL BE JOINING US SHORTLY.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS.
UM, DISTRICT F IS HERE, OF COURSE, UH, UH, CAROL HADDOCK OF PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR.
UH, WE LEE, I'M FROM THE INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT OUT THERE IN SOUTHWEST HOUSTON.
AND ONE MORE GENTLEMAN, CHRISTIAN PERZA, PERZA PERZA PERZA, UH, IS WITH US AS WELL.
LOOK, I KNOW, UH, UH, CONGRESS CONGRESSWOMAN SVIA GARCIA IS FINISHING UP ANOTHER, UM, INTERVIEW, BUT WILL BE JOINING US SHORTLY.
UM, BUT I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND, AND GET US STARTED.
AND JUST AS SOON AS I GET MY GLASSES, UM, THEN I'LL BE READY.
ALRIGHT, UH, LOOK, I, I, I WANT TO SAY HOW, UH, PLEASED I AM TO BE WITH, UM, AND THAT'S CHAIR CHRISTIAN BARRAZA OF THE GREATER NORTHSIDE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, UM, TO ANNOUNCE THE 10,143,000 SAFE STREET FOR ALL GRANT AWARD ON WEDNESDAY DECEMBER THE 13TH, THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION INFORMED THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT IT WOULD RECEIVE $10,143,000 OUT OF THE $817 MILLION IN GRANT AWARDS TO 385 COMMUNITIES, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY FOR THE SAFE STREETS ROAD FOR ALL GRANT PROGRAM.
UH, TO BE CLEAR, THIS APPLICATION WAS SUBMITTED BY THE GREATER NORTHSIDE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND THE INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT DISTRICT SAFE STREETS PROJECT, UH, WITH A GOAL TO ACHIEVE PRIORITY ACTIONS IDENTIFIED IN THE CITY IN THE VISION ZERO ACTION PLAN, THE CITY'S MISSION TO END TRAFFIC DASH BY 2030.
UH, DAVE FIELDS, I SEE YOU OUT THERE.
UH, WHY DON'T YOU JUST COME AND JOIN US ANYWAY.
AND VERONICA, WHY DON'T YOU JUST COME AND JOIN US.
UH, WHILE THE FEDERAL GRANT IS $10.1 MILLION, THE CITY OF HOUSTON WILL PROVIDE A LOCAL MATCH OF $2.5 MILLION.
THE STREETS IMPACTED BY THIS GRANT ARE PART OF THE HOUSTON VISION ZERO HIGH INJURY NETWORK, WITH A HISTORY OF ONGOING TRAFFIC DEATHS AND SERIOUS INJURIES.
IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS, UH, THERE HAVE BEEN 1025 CRASHES RESULTING IN FIVE DEATHS AND 21 SERIOUS INJURIES ALONG THIS CORRIDOR.
SO WE CAN ALL SEE, UH, THIS GRANT IS NEEDED TO MAKE, UH, THE AREA SAFER FOR ALL COMMUTERS.
THE SAFE STREETS FOR ALL GRANT WILL HELP US PROVIDE SAFETY UPGRADES FOR FOUR CORRIDORS WITHIN TWO COMPLETE COMMUNITIES, A LEAF, WESTWOOD, AND THE NEAR NORTH SIDE.
THE PROJECT CORRIDORS TRAVEL DIRECTLY THROUGH UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN AILEY, NORTHLINE, AND EAST TEX JENSEN.
SAFETY UPGRADES WILL IMPACT THE FOLLOWING STREETS.
AIRLINE DRIVE FROM 28TH STREET TO NORTH MAIN STREET, AND AT THE INTERSECTIONS OF PARKER ROAD, WIL LANE, BUROUGH STREET, BERRY ROAD, SERVICE, STREET, LINK ROAD, AND GIBBS ROAD, THE BIANET STREET FROM ELDRIDGE PARKWAY TO DER ASHFORD ROAD.
THIS CARD LIES PARTIALLY WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND PARTIALLY IN INCORPORATED HARRIS COUNTY, AND IS AN EXTENSION OF THE PREVIOUSLY AWARDED BISSONNET CORRIDOR.
SAFE STREETS FOR ALL PROJECT JENSEN DRIVE AT ALDEEN WESTFIELD ROAD AND APPROXIMATELY 350 FEET SOUTH OF TIDWELL ROAD AND TIDWELL ROAD FROM NORTHLAND STREET TO IRVINGTON BOULEVARD.
AS I INDICATED, UH, COMING FROM
MANY PEOPLE LIVING ALONG AIRLINE BINET, JENSEN, AND TIDWELL ARE LOW INCOME PEOPLE OF COLOR WHO DO NOT TRAVEL BY VEHICLE.
MANY OF THESE PERSONS ARE LEFT TO WALK, BIKE, OR RIDE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO COMMUTE.
THESE IMPROVEMENTS, UH, WILL MAKE THE AREA SAFER FOR ALL TRANSPORTATION USERS BY ADDING OR IMPROVING SIDEWALKS AND RAMPS, UPGRADING TRAFFIC SIGNALS, ADDING PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC SIGNALS, ADDING HIGH VISIBILITY CROSSWALKS, UPGRADING PAVEMENT MARKINGS, AND IMPLEMENTING TRAFFIC.
[00:05:01]
CHANGES.ON AUGUST 13TH, 2019, WHEN I SIGNED THE VISION ZERO EXECUTIVE ORDER, IT WAS NOT ONLY MY COMMITMENT, BUT THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO ENSURE ALL HOUSTONIANS HAD SAFE, ACCESSIBLE STREETS AND SIDEWALKS, AND THIS PROJECT UNDERSCORES THAT COMMITMENT.
LASTLY, UH, NONE OF THIS WILL BE TAKING PLACE, UH, WITHOUT THE, UH, WITHOUT PRESIDENT BIDEN AND VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS, UH, COMMITMENT TO INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND WITH OUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
UH, AS THE TWO OF YOU ARE STANDING SEEING HERE TODAY, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN SVIA GARCIA AND CONGRESSWOMAN LIZZIE FLETCHER, UH, MAKING IMPOSSIBLE, WE CAN'T SAY IT ENOUGH, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS BENEFITED IMMENSELY AND REPEATEDLY, UH, FROM THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW AND THE FARMS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AVAILABLE.
THIS IS JUST ONE OF MANY GRANTS, UH, THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS RECEIVED.
AND AGAIN, UH, LET ME THANK, UH, PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AND VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS AND THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, AND I WOULD SAY ALL OF CONGRESS, BUT ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO VOTED FOR IT,
AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS THE RECIPIENT, UH, OF THEIR WORK.
UM, SO HAVING SAID THAT, UH, LET ME NOW YIELD, UH, FIRST, UH, TO CONGRESSWOMAN SYLVIA GARCIA.
SHE FOLLOWED BY CONGRESSWOMAN LIZZIE FLETCHER.
UM, YOU'VE GOT TWO MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WHO VOTED FOR IT, AND THERE'S AT LEAST TWO OTHERS, UH, THAT DID.
AND I MUST SAY THAT REGRETTABLY, THERE WAS NOT ONE SINGLE TEXAS REPUBLICAN THAT VOTED FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL.
UH, BUT MAYOR, IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY.
I HAD ANOTHER INTERVIEW THAT I WAS DOING, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A DEJA VU.
THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME WE'VE BEEN TOGETHER, RIGHT? TO MAKE THIS KIND OF ANNOUNCEMENTS.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, THEY HAPPENED OFTEN.
AND IT'S NOT GONNA STOP BECAUSE WE WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT HOUSTON ALWAYS GETS ITS FAIR SHARE OF DOLLARS.
AND IT'S BEEN A DELIGHT FOR ME, AND I KNOW THAT, UH, REPRESENTATIVE FLETCHER AGREES IT'S BEEN A DELIGHT FOR US TO WORK WITH YOUR STAFF, YOUR TEAM, UH, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN GET THINGS DONE FOR HOUSTON, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE NEED, UH, IN ALL GOVERNMENT, IS ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE WHAT WE NEED IN OUR CITY.
SO IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO BE BACK AT CITY HALL.
UH, WHEN HOUSE DEMOCRATS PASS THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW, WE ENVISION PROJECTS THAT WOULD CREATE WEIGHT, WELL PAYING UNION JOBS, PROJECTS TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECTS THAT WOULD CHANGE HOW WE MOVE PROJECTS THAT WOULD JUMPSTART THIS COUNTRY.
TODAY, WE'RE BRINGING CHANGE INTO COMMUNITY THAT TRULY REALLY NEEDS IT.
IN HOUSTON, WE HAVE MORE FATAL CRASHES IN THAN ANY OTHER MAJOR CITY IN TEXAS.
THAT'S A SAD NOTE, AND THAT'S ESPECIALLY TRUE IN THE GREATER NORTH SIDE AND IN THE INTERNATIONAL DISTRICTS.
TWO YEARS AGO, THOSE AREAS HAD SEEN MORE THAN A THOUSAND CRASHES.
IN LESS THAN FOUR YEARS, 28 PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS WERE KILLED OR SEVERELY INJURED ON THESE ROADS AND INTERSECTIONS.
A THIRD OF THE HOUSE THERE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO A CAR.
SO THOSE LIVING AND WORKING THERE MUST WALK ON NARROW BROKEN SIDEWALKS NEXT TO SPEEDING CARS AND TRUCKS PUMPING POLLUTION INTO THEIR FACE.
THESE ROADS WERE BILLED FOR CARS, NOT FOR PEOPLE.
THEY WEREN'T BILLED FOR THOSE WHO, WHO LIVE AND WORK IN THE GREATER NORTH SIDE.
SO TODAY, WE'RE TAKING A DIFFERENT PATH, Y'ALL.
THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT SAFER ROADS AND FLASHY SIGNS.
IT'S ABOUT SAFE STREETS LEADING TO HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS.
WHEN FAMILIES CAN GO ON WALKS TOGETHER SIDE BY SIDE, WHEN KIDS CAN SAFELY RIDE THEIR BIKES DOWN THE STREET, THEY BUILD HEALTHY HABITS THAT LAST A LIFETIME.
WE NEED TO MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE.
IF THEY WALK, ROLL, AND BY ROLL, I MEAN IN A WHEELCHAIR, OR TAKE TRANSIT TO WHERE THEY'RE GOING, WE NEED TO BE RIGHT BY THEIR SIDE.
WE NEED TO BE THERE WITH THEM.
AND WE DO THIS FOR OUR CHILDREN.
THERE ARE 19 TITLE ONE SCHOOLS, HOUSING OVER 16,000 UN UNDERSERVED STUDENTS ALONG THE PROJECT CORRIDORS.
EVERY CHILD IN THIS COUNTRY SHOULD FEEL SAFE WALKING TO SCHOOL OR RIDING THEIR BIKE.
THE ZIP CODE THEY GROW UP IN SHOULDN'T CHANGE THAT AT ALL.
[00:10:01]
WE ARE SEEING SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE IN ACTION RIGHT HERE WITH THIS DOLLARS.TODAY IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW DEMOCRATS ARE FIGHTING TO MAKE OUR STREETS SAFER, PROMOTE HEALTHY HABITS, AND SAVE LIVES JUST HERE IN HOUSTON.
WITH THIS MONEY, WE CAN CONNECT UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, IMPROVE SAFETY, AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE'S LIVES.
WE'RE LITERALLY PULLING PEOPLE OVER POLITICS, WHETHER IT'S WIDER SIDEWALKS, CLEARER TRAFFIC SIGNALS, OR LOW COST SOLUTIONS LIKE RUMPEL STRIPS AND NEW LANE MARKINGS.
WE ARE PAVING THE WAY FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR OUR BRI, OUR VIBRANT COMMUNITIES.
THE GREATER NORTHSIDE PROJECT WILL CREATE MORE CONVENIENT, EQUITABLE HEALTH, HEALTHFUL AND ATTRACTIVE ENVIRONMENTS FOR ALL OF US AND FOR OUR FUTURE.
AND THEY'RE LIVING IN THE GREATER NORTH SIDE.
I'M PARTICULARLY PROUD THAT THIS DOLLARS WILL GO, GO TO BE GOOD USE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO HELPING OUR CHILDREN.
WE'RE BUILDING A BETTER AMERICA ONE BLOCK AT A TIME, AND IT STARTS RIGHT HERE IN HOUSTON FOR THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE CHILDREN.
WITH THAT, I YIELD TO MY FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE LIZZIE, LIZZIE FLETCHER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, CONGRESSWOMAN GARCIA.
UM, IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO BE WITH YOU.
UM, AND IT'S GREAT TO TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF DOING TOGETHER.
OF COURSE, I'M SO THRILLED TO BE HERE WITH SO MANY LEADERS OF OUR CITY AND OUR COMMUNITY HERE.
AND MAYOR TURNER, I'M DELIGHTED TO BE WITH YOU.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS.
UM, AND ALSO, OF COURSE, I'M DELIGHTED TO BE HERE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS, UH, IN DISTRICT F UH, IN TEXAS'S SEVENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, UH, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING.
AND OF COURSE, WEI LEE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, ALSO IN, UH, THE SEVENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT THAT I'M SO PROUD TO HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO REPRESENT.
BUT EVERYBODY UP HERE HAS WORKED SO HARD FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND I'M JUST, I'M REALLY THRILLED TO BE A PART OF THIS EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY.
UM, AND WE, IT, WE ARE CELEBRATING HERE, UM, MORE THAN $10 MILLION OF FEDERAL FUNDS BEING AWARDED TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON THROUGH THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS.
AND THAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE COLLABORATION AND THE PARTNERSHIP THAT YOU SEE THROUGHOUT THIS CITY UNDER THE MAYOR'S LEADERSHIP WITH THE HARD WORK OF THE PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT THE CITY AND ARE WORKING TO MAKE IT SAFER, BETTER, AND MORE VIBRANT FOR ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES, FOR EVERY COMMUNITY IN THIS CITY.
SO I'M REALLY THRILLED TO BE A PART OF THIS AND TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THIS SPECIFIC GRANT IS GONNA DO IN TERMS OF MAKING OUR ROADWAYS SAFER.
THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE TALKED ABOUT WITH COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THINGS, UM, THAT WE CAN DO IN OUR AREA, AND IT'S JUST CRITICAL.
WE ALL KNOW EVERYBODY WHO LIVES IN HOUSTON KNOWS THAT ROADWAY SAFETY IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR EVERYDAY LIVES.
WE ARE ON THE ROADS GETTING TO WHERE WE NEED TO GO, WHETHER IT'S WORK OR SCHOOL, WHETHER WE'RE GOING SHOPPING OR TRYING TO GET BACK HOME.
THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT WE DO WHERE WE NEED SAFE STREETS.
AND AS, AS THE MAYOR TALKED ABOUT, AS CONGRESSWOMAN GARCIA TALKED ABOUT, UM, ACCORDING TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S VISION 0 20 21 ANNUAL REPORT, THERE WERE 331 TOTAL FATALITIES AND 1600 SERIOUS INJURIES ON HOUSTON STREETS.
MANY OF THEM IN THESE CORRIDORS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
AND THAT MEANS THAT ALMOST EVERY DAY, NEARLY FIVE PEOPLE SUFFERED A SERIOUS INJURY IN A CAR CRASH IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT HOUSTONIANS ARRIVE AT THEIR DESTINATION SAFELY WITHOUT INCIDENT, HOWEVER THEY GET HERE.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY.
AND AGAIN, IT'S A PART OF AND REALLY REFLECTS THE COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP, UM, THAT WE'VE SEEN, ESPECIALLY UNDER MAYOR TURNER'S LEADERSHIP.
UM, AS MAYOR TURNER MENTIONED, UM, IT WAS JUST ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO THAT I TOO VOTED FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT IN JOBS ACT, UH, WHICH WE ALSO CALL THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW WHEN IT PASSED THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
AND THIS HISTORIC LEGISLATION IS THE LARGEST LONG-TERM FEDERAL INVESTMENT IN OUR COUNTRY'S INFRASTRUCTURE IN NEARLY A CENTURY.
AND IT CONTINUES TO DELIVER FOR PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND IT'S DELIVERING FOR THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UM, IT DID THE WORK, THE, AND THE PROGRAM THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT, ESTABLISH THE SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL GRANT PROGRAM, WHICH IS FUNDING THIS INITIATIVE AND FUNDING INITIATIVES LIKE IT TO PREVENT ROADWAY DEATHS AND SERIOUS INJURIES, IMPROVING THE SAFETY AND QUALITY OF OUR ROADS AND OUR SIDEWALKS.
AND I'M JUST SO THRILLED TO SEE THAT THESE INVESTMENTS ARE COMING BACK TO US HERE IN HOUSTON AND BENEFITING OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, AND I'M REALLY JUST THRILLED TO BE HERE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS.
AS PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS SAID, AS WE'VE HEARD HIM SAY BEFORE, THIS IS A BIG DEAL.
UH, HE MIGHT HAVE AN EXTRA WORD IN THERE, BUT IT'S A BIG DEAL.
[00:15:01]
THAT WE ARE MAKING IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS, THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS, WITH THE CITY, MAXIMIZING GRANT APPLICATIONS, MAXIMIZING DOLLARS AND IMPROVING LIFE FOR PEOPLE ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY OF HOUSTON IS SO, SO IMPORTANT.SO I WANNA JUST TAKE A MOMENT AS I CONCLUDE, UH, MY THOUGHTS TODAY.
UM, BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THIS IS ACTUALLY MY FINAL JOINT APPEARANCE WITH MAYOR TURNER.
UM, I THOUGHT IT WAS A COUPLE WEEKS AGO WHEN WE WERE RIBBON CUTTING AT A, UM, AT THE BIO GREEN WAYS.
AND APPARENTLY YOU'RE GOING ALL THE WAY RUNNING THROUGH THE TAPE ALL THE WAY, UM, THROUGH, UM, THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THIS IS OUR, UH, LAST OPPORTUNITY.
AND SO I'M JUST REALLY GLAD TO HAVE A CHANCE TO SHARE MY OBSERVATION, WHICH I THINK THAT ALL HOUSTONIANS KNOW, ALL HOUSTONIANS HAVE SEEN OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, WHICH IS MAYOR TURNER, YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON IS UNMATCHED AND IT'S INSPIRING.
YOUR LOVE FOR HOUSTON AND HOUSTONIANS IS EVIDENT IN EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
UM, AND WE ARE THE BENEFICIARIES OF THIS.
YOUR ENTHUSIASM FOR OUR CITY, FOR OUR COMMUNITY, FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE IS REALLY CONTAGIOUS, AND I THINK GIVES SO MANY OF US SO MUCH PRIDE IN WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE WAY THAT WE'RE APPROACHING AND SOLVING PROBLEMS AND BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER IN THIS MOST DIVERSE CITY IN THE COUNTRY.
YOUR ADVOCACY FOR OUR CITY HAS DONE SO MUCH FOR HOUSTON AND HAS BROUGHT SO MANY GOOD THINGS TO SO MANY PEOPLE.
AND THIS, THAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY IS JUST ONE OF THE MANY, MANY THINGS THAT YOU HAVE DONE.
I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF STANDING BY YOUR SIDE MANY TIMES OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, FIVE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, AND EIGHT THAT YOU'VE BEEN HERE.
UM, AND I JUST REALLY WANNA THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, FOR OUR CITY, AND FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP TO ME PERSONALLY.
UM, I REALLY THINK THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS NO GREATER FRIEND THAN MAYOR TURNER.
AND I AM IN AWE OF YOU, AND WE ARE ALL INDEBTED TO YOU.
I THINK I'M EMBARRASSING YOU AT THIS POINT,
UM, BUT I JUST REALLY WANT TO WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE AND FOR SHOWING PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD ABOUT THE VERY BEST OF OUR HOMETOWN.
UM, I'M DELIGHTED TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP FOR OUR CITY.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS.
UH, THIS IS THE MOMENT WHERE IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A SERMON IN YOUR POCKET.
I WAS NOT PREPARED TO SPEAK, BUT I I, I WILL TELL YOU, AS I MENTIONED TO MAYOR TURNER EARLIER, UM, DURING OUR LAST COUNCIL MEETING TOGETHER, UH, THAT GENERATIONS OF HOUSTONIANS WILL BENEFIT FROM A LOT OF THE WORK THAT HAS HAPPENED UNDER HIS ADMINISTRATION.
AND BECAUSE OF THE LEADERSHIP AND COLLABORATION, UM, THAT OUR, UH, FEDERAL COLLEAGUES HAVE OFFERED, UH, DILIGENTLY IS ONE OF THE REASONS, UM, WHAT WE'LL BENEFIT.
SO I, I APPRECIATE BOTH OF YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO SAFE STREETS, BUT YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE CITY AND MAKING SURE THAT THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT ARE SOMETIMES SO DIFFICULT TO GET ACCESS TO MAKE IT TO LOCAL STREETS.
AND SO I JUST WANNA PUBLICLY THANK ALL OF YOU.
UM, ALSO, THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS, MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, UM, TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO, UH, WE WILL HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS BE ABLE TO SEE THE BENEFITS OF THAT.
AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO POINT TO THIS PRESS CONFERENCE, THE EARMARKS, UH, THE PASSAGE OF THE BIPARTISAN, UH, BILL, UH, TO SAY THAT OUR CITY AND OUR STREETS ARE SAFER.
UH, DIRECTOR HADDOCK OF VERONICA DAVIS, UH, MR. FIELDS, WHO ELSE? EVERYBODY ON YOUR TEAM.
UM, THIS IS A WIN FOR HOUSTON.
UM, CONGRESSIONAL TEAM MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY.
AND ALSO THANK YOU FOR KEEPING, UH, DISTRICT F IN THE SEVENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, UH, THE, ON THE BEST SIDE, THE BEST SIDE ON THE WEST SIDE, SO WE APPRECIATE THAT.
WAYNE LEE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL, FROM THE INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.
I'M HERE REPRESENTING INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT DISTRICT TO SAY THANKS TO MR. MAYOR.
I THINK SEVEN YEARS AGO WHEN FIRST TIME WE MET, YOU'RE THE ONE OF THE BEST MAYOR WE EVER HAVE.
WE, AS A IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, WE FIGHT FOR A LOT OF THING IN THIS COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
25 YEARS AGO, IT WAS ROLLING LAND, IT'S NOTHING IN THERE.
BUT TODAY, IF YOU LOOK AT IT, WE HAVE MORE THAN 200 RESTAURANT.
WE HAVE A FULL OF SHOPPING CENTER.
I THINK WE ARE VERY PROUD OF IT.
SO BY THE WAY, WE, THE, THE, THE NEW BANK WILL BE COMING UP PRETTY SOON.
SO ALL THIS AREA, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUOUSLY YOUR LEGACY TO WORK ON THAT.
SO WE WANT TO BE OPEN THE DOOR FOR A LOT OF NEW IMMIGRANTS COME TO THIS CITY.
AND THE VICE CHAIR, UH, CHRISTIAN BARRAZA OF THE GREATER NORTH SIDE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.
I'M CHRISTIAN BARRAZA, THE VICE CHAIR OF THE GREATER NORTH SIDE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.
I'M HONORED TO BE SPEAKING HERE ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD AND STAFF REGARDING
[00:20:01]
THIS FANTASTIC NEWS.WE WANNA THANK MAYOR TURNER FOR HIS LEADERSHIP AND DIRECTOR CAROL HADDOCK FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR PARTNERSHIP IN THIS ENDEAVOR.
ALONG WITH VERONICA DAVIS, TRANSPORTATION, DRAINAGE DIRECTOR AND, UH, DAVID FIELDS, UH, CHIEF TRANSPORTATION PLANNER, ALONG WITH THE CITY.
WE WANNA THANK CONGRESSWOMAN SYLVIA GARCIA FOR HER SUPPORT IN, IN THE UNDERLINING EFFORTS TO BRING IN FUNDS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THE NORTH SIDE DISTRICT.
WE ARE ALSO GRATEFUL FOR HER SUPPORT AND EFFORTS IN WASHINGTON ON BEHALF OF THE DISTRICT.
WE ARE ALSO THANKFUL TO HAVE RECEIVED SUPPORT, NOT ONLY FROM THOSE PRESENT HERE TODAY, BUT FROM CAROL, SARAH, EXCUSE ME, SENATOR CAROL ALVARADO, AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE ARMANDO WALLY.
THIS GRANT WILL ALLOW OUR DISTRICT AND THE INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT TO ENSURE MORE STREETS ARE SAFE, EQUITABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL AND SUPPORT THE CITY ZERO ACTION PLAN.
FURTHERMORE, THE AWARD WILL ALLOW US TO DO SOMETHING TODAY, WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE BENEFITS FOR TOMORROW.
AND IN TODAY'S TO COME, WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE WITHIN THE GREATER NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY AND THE CITY COUNCIL AS A WHOLE.
CAROL HANOCK, JUST LIKE YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER
SO, UM, I, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE TEAMS THAT WORKED SO HARD TO PUT THIS APPLICATION TOGETHER.
UM, IT, IT'S NOT INSIGNIFICANT THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT AND ENERGY THAT IT TAKES TO PUT ONE OF THESE GRANTS TOGETHER.
AND I, AND I WANT TO COMMENT THAT, THAT WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR, UM, EFFORT IS THAT THIS IS NOT ONE WHERE THE, THE CITY, UM, CHOSE TO STEP INTO THE LEAD AND, AND DO THE, THE WORK, BUT THAT THE CITY LEVERAGED AND, AND, AND STEPPED INTO THAT PARTNERSHIP AND SUPPORT ROLE, UH, WITH THE COMMUNITY AND SAID, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED THAT YOU NEED IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE CAN BE A PARTNER IN MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
NOT JUST IN A SUPPORT LETTER, BUT THIS IS SO IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE WILL BRING OUR CAPITAL INVESTMENT DOLLARS TO HELP THAT LOCAL MATCH, TO LEVERAGE THIS, TO MAKE IT COMPETITIVE.
AND IT, IT'S THROUGH THAT, THAT THAT BROADER TRANSPORTATION THINKING THAT EXISTS IN THE, IN THIS TEAM THAT WE HAVE WITH US, THAT, THAT BROUGHT THAT FORWARD AND ADVOCATED FOR THAT AND SAID, WE WANT TO BE GOOD PARTNERS WITH THE COMMUNITY IN OPENING DOLLARS, IN OPENING ACCESS, AND IN OPENING WAYS THAT WE CAN MAKE THESE COMMUNITIES BETTER.
AND SO IT'S, WE WILL USE EVERY TOOL THAT IT, THAT, THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY, AND THAT'S AVAILABLE TO US TO HELP BRING, UH, BETTER, BETTER INFRASTRUCTURE TO THESE COMMUNITIES.
AND THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A DIFFERENT WAY TO DO IT.
UH, AND IT'S, IT'S A COMPLIMENT TO EVERYBODY ON ALL THESE TEAMS THAT HAVE HAD PUT THESE PIECES TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THAT AND WE DELIVER THAT.
AND SO I PERSONALLY WANNA THANK THE TEAMS, UM, BUT I ALSO WANNA SAY IT WOULD NOT, THE TEAMS WOULD, WOULD HAVE DONE ALL THIS FOR NOT, IF WE HAD NOT HAD THE, UH, THE POLITICAL SUPPORT THAT WE NEEDED, UM, THROUGH CONGRESS, THROUGH THE STATE, UM, THROUGH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
SO FOR THAT, UM, LET, LET'S GET THIS MONEY ON THE GROUND AND LET'S GET THIS, LET'S GET THIS INFRASTRUCTURE GOING.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, UH, LET ME UNDERSCORE, UH, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE, OF THE TEAM, UH, UH, VERONICA DAVIS, DAVID FIELDS, UH, YEAH.
THESE TWO, WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, DIVISION ZERO PLAN, UH, DESIGNING AND CONSTRUCTING STREETS, UM, AND, UH, THAT MEET THE NEEDS OF THOSE WHO ARE DRIVING, WALKING, BIKING, ROLLING, UH, ALL OF THOSE ELEMENTS.
UM, THIS TEAM RIGHT HERE AND ALL OF THEIR SUPPORTING, UM, MEMBERS, UH, RECEIVE, THEY SERVE A, A GREAT DEAL OF, OF CREDIT.
AND THEN I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT BILL KELLY, UH, AND HIS TEAM, YOU KNOW, FOR INTERFACING ON THE LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL, UM, AND WHAT AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB THEY DO TO MAKE THOSE THINGS POSSIBLE.
AND THEN SHANNON BUGS WITH COMPLETE COMMUNITIES, WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY'VE BEEN UNDERSERVED, UNDER RESOURCED.
SO AGAIN, TO THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, TO COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS, AND, UH, ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES ON AT THE CITY COUNCIL LEVEL.
AND AGAIN, UH, TO PRESIDENT, UH, JOE BIDEN, UH, TO VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS AND TO THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS THANK YOU, UM, WHO HAVE MADE ALL OF THESE DOLLARS, UH, POSSIBLE.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, UM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS RECEIVED, OH, I STARTED SPEAKING A LIST MILLION, BUT I RAN OUT OF PAPER, RIGHT? I RAN OUT OF PAPER.
BUT IT'S BEEN ONE, ONE GRAND AFTER ANOTHER.
[00:25:01]
UH, SO AGAIN, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.UM, FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO VOTED FOR IT AND THOSE WHO MAY NOT HAVE VOTED FOR IT, BUT ARE CERTAINLY, UM, TAKEN FULL ADVANTAGE YES.
SO, UH, UH, BUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, SO MANY OTHERS.
SO AGAIN, HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND, UH, ENJOY IT AND, UH, LET'S KEEP IT COMING.