Showing posts with label Texas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Texas. Show all posts
Sunday, March 22, 2009
An Inventory of Records at the Texas State Archives, 1970-1995 (bulk 1990-1994)
Records of the Texas High Speed Rail Corporation in the Archives of Texas
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Capital Metro Rails Rails first commuter rail cars arrive
First commuter rail cars arrive
By News 8 Austin Staff - Oct. 23, 2007
Two of the six rail cars that will make up the commuter rail service Capital MetroRail arrived Monday evening from Switzerland.
By fall 2008, the commuter rail line will run from Leander to downtown Austin, making nine stops along the way.
The 50-minute, 32-mile ride will stop at Plaza Saltillo in East Austin, MLK Boulevard, Highland Mall, North Lamar, Burnet Road at Braker Lane, Howard Lane and then Lakeline Boulevard before hitting Leander in Williamson County.
Each car can hold 200 passengers – 100 seated – and cost just under $6 million. They have high-back seats, bicycle and overhead luggage racks and Wi-Fi connections. The rail cars are considered hybrids because they run on both a gas and electrical engine. Capital Metro spokesperson Adam Shaivitz said they're "quieter than a bus."
But the commuter rail won't run on the same schedule as Cap Metro buses. Right now, they're just planning for peak service during morning and afternoon rush hour. Cars will run every 30 minutes with one midday round trip.
If demand is high, Cap Metro might expand the number of cars, the schedule and add more routes.
Fares have yet to be determined, but it would appear $2 seems to be the popular choice among officials.
Each car must be reassembled and go through 1,000 miles of test runs before they're ready for service next year. The four other cars will arrive by next spring.
Station platforms have already been built, and have bike racks, ticket vending machines and electronic signs announcing the arrival time of the next train.
Read more and see video on News8 Austin
By News 8 Austin Staff - Oct. 23, 2007
Two of the six rail cars that will make up the commuter rail service Capital MetroRail arrived Monday evening from Switzerland.
By fall 2008, the commuter rail line will run from Leander to downtown Austin, making nine stops along the way.
The 50-minute, 32-mile ride will stop at Plaza Saltillo in East Austin, MLK Boulevard, Highland Mall, North Lamar, Burnet Road at Braker Lane, Howard Lane and then Lakeline Boulevard before hitting Leander in Williamson County.
Each car can hold 200 passengers – 100 seated – and cost just under $6 million. They have high-back seats, bicycle and overhead luggage racks and Wi-Fi connections. The rail cars are considered hybrids because they run on both a gas and electrical engine. Capital Metro spokesperson Adam Shaivitz said they're "quieter than a bus."
But the commuter rail won't run on the same schedule as Cap Metro buses. Right now, they're just planning for peak service during morning and afternoon rush hour. Cars will run every 30 minutes with one midday round trip.
If demand is high, Cap Metro might expand the number of cars, the schedule and add more routes.
Fares have yet to be determined, but it would appear $2 seems to be the popular choice among officials.
Each car must be reassembled and go through 1,000 miles of test runs before they're ready for service next year. The four other cars will arrive by next spring.
Station platforms have already been built, and have bike racks, ticket vending machines and electronic signs announcing the arrival time of the next train.
Read more and see video on News8 Austin
Local transit officials optimistic they can win federal funds, put project on fast track
By GORDON DICKSON - Star-Telegram Staff Writer -
Officials with the Fort Worth Transportation Authority are counting on Washington to pay nearly half the proposed $390 million needed to extend a commuter rail line from southwest Fort Worth to Northeast Tarrant County.
But securing federal money for such projects is so arduous, some transit agencies don't even bother applying for it.
Congress sets aside an average of about $1.7 billion a year for so-called new starts, an industry term for new rail or bus services - and 100 urban areas are competing for grants.
The Federal Transit Administration requires applicants to submit thousands of pages of documentation proving their project is justified. Many applicants are initially denied but are encouraged to make changes to their projects and resubmit the paperwork. By the time they are approved, projects are often years behind schedule.
"We're very appreciative of the funding but, boy, it takes a heck of an effort to get that money," said Stephen Salin, assistant vice president of capital planning for Dallas Area Rapid Transit. It took DART eight years to secure $700 million in federal funds for its light-rail line from Pleasant Grove to Farmers Branch, he said.
The T's project would connect southwest and downtown Fort Worth, Texas Christian University, the Stockyards, Grapevine and Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. Some say getting the train up and running by 2012, the informal target date, will take a near-miracle.
"My belief is we will not be denied," said Dick Ruddell, president of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority. "We have a good enough project because of the location and ridership projections. This is going to be viewed as very doable."
The ever-optimistic Ruddell says the T's proposal has several advantages that may speed up the funding.
nThe T wants about $175 million, far less than requests typically made by larger agencies such as DART. Local sources would provide an additional $215 million, including money already spent on two federal documents: an analysis of alternatives that was completed last year, and an ongoing environmental review.
The broad community support, as evidenced by Grapevine's successful 2006 sales tax referendum.
Trains would run on existing tracks owned by four railroad companies,
so few rights of way would need to be bought.
Denton gives up
Yet T officials need look no farther than one county to the north to
find an example of how similar projects have found federal funding
frustration.
In March, the Denton County Transportation Authority dropped its pursuit of federal funding for a commuter line from Denton to Carrollton. Denton County transit officials say they could eventually have proved that their proposed rail line, roughly parallel to Interstate 35E, was cost-effective. But it would probably have added years to the planning, and they didn't want to miss their self-imposed 2010 deadline to connect their trains with DART rail service in
Carrollton.
So the transit agency found other financial sources, including proceeds from the new Texas 121 toll road through Lewisville.
The project is still on schedule.
"We've been able to get down to the business of building a railroad rather than shuffle papers," said John Hedrick, president of the Denton County agency.
Transit officials in Raleigh, N.C., recently abandoned 11 years of planning for a Triangle Transit rail line connecting sprawling population and employment areas.
Why so complicated?
Many rail lines simply don't meet the Federal Transit Administration's definition of a cost-effective project.
The agency places a dollar value on the time commuters waste sitting in traffic jams in the proposal area. To come up with the value of adding rail or buses, the agency uses a complicated model that includes factors such as the cost of a project, the number of riders expected in a peak year (usually 2025 or 2030), and congestion data from buses and highways in the same area.
Even in cities the size of Dallas, proving a project's worthiness can be tough. DART's $700 million light-rail line, approved last year, didn't exactly pass with flying colors. It managed a slightly better than mediocre score, even though it is expected to have a whopping 40,300 riders a day by 2025.
The bureaucratic hurdles are necessary to ensure that rail projects are selected based upon scientific data rather than politics, federal officials say.
What if the T fails?
If the proposed Tarrant County rail line can't meet the federal agency's criteria, the T won't give up, Ruddell said. Instead, it will work closely with the agency to cut costs, find more ways to try to increase ridership and make any other changes. The worst case would be a delay of several years, he said.
Ruddell also said the rail line could be built in phases with local funds. Perhaps, he said, the first phase could serve central Fort Worth and Grapevine.
But he says he knows a cost-effective rail project when he sees it - and this one is it. Through most of the '90s, he was government affairs chairman for the American Public Transportation Association and helped draft legislation to grade rail projects.
"The federal government has clearly made it difficult to gain access to this money," Ruddell said.
"But we have incredible support from every part of the community. I've got local funding lined up. There's nothing to hold us back, except the process itself."
This week, the Star-Telegram is focusing on neighborhoods that might get a train station along the proposed commuter rail line from southwest Fort Worth to Northeast Tarrant County. Each day this week, part of the route will be featured on the Main Street page inside the newspaper's local section - starting Monday with a glance at the commuter rail plan near Sycamore School Road.
Train technology
The Fort Worth Transportation Authority wants to use a new breed of rail cars known as diesel multiple units. They are self-propelled, so they have no locomotive. They burn diesel fuel and offer riders the interior comfort of light-rail service.
When will it begin?
The rail line could open by 2012 if the ongoing environmental review goes smoothly and the federal government agrees to chip in $175 million in funding. An additional $215 million in local funds has been identified. Agreements must also be reached with up to four railroads whose tracks would be needed for passenger service.
The schedule
The roughly 40-mile line would serve 13 or 14 stations, depending on which of three routes is chosen. During morning and afternoon rush periods, about three trains per hour would operate on the line. The rest of the day, about one train per hour would operate. Some stations would be neighborhood-oriented, and others would be regional
park-and-ride lots. Each would have a platform, windscreens, canopies, walkways, wheelchair accessibility, ticketing, and bus and car drop-off areas.
Paying for the project
How the T proposes to pay for the $390 million Southwest-to-Northeast Rail Corridor:
$70 million, local sales tax - $30 million from the T, and $40 million from Grapevine.
$60 million Texas Mobility Fund, state appropriation.
$20 million, Tarrant County bonds, part of voter-approved transportation package..
$55 million, North Central Texas Council of Governments - Partnership II congestion mitigation and other funds.
$10 million, other local funding.
$175 million, Federal Transit Administration grant.
Source: Fort Worth Transportation Authority
Read more in the Fort Worth Star Telegram
Officials with the Fort Worth Transportation Authority are counting on Washington to pay nearly half the proposed $390 million needed to extend a commuter rail line from southwest Fort Worth to Northeast Tarrant County.
But securing federal money for such projects is so arduous, some transit agencies don't even bother applying for it.
Congress sets aside an average of about $1.7 billion a year for so-called new starts, an industry term for new rail or bus services - and 100 urban areas are competing for grants.
The Federal Transit Administration requires applicants to submit thousands of pages of documentation proving their project is justified. Many applicants are initially denied but are encouraged to make changes to their projects and resubmit the paperwork. By the time they are approved, projects are often years behind schedule.
"We're very appreciative of the funding but, boy, it takes a heck of an effort to get that money," said Stephen Salin, assistant vice president of capital planning for Dallas Area Rapid Transit. It took DART eight years to secure $700 million in federal funds for its light-rail line from Pleasant Grove to Farmers Branch, he said.
The T's project would connect southwest and downtown Fort Worth, Texas Christian University, the Stockyards, Grapevine and Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. Some say getting the train up and running by 2012, the informal target date, will take a near-miracle.
"My belief is we will not be denied," said Dick Ruddell, president of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority. "We have a good enough project because of the location and ridership projections. This is going to be viewed as very doable."
The ever-optimistic Ruddell says the T's proposal has several advantages that may speed up the funding.
nThe T wants about $175 million, far less than requests typically made by larger agencies such as DART. Local sources would provide an additional $215 million, including money already spent on two federal documents: an analysis of alternatives that was completed last year, and an ongoing environmental review.
The broad community support, as evidenced by Grapevine's successful 2006 sales tax referendum.
Trains would run on existing tracks owned by four railroad companies,
so few rights of way would need to be bought.
Denton gives up
Yet T officials need look no farther than one county to the north to
find an example of how similar projects have found federal funding
frustration.
In March, the Denton County Transportation Authority dropped its pursuit of federal funding for a commuter line from Denton to Carrollton. Denton County transit officials say they could eventually have proved that their proposed rail line, roughly parallel to Interstate 35E, was cost-effective. But it would probably have added years to the planning, and they didn't want to miss their self-imposed 2010 deadline to connect their trains with DART rail service in
Carrollton.
So the transit agency found other financial sources, including proceeds from the new Texas 121 toll road through Lewisville.
The project is still on schedule.
"We've been able to get down to the business of building a railroad rather than shuffle papers," said John Hedrick, president of the Denton County agency.
Transit officials in Raleigh, N.C., recently abandoned 11 years of planning for a Triangle Transit rail line connecting sprawling population and employment areas.
Why so complicated?
Many rail lines simply don't meet the Federal Transit Administration's definition of a cost-effective project.
The agency places a dollar value on the time commuters waste sitting in traffic jams in the proposal area. To come up with the value of adding rail or buses, the agency uses a complicated model that includes factors such as the cost of a project, the number of riders expected in a peak year (usually 2025 or 2030), and congestion data from buses and highways in the same area.
Even in cities the size of Dallas, proving a project's worthiness can be tough. DART's $700 million light-rail line, approved last year, didn't exactly pass with flying colors. It managed a slightly better than mediocre score, even though it is expected to have a whopping 40,300 riders a day by 2025.
The bureaucratic hurdles are necessary to ensure that rail projects are selected based upon scientific data rather than politics, federal officials say.
What if the T fails?
If the proposed Tarrant County rail line can't meet the federal agency's criteria, the T won't give up, Ruddell said. Instead, it will work closely with the agency to cut costs, find more ways to try to increase ridership and make any other changes. The worst case would be a delay of several years, he said.
Ruddell also said the rail line could be built in phases with local funds. Perhaps, he said, the first phase could serve central Fort Worth and Grapevine.
But he says he knows a cost-effective rail project when he sees it - and this one is it. Through most of the '90s, he was government affairs chairman for the American Public Transportation Association and helped draft legislation to grade rail projects.
"The federal government has clearly made it difficult to gain access to this money," Ruddell said.
"But we have incredible support from every part of the community. I've got local funding lined up. There's nothing to hold us back, except the process itself."
This week, the Star-Telegram is focusing on neighborhoods that might get a train station along the proposed commuter rail line from southwest Fort Worth to Northeast Tarrant County. Each day this week, part of the route will be featured on the Main Street page inside the newspaper's local section - starting Monday with a glance at the commuter rail plan near Sycamore School Road.
Train technology
The Fort Worth Transportation Authority wants to use a new breed of rail cars known as diesel multiple units. They are self-propelled, so they have no locomotive. They burn diesel fuel and offer riders the interior comfort of light-rail service.
When will it begin?
The rail line could open by 2012 if the ongoing environmental review goes smoothly and the federal government agrees to chip in $175 million in funding. An additional $215 million in local funds has been identified. Agreements must also be reached with up to four railroads whose tracks would be needed for passenger service.
The schedule
The roughly 40-mile line would serve 13 or 14 stations, depending on which of three routes is chosen. During morning and afternoon rush periods, about three trains per hour would operate on the line. The rest of the day, about one train per hour would operate. Some stations would be neighborhood-oriented, and others would be regional
park-and-ride lots. Each would have a platform, windscreens, canopies, walkways, wheelchair accessibility, ticketing, and bus and car drop-off areas.
Paying for the project
How the T proposes to pay for the $390 million Southwest-to-Northeast Rail Corridor:
$70 million, local sales tax - $30 million from the T, and $40 million from Grapevine.
$60 million Texas Mobility Fund, state appropriation.
$20 million, Tarrant County bonds, part of voter-approved transportation package..
$55 million, North Central Texas Council of Governments - Partnership II congestion mitigation and other funds.
$10 million, other local funding.
$175 million, Federal Transit Administration grant.
Source: Fort Worth Transportation Authority
Read more in the Fort Worth Star Telegram
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Railroads behind push for Trans Texas Corridor
At every TTC TxDOT hearing I attended all the people (who weren't elected officials and or members of the RTC) spoke out against the TTC except for Rail Road reps.
Right now the focus is on toll roads, highways, eminent domain, CDAs and private public partnerships. The vested interest of the rail industry is not in the spotlight yet. Neither is the fuel and energy players who are interested in pipeline concessions. However, they are there, behind the scenes, funneling money and influence into the political process.
The railroads are interested in shortening their rail routes through Texas. The railroads own the infrastructure but want the taxpayers to foot the bill for upgrading their system. Kansas City Southern has the shortest route from the Mexican border to Kanasas City but they want it straightened to give them an even stronger competitive advantage. They want the advantage, the upgraded infrastructure (which they own) yet intend for the taxpayers to fund it! They are playing the TTC cards close to their chests but in Transportation Seminars they show some of their hand.
Last year I posted a comment on a Texas Kaos journal on the TTC TxDOT hearings:
It appears that TTI has a role
in selling the concept of multi modal transportation to members of the THSRTC. That organization has at least two officers who are County Judges in major urban centers. TTI was a major player in that organization. THSRTC is also closely linked to TDoT and NDOT. So it is interesting to see how this organization has influenced support for the TTC initiative.
In reengineering we are trained to identify the barriers, to identify the sponsors, to identify change agents, to identify stockholders. It appears that TTI and other organizations which promote rail within the governmental and cogs functions in part as a reengineering lobby organization using education and symposiums to bring major players who can "buy into the intiative" and endorse and support it.
THSRTC also has strong ties to legislative leaders who can influence funding and change necessary parts of the transportation code. So influence with TDoT is not the only way that TTI and the Bush School of Public Affairs can influence change to the advantage of A&M's generous corporate endower.
You can go on line to Texas Transportation Institute and Texas A&M. Looks like much of their research is on road safety. I don't know that they have been driving TDoT toward Zachry. The problem is that the negotiations and vetting is sealed -- can't even be unlocked by subpoena until the final contracts are signed! And since the meetings are not being run by the open meetings rule, we don't know what the conversation is.
I truly hope the outcry is loud enough that TDoT and others realize that what they think they have pulled won't hold. Too many people are outraged.
Texan's are a bit like those mean old bulls out in the field. Leave us alone and don't mess with our grazing fields, and we're mild. Get us riled up and few can run fast enough to avoid the consequences.
Texas High Speed Rail Transportation Corporation:
The website describes members as "representing some of Texas' most densely-populated and economically vibrant areas." THSRTC website states: "Our growing membership and their designated representatives include the Cities of
College Station
Hillsboro
Houston
Irving
Killeen
Temple
Also members are:
Brazos County
Dallas County
Harris County
Tarrant County
the Port of Houston Authority
American Airlines
Continental Airlines,
Scott & White Hospital
Texas Southern University and the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI located at Texas A&M) serve as significant resource agencies to THSRTC.
The Bush School of Public Affairs at Texas A & M University recently completed a major Capstone Project for the Corporation.
These players along with Kansas City Southern Railroad de Mexico (owning 100% interest in TFM -Mexico Rail), H.B. Zachry Construction Corporation and Citras (a Spanish Corporation which operates toll roads in Canada) are the major players backing the TTC. There are probably (not proven) strong ties between some of KCS RR's Mexican partners and Cintras.
Since 1992 Kansas Southern has acquired transportation corridor rights, and or rail lines, and or major contracts which gives it major control tracks spanning from both coasts of Southern Mexico through the USA to the Pacific Rim of Canada.
In January 2006 a conference (The Second Annual Southern Central High Speed Rail Symposium) was held at the Hyatt Regency DFW in Dallas. The VP of Kansas City Southern Railroad was the dinner speaker and opened the seminar with a presentation showing the milestones the KCS RR has achieved in reaching their goal: To Concentrate and coordinate investments in capacity, facilities, locomotives to capture long-haul business grown between US, Mexico & Pacific-rim markets. They labeled their slides as "KCS The NAFTA RAILROAD".
This powerpoint presentation is available on line at: http://tinyurl.com/....
It clearly shows that the REASON FOR THE TTC is to ship goods from Mexico straight though Texas to a terminal/hub in Kansas City Mo to Canada. They include slides showing that "Kansas City Southern has now earned its new name: Kansas City Southern de Mexico."
It shows the importance of the STRAIGHT THROUGH TEXAS line. They are currently shipping through Texas but route up to Bloomington IL and the TTC route would give them a straight shot north instead of winding around. Construction of the TTC rail/toll corridor would allow KCS de Mexico to ship directly from ports in Mexico straight through Texas non-stop to a depot in Kansas City, Missouri.
The first person who alerted me that the plan was to ship through Texas to a hub in Kansas City was Hank Gilbert. He's been up to speed on the TTC for some time. He's been traveling and alerting folks that the purpose of taking all this acreage to build this corridor is not to meet the transportation needs of Texans. It's to cut back on the expenses of entities seeking to ship goods from Mexican ports through Texas to Kansas City, Mo where it will be channeled to to points along Kansas City Southern's distribution network. KCS's goal is to dominate transportation in the US, Mexico and Canada.
In Harris County, Judge Robert Eckles who presides over the Harris County Commissioner's Court is chair of the Texas High Speed Rail Transportation Corporation.
http://www.judgeecke...
In Tarrant, County Commissioner (now County Judge) Glen Whitley, serves as Secretary of the Texas High Speed Rail Transportation Corporation.
In Dallas, Texas Senator John Carona serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security.
Another Dallas County Leader is Commissioner Maurine Dickey:
From the same issue of Fast Forward:
THSRTC MILESTONES
The March Issue of Fast Forward lists:
CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORTERS: Senators Hutchinson and Cornyn
House Members: Brady, Burgess, Carter, Cueller, Edwards, Gonzalez, Green, Hall, Jackson Lee, Johnson, Marchant, McCaul, Neugebauer, Ortiz, Poe, Sessions
In the January 2006 Issue of Fast Forward:
Right now the focus is on toll roads, highways, eminent domain, CDAs and private public partnerships. The vested interest of the rail industry is not in the spotlight yet. Neither is the fuel and energy players who are interested in pipeline concessions. However, they are there, behind the scenes, funneling money and influence into the political process.
The railroads are interested in shortening their rail routes through Texas. The railroads own the infrastructure but want the taxpayers to foot the bill for upgrading their system. Kansas City Southern has the shortest route from the Mexican border to Kanasas City but they want it straightened to give them an even stronger competitive advantage. They want the advantage, the upgraded infrastructure (which they own) yet intend for the taxpayers to fund it! They are playing the TTC cards close to their chests but in Transportation Seminars they show some of their hand.
Last year I posted a comment on a Texas Kaos journal on the TTC TxDOT hearings:
It appears that TTI has a role
in selling the concept of multi modal transportation to members of the THSRTC. That organization has at least two officers who are County Judges in major urban centers. TTI was a major player in that organization. THSRTC is also closely linked to TDoT and NDOT. So it is interesting to see how this organization has influenced support for the TTC initiative.
In reengineering we are trained to identify the barriers, to identify the sponsors, to identify change agents, to identify stockholders. It appears that TTI and other organizations which promote rail within the governmental and cogs functions in part as a reengineering lobby organization using education and symposiums to bring major players who can "buy into the intiative" and endorse and support it.
THSRTC also has strong ties to legislative leaders who can influence funding and change necessary parts of the transportation code. So influence with TDoT is not the only way that TTI and the Bush School of Public Affairs can influence change to the advantage of A&M's generous corporate endower.
You can go on line to Texas Transportation Institute and Texas A&M. Looks like much of their research is on road safety. I don't know that they have been driving TDoT toward Zachry. The problem is that the negotiations and vetting is sealed -- can't even be unlocked by subpoena until the final contracts are signed! And since the meetings are not being run by the open meetings rule, we don't know what the conversation is.
I truly hope the outcry is loud enough that TDoT and others realize that what they think they have pulled won't hold. Too many people are outraged.
Texan's are a bit like those mean old bulls out in the field. Leave us alone and don't mess with our grazing fields, and we're mild. Get us riled up and few can run fast enough to avoid the consequences.
Texas High Speed Rail Transportation Corporation:
The website describes members as "representing some of Texas' most densely-populated and economically vibrant areas." THSRTC website states: "Our growing membership and their designated representatives include the Cities of
College Station
Hillsboro
Houston
Irving
Killeen
Temple
Also members are:
Brazos County
Dallas County
Harris County
Tarrant County
the Port of Houston Authority
American Airlines
Continental Airlines,
Scott & White Hospital
Texas Southern University and the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI located at Texas A&M) serve as significant resource agencies to THSRTC.
The Bush School of Public Affairs at Texas A & M University recently completed a major Capstone Project for the Corporation.
These players along with Kansas City Southern Railroad de Mexico (owning 100% interest in TFM -Mexico Rail), H.B. Zachry Construction Corporation and Citras (a Spanish Corporation which operates toll roads in Canada) are the major players backing the TTC. There are probably (not proven) strong ties between some of KCS RR's Mexican partners and Cintras.
Since 1992 Kansas Southern has acquired transportation corridor rights, and or rail lines, and or major contracts which gives it major control tracks spanning from both coasts of Southern Mexico through the USA to the Pacific Rim of Canada.
In January 2006 a conference (The Second Annual Southern Central High Speed Rail Symposium) was held at the Hyatt Regency DFW in Dallas. The VP of Kansas City Southern Railroad was the dinner speaker and opened the seminar with a presentation showing the milestones the KCS RR has achieved in reaching their goal: To Concentrate and coordinate investments in capacity, facilities, locomotives to capture long-haul business grown between US, Mexico & Pacific-rim markets. They labeled their slides as "KCS The NAFTA RAILROAD".
This powerpoint presentation is available on line at: http://tinyurl.com/....
It clearly shows that the REASON FOR THE TTC is to ship goods from Mexico straight though Texas to a terminal/hub in Kansas City Mo to Canada. They include slides showing that "Kansas City Southern has now earned its new name: Kansas City Southern de Mexico."
It shows the importance of the STRAIGHT THROUGH TEXAS line. They are currently shipping through Texas but route up to Bloomington IL and the TTC route would give them a straight shot north instead of winding around. Construction of the TTC rail/toll corridor would allow KCS de Mexico to ship directly from ports in Mexico straight through Texas non-stop to a depot in Kansas City, Missouri.
The first person who alerted me that the plan was to ship through Texas to a hub in Kansas City was Hank Gilbert. He's been up to speed on the TTC for some time. He's been traveling and alerting folks that the purpose of taking all this acreage to build this corridor is not to meet the transportation needs of Texans. It's to cut back on the expenses of entities seeking to ship goods from Mexican ports through Texas to Kansas City, Mo where it will be channeled to to points along Kansas City Southern's distribution network. KCS's goal is to dominate transportation in the US, Mexico and Canada.
In Harris County, Judge Robert Eckles who presides over the Harris County Commissioner's Court is chair of the Texas High Speed Rail Transportation Corporation.
http://www.judgeecke...
In Tarrant, County Commissioner (now County Judge) Glen Whitley, serves as Secretary of the Texas High Speed Rail Transportation Corporation.
In Dallas, Texas Senator John Carona serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security.
From FAST FORWARD, The Monthly Newsletter for the Texas High Speed Rail and Transportation Corporation, March 2006 Newletter:
In February of this year, Senator Carona was appointed Joint Chair of the Study on Transportation Financing by the 79th Legislature. "The members I have appointed are all strong leaders representing diverse parts of the state," Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst aid. "I look forward to working with each of them as we pepare for future transportation funding needs."
The committee will reveiw the state motor fuel tax, the current sources for funding rail transportation projects, adn all other financing options for all modes of transportation. The appointment will give Senator Carona the opportuntiy to influence transportation and homeland security policy throughout the state while ensuring the approach is fair, equitable, and capable of taking Texas safely and securely into the future.
Another Dallas County Leader is Commissioner Maurine Dickey:
From the same issue of Fast Forward:
Dallas County Commissioner Maurine Dickey is a pr-active voice and member of the Texas High Speed Rail Transportation Corporation."
THSRTC MILESTONES
2002: THSRTC was created and officially incorporated by Secretary of State Gwen Shea, with Harris County, College Station, Houston and the Port of Houston as its founding members. By the end of the year the Corporation alerady had one new member, the City of Killeen. IN addition, the Corporation quickly earned the support of the Garrision Commander at Fort Hood, the largest military installation in the United States.
2003: Cities and counties continued joining THSRTC.
..Following the first executive committee meeting, a letter requesting an extension of the South Central Corridor in the reauthorization of TEA-21 was signed. A few months later TxDOT Executive Director Michael Behrens submitted an application for the extension of the South Central Corridor to USDOT Secretary Norman Mineta. A second executive committee meeting took place at the 6th Annual Texas Transportation Summit in Irving. Shortly thereafter a letter was submitted to USDOT Secretary Norman Mineta requesting the selection of the Texas T-Bone as the model for high-speed rail.
2004: 2004 was a great yaer for the Texas High Speed Rial and Transportation Corporation: the Texas T-Bone received key endorsements from the Dallas Morning News and Fort Worth Star Telegram and the U.S. House of Representatives' TEA-LU bill included the extension of the South Central Corridor. By the end of the yar the Corporation passed a resolution allowing universities to join at half the membership cost.
2005: As THSRTC and the Texas T-Bone gained recognition, several educatational institutions offered to conduct research on several high-speed rail related aspects including demographic and environmental impact studies and public policy issues. The list of resource agencies assisting THSRTC includes the George Bush School of Public Policy at A&M University, the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University and the Texas Transportation Institute. 2005 also saw the additon of several new members including Scott & White Hospital and the City of Hillsboro.
2006: 2006 has had an excellent start for THSRTC. The Corporation's Quarterly Meeting on February 17 at Hill College in Hillsboro was a tremendous success with over 50 attendees including 100% of THSRTC membership, representatives from U.S> Congressman Chet Edwards, Texas Senator Kip Averitt and Texas House Representative Jim Pitts. In addition, DFW Airport, Baylor University, HOTCOG, and many others were present. A fact finding mission to France to see the... TGV system is also in the works for Summer 2006.
The March Issue of Fast Forward lists:
CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORTERS: Senators Hutchinson and Cornyn
House Members: Brady, Burgess, Carter, Cueller, Edwards, Gonzalez, Green, Hall, Jackson Lee, Johnson, Marchant, McCaul, Neugebauer, Ortiz, Poe, Sessions
In the January 2006 Issue of Fast Forward:
Profile: United States Congressman Henry Cueller
Representing the people of the 28th Congressional District of Texas since November 2004, Congressman Cuellar is a strong supporter of transportation improvements and high-speed rial in Texas. Durng his short time in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Cuellar has already been able to secure $14 million dollars of transportation projects for his district, which goes from San Marcos all the way down to Laredo.
As a U.S. representative, Congressman Cuellar has been remarkably successful in advancing several amendments to new legislation that will protect individual property rights adn will increase security, technology and manpower at the US-Mexico, among others. He has also created a National Gang Intelligency center at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is a leader among Democrats, being the first in his party to support the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). This trade agreement will have a big economic impact on the 28th District, as millions of dollars in new trade will come through Laredo and the I-35 Corridor.
Representative Cuellar currently serves on bothe the House Budget Committee and the House Agriculture Committee.
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Prior to serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, Cuellar served as Secretary of State for the State of Texas and was a member of the Texas Legislature for 14 years.
The 28th Congressional District of Texas serves San Antonio, one of the largest cities.
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