Brazos County commissioners issue a resolution that did not receive unanimous support.
Commissioner Sammy Catalena voted against supporting the high speed passenger train between Houston and Dallas.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Catalena compared the Texas Central project to rural property being taken for oil pipelines and electric transmission lines.
Commissioners Irma Cauley, Steve Aldrich, and Nancy Berry spoke in favor of the project.
County judge Duane Peters, who voted for the resolution, made no comments during the meeting.
On hand to receive the proclamation was Texas Central regional vice president David Hagy.
Click HERE to read and download the resolution.
WHEREAS The Commissioners Court recognizes that a strong transportation system is fundamental to the quality of life and economic growth of Texas, attracting new business and generating jobs; and
WHEREAS Strong economic growth and increased populations are projected in Brazos County, Houston, and North Texas over the next 20 years, and the existing and planned highway capacity will be inadequate to address the increasing traffic congestion and travel times between these regions; and
WHEREAS The Texas Bullet Train project is investor-owned and is being developed by a Texan-led, Texas based company employing a market-led approach – not using taxpayer grants or operating subsidies and not competing for limited local or state transportation dollars; and
WHEREAS The Texas Bullet Train will better connect Texas A&M’s students and professors to Texas’ two largest metro regions; make access to Texas A&M’s world-class education, conferences, athletic events, and alumni events easier; and better connect Texas A&M’s flagship campus to its other academic institutions in Houston and North Texas; and
WHEREAS The Texas Bullet Train will be constructed as an elevated rail system that will allow the directly impacted landowners to continue to use their property with a minimum amount of interference and impact; and
WHEREAS The Texas Bullet Train will give Brazos County residents and students a travel option other than increasingly congested and dangerous highways by deploying the world’s safest and most reliable high-speed train technology-the N700 total bullet system, which boasts a flawless 53-year safety history in Japan and transports millions of passengers each year with less than a minute delay annually; and
WHEREAS The Texas Bullet Train’s agreements with Amtrak for joint ticketing and other services will provide Brazos county residents access to destinations across the country via Amtrak’s national train network; and
WHEREAS The project is projected to generate a direct impact of $36 billion to the Texas economy and pay an estimated $2.5 billion in taxes over the next 25 years; and create 10,000 full-time construction jobs each year during the project’s peak construction period and 1,500 full-time jobs after the system goes into service.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Brazos County Commissioners Court is pleased to support the first investor-owned, high-speed passenger train system in the United States, which will provide a fast, safe, and reliable travel alternative, help build the Texas economy, and prepare Texas for generations of future growth.