Harris County joins high-speed rail group

$50,000 in dues

Vilas Bhuchar, Feb 15, 10.

Harris County Commissioners Court decided to pay $50,000 in dues to join the nonprofit Texas High Speed Rail and Transportation Corporation (THSRTC), according to the Houston Chronicle.

Houston Tomorrow reported that Commissioner Jerry Eversole proposed for the county to join the corporation during a February 9th Commissioners Court meeting and suggested that Emmett be the main representative of the county, while Eversole and Commissioner El Franco Lee serve as alternates.

Eversole is quoted as saying, during the meeting:

“My interest in this was kind of brought about by the media’s remarks about Texas not being prepared and not getting the funds; and I fail to see how Harris County can make much of an inroad if we are not part of one of the largest organizations working for mass transit and speed.”

Most likely, Eversole was referring to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s recent remarks about Texas receiving limited high-speed rail funds - “If Texas had had its act together, it would have gotten some high-speed rail money.”

The Chronicle notes that “the nonprofit rail corporation brings together local governments pushing for high-speed rail” and that Harris County leaders, by joining the group, hope to influence how a high-speed rail system would be built in Texas:

By paying the dues to join the Texas High Speed Rail and Transportation Corp., Harris County leaders hope to influence state legislators who ultimately will decide whether and where to build a $12-to-$20 billion system of trains that travel 200 mph.

The preliminary blueprint, known as the Texas T-Bone, includes two proposed lines. One would connect San Antonio to Dallas. A second would run from the midpoint of that line, in the Killeen-Temple area, to Houston.

Finally, County Judge Ed Emmett is quoted as saying:

“I don’t see this corporation as the entity that’s going to make it happen, but they’re going to be the driving force that gets the legislators’ attention and gets the governor’s attention. If we don’t start on high-speed rail now, then we’re going to look up 20 years from now and be kicking ourselves for not doing what we needed to do.”