Rep. Cuellar Encourages Public Participation in Texas-Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study Meeting Tomorrow

Press Release

Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28) is encouraging residents of Laredo, Webb County and the surrounding area to participate in the Texas-Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study Public Meeting to be held in Laredo on Tuesday, August 9, 2016 from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) offices located at 1817 Bob Bullock Loop.

The purpose of the meeting is for TxDOT to present the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Texas-Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study (TOPRS) and to receive public comment. This is an opportunity for members of the public to provide input that will help TxDOT and Federal Railroad Administration officials make informed decisions when finalizing the rail study, which includes the possibility of new high-speed passenger rail service from Oklahoma City to South Texas in Laredo.

"This is a critical step forward for high-speed rail in South Texas, which I have been actively working on for years," said Congressman Cuellar. "I encourage the area's residents to attend this meeting, listen to the presentation and make known their support behind this project to provide a modern and efficient public transportation option for Laredo and South Texas."

Background Information: The Texas-Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study is a planning-level study to determine the feasibility of developing passenger rail service in an 850-mile corridor running from Oklahoma City, Okla, to South Texas. The study looked at a range of options, from Amtrak-style heavy rail to true high-speed rail service. In 2008, Congressman Cuellar successfully passed an amendment that required a feasibility study to expand high-speed rail to South Texas. The amendment was included in H.R. 2095, The Passenger Rail Improvement Act of 2008. In early November 2010, Congress awarded Texas and Oklahoma a $5.6 million grant from the United States Department of Transportation to TXDOT to complete necessary corridor service planning studies for new and improved high-speed intercity passenger rail along an approximate 850-mile corridor, which mirrors the route of Interstate 35 between Oklahoma City and South Texas in Laredo.

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