DALLAS TO RECEIVE $15 MILLION GRANT FOR THE PLANNING OF HIGH SPEED RAIL

Washington, DC – (Tuesday, May 10, 2011)– Congresswoman Johnson applauds the Department of Transportation for their intention to award $15 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA or "stimulus") funding for the preliminary engineering and project-level environmental analysis of a high-speed rail route from the Dallas-Fort Worth Area to Houston.

“Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston are two of the largest metropolitan areas in the country,” said Congresswoman Johnson. “I am very proud that Texas will receive $15 million in order to plan and design this important high-speed passenger rail project to connect these great cities. I’m proud to have voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that made this grant possible. ”

“As the nation's fastest growing region it is essential our residents have transportation choices,” said Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) President and Executive Officer, Gary Thomas. “We are pleased to have the opportunity to further explore how high speed rail could serve the citizens of Texas and specifically the citizens of North Texas.”

The funds are part of a $2 billion ARRA grant that includes $423 million that newly elected Republican Gov. Rick Scott of Florida rejected. The funding will come from the Federal Railroad Administration.  

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U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson is Ranking Member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. She is also the highest-ranking Texan on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure. She represents the 30th Congressional District of Texas that includes Downtown Dallas, Fair Park, Oak Lawn, Turtle Creek,Old East Dallas, Pleasant Grove, & South Oak Cliff; all of Balch Springs, DeSoto, Hutchins, Lancaster & Wilmer and parts of Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Ferris, Glenn Heights and Ovilla.