Good afternoon, Friends of Congestion-free Travel!
I have reason to be cautiously optimistic that the meeting on September 10th, when the Georgetown City Council will reconsider its membership in the Lone Star Rail District, will go the way in which all of us have been hoping. If it does, it will be in large part due to the efforts of this group, who have committed themselves to doing everything we can to make sure that Georgetown takes part in a vision for our transportation future that encompasses all forms of transportation, rather than relying on an old-fashioned "roads, roads, roads" model.
But, now is NOT the time to get complacent! Everyone needs to show up at 6 pm in Council Chambers (101 E. 7th St.) this Tuesday, September 10th, prepared to speak, or with a group that has a spokesperson speaking for them. The LSRD vote will be the first item on the Legislative Agenda, so we will dive right in! As you prepare for the meeting, here is some information to bear in mind:
1. At a special GTAB (Georgetown Transportation Advisory Board) meeting on August 21st, the GTAB members, by a margin on 8 to 1, voted IN FAVOR of Georgetown continuing to be a member in the Lone Star Rail District. It is important that speakers stress their desire for the councilmembers to support the GTAB recommendation. After all, most of the council voted to ask GTAB to research this issue, and make recommendations, in the first place. If you want to read the exact reasons why GTAB made this recommendation, you can read their document
HERE.
2. Project Connect (
www.connectcentraltexas.com) has made several presentations in Georgetown, and engaged in dialogue with city staff and members of our community. One of the points that has become clear is that Project Connect (a planning organization dedicated to achieving a cohesive, regional, high-capacity transit vision -- they are NOT responsible for funding or building anything) considers the Lone Star Rail project to be the backbone of our regional transportation plan. They have repeatedly stressed that the LSRD is the "baseline" level of service required, with other service options being built upon the rail plan. Our Project Connect options would be severely limited, if not eliminated altogether, if we do not have a Lone Star station in Georgetown. (I was also struck by the fact that the Project Connect presenter was unaware of our efforts to build a regional Conference Center in Georgetown. When he became aware of it, he seemed incredibly excited at the potential of this project, in conjunction with mass-transit. Perhaps someone would like to bring that up?)
3. New transit developments are happening rapidly. With the recent announcement that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will be the lead agency on this project, and that it is an "administrator's priority," the timetable for this project has moved up, and its future has never looked brighter. The LSRD Board will be establishing the scope for the upcoming environmental impact process in the coming weeks. This means that the city of Georgetown must demonstrate their desire to maintain our membership in the LSRD if we want to be included in the scope (as stated by the Chair of the Board). Once the scope is set, and the environmental impact study is underway, federal NEPA (National Environmental Protection Act) regulations would make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to "get back in."
(I have included a copy of the city's press release concerning this Tuesday's rail vote, which is a great summation of the situation.)
These are just some of the high-lights of the information that has become available since this started. Please feel free to also include your own thoughts about the impact that you think the Lone Star Rail could have on Georgetown: transportation options for commuters, the positive environmental impact, economic development for our businesses, improved home values, a sustainable development model for the future, the connections between education/recreation/travel centers, the opportunity to have access to more job opportunities....you get the point. There is a lot to love about this project, and the impact it could have on Georgetown. I firmly believe that it is a much greater risk if we do NOT participate, than if we do.
Be passionate about your belief in the LSRD, but please try to refrain from making any negative comments about those who are having a difficult time seeing the opportunity with which this city has been presented Whatever you may think about the votes that have brought us to this point, please act under the assumption that everyone involved has been following their own desire to "do the right thing," and be civil about any divergent points-of-view. We will not win anyone over with name-calling or finger-pointing. The way I look at it, the GTAB recommendation is a good compromise position. After all, those of us that support the rail would probably prefer not to have our city's membership re-evaluated every year. Those that dismiss the rail would probably prefer to never have to have this debate, again. So, GTAB's recommendation that we approve funding our membership for the next year, let the GTAB members continue with their analysis, and re-examine the development of the rail project on a year-by-year basis IS a compromise. And compromise can be a good thing, right?
Please share this information with friends and neighbors who might be interested in this issue. Also, please take a few minutes to write to the members of our city council to let them know that you support the GTAB recommendation. We need more of these e-mails -- I haven't seen very many, so far. Finally, come to the meeting on September 10th. I look forward to seeing all of your friendly faces as the council is tasked with making a decision that could literally determine Georgetown's future....it will grant me the courage I need for the task at hand.
Thank you, all, for your kind words, your energy and dedication, and your commitment to providing future generations with a sustainable transportation future.
With sincere gratitude,
Rachael
