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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Texas Alliance of Rail Districts, a nonprofit |
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organization established in 2005, is rendering outstanding service |
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to the citizens of this state through its effective promotion of |
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rail transportation; and |
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WHEREAS, Railways have played a vital role in the development |
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of Texas since 1853, when the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado |
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Railway began operation; in time, Texas acquired the most rail |
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mileage of any state in the nation, a network that connected rural |
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and urban areas and linked Texas with other parts of the country and |
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the continent; for more than a century and a half, trains have |
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provided Texas communities of all sizes with a viable option for |
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shipping and receiving raw materials, manufactured goods, and |
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agricultural products; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1981, the Texas Legislature passed a bill |
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enabling the creation of rural rail transportation districts |
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(RRTDs) to assist in the preservation of railway infrastructure; |
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many rural communities have historically depended on railroads as a |
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primary means of transporting area harvests, and for those locales, |
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the continued availability of rail transportation is a critical |
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issue; and |
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WHEREAS, The oldest RRTD in the state, the Cen-Tex Rural Rail |
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Transportation District, was initiated by the Hood County |
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Commissioners Court and began operation in 1990, serving Hood and |
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Johnson Counties; today the Cen-Tex RRTD also embraces Brown, |
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Comanche, and Erath Counties and operates with the support and |
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collaboration of the Lake Granbury Area Chamber of Commerce and the |
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Fort Worth & Western Railroad Company; and |
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WHEREAS, Since the formation of the Cen-Tex RRTD more than 15 |
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years ago, 40 rural rail districts, encompassing 85 counties, have |
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been created; in addition to preserving critical rail service, |
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these RRTDs are being used increasingly as tools to promote new |
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economic development; and |
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WHEREAS, The Texas Alliance of Rail Districts, under the able |
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direction of president John Helsley, assists counties in |
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establishing rail districts, setting goals, and marketing their |
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assets; among the many projects in which the alliance has recently |
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been involved are the construction of rail to serve new industrial |
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parks in Central and South Texas, as well as three new ethanol |
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plants in the Panhandle; the alliance also helped to create the |
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Bexar County Rail District, which was instrumental in bringing a |
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Toyota plant to San Antonio; and |
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WHEREAS, Rural rail transportation districts have been |
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responsible for saving hundreds of miles of rail from likely |
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abandonment, planning new rail lines, and attracting new industry |
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to the Lone Star State, and the Texas Alliance of Rail Districts is |
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providing invaluable guidance and support to those significant |
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endeavors; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize the Texas Alliance of Rail Districts |
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for its major contributions to the preservation and promotion of |
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rail transportation and that all associated with that organization |
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be extended sincere best wishes for continued success. |