Metro, Culberson announce agreement on transit

Metropolitan Transit Authority leaders and U.S. Rep. John Culberson on Monday announced details of a new agreement to help the agency move forward with transit projects.

The Houston Republican, who has long been at odds with Metro over its plans for a rail line on Richmond, has agreed to help Metro obtain funds for a proposed commuter rail line on U.S. 90A and other projects. Rail on Richmond west of Shepherd Drive or on Post Oak Boulevard north of

Richmond would be contingent on voter approval.

Culberson lauded the agreement as a "historic breakthrough" in addressing Houston area traffic congestion and rebuilding his fractured relationship with Metro.

"Above all, what today symbolizes is a new era of cooperation between Metro, under Gilbert Garcia's leadership, and the Houston area congressional delegation," Culberson said. "We will all be working arm in arm to make sure that metro and the elected officials in the region solve our transportation problems by looking to every kind of transit and transportation available, beginning with commuter rail out 90A."

Garcia, Metro's board chairman, said the potential for hundreds of millions in additional federal funds could also help to add back buses and improve the existing fleet, among other wish list projects.

"We know we've got to do something to ease mobility in the region and it has to be multimodal," Garcia said.

Garcia said the agreement "might very well be the biggest, most important thing we've ever accomplished to improve mobility in this region."

Culberson and Garcia signed a "letter to our fellow Houston area citizens" outlining the agreement. The text follows.

May 13, 2015

The Houston economy is so strong that we have created more jobs than any other

city in Texas, and the Texas economy is so strong that more jobs have been created here

than in any other State in the Union. Our success is a great blessing and a testament to

our devotion to the core principles that have made America so successful — hard work,

self-reliance and thrift. Our success also inspires over 3,000 people a month to move into

the Greater Houston area. As we continue to grow, it becomes increasingly important

that we find ways to improve mobility.Today, we have both signed and are sending out this joint letter to announce our mutual commitment to work together to relieve traffic congestion so Houston Area citizens can spend more time with their families and on the job.

We have identified several areas we can work on right away that will help reduce traffic congestion, and we want this agreement to set the tone for our future cooperation.

First, Congressman Culberson supports METRO's proposed legislation pending in

the State Legislature that expands the size of the METRO Board, increases the eligible

length of Board member service and allows the existing board to elect a chairman in

October with an odd initial term. These changes will help ensure better regional

cooperation in designing and building successful transportation projects while smoothing

the transition from the current board size to the larger board size that current law will

require in the near future.

Second, Congressman Culberson will begin work right away to change federal law

so that METRO can use all of the federal dollars not yet drawn down from the $900

million in previously approved federal transit grants for corridor specific transit projects,

particularly the new North and Southeast rail lines as well as the 90A commuter rail line.

These proposed changes will be consistent with the goals of the FTA in order to allow

METRO to match these funds with credits from the original Main Street Line or other

Transportation Development Credits so that local funds will be freed up for new projects

to improve mobility in the Houston area.

Third, Congressman Culberson will begin work right away to change federal law so

that METRO can count $587 Million in local funds spent on the East End Rail Line as the

local matching credit for a commuter rail line along 90A, and secondarily for any non-rail

capital project, or any other project included in the 2003 Referendum. Rail on Richmond

Avenue west of Shepherd Drive or Post Oak Boulevard would only be eligible to utilize these credits once approved in a subsequent referendum.

Fourth, Congressman Culberson will begin work right away to help secure up to

$100 million in federal funds for three consecutive years for bus purchases, park and ride

expansion and HOV lane improvements. These funds will also facilitate METRO's

expanded use of the 2012 referendum increment to pay down debt. All of these efforts

will enhance and improve the bus system that is already one of the best in the nation.

Fifth, METRO wants to eliminate confusion for property and business owners on

Richmond Avenue west of Shepherd Drive and on Post Oak Boulevard. Therefore, the

METRO Board will adopt a resolution pledging not to use any federal or state funds to

build rail on Richmond Avenue west of Shepherd Drive or on Post Oak Boulevard north of

Richmond unless METRO service area voters approve it as part of a future METRO service

area referendum. Likewise, no local funds can be spent on such a rail project without a

referendum except expenditures of local funds necessary for the proper studies and

engineering to present to the voters in the required referendum. Any such referendum

will be part of a multi-modal transportation plan including reasonable cost estimates and

a description of the project's pathway and end points, realizing that pathways could

undergo minor adjustments as a result of unforeseen environmental problems.

Sixth, Congressman Culberson will begin work right away to memorialize this

agreement in both federal and state law. Thus, METRO does not oppose Congressman

Culberson's language amending Section 164 of the FY16 THUD appropriations bill to

memorialize this agreement. And, Metro does not oppose his efforts to memorialize this

agreement in state law.

Seventh, if METRO service area voters approve the referendum, Congressman

Culberson pledges to support the will of the voters and he will work to secure the

maximum level of federal funding available for the transit projects described in the

referendum.

We expect that this will be the first of many future examples of our commitment to

find common ground and to work together to find transportation solutions that will give

Houstonians more free time to spend with their families and on the job. As Houstonians

have more free time to pursue happiness and prosperity, the Houston economy will grow

even more than it has.

Sincerely,

Gilbert Andrew Garcia, CFA, METRO Board Chairman

John Culberson, member of Congress, Texas



