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January
8, 2010
Congressional
Members and Regional Rail District Leadership Brief Federal Administrators
Karen Rae, David Matsuda at Port Of Houston
Meeting
and tour focused on regional rail priorities
U.S.
Congressman Gene Green convened a meeting at the Port of Houston
Authority (PHA) on Wednesday, Jan. 6, to discuss regional rail priorities,
followed by a tour of rail sites, with Karen Rae, deputy administrator
of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), and David Matsuda,
deputy administrator for the Maritime Administration (MARAD).
The visit to Houston was in direct response to an earlier written
request by the Houston region congressional delegation. Houston
is the fourth most congested city in the nation, a problem that
is caused in part by the 2,200 trains that cross Houston’s
roadways at 754 crossings.
“Encouraging competitive rail service for the Houston area
industry helps to protect local jobs,” Green said. “We
must continue to improve upon the Houston rail network for local
communities and area businesses.
Both
Congressman Pete Olson and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee echoed
Green’s emphasis on the importance of cooperation and taking
a regional approach to enhancing intermodal transportation, both
freight rail and long-term passenger rail.
Among others attending the meeting were PHA Chairman Jim Edmonds,
PHA Commissioner Elyse Lanier, PHA Chief Executive Officer Alec
Dreyer, METRO President & CEO Frank Wilson, Mark Ellis, Gulf
Coast Rail District, Owen Rallston, Waller County Judge, and representatives
of BNSF Railway, Union Pacific Railroad, and Kansas City Southern
Railway.
“The maritime industry in this region has a tremendous impact
on the nation,” Edmonds said. “Clearly, the infrastructure
that supports this economic activity is essential – it includes
the Houston Ship Channel, roads and rail networks. For these reasons,
the port authority has been a strong supporter of the Gulf Coast
Rail District and was instrumental in the creation of this public-private
partnership.”
The Houston Region Freight Study by the Texas Department of Transportation
recommended a total of nearly $198 million in capital improvements,
including construction of additional tracks between Galena Junction
and Manchester Junction and between Sinco Junction and Deer Park
Junction and construction of a second bridge across the Houston
Ship Channel at East Belt. Those rail sites were included in the
tour as were PHA’s Turning Basin Terminal, the single-track
railroad bridge over Buffalo Bayou at Bridge 5A, PTRA’s North
Yard, Union Pacific’s Englewood Yard and intermodal terminal,
the Amtrak station and Winter Street at Houston, and the petrochemical
complex along SH 225.
The visit illustrated the extensive rail operations in Houston providing
service to 900 industries in the region and how the Gulf Coast Rail
District goals and activities align with the objectives of the Federal
Railroad Administration’s draft National Rail Plan, which
aims to address the rail needs of the nation and assist states in
developing their state rail plans.
 The
FRA is one of 10 agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation
concerned with intermodal transportation. Named deputy administrator
of the FRA by the Barack Obama Administration in March 2009, Rae
will play a leading role in the FRA’s efforts to successfully
implement the President’s historic commitment to advance the
development of high-speed rail and implement the Administration’s
public policy directive to improve intercity passenger rail for
users and communities across the U.S.
The Maritime Administration is the agency within the U.S. Department
of Transportation dealing with waterborne transportation and promoting
its seamless integration with other segments of the transportation
system. Matsuda has served as deputy administrator since July 2009
and President Barak Obama recently nominated him for the position
of Administrator of the Maritime Administration.
One of the largest ports in the world, the Port of Houston is made
up of the Port of Houston Authority and more than 150 private industrial
companies along the Houston Ship Channel, a critical component of
the regional and national economy. The Port of Houston ranks first
in the U.S. in foreign waterborne tonnage and second in overall
total tonnage. The Port of Houston is a major economic engine for
the region, state and nation. It is responsible for nearly $285
billion in economic activity, more than 1.5 million direct and indirect
jobs and generates $16.2 billion in tax revenue nationwide.
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