Austin, TX
Is a Central Texas passenger rail possible?
Is a CTX passenger rail possible?
Travis County Judge Andy Brown is trying to get a passenger rail plan for Central Texas back on track.
AUSTIN, Texas – Travis County Judge Andy Brown is trying to get a passenger rail plan for Central Texas back on track. He sent a message to federal officials after a multi-million dollar grant was awarded to a high speed rail project in East Texas.
Amtrak provides passenger service through Austin from San Antonio to Dallas, but it’s far from efficient. It’s not uncommon, a three-hour trip by car to the metroplex can take four to six hours by train.
The slow roll for riders is because Amtrak uses rails owned by Union Pacific, which makes delivering freight, not people, a priority. Efforts to streamline the route have not been successful.
Federal grant denied for Texas passenger rail
The Federal Railroad Administration has denied grant money for the fastest-growing metro areas in Texas when it comes to passenger rail expansion.
But to the east, things are moving for a plan to build a high-speed bullet train between Dallas and Houston. The Federal Railroad Administration awarded the project a $64 million grant, which keeps the plan alive.
In a social media post, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg included the new east Texas route on a national map of other rail projects. That map identified Central Texas as already having passenger service.
Travis County Judge Andy Brown responded to that post, telling the transportation secretary, Austin and San Antonio are fast-growing metro areas and would love to be included in future passenger rail plans.
Judge Brown spoke to FOX 7 about the message he sent and the projects in the works.
“The fact that we don’t have great passenger rail between us and our neighbor 70 miles to the south, Bexar County is pretty wild and pretty unique in the world,” said Judge Brown.
Passenger rail connecting Austin and San Antonio proposed
Judge Brown is working with Bexar County Judge Sakai on building a Central Texas Rail Coalition that includes Republicans and Democrats.
“To fight for increased passenger rail service in Texas, because we’re realizing that even though I-35 is being rebuilt in Austin and in San Antonio, even after that, we’re going to need better ways and additional ways to get around between Austin and San Antonio in particular, but really around the whole state. We’re growing so fast. We need more passenger rail,” said Brown.
The team up is an effort to get the current federal administration to understand that the rail service between San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas is not efficient and actually needs to be ramped up.
Rail connecting central Texas cities proposed
As the state’s population grows, so does traffic on heavily travelled roadways. But some say there may be another option; FOX 7’s Mike Warren speaks with Travis County Commissioner’s Court Judge Andy Brown for more.
“I don’t fault the Biden administration. I don’t fault TxDOT, because there’s been lots of reasons in history of why we don’t have great passenger rail along this route, but we need to all come together and figure it out,” said Brown.
“I’m getting a different sense of a from people who are Republicans and Democrats about the need for this and the desire to do this,” said Brown.
The rail coalition is called the “Texas Passenger Rail Advisory Committee.” Brown believes the group can deliver.
A big push is expected to come in January when state lawmakers return to Austin.
“So really, it’s just up to the Texas legislature to take advantage of the money that the Biden administration is offering. My understanding is it’s about an 80/20 match. So, if we come up with 20% of the funding, the feds will match 80% of that. And so, this is a great opportunity for us to move forward. And we’re going to be taking this issue to the legislature this session to try to get, you know, about $300 million put into the Texas Rail Fund so that we can help match those federal funds,” said Brown.
There are three options in play, according to Judge Brown:
- Teaming up with a private company out of Florida that’s considering a rail line along I-35.
- Spur off the Houston to Dallas bullet train route, looping west from College Station.
- Idea of cutting a deal with Union Pacific, adding additional track for Amtrak and or re-routing freight.
AUSTIN, Texas — The screwworm outbreak is having a major impact on animal shelter budgets across Texas. Instant kill and preventative medications for dogs and cats are an unprecedented expense.
Paul is a rescue dog from South Texas, where he was living on the streets and starving. He is now at Austin Pets Alive! getting Screwworm prevention medication and the treatment he needs to get healthy.
“Any dog that enters our shelter period, but especially if they look like this, we are going over them with a fine-tooth comb and looking for anything that might be a wound where a screwworm might have been able to gain access,” said Dr. Ellen Jefferson, CEO and President of Austin Pets Alive!
RELATED| FDA authorizes generic over-the-counter drug to treat New World screwworm in pets
Dr. Jefferson says dogs and cats need regular checks of their eyes, noses, ears, and underneath their fur. But Austin Pets Alive! says the best protection is a combination of Capstar, which is an instant-kill medication for existing active screwworm larvae, and prescription preventatives that provide ongoing protection when administered every 30 days.
“Just to buy the initial Capstar for our program, it was close to $10,000,” said Rebecca Giamona, Asst. Medical Care Director at Austin Pets Alive!
Giamona says preventative meds are also putting a heavy financial strain on the nonprofit’s budget at a cost of around $70,000.
“We need about 5,000 doses of the monthly preventative, and they are roughly $14 to $15 per dose,” said Giamona.
Products with the active ingredients ending in l, a, n, e, r are highly effective at preventing and treating infestations. But keeping Paul and every shelter animal up to date will take help from the public.
“Donations, and hopefully some more donations,” said Giamona.
An infestation of New World Screwworm can be painful, disfiguring, and potentially deadly for animals. Most cases involve livestock, especially cattle, but dogs and cats can also get infestations.
AUSTIN, Texas – Central Texans gather to celebrate Juneteenth or “Freedom Day” on June 19 and commemorate the end of slavery.
What you can do:
The Greater East Austin Youth Association (GEAYA) is hosting the Central Texas Juneteenth Parade and Festival today (6/19).
It’s free and taking place at Rosewood Park in East Austin located at 2300 Rosewood Ave.
The schedule for the events is as follows:
- ACME Juneteenth FunRun – 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
- Juneteenth Historical Parade – 10 AM – 12 PM
- Park Celebration and Fireworks – 12 PM – 9:45 PM
Other events
On June 20, the Carver Kickback: Juneteenth Edition will be taking place 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural, and Genealogy Center located at 1165 Angelina Street.
It will be a day of celebration and remembrance and there will be BBQ plates and music as well as vendors and hands-on activations.
The backstory:
Juneteenth commemorates the end of formal slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, and more than one month following the end of the American Civil War.
Colloquially known as “The Black 4th of July,” Juneteenth marks the beginning of an African American journey to carve a new place in society for free people to shape identities independent of racial caricature, eradicate slave culture, promote ethnic pride, and create economic prosperity.
The Source: Information from City of Austin and Greater East Austin Youth Association and reporting by Jessica Rivera.
Juneteenth celebrations are happening across the city this weekend. The events will mark the 161st anniversary of the day Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay to announce that more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were free. The announcement on June 19, 1865, came more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. June 19 — known as Juneteenth — became a federal holiday in 2021.
From historical bike rides to Austin’s annual parade, here are seven events taking place in Austin.
Annual Juneteenth FunRun, June 19
The city of Austin’s African American Cultural and Heritage Facility will host a fun run starting at 8:30 a.m. on Friday at East Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Leona Street, and concluding at Hargrave Street near the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex. Participants will have one hour to complete the course. The route is the same as the parade through the African American Historical Cultural District that will start later that morning. Runners and walkers of all ages and levels can participate.
Central Texas Juneteenth Parade & Festival, June 19
The annual Juneteenth parade will take place Friday and begin at 10 a.m. at East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Leona Street and will travel down to Chicon Street before turning on Rosewood Avenue. The parade will feature floats, live music and performers.
A Very Juneteenth Comedy Jam, June 19
The Velveeta Room, Austin’s longest-running comedy club, will have shows highlighting Black voices Friday night at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. The 18+ event will feature comedians like Freddy Do Less and Roderick McDaniel. Tickets for both shows are around $23.
Sistas Walk And Talk: Juneteenth Edition, June 20
Texas Sistas Society will host a 3-mile walk and talk Saturday at 515 S. Pleasant Valley Road starting at 7:45 a.m. Texas Sistas Society is an Austin-based community created for Black women and women of color. Attendees are encouraged to wear Juneteenth colors: red, yellow, green or black, and to RSVP ahead of time.
The Carver Kickback: Juneteenth Edition, June 20
The George Washington Carver Museum in Austin is dedicated to creating a “space where the global contributions of all Black people are celebrated.” The museum is hosting a free celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday with barbecue plates, live music, vendors and activities for all ages.
Black Auteur Film Festival, June 20
The Black Auteur Film Festival, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting Black filmmakers in Texas, is hosting its third annual film festival to showcase short films directed by Black Texans at AFS Cinema on Saturday. One filmmaker will win the $1,000 “Best of Fest” award, and attendees can enter a raffle for a chance to win Austin Film Society memberships and movie tickets. The festival runs from 2 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $14.
Juneteenth Social Ride, June 21
Black History Bike Ride, an Austin nonprofit teaching people about the city’s Black history through cycling, is hosting its seventh annual Juneteenth ride starting at the Haskell House on Saturday at 10 a.m. Austin-based historian Harrison Eppright will serve as the ride’s guide. Registration is required for all attendees. The event is free, but donations are encouraged.
-
Detroit, MI2 minutes agoBest barbershop in Metro Detroit: Finalists for this year’s Vote 4 The Best
-
San Francisco, CA12 minutes agoHow to watch San Francisco Giants vs. Miami Marlins
-
Dallas, TX17 minutes agoDrivers in North Texas struggle with Friday floods
-
Miami, FL24 minutes agoThree wildfires burn more than 20,000 acres in Miami-Dade, force road closures
-
Boston, MA27 minutes agoMBTA, state transportation chief apologizes for ‘insensitive’ employee hair-pulling incident
-
Denver, CO32 minutes agoMan arrested on suspicion of murder in Denver shooting near South Park Hill, Hale
-
Seattle, WA39 minutes agoSeattle fans pack waterfront hours early as USA defeats Australia, advances in World Cup
-
San Diego, CA40 minutes agoNASCAR San Diego weekend revs up at Naval Base Coronado
