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Home My WebLink About07/08/2013 - Joint Minutes City Council MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL JOINT WORKSHOP WITH CITY OF BRYAN AND BRAZOS COUNTY CITY OF COLLEGE STATION JULY 8, 2013 STATE OF TEXAS § COUNTY OF BRAZOS § Present: Nancy Berry, Mayor Council: Blanche Brick Jess Fields, absent Karl Mooney John Nichols Julie Schultz James Benham City Staff: Kathy Merrill, Interim City Manager Sherry Mashburn, City Secretary Present from City of Bryan: Councilmembers Ann Horton, District 4, and Art Hughes, District 5 Present from Brazos County Commissioners Court: Judge Duane Peters and Commissioners Lloyd Wassermann, Precinct 1; Sammy Catelena, Precinct 2; and Kenny Mallard, Precinct 3 1. Call to Order and Announce a Quorum is Present • The Joint Workshop was called to order by Commissioner Mallard at 11:53 a.m. on Monday, July 8, 2013 at the Brazos Valley Council of Governments, 3991 E. 29 Bryan, Texas 77842. 2. Update regarding High Speed Rail. Present to provide the update and answer questions were Michael Parks, Assistant Executive Director for the Brazos Valley Council of Government, Mayor Pro Tem John Willis, City of Garland, and Russell Schaffner, Senior Public Policy Consultant for Dean International, Inc. The Texas High Speed Rail & Transportation Corporation is a not - for - profit organization ten years in the making. The corporation membership represents 12 million Texans. Their proposal JWKSHP070813Minutes Page 1 is a multi -modal and inter -modal transportation system linking four major metropolitan areas of Texas via the Texas T -Bone Corridor. Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio are the major areas to be connected. High speed rail is energy efficient and carries several hundred passengers on each train at speeds in excess of 200 mile per hour. It was noted there has been only one accident in forty years, and that was in China. Examples of train sets from around the world were provided, e.g. Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Belgium, etc. We have the right demographics and population centers for this opportunity. The world -wide trend related to the creation of a high speed rail station in an existing airport is evolving into the new age transportation system, providing passengers with fast, efficient and comfortable transitions from plane to train. Aerotropolis was defined as an economic region developing around an airport; cities developing around a multi -modal center hub connecting travelers, executives and suppliers to the global marketplace. The Texas T -Bone corridor is the most efficient route connecting the four largest metropolitan city centers in the state, covering 470 miles. The route covers over 70% of Texas' current population and will cover 80% of the population by 2040. Because of the economy they are looking at getting from Houston to Dallas via a capital- constrained system. The Texas T -Bone design is 395 miles vs. the Texas Triangle design of 705 miles. Private investors are looking at alternative routes that are straight corridors from Houston to Dallas, and the prospects for a line through the Bryan- College Station area is diminishing. There is no economic development potential along the I -45 corridor such as can be found along I -35. The only solution for easy access of moving people and supplies is high speed rail, and we need the entire service with the 41100 T -Bone. Bryan- College Station needs to take the position that if it doesn't come though Bryan- College Station, then it just doesn't happen. Connectivity is what makes our state work. It was noted that the Rail Safety Act (HR6003) passed in 2008 included a route through Bryan - College Station to Killeen from Houston. They are working on getting study money to help change the dynamic of the discussion and have it well represented. They have to have everyone's commitment. This will be a difficult and laborious task. They are looking to totally fund the project through private funds, and they have made huge steps in the past two or three years to get investors interested in the area. High speed rail will have tremendous trade and economic impacts: Texas is the #1 exporter in the United States and accounts for more than 17% of all US exports. This will benefit transit - oriented development. Retail stores thrive from pedestrians; areas around stations are ideal for mixed use and dense development, and offices close to stations allow workers to take the train. The private sector loves doing business in Texas because it is in a central time zone and central location. It also has a southern climate and is a right -to -work state. Others factors include the surface highway infrastructure, a 1,200 mile border with Mexico and a 940 -mile border along the Gulf of Mexico. Texas also has a sustainable population growth. High speed rail will create tens of thousands of jobs; promote transit oriented development; create efficient commuter availability; stimulate private sector investment in Texas; attract tourism; provide congestion relief; increase mobility; and reduce stress on Texas roads. It is energy efficient and less JWKSHP070813Minutes Page 2 dependent on oil; therefore, it is environmentally friendly. It provides an alternative method of k W- transportation. The projected cost is $24 billion. Approximately 52 million people will live along the Texas T- Bone corridor in 2040. A transportation study has determined there will be 8 million in annual ridership with a daily ridership of 22,000. Estimated annual revenues for HSP tickets are $650 million. There are some right -of -way issues, and they are looking at a grade- separated system so they won't have to have as much land. This should only require an 80 foot —100 foot footprint. There is an investor interested. Elected leaders at the local government level need to step up to get this to happen. If not, then it will be the easy connection from Houston to Dallas that will win the day. The cost is $25,000 per entity per year. There are Board slots available. They want a very active membership, but they need our participation to work with congressional delegations and legislators. 3. Adjournment MOTION: There being no further business, the joint workshop was adjourned at 1:25 p.m. on Monday, July 8, 2013. 6= Nancy Berr , Mayor ATTEST: •.. 1./AfAR - Sherry burn, City Secretary JWKSHP070813Minutes Page 3