League of Women Voters to hold Rails & Roads: A Transportation Forum

by Staff of League of Women Voters

A special event, Rails and Roads: A Transportation Forum, is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29, 2009 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Belo Mansion in Dallas. The event will feature state Senator John Carona, chair, senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee; Maurine Dickey, District 1 Dallas County commissioner; and Angela Hunt, District 14 Dallas city councilmember.

While Texas will always need good roads, there is a renewed emphasis on passenger rail in all its forms as an excellent way to improve mobility for Texans. LWVD’s transportation position states that “The League of Women Voters of Dallas supports mass transportation as an essential public service, subsidized from public funds as necessary...”

State Senator Carona has done outstanding work at the state level, dealing with a myriad of transportation concerns ranging from tollroads and transportation financing to a local option tax proposal for approximately 250 miles of regional commuter rail.

Commissioner Dickey has been an ardent champion of high speed rail and has worked at local, state and national levels to bring high speed rail to Texas. She has been involved for many years in the development of the “Texas T-Bone” high speed rail line.

Councilmember Hunt, whose district includes downtown Dallas, has been a leader in the effort to bring a streetcar or trolley system to the Central Business District. She will also discuss the current options for a second DART rail alignment through the CBD.

Invite your friends and join us for this timely and informative discussion. There will be an opportunity for questions and answers after the panelists’ presentations.

A full buffet is available for $15 which includes underground parking in the Belo Garage accessible from Olive Street. RSVP to the office by September 23, 2009.