Over 800 Montgomery County residents turned out for a meeting at the Lone Star Community Center in Montgomery Monday night. The purpose of the meeting was to let residents know of the high speed rail route from Houston to Dallas. The meeting was called by local concerned residents after learning the Texas Central Railway had plans of cutting people property in half as they ran the high speed rail through the county. To date, over a dozen counties have shown opposition to the rail but it has done little to take the steam out of Texas Central Railways engines. The biggest concern was that the rail could come in, and using the power of eminent domain, could virtually take property for the multi-million dollar project. May asked the question how could private enterprise grab land by eminent domain.
The train which would travel just over 200 miles per hour between Houston and Dallas could be operational by 2021.
Residents also voiced concerns over access to their property and the seconds count with police, fire and ambulance services when some county roads could be actually blocked by the rail system.
Many learned that their tax dollars spent on TXDOT were also being used to help put steam in the engines. TXDOT has gone after several grants to study the use of high-speed rail, this not even with the publics’ knowledge.
Montgomery County Precinct 1 Commissioner Mike Meador said while Montgomery County Commissioners Court passed a resolution late last year that it did not support the project, he added it is time for the court to readdress that resolution and “toughen it up.” Judge Craig Doyal also vowed to get the County Attorney’s Office involved in the fight.
Kyle Workman, the administrator for NoTexasHSR.com, said not only do residents need to protect Montgomery County, but he urged them to stand up for the other counties the rail line would affect.
VIEW THE COMPLETE VIDEO OF THE NEARLY TWO HOUR LONG MEETING AND HOW ELECTED OFFICIALS AND RESIDENTS PLAN TO FIGHT THIS
TG, I back your last sentence completely.
Eminent domain does nothing for the common, hard working citizen.
Anyone who has been to downtown Houston anytime lately knows how bad rail can screw up a road system that functioned perfectly before. Plus the years of construction, as if the Grand Parkway hasn’t screwed stuff up enough.
It’s only 200 mile, just get in your car and drive.
Why is it not surprising TXDOT is using our tax money to push this? After all they are the same jerks pushing for the NAFTA Super Highway scheme. After looking at the Texas Central Railway board I see retired politicians, bureaucrats, and foreign nationals and funding is to be from foreign sources. I believe a foreign company is to build it too. Does anybody really think these people have the best interest of Texans in mind? And the foreign builder, are they going to use local labor or import their own employees? They claim it will be privately financed. If anybody believes than then they are fools. As the story says, TEXDOT has already used tax money for studies and promotion. I also ask, is there going to be enough passengers to even make this viable if built? This is going to be a private enterprise so it must make a profit. I believe like AMTRAK taxpayers are going to have to subsidize it. Japan’s high speed rail is heavily subsidized by taxpayers and I’m sure those in Europe are too so what makes anybody even dream it would be any different here? I don’t know about you but I’m tired of crony capitalism. A business should win or fail on its own and not expect taxpayers’ money to operate.
Hmmmmm…..seems like history repeats itself again..these folks grandparents did not want highways cutting across property either….high speed rail is coming….be aware that the auto dealers assoc., auto manufacturers, and highway contractors are pooling their funds to fight any form of transportation that cuts into their money grabs….lol
Nothing good comes of eminent domain in Texas!
Wooooooooooooooooo
Hooooooooooooooooo