Anchia Bill Would Provide Funding Method for Dallas Streetcar System Oak Cliff Trolley Would Spur Transit-Oriented Development
by ratx103 on 21/04/11 at 1:29 pm
(Austin)–The Texas House Urban Affairs Committee has heard testimony on State Representative Rafael Anchia’s House Bill 3452, which would provide a much-needed revenue source for the proposed Oak Cliff trolley line that will link the Downtown Dallas’ Union Station and Methodist Hospital. The legislation would allow for an innovative public-private partnership funding mechanism for future transit-oriented development, including a planned 40-mile streetcar circulator network in central Dallas.
The bill would enable the establishment of a transit-oriented Public Improvement District (PID) that would allow property owners along the proposed trolley routes to assess themselves to help finance the cost of the mass transit project.
“In this time when public funding for transportation infrastructure is so hard to come by, we have to come up with creative public-private initiatives that will encourage continued economic development and improve the quality of life for inner city residents, said
Representative Anchia, adding, “This bill creates a mechanism for that, and I’m proud it will be used to benefit the Oak Cliff trolley line to downtown.”
The Oak Cliff trolley project gained significant momentum when a citizen group, the Oak Cliff Transit Authority (OCTA), working with the City’s Office of Economic Development, applied for and was granted a $23 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant, as part of the Obama administration’s economic stimulus program. Said Jason Roberts, OCTA Board member, “I’m glad Representative Anchia has taken the leadership in pushing forward this legislation that will not just benefit Oak Cliff, but will also help Dallas develop a trolley system connecting downtown with other close-in neighborhoods.”
Dallas Assistant City Manager A.C. Gonzalez traveled to Austin to testify in support of the bill, and the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce submitted a letter of support.
