Rep. Garcia Discusses Federal Railroad Administration’s Houston Funding

Texas Representative Sylvia Garcia (D) expressed her approval of the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) recent funding for the city of Houston.

“Stalled-out trains have plagued our community for too long. Today we celebrate the @USDOTFRA's recent funding to reduce train blockages in the Houston area. These essential funds are the first steps to improving safety in our communities,” said Rep. Garcia.

The funding is to go towards the prevention of blocked roads in Houston. According to the FRA, Texas ranks third in train blockages.

“I rise today to celebrate the Federal Railroad Administration’s recent funding to reduce train blockages in the Houston area. $36 million will go to overpasses where trains block roads, intersections and crossings in the Houston area.”

The Texas lawmaker highlighted how dangerous the train blockages can be, going as far as to endanger the youth.

“School children have been crawling under train cars just to get to school ambulances and fire trucks are losing precious minutes to detour around trains that are blocking high-traffic areas.”

The highly-populous city has been uniquely affected by railroad crossings, in comparison to other cities.

“Houston residents have filed more complaints of train obstructions than any other city in the United States.”

The “People over politics” slogan has been prevalent among Democrats recently. Garcia used the phrase to emphasize the importance of the American lives facing the railroad blockages.

“Our fire chief tells us, that on average, there are 90 instances a month where emergency responders are delayed by train, losing time when lives are at stake. Enough is enough. We must put people over politics.”

As much as she appreciated the funding, the Texas congresswoman stated that more needed to be done.

“We must put people over trains. The funding that we just received, Madame Speaker, is but the first step. There is still a lot more to go to ensure that our roads are safe, our children are safe and our community is safer.”

In a year where train crashes and derailments have been all over the news headlines, railroad crossings are very important.

“Blocked railroad crossings are a dangerous hassle for our community. We are working every day across jurisdictions, agencies and levels of government to make Houston safer and easier to get around,” said Garcia.

The Texas representative stated the importance of the railroads to those who share her views.

“This is a top priority for me because it is a top priority for my constituents. I have hosted the FRA administrator for two town halls in the district and spoken to Secretary Buttigieg and the White House on this matter."