Sunday, October 29, 2006

Grapevine Election Crucial To Tarrant Commuter Rail

For Tarrant County, the November 7th election will determine more than just who will be elected to fill political offices. The election will also determine whether Tarrant County will get the proposed Cotton Belt Commuter Rail Line. This rail line is supposed to run from downtown Fort Worth to just north of the DFW Airport.

Grapevine has a proposal to raise its sales tax by 1/2 cent for economic development and another 1/2 cent for crime control and prevention. The crime control and prevention tax would be used to fund police operations. It is the economic development tax that is crucial to the building of the rail line.

If approved, 3/8 of a cent of the new tax would go toward funding Grapevine's portion of the commuter rail line. The other 1/8 of a cent would be used to build and maintain transit-related items, like a train station and a parking garage.

County officials say this election is crucial to determine if they rail line will be constructed. Dick Ruddell, executive director of the T [Fort Worth Transportation Authority], said, "If they don't pass it, it doesn't go. We can't get to the airport without Grapevine. The election is huge."

If the 1/2 cent tax is approved, the commuter rail line will probably open for passenger service in 2011.

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