WESLACO, Texas - A brief discussion on the merits of mass transit for the Rio Grande Valley took place at a recent RGV Metropolitan Planning Organization meeting.
The discussion came about thanks to a member of the public bringing up the subject. Engineer, strategist and entrepreneur Brian Boardley said he would like to help bring mass transit to the Valley.
Normally, the RGVMPO board of directors do not respond to public comments but on this occasion Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez did. He appeared to second Boardley’s comments.
Here is what Boardley said:
“Good afternoon. Brian Boardley. It is a pleasure to meet everyone. Thank you for having me at your meeting.
"I am currently residing in McAllen. I recently relocated here - I have been here about 15 weeks - from Ann Arbor, Michigan. I am a consultant out of Ann Arbor, Michigan. I never knew this area until I arrived. But, in my short time here, I see a huge opportunity in this area, particularly from the standpoint of transit. And that's why I'm here for this meeting.
"When you look at the development in McAllen such as Tres Lagos, when you look at the D1 football team I believe you guys are going to be getting, with the Driscoll Hospital, with the MD Anderson (Cancer Center) coming online. That's huge development.
“And next question is… Okay, I grew up… I did most of my career in the auto industry. And in Michigan, everything was built around the car. So if you didn't have a car you don't get around. I don't want to see that happen here.
“And with the Texas A&M putting a new campus in Tres Lagos, with UTRGV, the ability of people to move around no matter what their socio-economic level is, and bring themselves up, is huge.
“So I'd like to look at opportunities of where transit is going. And there's new hardware and software coming online from some of these large companies that I think may fit well here. We want to see what opportunities are out there, find out if they align with some of the city's needs and objectives and find out whether we can bring these two together.
“We have a major conference coming up in the beginning of next year. We'd like to use McAllen or one of the surrounding cities as a case study on what we could do to make transit efficient for everyone - the municipalities, the citizens and the region. So, again… I’ll cut my spiel there and I'm definitely looking forward to being part of this board meeting going forward. Thank you.”
Mayor Hernandez hit it off with Boardley as soon as he found out they have the same alma mater - Michigan University. When Boardley finished his speech, Hernandez asked: “Did you forgot something?” Boardley replied: “Oh, Go Blue.”
“Thank you,” Hernandez responded.
Mayor Hernandez also like Boardley’s comments on mass transit. Hernandez said:
“Chairman, just for the public's sake, I probably need to say this comment to you directly. We had entertained in the past, the fact that as we grow, that at some point we need high speed rail as well. From Rio Grande City to the Island or San Antonio. Obviously, we're the only ones who can ultimately make that happen, both as a board but also from a funding standpoint. So, I bring that up again.”
The RGVMPO chairman, Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr., responded: “All it takes is money.”
