milestones and momentum

We have been building momentum for Passenger Rail in Amarillo!
Thank you to everyone who has signed and supported this effort so far—we’ve now reached over 100 signatures, and momentum continues to grow.

Here’s what’s been happening behind the scenes:

 
🏛️ Railroad Museum Support
The Amarillo Railroad Museum has expressed support for bringing passenger rail back to Amarillo. I’ve been invited to participate with a table at their Open House on June 6, where we will continue gathering community support and sharing information.

 
📄 Federal Funding Opportunity (CRISI Grants)
Recent announcements regarding 2.4 billion in CRISI (Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements) grants have created a timely opportunity for Amarillo.

In response, I’ve initiated another round of outreach to:

Amarillo City Council
Governor Greg Abbott
Congressman Ronny Jackson
to encourage positioning Amarillo to pursue available funding.

 
🧭 Learning from Proven Advocacy Models
I’ve been researching successful rail advocacy efforts, including the I-20 Corridor Coalition, which used a coordinated, multi-community approach to advance rail development.

This model offers valuable strategies that could be adapted to support Amarillo and surrounding regions.

 
📊 Demonstrated Long-Term Interest
In addition to current support, I identified a previous petition with over 400 signatures advocating for a similar passenger rail route.

This shows that interest in rail service is not new—it reflects long-standing demand across multiple communities.

 
🏙️ Upcoming City Council Appearance
I am planning to attend the May 26 Amarillo City Council meeting to make a public comment and present the petition as part of a growing demonstration of community support.

 
💬 Share Your Voice
If this issue matters to you, I encourage you to leave a comment with your thoughts, experiences, or reasons for supporting passenger rail.

These comments may be shared with local officials alongside the petition to help communicate the real impact this could have on our community.

 
💛 Thank You
This effort is growing because of you. Every signature, share, and conversation helps move this forward.