'i:ii 't.;il O;'ri rl il j :. 1{)il, I-i(--:li::,Ii} i l i\ri ALI l'i ir'!i'i i; .t ', .1 \ ': .r' .l:::,,11::,i:, 'i ,.r,,1':liililirlir'l .r{ l October 24. l0l I 'l'hc l-lonorablc Ra1' [.alloocl Secretar-v LJ.S. Department Ol"l'rtttrsportatiotr 1200 Neri' .lersel Avcnuc. S.E' Washington. DC 2059t)-000 i Ilear SecrctarY Lal-loocl : application to l am plcased to urite in supporr ol'the $21'i million l lCl:lt lll s()uthsilstcrll lirnd tieight iail intiastntctttre improvelllents in sottth'nest '\rkrttrsas' .l'exas. 'l'his iis thc Sun llclt ltegional Slrort Oklahorna, and northcastcrn projcsl is klro$'n 'l'lic'l'cxas oklalronla l)cpartntcnt l_ine Raiiroad project, Dcpartrncnl ol''l'ransportittiou. ul'-i'ransportationiODg'l'). a'd tlic r\rkansas State llighrral att.l l'ransportatiotr j the appl i catr.rtr. l)eparrnre.nr { AS ll'f I) ) arc ointll sutrm itting innovativc ASll'l'D. ODO',I'. and'fXDO'l'rvill bc rvorking u'rtlr a uttirlue ancl ol'thrc'c scparate shorr linc lieight railroads Iirakirtg critical inll'astructurc collaborarion (iarland' & inrfro,,.n ro thrce ririlroads: thc Kiamichi ltailrozrd {Kltltt: the I)allas- "nls ( l'Nl:l{)' Northeasrern ltailroad (l)CNO): and thc'l'esas Not'thcasi,ern ltirilroad slcm. this application l)1. cnr.isioning inrprovctncnts to a regional tran-si;ortatiott sl polie lircilitating thc acldresscs a core histoi.ical'lirnction ol'lcderal transportaiiorr ): I pl'ogranl pronrist-s improVemcnt ol-ifltc'l'.r/(r/c comnlclcs ancl transpgrliltion ltis cotrlcl accomplisli' improucmcnts atbovc ancl bcyond what any onc sttttc flcting ott its own ond it therclirre an ideal canclidate lbr'l'ICEI{ lll' 'fhc stratcgic side tracks atrtl industrial lead tracks to rvork riill iprolr,c upgracling 'l'he pound rail cars' accommoclate traffic growth und i,llntn ibr thc usc ol'heavier 286.000 over thirty pro-iect eliminates ,aiiioints" replaces crosstics. aclds ncu'ballast. resurlhccs *lrcre the shurt miles o1'track. r'cplaccs briclgc componcnts. upgraclcs ker intcrchanges rtrral highua-r-rail lirre rail trallic colnects to Cilass I railroads, anti trpgratic:-i t)\lJr 57 gracie crossings to irnprovc public sall'ty' -l'his cllbrt ryill proridc gains in cconortric coinpciitircltess. ill'llll'o\rlllents t() tntnsportation b1 clualitl ol'lilc- and incrcased uriliz-ation ol'cnr ironmcnttlir |cspoilsit-rlc rail cars 1() trallsp()rt tttatcrials likc lin-rcstonc' ,ittor'ing railcustomcrs to utilizc hcavicr 'l'exits gklahomn' itttcl [' coal. ceincrl. end grai' I particularly eagcr lirr Arka's.s. ^m and fatalities at highway-rail grade realize ttre safety benefits of preventing injuries ';;ffi;,}r",'Jrir";, n"ri-irnpro"iig motorist comprehension of crossing safety warning devices. will be provided by privately I also note that the local match for these projects toimprove important Fansportation owned fi€ight raifroaOs, itrus allowing our States iif*ri*rtir pv"n Outini this challeiging time of conslnined resources' The ffi;;d;r *ourot i!ill;; tt"t ir.E*a repair, giraranteed bv ongoing private invesfinent frilm the local freight railroads' recognize the significant impacts I believe that your TIGER III review teams will This is a unique partnership g,*t tftis projiri*outi t ave on the Nation and the region. improve transportation infrastructure between three states-*J *'* private railroads to country' ffiffi,r*ia to the economii competitiveness of our region and our Thank you for your consideration of this application' MLPlsj coMMlmEs: JAMES M,INHOFE ARMEO SERVICES o(LAllollA ENVIRONMENTANO WASHINGTON OFFICE PUBLICWORKS ?05 RJssEttSEm 0FFE Summ€ lYa$x6rofl, DC 205'10-3603 FOREIGN RELATIONS 1s4 nu721 Hnited Ftstes Fensts TU|-SA OfflcE WASHINGTON, DC 20510-3603 19?4 SG.IIH UmA, S$n 530 T!ts,0K 74104 1918) 748-5111 o(LAHoldA cllY 0FflcE i900 N.W ErPrEss.{AY Sum 1210 o{waM Cn, 0( 731'18 {4051 60}-4381 The Honorable RaY J W' u. s. Deparrmr", ;*li:*,i"ffiq "r 1200 New JerseY Avenue SE Washington, D.C. 20590 Dear SecretarY LaHood: of the sun Belt It is my understanding that Matt Ginsberg of Rail America on behalf would enabtS oDoT' Regional short Line Project ilas applied for the rtcgn III. This grant mainline, sidings, ASHTD and TXDOT to h*dl" long term infrastructure needs by upgrading/ traffic growth' Rural key interchanges to accommodate cunent conlmefce and future heavy for safety' There is a25Yo t igt *uy-ruil lrade crossings would also be improved $9 Public's lold maten for these projeits provided by privately owned freight railroads' and for giving the I thank you, in advance, for reviewing the application for Rail America apptication all due consideration. and the please contact Julia Clay in my Tulsa office as to the progress of this application final decision. She can be contacted at 9i 8-748-5 1 1 1 ' I look forward to working with you in the future and if I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to call. Sincet, ,sm",, United States Senalor JMIjwc httpJ/inhoJe,strale. gov !i1' I lf,rr Fr;urt:ir;r {;rrrat f;a.trtlti:ilr ltlrr r!x t' {l? l!r'r:lf'nf{ ql:r t llAN fl$l{hiN r!:r;('.rl !i i ra lilr.n.{"!.*q l t'r r r'-r' "'5'1i i ();r1.o1 ?r;t r lJ,r rrv; ;, 11'..''1 9L!!U!.ft l:t! L! L'!!l!:illl ll'D l!l5iilat:L'lJ (;r-{.ir irlsr{, Drvl fl c+ fj'r"ltt t*H [:a4}]r;'$ 4r l$.u!-!. t{Et4tE;ig Fil'l!*'Ft {,.t*H1t rulJ Ir,1.1 riil'lut- al?r41$nr'F q! FLEEGT ltl lriqFiJ' (I-nrr ?i,i? k$-"i:{ }lnri: ilr'rr'::o :il.::ftrt4jn1r; nr i\IFX/'{t fl'r5rd :ill{: '(-r;lli Ith:.'r sir{rr.. B.C' Eil51 5 l!;rH,{ll }itit1 lzs't zZEE1It filrrifeh Stntes Ft: {?LU} l?}'i41! Ssllfireds st t{te '$!t.trFFtl lifixil rdv I$ougr rf llteprtgelltatibt'$ 0ffi asbhrututr, E d r 0Sltl- 3 o0'J October11,2011 The Hsnorable R+Y LaHood United States Deltartmenf of Transportatictt L2{10 New lerseY Ave.5E Washington, DC 2n5$0 Dear StcretarY LaHosd: on b€half of the "Sun Btlt Regional Shon Line It is my pleacur{ to write thi$ lstter of support of Transportation' oklahorna projecf' aFplication for a Tlfi[R lll grant- The Texas DeFffrtfi]€nt State Highway and Transpartatisn Departrnent Department of Transportatian tonor], and the Arkansas application' {ASHTD} are iointiy subrnitting the en ure our fegion's cont'nuing €conoilrlc This proposal is * m ulti-state ifiitiative th*t helps to gra nt applicatio* enuisions track upgrader to competitiveness into the 21st century, this $2L"3 rn illio* Arkansas' and northeastern Texas' short line freight railroads in southern oklahoma, southv*estern freight railroads will irnHove su5{$tnel'$ervice' lmprsvernents to this interrelated netvrork of short line surtainabk tranqmrtatinn' and provide enhance cofnmunity livabiliiy, encfiurage environmenlally grade in our region' meaningful safety enhfrncernents at trighway-rail crossings Thewtrkw]!llnvolvtupsradingstrat*Hlcsidctracksandildu$rialleadtrackstoaccomrnodatejointr, pound rail c6r5. The prsiect eliminates rail tra lfic growth and allow for the use of heavleriee,oou thlrly miles sf track, replaces hridge compsnent5' replaces crossties, addr new ballast, rerurfaces over coEnects to class I railroads, tnd #pgrades upgrades key inte rchanE€$ where the $hort line rail trflffh public safety' over 5? rural highuiay-railgrade crossings ta ilnprove ltloklahoma,theseprsposedraililFgradeswillbenefitirnportantrailcustomerslikethe the movernent of goods frorn and thraugh Western FarrneE Elec.tric Caaperatlve **li as improve ", construclhn of the prolrosed enhancettents oklahoma and Arkausas en rnute to Dallas and heyond. Hswever' th* true benefits are the will generate suer 33{1,000 hsurs of labor in the local workfsrse' to and from Oklahorna' Arkansas' and l+ng ternr efficierrcy itnprovemenrs t0 raii transportation for decades tE come' nariheast Texas which uill benefit transportation u5er5 Thankyouforvourtimeandcon*Jerationofthisapplif;atiofl'llyouneedanyadditionaf DC office at [202J 2?,5 27fl1' information, please feel free to contBct me in rny washington' Dan Boren Mentber of Congre$$ Ihtl€nt hllf,AloEl€r Mu+koge+ Claremgre lJr+u*unr lJ2 ll. lZnt Avan':; Crsr A,-e:nr Frsn'-':Y, S'.lrP E 4Xt W, 30H fJ. 1Fi $rrt:.r.r 2+t 0utrrtr, SX il'7{1 licArnqne. Cl( 7,!$ll1 Muurr.rerr, SK 144U1 Cu'lurrr+-, Ol( r4{J17 $47-2533 t5a0I ffi1.0311 423-5q51 t$1ilj $20-fl0{ I [$16] 341-1133fi {fl1S} F*: (!JIBlSEB'0128 F:x: ll80) Fr':: {918) 423'Jq4D Frr: {S18} 342'4008 JOHN CORNYN TEXAS }lfnifBb $lts.lex $,Pr'p;te WASHINGTON, DC 2051H305 October 19, 2011 Mr. Dana Gresham Assistant Secretary for Govemment Affairs DePartment of TransPortation 1200 New JerseY Avenue, Southeast Washington, District of Columbia 20590 Dear Assistant Secretary Gresham: Investment Generating Economic I am writing to express my support for the Transportation of Transportation by the Recovery GIGER) Crant appiication submitted to the Department of Transportation and the Texas O"p".t-"nt of Transportation, the okiahoma Department ArkansasStateHighwayandTransportationDepartment' give consideration to the many As you and your staff review the proposal, I trust yol_will full calls for the improvement of strengths of this application. As youknow, the fiGER proposal and Southeastem Oklahoma' freight rail infrastrucnxe in Northeast Texaso Southwest Arkansas, Dallas, Garland & Northeastern The irnprovements will be made on the Kiamichi Railroad, informed that the work will include Railroad and the Texas Northeastern Railroad. I have been ffaffic gowth and allow for the upgrading side tacks and industrial lead tracks to accommodate the of rail joints, the use of heavier rail cars.