Congresswoman Johnson was recently honored by the City of Dallas, Mayor Mike Rawlings and the entire Dallas City Council for her years of leadership, hard work and tireless efforts to build a better Dallas. Congresswoman Johnson's accomplishments in the areas of Transporation and Infrastructure (including DART Rail, highways, bridges, DFW Airport and Love Field) were among the many reasons given by City officials for the recognition.
The City of Dallas honored Congresswoman Johnson with a ceremony at City Hall on August 17, 2011. The following City of Dallas proclamation was read:
WHEREAS, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson became the first woman and first African-American to represent the Dallas, Texas, area in the United States House of Representatives when she was elected in 1992; and
WHEREAS, Congresswoman Johnson is now in her tenth term representing the citizens of the 30th Congressional District of Texas; and
WHEREAS, Congresswoman Johnson has been a tenacious and tireless champion for the citizens, business community, and governmental entities in North Central Texas; and
WHEREAS, Congresswoman Johnson currently serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where she is renowned for her efforts to improve and modernize our nation's transportation infrastructure and has secured support for transportation projects in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area; and
WHEREAS, Congresswoman Johnson recognizes the need for increased livability and improving connectivity between citizens, employment centers, major destinations, established neighborhoods and emerging neighborhoods - offering tremendous redevelopment potential and positive environmental impacts; and
WHEREAS, Congresswoman Johnson was instrumental in securing $23 million and recently led efforts to secure an additional $3 million in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant funds from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for the construction of the Dallas Streetcar Project; and
WHEREAS, for many years Congresswoman Johnson has served as the champion for the Trinity River Corridor Project, working tirelessly to secure over $220 million in federal funding to date, as well as a $459 million authorization for the Dallas Floodway Project in the 2007 Water Resources Development Act; and
WHEREAS, thanks in large part to Congresswoman Johnson's unwavering support, in 2006 Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) received a landmark $700 million Full Funding Grant Agreement by the Federal Transit Administration - the largest ever awarded to DART - to build the 28-mile Green Line, which was completed on-time and on-budget on December 6, 2010.
WHEREAS, the Dallas-Fort Worth area has benefited tremendously from Congresswoman Johnson's commitment and responsiveness to the concerns of citizens, business leaders, and local elected officials.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Michael S. Rawlings, Mayor of the City of Dallas, and on behalf of the Dallas City Council, do hereby extend special recognition to Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson for her relentless efforts toward improving Dallas and her outstanding, innovative, and impactful work on behalf of local governments throughout the North Central Texas region, the State of Texas, and around the country.
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