“Shades of Green” Environmental Talk Radio on KOOP 91.7 FM (Project Connect Debate)

Please join us this week for "Shades of Green", Austin's only environmental talk radio show, on KOOP Community Radio 91.7 FM and streaming live at www.koop.org!

This week, we'll bring supporting and opposing views on the new Project Connect rail proposal approved by Austin City Council recently. This proposal will be on the ballot in November, so folks need a clear understanding of what they're voting on with this issue.

Our guests will be John-Michael Cortez, Community Involvement Manager with Project Connect and Lyndon Henry of the Austin citizen group, Our Rail.

Mr. Cortez has an extensive history of public service and was elected by central Texas voters in 2009 to the Board of Trustees of the Austin Community College District, and served as Secretary of the Board in 2010 through 2012. He is currently President of the Rotary Club of East Austin, and is a Past President of the Austin History Center Association and Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation. Mr. Cortez has also previously served on the Board of Directors of the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Austin Partners in Education, Friends of the Austin Public Library, Austin Public Library Foundation, Austin Independent School District Foundation, Hispanic Scholarship Consortium of Central Texas, Liveablecity, and Austin Latino Music Association. He is also a founding member of FuturoFund Austin.

Mr. Henry has deep knowledge of transportation issues as a transportation planning consultant with an MS in Planning from UT in1981. He proposed urban rail for Austin in 1973 via a feasibility study, participated in effort to establish Capital Metro in the early to mid-1980s, and participated in Capital Metro-sponsored effort that designated light rail in Guadalupe-Lamar corridor as Locally Preferred Alternative in 1988-89. He was a Capital Metro board member and vice-chairman, 1989-1993. In late 1990s, together with colleague Dave Dobbs, proposed Red Line diesel-powered rail service that ultimately became MetroRail and was an advisor to Austin light rail campaign, 2000, Data Analyst for Capital Metro from 2002-2011 and has served as a consultant to light rail efforts and projects in San Antonio, Los Angeles, Seattle, Tucson, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Charlotte.

We hope y'all can tune in! Please find podcasts of previous shows on our website and Like us on Facebook!