Johnson Secures More Than $15 Million for Local North Texas Projects
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congresswoman Julie Johnson (TX-32) announced that she has secured $15,510,000 in federal funding for local projects across North Texas that will improve the region’s health care, infrastructure, education, and more.
“Securing this funding was the result of months of collaboration with local officials and community advocates across North Texas who helped identify the projects that will make the biggest difference to residents of North Texas,” said Johnson. “I was proud to take their priorities to Washington and fight for them at every step of the appropriations process — working with colleagues, making the case in Congress for this funding, and ensuring these investments were signed into law. Because of that partnership and persistent advocacy, we are delivering more than $15 million to strengthen infrastructure, expand access to health care and education, create safer streets, and grow our regional economy. These investments will have a real, lasting impact on families and neighborhoods across North Texas, helping our communities thrive today and well into the future.”
The projects include:
$794,000 for Children’s Health Systems of Texas to expand access to Children’s Health’s critical child abuse services for children across North Texas. The funding would be used to hire medical providers specially trained and certified in Child Abuse Pediatrics who serve at-risk youth in North Texas. The funding will also be used for supplies, equipment, and other resources necessary to assist the children who have been victims of abuse, neglect, and other crimes.
$850,000 for DART’s Cityplace/Uptown Station Inclinator Replacement and Modernization Project to replace the entire inclinator system at the Cityplace/Uptown Station on the DART Light Rail System. DART's inclinators are critical to maintaining convenient and efficient station access. Replacing the entire inclinator system will improve the operability and maintainability of this lift equipment, reducing downtime and inconvenience to DART riders. This is especially important for mobility-impaired rail customers. Without the inclinator, those DART riders must disembark at the next closest station and take a bus bridge to the street-level entrances to the first pair of elevators. Replacement also allows DART to modernize its inclinator system with technology and design features that increase cleanliness, safety, security, and reliability.
$850,000 for the City of Dallas’ Ferguson Road Corridor Safety Enhancements project to reconstruct the existing medians along the entire corridor, design and construct new LED streetlights, and install sidewalks, traffic signals, and pedestrian hybrid beacons at various locations to improve pedestrian accessibility and safety, and ADA compliance. The City of Dallas Vision Zero Action Plan identifies the 6.5-mile stretch of Ferguson Road from IH-30 to I-635 as being on the High Injury Network for both pedestrians and vehicles.
$1,092,000 for the City of Farmers Branch’s Cast-Iron Waterline Replacement Project, which would replace 14,600 LF of cast-iron waterlines with PVC to eliminate the potential for lead in the potable waterlines.
$2,000,000 for the City of Dallas International District Park. This project is a key component of the City’s vision for revitalizing the Valley View/Galleria corridor along LBJ Freeway, transforming the area into a thriving, accessible, and sustainable urban space. Investing in International District Park is an economic development opportunity. This project will provide much-needed park space to an underserved community, improving quality of life, public health, and environmental resilience. Additionally, this park will catalyze redevelopment in the Valley View/Galleria corridor, attracting businesses, residents, and visitors. The funding will help accelerate the transformation of this area, making it a model for sustainable urban development and a hub for community engagement, recreation, and economic vitality.
$1,200,000 for the City of Dallas’ White Rock Lake Trail Relocation to relocate a 1000-foot section of the White Rock Lake (WRL) Trail, as outlined in the White Rock Lake Master Plan. The portion of the trail that will be relocated runs directly next to a 6-lane, major thoroughfare with heavy vehicular traffic and high speeds. The new location will provide direct access to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, one of Dallas’ most-visited attractions.
$850,000 for the City of Dallas Hemlock Avenue Safe Streets Enhancements project to enhance pedestrian safety and accessibility in the Vickery Meadow neighborhood, one of the most densely populated areas of Dallas. The funding will be spent to upgrade pedestrian infrastructure, including improved crosswalks, traffic signals, and sidewalks, to ensure safer routes for schoolchildren, residents, and transit users.
$250,000 for the City of Dallas’ Lakewood Park Pedestrian Bridge and Accessibility Improvements project to reconstruct a pedestrian bridge providing access across a creek from neighborhoods on either side, and provide a critical link and connect to the larger City-wide trail system, providing non-motorized transportation opportunities. This bridge connects multi-use pathways on either side of a creek and would help provide non-motorized mobility options for residents who need or choose to walk or bike.
$1,500,000 for Dallas College’s Airframe and Powerplant. Dallas College is in the process of launching an Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) program housed at the Executive Airport and Workforce Center at Redbird to train a new wave of Aviation Maintenance Technicians (AMTs) in response to industry demand. Funding is needed for renovations and retrofitting of the instructional hangar to meet the requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration Part-147 regulations.
$1,000,000 for the City of Richardson’s Centennial at Buckingham Intersection Improvements to improve safety and access by reconfiguring the roadway intersection geometry and adding a new traffic signal. Centennial Blvd is a regional east-west roadway spanning four cities with access to US 75 and carries 40,000 vehicles per day in this area. The intersection of Centennial and Buckingham has had 14 intersection-related crashes in the last 5 years, impacting the well-being of those involved and causing traffic delays to other people and goods transported on this corridor.
$1,031,000 for UT Dallas’ Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) Test and Evaluation Center to develop and operate an O-RAN (open radio access network) test and evaluation center for telecommunications technology interoperability. This Center will provide an unbiased, neutral evaluation of network components to ensure the quality performance needed for mobile wireless network continuity. The effort will be spearheaded by UTD faculty, staff, and students with expertise in high-speed network architecture and performance characterization.
$1,031,000 for UT Dallas’ Center for Critical Elements from Produced Waters to develop a Center for Critical Elements from Produced Waters. Challenges related to wastewater treatment, disposal, and beneficial reuse are of increasing concern to state and federal agencies. Produced waters often contain high concentrations of dissolved salts, requiring costly, specialized treatment before reuse (e.g., in the agricultural sector). There is a clear need to identify profitable reuse scenarios that justify the high cost of saline water treatment while also supporting sustainable wastewater management. This presents a unique opportunity to stimulate the state and regional economies while helping policymakers and developers develop better practices for managing hydrocarbon wastewater.
$1,031,000 for the UT Dallas’ Comparative Effectiveness of North Texas Workforce Development Programs for Semiconductors. UTD will conduct a comprehensive study to characterize the effectiveness of a range of current workforce development programs spanning K-12, vocational, and community colleges that support the semiconductor industry. The study will be conducted by experts in the School of Economic, Political, and Policy Sciences (EPPS) who are experienced in linking educational/training programs to tangible results for industry partners. EPPS program leaders will leverage the North Texas Semiconductor Institute (NTSI), which has an array of academic and industry partners. By examining what works and what does not, UTD will identify best practices that are transferable across the educational/training ecosystem. The long-term economic impact of this work will support North Texas's global leadership in the semiconductor industry and ensure a robust, technology-oriented economy.
$1,000,000 for Texas A&M Agrilife’s Integrated Turfgrass Water Conservation Initiative to integrate advanced turfgrass breeding, precision water management, and community-driven education to reduce water consumption while maintaining functional green spaces. Key components include developing drought-resistant turfgrass using genomics and phenomics, implementing science-based irrigation strategies, and providing decision-support tools for urban planning. By improving turfgrass performance under water-limited conditions and enhancing ecosystem services—such as stormwater runoff mitigation, urban heat island reduction, and soil stabilization—this project contributes to the creation of resilient, water-efficient landscapes.
$1,031,000 for Texas A&M’s Engineering Academy at Dallas College for a co-enrollment program between partner community colleges and Texas A&M University, designed to facilitate a smooth transition for students pursuing an engineering degree.
The Community Project Funding process, through which this funding was secured, allows each Member of Congress to request funds for critical local initiatives in their communities.
Congresswoman Julie Johnson represents Texas’s 32nd Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, serving on the Homeland Security Committee, Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Administration Committee. Her district includes parts of Collin, Dallas, and Denton Counties.
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