Do you still travel to Juarez?

I moved here two years ago and I have yet to visit Ciudad Juarez.  I guess I’m not missing much now since it has turned

From TomDiaz.Wordpress.com

into a ghost town for the most part but I hope to one day be able to visit.  This is a town that has been interlinked with El Paso for many generations and it appears that this bond is broken…at least for a while.  It has been said that over 30,000 people have moved to El Paso from Juarez (those are the ones that can afford to) while many more are stuck waiting it out in Juarez with no means of leaving.

When the violence does subside, will those who have chosen to move to El Paso go back to Juarez or will they adopt their new home here in ELP?  Will Juarez go back to what it once was or has the current state of affairs permanently damaged what was once a bustling city?

My question to you is this.  Do you still travel to Juarez? If you do, what is your main reason for going over there?

I look forward to the day when I can take my first visit.  Some of you may say that I can take that visit now and that I don’t have anything to worry about but for me…I just don’t see the sense in taking a chance.

My  name is David and I am living El Paso.

City Council Votes to support Light Rail

EL PASO – A light rail train that would bring Juárez commuters to Downtown El Paso could be in place as early as 2013, Mexican authorities said on Tuesday….click to read more

This is a step in the right direction and if it gets off the ground, then I am optimistic that El Paso could see a light rail system in place in the next 10 years.  The one advantage that Juarez has is the availability of tracks…which El Paso doesn’t. 

Will  a connection between Juarez-El Paso-Las Cruces come to fruition in the near future?  Who knows, but I do know that it is long overdue. 

 

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

I’m late…I know…but read this

Today was a really busy day for me.  So busy that I didn’t get a chance to write a post on the borrowed computer.  However, as late as it is right now (8:39), I do have something to talk about.  I read an article a few days back about Senator Elliot Shapleigh pushing a city rail based-transit plan.

“The proposed project would use the railroad tracks that Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe trains already use in El Paso for trolleylike mass transit.

Shapleigh’s vision would create an international transit system, by using the abandoned Ferromex tracks in Juárez and connecting them to El Paso via the black bridge across the Rio Grande near Downtown El Paso.” 

The above quote is what I have been saying too.  There needs to be international rail based between Juarez and El Paso.  Enough people travel from city to city to make this a viable option.   It makes me happy to this conversation gaining traction and I hope international rail/light rail becomes a reality in the city of El Paso.

 

 

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

El Paso/Juarez light rail border crossing

I was speaking with a friend last night and the topic of the humpback bridges came up.  The humpback bridges being the border crossings downtown.  He thinks the bridges are cool looking, and I tend to have the opposite opinion.  However, we got on the subject of trains/light rail.  The question of “why don’t we have train service between Juarez and El Paso?”  

Taking a page out of the European handbook, we decided that trains would be a great way to lessen pedestrian and car traffic coming across the border.  

possibilities

 

 

What you would have to do is create a large train station able to handle an undetermined amount of trains and have customs officers from both countries checking papers when going in or out of the country.  From there, the rail service would travel to certain locations around town where riders could then get on a rapid transit bus to their desired location.  

Think of all the cars that would be taken off the road and the streamlining that would take place at the crossings.  I think the border crossings would become a lot more efficient.  They could even contact siemens to do some of the work.

How do you finance this project:  

• Taxes (from both cities)
• Federal grants (from both countries)
• Private investment (not sure how well that would work)
• ?

Europe has a great model to learn from and I think it’s about time that this should happen. 

I know I am not the first to come up with this idea, as I am sure it is already in the process, but I wanted to share it with you to get your thoughts.

 

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

Maria Ruiz for CNN’s “Hero of the Year”

An El Pasoan named Maria Ruiz was brought to my attention yesterday.  She founded JEM Ministries back in 1996. 

From her website:  “Started in 1996 by Jesus and Maria Ruiz, JEM has worked diligently and sacrificially to build an orphanage/trade school for the most impoverished children in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Their dream is a full-scale facility and feeding center that empowers children with the skills needed to escape the cycles of poverty.”

Maria is doing some wonderful things for the city of Juarez and I suggest that you go to her website to learn more.  CNN’s “Hero of the Year” will be announced Thanksgiving night during CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute at 9pm ET/PT.   Please vote for her so that she can win!  Click on the widget below to place your vote.

 

 

 

My name is David and I am living El Paso.  Maria Ruiz and her ministry are living El Paso/Juarez, too.

Farah Development, what I would do

As one is driving West on I-10 through El Paso they will pass by the old Farah plant.  What they will see as they drive by is a blighted building that adds to the “El Paso is a poor border town” mindset.  Paul Foster and his partners at Regency Development out of Florida have proposed building an upscale designed complex with a few nice lifestyle amenities.  The city thought that Regency was going to deliver high end retailers.  From what I have gathered, here are the two sides of the story in my own words, not theirs.

City of El Paso-

• Tax Incentives for Regency if they build this shopping center and bring in high-end retailers.
• Only 10% of tenants can already have a presence in El Paso

Regency Partners-

• They build  a high end shopping complex and a beautify an area that currently looks run down. 
• No guarantee of high end retailers but they will try their best

That was a very simplified version of what is really going on.  If you want to read articles on it, search the online archives at El Paso Times or there is currently an article on El Paso Inc. about it.  El Paso is definitely an under served market retail wise and it is just a matter of time before stores notice this.  However, higher end stores are currently saying that our market can’t support what they have to offer.  Unfortunately, their analysis leaves out all of the shoppers from Mexico.  I understand that it is hard to quantify the shoppers from across the border, but all they need to do is come visit the city and see for their own eyes. 

I was on the the US census bureau site and did some checking.  I compared El Paso and Fort Worth according to the 2006 census data and 2002 business data (latest I could find).  I chose to compare El Paso to Ft. Worth because of their similar sizes (around 660,000 avg).  Well what I found out is that both cities have around the same retail sales which I am sure have increased over the past 5 1/2 years.  Ft. Worth seems to have high end stores and they are very similar to El Paso (size/retail sales) 

I think these high end retailers put El Paso in the back of their minds because of not only their number analysis that fails to take in the huge intake of Mexican shoppers, but more importantly, faulty perception.  They think El Paso is a poor old border city where their product wouldn’t sell.  Unfortunately, until this is fixed, we will be stuck with more Old Navy’s.

My solution for Farah

• Only 30% of tenants can have already have a presence in El Paso
• Lessen tax incentives for Regency
• Figure out why there was a miscommunication between the city and Regency about what was supposed to be built. 

I support the Farah Development simply for the fact that it cleans up a blighted area and creates a nice place for citizens and visitors to go.  High end retailers would be a nice cherry on top if it can be accomplished.

My name is David and I am living El Paso…with a lot of Old Navys