#ENDTHESTREAKTX
February 4, 2020
GOBUS
A shared message from the Texas Department of Transportation
Julian Ekpanya will someday smile while reeling in his first fish. He will experience the joy of hitting his first Little League homerun, learn to ride a bike and eventually take a prideful walk across a graduation stage. But his father won’t be there for any of it.
Julian’s father, Endy, was a Pearland police officer responding to a call on a Sunday morning, when his patrol car was struck head-on by a wrong-way, drunk driver. He died on the way to the hospital. He was 31.
“Julian is five now, and he’s started asking me, ‘When is Daddy coming home? Where is Daddy?’,” said Lucy Lugo Ekpanya, Endy’s widow. “I tell him that Daddy is on a very important mission, he is protecting us, he is our hero and he lives in our hearts. He is in Heaven.”
November 7, 2000 was the last deathless day on roadways in Texas. That means for 19 years straight, at least one person has died every single day. Texas Transportation Commission and TxDOT officials held a press conference in Houston today, launching the annual #EndTheStreakTX campaign that asks all Texans to join the effort to end this deadly 19-year streak.
An average of 10 people die every day in crashes in the state, prompting Texas Transportation Commissioner Laura Ryan to issue a public challenge at today’s press conference. She urged the crowd to tell 10 people about #EndTheStreakTX, and then have each of those 10 tell another 10, causing a wave of commitment and a surge of support for ending the fatal trend.
“I want to challenge everyone here to tell 10 people right now about #EndtheStreakTX,” Ryan said. “Take out your phones and let them know that you need their help to #EndtheStreakTX. Text them this message or share it on social media and tag at least 10 people. Challenge them to share the message with 10 of their friends, and so on. Let’s not have a 20th anniversary next Nov.7th”
TxDOT is asking people to share personal stories of loved ones lost in car crashes on their social media pages using photo and video testimonials with the hashtag, #EndTheStreakTX. The agency also will post statistics for the public to repost on social media outlets to help share this important message.
“We all have the power to end the streak of daily deaths on Texas roadways,” Ryan said. “And while we are committed to invest in the best engineering practices to make our roads safe, we also need drivers and passengers to act more responsibly and help us end the streak of daily deaths on our roads to reach our goal of zero deaths by 2050.”
TxDOT will dedicate an additional $600 million for more safety improvements along Texas roadways over the next two years. The effort includes widening some roads and adding rumble strips that alert drivers if they are veering out of their lane or off the road. We will also add reinforced shoulders and select turn lanes, and deploy new technology that will increase safety on the entire system of roads.
In May, the Texas Transportation Commission approved a goal aiming to end all fatalities on Texas roads by 2050, with an interim goal to reduce them by half by 2035. Texans can play a major role in ending fatal crashes with a few simple driving habits: wear seatbelts, drive the speed limit, put away the phone and other distractions, and never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
“It’s heartbreaking to know that every day for the past 19 years someone has lost a spouse, child, friend or neighbor on our state’s roadways,” said TxDOT Executive Director James Bass. “Ending this daily death streak is a shared responsibility. While we are committed to continue making improvements to our highway system, we all must work toward ending preventable crashes caused by drivers including distracted driving, speeding and drunk driving. Let’s make it a priority to be safe, focused and responsible behind the wheel. Let’s end the streak.”
Since Nov. 7, 2000, fatalities resulting from vehicle crashes on Texas roadways have numbered almost 67,000. The leading causes of fatalities continue to be failure to stay in one lane, alcohol and speed. To decrease the chances of roadway crashes and fatalities, TxDOT reminds drivers to:
- Buckle seatbelts – all passengers need to be buckled
- Pay attention – put phones away and avoid distractions
- Never drink and drive or do drugs and drive –get a sober ride home
- Drive the speed limit – obey speed limits and drive slower when weather conditions wa
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Recently, the Texas Veterans Commission's (TVC) Fund for Veterans' Assistance (FVA) announced its largest funding in the 16-year history of FVA programs, with 213 grants totaling $46,315,000 to provide services to an estimated 40,000 veterans. ETCOG is proud to be one of the grant recipients selected with $250,000 of those funds to provide GoBus transportation services for veterans in our 14-county service region. "It is an honor to receive this funding award from the Texas Veterans Commission and Chair Koerner, which allows us to continue our mission to support all East Texas veterans," said Vince Huerta, GoBus Director. "We are dedicated to growing the program and look forward to assisting more veterans this year." With the grant, our public transit system, GoBus, will fund trips to and from medical, dental, and mental health appointments, as well as trips for basic needs such as grocery stores, community meetings, voting, court appearances, and tax offices. These trips are available to veterans, veteran spouses and dependents, survivor spouses, and active military personnel. The grant is in partnership with over $46.3 million in grants for veterans, Governor Abbott announced on May 20 . “Texas is forever indebted to the brave men and women who answered the call to serve in our nation's military,” said Governor Abbott. “The State of Texas is home to over 1.5 million veterans—more than any other state. This has shaped our mission to provide wide-ranging services for veterans and their families. With over $46,315,000 in state grants, Texas will help thousands of veterans and their families access vital support and resources needed to thrive in our great state. Texas will always support our veterans and honor their sacrifices to our state and our nation.” Find out about all veteran transport services GoBus offers by visiting www.gobustransit.com/govet .
ETCOG is excited to share progress on the new GoBus Transportation Facility, which is nearing completion and expected to open this summer.
Exciting news for Anderson County residents! GoBus’ new on-demand microtransit service, GoNOW, has completed its first month of operation in Palestine—and the results are in! In its first 30 days, GoNOW provided approximately 400 trips, averaging 20 rides per day, helping to increase overall ridership in Anderson County by 25%. This strong demand highlights the community’s need for flexible, on-demand transportation. Launched on March 1, GoNOW makes getting around easier than ever. Like Uber, riders can request a trip through a mobile app or by phone, ensuring quick pickups, shorter wait times, and the trusted reliability of GoBus. For just $2 per trip, GoNOW operates Monday through Friday, 7 AM - 3 PM, covering a 10-square-mile area in Palestine. Seniors may qualify for sponsored trips, and as always, veterans and active military ride free. The easiest way to ride? Download the GoBus app! Using GoNOW is simple: 📲 Download the app (App Store for iOS or Google Play for Android) 📞 Call our office at 903-218-6450 to register an account ✉️ Sign up with your designated email address and chosen password 🚗 Click "Book a New Trip" and get moving! With a successful first month behind us, GoBus looks forward to continuing to provide this convenient service to Palestine residents. If you haven’t tried GoNOW yet, now is the perfect time! For more information, call 903-218-6450.
