DART News Release
Sep 28, 2011 | General
DART Charter Board Member Ray Noah Steps Down
Media Relations Contact: September 28, 2011 DART Charter Board Member Ray Noah Steps Down
"Serving on the DART Board of Directors is like running a relay race," Noah remarked. "You run your laps until it's time to hand-off. That time has come for me." During 28 years with the transit agency, the representative of Addison, Highland Park, Richardson and University Park served on every Board committee, lending his expertise as a seasoned lawyer, regional civic leader and public arts champion. He helped shepherd DART through its infancy into the developmental years that made it one of America's largest and fastest-growing urban transit systems. "These kinds of projects take long lead times," says Noah. "It's a treacherous route, with lots of opportunities for plans to get derailed by political, financial and other obstacles. DART certainly went through its growing pains, but a spirit of trust and cooperation has made it successful." Noah's work for regional public transit began in the 1970s when he first campaigned for the formation of the Lone Star Transit Authority (LSTA), a proposed regional authority that would have encompassed Dallas and Fort Worth. The LSTA failed at the polls in 1980, but undaunted, he and his fellow supporters quickly launched a new campaign that led to the creation of DART. Long before the grand opening of light rail service to Richardson in 2002, Noah worked with city and business leaders to make DART's Galatyn Park Station the gateway to the Galatyn Park retail and residential development, home to the Charles W. Eisemann Center for Performance Arts and the Renaissance Dallas Richardson Hotel.
Mayor of Richardson from 1968 to 1983 and former chairman of the Richardson Chamber of Commerce, Noah is known by many as "Mr. Richardson," but his contributions to North Texas extend well beyond his hometown. He served four years on the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) Board of Directors, including terms as vice president and president. In 1998, the NCTCOG recognized him with the William J. Pitstick Regional Excellence Award, and in 2007, the SMU Dedman School of Law honored him with its Distinguished Alumni Award for Public Service, citing his leadership in establishing DART, the University of Texas at Dallas, and the President George Bush Turnpike. -- 30 -- |
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