Texas transportation planners are aiming to reignite a vision dating back to the 1980s to connect the state's largest metropolitan areas with high-speed rail.
Unlike in the past, there may be federal aid this time.
In December, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration announced awards of $500,000 each for proposed high-speed rail corridors from Fort Worth to Dallas and from Dallas to Houston. The planner's long-term vision is to transport travelers in her one-person vehicle between three cities within her two hours.
Funding from the Corridor ID grant program is largely set aside to develop scope, schedule, and cost estimates and is miniscule compared to the total cost of route construction. But high-speed rail planners and advocates are hopeful that federal funding, supported by bipartisan infrastructure legislation, can jump-start these projects.
“The selection of the Fort Worth to Houston corridor for FRA's Corridor Identification Program means that the federal government has at least recognized that there is some benefit to connecting the Dallas-Fort Worth-Houston metropolitan areas. ” said senior Dan Lammers. He is program manager for transportation planning at the North Central Texas Council of Governments.
Suggested route
In the Dallas-Fort Worth region, the North Central Texas Council of Governments is leading a study of a corridor between the two cities, proposing to build a high-speed rail project along Interstate 30.
Top speeds could be around 180 mph, so planners plan for a trip between ends to take 23 minutes on the high-speed train, which stops in Arlington. The 51-mile drive from downtown Dallas to downtown Fort Worth can take up to an hour or more, depending on traffic.
The proposal includes two subway stations, one on the southeast corner of downtown Fort Worth next to Fort Worth Central Station and another on the southeast corner of downtown Fort Worth, said Brendon Wheeler, the council's corridor project manager and transportation planning program manager. One is said to be located in Arlington's entertainment district.
Wheeler said the route will move northeast from Interstate 30 near North Hampton Roads and follow the alignment of the Union Pacific Railroad as it enters Dallas. From there, it would head downtown, curve south and stop at an elevated station near Cadiz and Austin streets in the Cedars neighborhood, chosen by Texas Central, the private company leading the Dallas-to-Houston project. .
Amtrak announced in August that it was considering partnering with Texas Central on a proposed route that would shuttle passengers from Dallas to Houston in about 90 minutes (the proposed 220-mile drive between stations would take at least about three hours). ). The proposal, which has been in development for a decade, calls for the use of Japan's bullet trains, which would primarily travel along high-voltage power lines and stop in the Brazos Valley between College Station and Huntsville.
The Council of Governments is in the process of completing an environmental review as required by the National Environmental Policy Act. Lammers said he hopes the issue will be resolved by the end of this year.
In 2020, FRA approved the Texas Central project and issued an environmental impact statement.
Reported benefits
The Council of Governments said in planning documents that high-speed rail could meet increased travel demand as Dallas-Fort Worth grows over time. Project managers wrote that they expect the region's population could grow from about 7.9 million (according to the 2022 census) to just over 11 million by 2045.
Lammers said Dallas-Fort Worth has the potential to become a “hub for intra-Texas travel” due to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport's proximity to the high-speed rail system. The route cuts his hour-long commute on Trinity Railway Express, an intercity commuter rail line, to about 20 minutes.
It will also add transportation options to Arlington, one of the largest cities in the United States without public transportation.
The City of Texas Central claims the plan is estimated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 100,000 tons per year and that its construction and operation will create thousands of jobs.
Andy Kuntz, president and CEO of the American High Speed Rail Association, said the new mode of transportation will help “decarbonize the transportation sector,” reduce congestion and revitalize U.S. manufacturing. Ta. It will also open up opportunities for more people, known as supercommuters, to live in one city and work in another, he said.
“With one high-speed rail line, we can actually open up access to a million affordable housing units that are already being built,” Kuntz said.
Alan Rutter, senior research scientist and freight analysis program manager at the Texas A&M Transportation Research Institute, said Amtrak is interested in the Dallas-to-Houston corridor because of the metro area's large population and the inter-metropolitan area. distance, and favorable terrain.
“We have two urban areas, each with a population of about 8 million people,” Rutter said. “They're separated by a very optimal location in terms of high-speed rail distance, and they don't have the topographical challenges that people in other parts of the world, and of course California, have to deal with.”
Remaining issues
Millions of private funds have been invested in the failed D-FW to Houston rail project since the late 1980s, but planners are hoping federal support will help make it happen this time around. Are expected. Still, there are some hurdles to clear.
The biggest question for either high-speed rail corridor is where the money will come from to make these projects a reality, Rutter said. Cost estimates for Texas Central have grown over time, with the latest estimate for 2020 being $30 billion. dallas business journal report.
The schedule for the Texas Central project is also unclear. An Amtrak spokesperson said the company is still exploring “potential partnerships” with Texas Central, but no formal agreement has yet been reached.
Mr Lammers said the council wanted to leverage both public and private funding for the development.
Both corridors face questions regarding their location and potential land acquisition.
Waller County Judge Trey Duhon said the Texas Central project would require a new environmental assessment, given the amount of new development in the county over the past three years, including in south Dallas and northwest Houston. said it was necessary. Mr. Duhon is also the president of Texans Against High Speed Rail, a group of property owners, business owners and elected officials who oppose the Texas Central project and are concerned about the use of prominent land.
“We still have a lot of people who are very passionate about protecting their property, some of which has been in their families for generations,” Duhon said. said. “So we're still here. We've come this far. We're certainly not going to give up now and we're going to continue to advocate for these property owners.”
Texas Central's proposal has been hampered by delays as the company grapples with tax issues, a leadership exodus, the pandemic and pushback from roadside property owners. After the CEO and board retire in 2022, Michael Bui, currently a senior managing director at FTI Consulting, will take over management.
The federal Surface Transportation Commission would also need to approve construction, but has not yet received an application from the central Texas government.
About 90 percent of the route along the Fort Worth to Dallas corridor will pass through public land, but some, particularly in Dallas, will pass through private land, according to the city council. That could impact West Dallas residents along with downtown development.
Wheeler said the biggest limiting factor is the location of the Dallas station and its layout. He added that the proposal was approved for the Texas Central project, which would require the use of the Cedars station, and that the goal is to allow travelers to “single-ride” from Fort Worth to Houston. . The team also looked at about 100 different alignments “from the Interstate 30 and Loop 12 areas all the way to downtown” to determine how to mitigate impacts, he said. .
“We worked within the constraints of the design, how it would connect to that station, how it would coordinate with the convention center plans and major existing developments in downtown Dallas. We have to,” Wheeler said.
Travel near the new Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and Reunion Tower development site. Hunt Realty Investments, which owns Reunion, also has plans to redevelop the area around the tower. Hunt Realty President Colin Fitzgibbons said in a statement that his company supports relocating the route “above ground,” or below ground, in Dallas “as we already have in Fort Worth and Arlington.”
Dallas City Councilman Omar Narvaez, who represents West Dallas, said in a statement that he was confident “all outstanding issues can be resolved.” He is also a member of NCTCOG's Regional Transportation Council, where he guides the development of the plan.
Raul Reyes Jr., president of West Dallas 1, a group of neighborhood groups, said he is concerned that planners will use prominent land to take private property away from West Dallas residents. He said he was there. Many residents may not be able to purchase new housing. House. He hopes project planners can find routes that don't go through the area or explore ways to provide opportunities for residents.
“Why not create an opportunity for this train to stop in West Dallas?” Reyes said. “Because every time a train stops, there has to be some form of utility involved, whether it’s retail, commerce, employment opportunities, small businesses.”
“We're going to have to hire someone to do things like maintenance and cleaning,” he added. “These are the kinds of jobs my community can apply for right now.”
