TheCultofAbeLincoln
14th January 2009, 03:47
Now, this article (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-passengerrail_25met.ART.State.Edition2.9cf978a.htm l) I forgot about, then remembered, was done by my local paper, The Dallas Morning News, so naturally it focuses on North Texas. But there are things in it which could benefit many more people:
Visions of bullet trains – like the ones that danced in the heads of Dallas City Council members who toured China earlier this year – may seem a bit dreamy for the Lone Star State.
But as 2009 nears, this much is true: Talk of such passenger rail service, once thought of as forever dead in Texas, is back in vogue, both in Washington and Austin.
This month, the U.S. Department of Transportation called for proposals from states and businesses to develop any of 11 federally designated high-speed rail corridors. Proposals are expected across the country, and two of the specified routes run through Texas. One, the Gulf Coast Corridor, enters the state from the southeast and finds its terminus in Houston.
The other route comes in from the north, and runs through Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and more.
No proposals have been made to develop those corridors yet, but U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters was in New York City in recent weeks to urge investors to consider doing just that. The government's vision is to have private firms partner with state and federal governments to jointly develop the rail lines. Proposals are due by September 2009.
Texas ought to start moving if it wants to take advantage of the federal funds, said Peter LeCody of Texas Rail Advocates, a passenger-rail lobbying group. The federal government is promising an 80-20 match with local or state funds – a nearly unprecedented move for rail, which usually requires a 50 percent contribution from local sources.
An 80-20 match. I'm going to repeat that: AN 80-20 MATCH MO' FUCKA'S!
Whenever you hear the Obama Infrastructure plan discussed on TV what do hey talk about? New highways (yuck!) with more asphalt (yuck!) and more traffic (double yuck!). But this, well, this is the best damn news I've heard for a while.
Now, I don't think TX has the best shot to get it. Why?
The Texas Department of Transportation's executive director, Amadeo Saenz, disputed Mr. LeCody's assertions. He said the department is aware of the call for proposals and is working on a plan.
"If any of the other states are out ahead of us, I'd like to know about it," Mr. Saenz said.
If the department has a weak focus on rail, however, it may have good cause. It has never been allowed to spend money it collects from gasoline sales on rail programs. The Texas Constitution forbids it, though lawmakers have managed to find ways to divert about a half-billion dollars of the funds each year to other uses.
Mr. Saenz said he'd like to see that changed.
"You hit the problem on the head," Mr. Saenz said. "We need the flexibility to solve our transportation problems with the right solution. Our motor fuel taxes can only be used for highways. We have studies that say we need 18 or 19 new lanes on I-35 through Dallas to solve our congestion problems. Well, you are not going to fit that many lanes on I-35. What other solutions could give you the same results in terms of moving traffic? Perhaps rail or transit is the answer in that corridor, but we don't have that flexibility."
Rail advocates, too, say the department is far past due in looking beyond highways to fix Texas' traffic and air-quality problems.
"TxDOT should be a department of transportation, not just a department of highways," said former Austin Mayor Bruce Todd, who now leads efforts to raise money to relocate freight rail lines out of densely populated areas.
The article forgets to mention that in the 1980s Texas was approached by consultants from TGV, who were proposing what we will hopefully be building soon. However, the Southwest lobby shot this down, as their business in Texas revolves around the DFW-Austin-Houston triangle. Hopefully, the idea of flying between any of these cities will be obsolete shortly.
But anyway, back to the national stage, if you live in any of the 11 designated high-speed corridors Write Your Congressman! Senator! Governor!
Here are The 11 Corridors designated by the US Dept of Transportation (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d3/High-Speed_Rail_Corridor_Designations_53kb.png).
Now, I don't think the map is perfect. Texas should be connected, as should Florida.
But compared to Interstate Highways, I Love It!!!
Thoughts?
Visions of bullet trains – like the ones that danced in the heads of Dallas City Council members who toured China earlier this year – may seem a bit dreamy for the Lone Star State.
But as 2009 nears, this much is true: Talk of such passenger rail service, once thought of as forever dead in Texas, is back in vogue, both in Washington and Austin.
This month, the U.S. Department of Transportation called for proposals from states and businesses to develop any of 11 federally designated high-speed rail corridors. Proposals are expected across the country, and two of the specified routes run through Texas. One, the Gulf Coast Corridor, enters the state from the southeast and finds its terminus in Houston.
The other route comes in from the north, and runs through Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and more.
No proposals have been made to develop those corridors yet, but U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters was in New York City in recent weeks to urge investors to consider doing just that. The government's vision is to have private firms partner with state and federal governments to jointly develop the rail lines. Proposals are due by September 2009.
Texas ought to start moving if it wants to take advantage of the federal funds, said Peter LeCody of Texas Rail Advocates, a passenger-rail lobbying group. The federal government is promising an 80-20 match with local or state funds – a nearly unprecedented move for rail, which usually requires a 50 percent contribution from local sources.
An 80-20 match. I'm going to repeat that: AN 80-20 MATCH MO' FUCKA'S!
Whenever you hear the Obama Infrastructure plan discussed on TV what do hey talk about? New highways (yuck!) with more asphalt (yuck!) and more traffic (double yuck!). But this, well, this is the best damn news I've heard for a while.
Now, I don't think TX has the best shot to get it. Why?
The Texas Department of Transportation's executive director, Amadeo Saenz, disputed Mr. LeCody's assertions. He said the department is aware of the call for proposals and is working on a plan.
"If any of the other states are out ahead of us, I'd like to know about it," Mr. Saenz said.
If the department has a weak focus on rail, however, it may have good cause. It has never been allowed to spend money it collects from gasoline sales on rail programs. The Texas Constitution forbids it, though lawmakers have managed to find ways to divert about a half-billion dollars of the funds each year to other uses.
Mr. Saenz said he'd like to see that changed.
"You hit the problem on the head," Mr. Saenz said. "We need the flexibility to solve our transportation problems with the right solution. Our motor fuel taxes can only be used for highways. We have studies that say we need 18 or 19 new lanes on I-35 through Dallas to solve our congestion problems. Well, you are not going to fit that many lanes on I-35. What other solutions could give you the same results in terms of moving traffic? Perhaps rail or transit is the answer in that corridor, but we don't have that flexibility."
Rail advocates, too, say the department is far past due in looking beyond highways to fix Texas' traffic and air-quality problems.
"TxDOT should be a department of transportation, not just a department of highways," said former Austin Mayor Bruce Todd, who now leads efforts to raise money to relocate freight rail lines out of densely populated areas.
The article forgets to mention that in the 1980s Texas was approached by consultants from TGV, who were proposing what we will hopefully be building soon. However, the Southwest lobby shot this down, as their business in Texas revolves around the DFW-Austin-Houston triangle. Hopefully, the idea of flying between any of these cities will be obsolete shortly.
But anyway, back to the national stage, if you live in any of the 11 designated high-speed corridors Write Your Congressman! Senator! Governor!
Here are The 11 Corridors designated by the US Dept of Transportation (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d3/High-Speed_Rail_Corridor_Designations_53kb.png).
Now, I don't think the map is perfect. Texas should be connected, as should Florida.
But compared to Interstate Highways, I Love It!!!
Thoughts?