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Where should Dallas’ high-speed rail station be?

Plans for a high-speed train that could get people from Dallas to Houston in 90 minutes are being unveiled this month across the state. Private developer Texas Central Railway plans to use private money to build the roughly 240-mile line and has publicly revealed the two key routes being eyed. They also revealed different possible locations for the line’s end points.

In Dallas, there are three possible areas the station could be: Downtown Dallas or two spots along Interstate 45. In Houston there are five different areas. At last week’s meeting about the project in Dallas last week, officials and residents unanimously said they wanted the downtown station. Given that one of the company’s goals is to tie in to existing public transit (and the downtown location’s proximity to Union Station, which serves two DART lines, Amtrak and the TRE), that could be the spot they pick.

The map above shows the different spots being eyed as well as a litany of high-speed rail projects being developed across the country. For a larger and more mobile-friendly version of this map, click here.

Following verdict, FHWA demands that Trinity Industries subject ET-Plus guardrails to further tests

Update: The FHWA has sent a letter to Trinity Industries demanding that it submit the ET-Plus guardrail terminals it has sold to highway departments nationwide since at least 1999 to further safety testing, a major reversal from the federal agencies’ until-now steadfast support for Trinity. If the company, which lost a federal trial on Monday, refuses to test the guardrail components anew, FHWA officials say they might suspend the company’s ability to sell its product to state highway departments.

WASHINGTON — The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials said today it wants the federal government to conduct new tests of the guardrail caps made by Dallas-based Trinity Industries.

Worries about the safety of the energy-absorbing caps — sold by Trinity across the country to state highway departments for use on highway and interstate guardrails nationwide — have come under fire in the past year as a whistle-blower case accusing the company of defrauding the federal government moved forward in a federal court in Marhsall.

A jury assessed $175 million in damages against the company Monday, an amount that under federal statute will triple — and with as much as $200 million or more in additional fines.

Meanwhile, the Federal Highway Administration has said it will review the safety record of Trinity’s products. A few minutes ago, AASHTO announced it would strongly support that happen. Here’s the organization’s statement:

WASHINGTON – The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials today supported Federal Highway Administration’s request that Texas-based guardrail manufacturer Trinity Industries Inc., maker of the ET-Plus guardrail end treatment, re-test the device to ensure that it meets eligibility requirements for use on federal-aid projects.

“Safety of the traveling public is of paramount concern to state departments of transportation and AASHTO. We support FHWA’s actions to have the manufacturer re-verify, through appropriate crash-testing procedures, whether the ET-Plus guardrail end treatment meets the requirements to remain eligible for use on federal-aid projects,” said Bud Wright, AASHTO executive director. “Additionally, in support of continuously improving safety by our member departments on their roadways, we look forward to the results of an FHWA review of the performance of the ET-Plus guardrail end treatment.”

When do we see where a bullet train station might be built in downtown Dallas?

The Central Japan Railway's Shinkansen N700. A later model of the electrified bullet train is proposed for service between Dallas and Houston.

The Federal Railroad Administration and TxDOT are conducting the first public meeting this evening on the private Texas Central High-Speed Railway’s plan for a Dallas-Houston bullet train. This newspaper is an editorial fan of the project.

If you go on the FRA’s website to look through project materials, you can see potential routes the service could take between the two cities. The company aims to use lots of existing rights of way, be it the state’s, another railroad company’s or a utility company’s. The train would be electrified and run along elevated tracks.

What you don’t see on the FRA website is detail on possible routes into and within downtown Dallas — or where the train station might be. Those details will be divulged later today at the FRA/TxDOT meeting, called a “scoping” meeting. I inquired of Texas Central VP Travis Kelly, and he told me this, via email:

The presentation to be given by the agencies tonight will show areas where station locations have been identified, both in Dallas and in Houston. The evaluation criteria and scoring matrix that resulted in the downselect from many alternatives to two will also be shown and spoken to. …

The agencies may wait until after the final scoping meeting to make these materials available on their website.

If you’re curious about “scoping” this out, I may see you tonight at the Infomart.

Possible routes for Dallas-to-Houston high-speed train released

The routes being studied for a high-speed rail line that could move people from Dallas to Houston in 90 minutes were released late Friday. Maps detailing those possible alignments will be the focus of a public meeting Tuesday.

A company called Texas Central High-Speed Rail is securing billions in private funding to build the line, which will be about 240 miles long. The company wants to end the line in or near downtown Dallas, though a specific terminus hasn’t been selected. Developers want it to easily tie into Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s light-rail network. Its decision could affect where DART puts a second downtown line, though that local agency doesn’t yet have funding for that long-awaited project.

An estimated 50,000 people drive between Houston and North Texas more than once a week. Traveling the route on Interstate 45 takes about four hours. The drive is expected to take seven hours by 2035.

The meeting showcasing the high-speed rail project will be Tuesday at the Dallas Infomart, 1950 N. Stemmons Freeway, Suite 7000. An open house will be from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. A presentation will run from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Public comments will be taken from 7 to 8 p.m.

Regional planners drop recommendation for Greenville toll road

Traffic at the intersection of State Highway 78 and County Road 6 in Lavon, on the east side of Collin County in September 2014. Regional leaders say increased traffic at this and several other intersections show the need for a toll road from Garland to Greenville. (Stewart F. House / Special Contributor )

The North Central Texas Council of Governments is reversing its recommendation to add a controversial rural toll road to the region’s long-term transportation plan. Officials weren’t immediately available for comment Friday afternoon, but the move could halt the project. Projects typically have to be in that plan in order to move forward.

NCTCOG transportation director Michael Morris previously said that his agency was rethinking the recommendation it made last month after more than 1,200 residents showed up to a meeting in Rockwall to oppose the toll road from Garland to Greenville. While the recommendation preceded that raucous meeting, it followed other meetings where residents vocally opposed the road.

Since NCTCOG’s recommendation, several cities along or near possible routes for the Northeast Gateway have formally opposed the project. Those cities include Fate, Josephine, Lavon, Rockwall, Rowlett, Sachse and Wylie.

The 28-mile road is being developed by private company Texas Turnpike Corp., which has the ability to use eminent domain. It was unclear Friday afternoon how the company plans to proceed. Company officials have said that the Texas Department of Transportation has final approval of their plans. Company officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday afternoon.

Update: N. Central Expressway reopens at Forest Lane after utility pole catches fire

This is why people aren't moving in either direction on N. Central Expressway near Forest Lane at the moment. (Michael Ainsworth/Staff photographer)

Update at 1:34 p.m.: N. Central Expressway is now open again in both directions.

Original item posted at 12:54 p.m.: Avoid N. Central Expressway for the foreseeable future: U.S. Highway 75 is closed in both directions between Forest Lane and Royal Lane.

The reason, according to Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans: A utility pole caught fire, he says, and “there was some concern that the wire may fall on the highway.”

He says the fire has been put out, and Oncor cut power to the lines. “But there was some concern that the wires may fall on the highway,” potentially damaging vehicles along the roadway.

It’s unclear how long the repairs will take. Messages have been sent to Oncor.

Dallas police say officers were dispatched to the location just before 1 p.m. We have been told more information will be made available shortly.


Northeast Corridor opponents deride officials, tell Hunt County commissioners they don’t want toll road

Traffic at the intersection of State Highway 78 and County Road 6 in Lavon, on the east side of Collin County in September 2014. Regional leaders say increased traffic at this and several other intersections show the need for a toll road from Garland to Greenville. (Stewart F. House / Special Contributor )

More than 30 people from across North Texas showed up in front of a Hunt County government building Tuesday to protest a planned rural toll road from Garland to Greenville.

“We’re all citizens not wanting this thing,” said Bryan Slaton, a Royse City resident who spoke in front of the crowd of residents.

Many opponents to Northeast Gateway held signs that said, “No eminent domain for private gain,” and “Hands off our land.”

Slaton and others this morning said it is “un-American” that Texas Turnpike Corp. has the rare ability as a private company to use eminent domain to take land for projects.
Slaton also accused the North Central Texas Council of Governments of inflating traffic projections to justify the need for the road. The Dallas Morning News last month reported about how NCTCOGs’ traffic estimates dramatically outpace state population growth projections.

NCTCOG transportation director Michael Morris last week told his organizations’ transportation council that he stands by the traffic projections, but did not give details. Members of the Regional Transportation Council did not ask for more details.

NCTCOG has already recommended adding the road to long-term regional transportation plans, but could reverse that recommendation this week in light of mounting opposition.

Regional Transportation Commission member and Carrollton Mayor Matthew Marchant said last month he plans to recommend stripping the road from the long-term planning document when it comes up for a vote in November. Marchant said the RTC should only recommend toll road construction as a last resort.

“I don’t know if we’re at that point on this corridor yet,” he said.

Slaton this morning said a state study shows Texans don’t want more toll roads. He also said both candidates in next month’s gubernatorial race oppose more toll roads in Texas.

“The one common ground they share is no toll roads,” he said.

The group then went inside a Hunt County Commissioners Court meeting to speak out against the project. Hunt County Judge John Horn, who presides over commissioner meetings, is a chief supporter of the project.

The project was not on the commissioners court agenda for its regular 10 a.m. meeting this morning. But Texas law allows residents to speak on matters that aren’t on an agenda during a public comment portion of government meetings. Speakers are generally required to fill out a card before the meeting begins so they can be recognized during the meeting.

Toll road opponents showed up outside the commissioners court meeting room a few minutes before the meeting was supposed to begin, but it was already under way. Commissioners had already moved pass the public comments portion of the meeting, the consent agenda and the first two individual action items.

As the meeting progressed, a bailiff handed Slaton and others speakers cards. After they turned them back in, the bailiff took them to Horn in the middle of the meeting.

Horn moved away from his microphone and conversed with the bailiff out of public earshot before calling a recess. Horn went outside the meeting room and asked Slaton if he was willing to serve as a spokesman for the entire group rather than allowing everyone to speak.

“We’ve got other business,” Horn told Slaton.

Slaton said he could not speak for everyone in the group.

“I’m trying to expedite this,” Horn said.

Before Horn returned to the courtroom, a reporter asked him whether the public comments portion section on the court’s agenda limits how many people can speak. The reporter also asked what time the meeting started.

Horn said it started at 10 a.m. When the reporter said the meeting was already in progress before 10 a.m., Horn said the commissioners go by the clock in the meeting room. The clock in that room was running about five minutes fast Tuesday morning.

After Horn returned to the meeting room, he told attendants that he had asked “for the purpose of time and business” if only one person was willing to speak to everyone, but said the court would hear from everyone who signed up.

“We want to extend to you our hand in courtesy,” he said.

Jerry Shaffer of Wylie said the road is a form of double taxation because Texans already pay for highways through gas taxes. Kevin Long of Caddo Mills criticized Texas Turnpikes’ ability to use eminent domain.

“It may be legal, but that doesn’t mean it’s right,” he said.

Brenda Short of Fate said she moved away from Dallas to be away from “all this concrete.” Short said she believes a new alignment of the road will no longer require the taking of her property. But she’s still opposed to the effects of the road.

“It’s going to change the landscape of Hunt County forever,” she said.

Tiffany Long said commissioners would have to listen to opponents at every meeting as long as they hold their seats.

“Because we will vote you out of office,” she said.

 

UPDATE: DART running as scheduled this morning after overnight repairs to power lines

A DART police car parked outside the Pearl/Arts District Station on Oct. 13, 2014. (Robert Wilonsky / The Dallas Morning News )

Updated at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday:

DART reports that the power lines were repaired overnight, and all service has been restored this morning.

Original post:


Dallas Area Rapid Transit light-rail has a new nemesis today: high wind and the power outages that come with it.

DART’s experiencing several issues with its light-rail system this afternoon, according to spokesman Mark Ball — from downtown to Lake Highlands to Bachman and all points in between. To begin: Ball says there’s damage to the overhead catenary wires near Mockingbird Station caused by a southbound Blue Line train. Says Ball, a tree limb fell on top of the train somewhere near the Lake Highlands Station and got lodged in the pantograph on top of the train. (The pantograph contains holds the spring-loaded arm that connects to the catenary wires that power the train.)

It was standing room only Monday on a bus from Union Station to Mockingbird Station. ((Leslie Snyder/The Dallas Morning News))

Says Ball, “the operator was not aware there was a tree branch on top of the train, and the tree remained stuck there when it reached Cityplace/Uptown Station.” There power there has been shut off until a technician can manually remove the tree.

“And because of that, trains have to stop at Pearl to the south and Mockingbird to the north,” says Ball. Buses will bridge the gap in service until repaiors are made.

Meanwhile, says Ball, Orange Line trains coming from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Irving are being stopped at Bachman.

“The train is going back to DFW,” says Ball, “so we don’t get too many trains stuck in downtown.”

And there are some stuck in downtown, says Ball, because of intermittent power outages. Oncor, he says, is “aware of the problem.”

Finally, there’s an issue along the Blue Line: “We are single-tracking trains from Lake Highlands to LBJ/Skillman due to a tree in that area down on the tracks north of the Lake Highlands Station. It’s a pretty area, but with a lot of trees.”

See, it’s not just you.

DART passengers need to board a bus shuttle between Victory and Baylor University Medical Center stations and between Union to Mockingbird stations due to loss of power to overhead power lines. Our apologies for the delays.

Monday’s systemwide problems came hours after DART announced it will be suspending weekend service in downtown Dallas for six consecutive weekends starting Oct. 26. While ridership is far less on weekends, the agency told passengers who use transit for work trips or to get around town to expect delays. Those closures are so the agency can replace aging light-rail tracks downtown.

Staff writer Brandon Formby contributed to this report.

Packed trains, but smooth sailing for DART ahead of Texas-OU game

 

Texas and Oklahoma fans pack a Green Line train to Fair Park ahead of the 2014 showdown between the two schools at Cotton Bowl Stadium. (Brandon Formby / The Dallas Morning News )

Dallas Area Rapid Transit was obviously the way to go to Cotton Bowl Stadium for thousands of football fans this morning. And while trains to Fair Park were packed — some were standing-room only in the aisle for the whole length of the trains — there didn’t seem to be any system-wide problems. (The 2009 game was a far different story.)

Texas and Oklahoma fans arrive at DART's Fair Park Station ahead of the 2014 game between the two rivals at Cotton Bowl Stadium. (Brandon Formby / The Dallas Morning News )

On a Green Line to Fair Park this morning, Texas and Oklahoma fans were still waking up. Many clutched coffee. A lot of Oklahoma fans stood in the aisles, held on to support bars and took selfies. It was a fairly quiet ride. Until somewhere between Akard and St. Paul stations.

“Boomer!” a woman’s voice yelled out.

“Sooner!” dozens of other Oklahoma fans answered.

“Boomer! Sooner! Texas! Sucks! Texas! Sucks!” they chanted.

Texas fans wryly smiled and shook their heads. But after the chants echoed through the train a second time, Longhorn fans answered back with a song.

“The eyes of Texas are upon you…”

Mystery train no more, as Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail public meetings begin this month

At his state-of-downtown-Dallas speech today Mayor Mike Rawlings spent a few minutes touting high-speed rail linking Houston and Dallas (especially as it related to The Cedars and Union Station and the land on that end of downtown). Said Rawlings, according to those who were in the room, a 90-minute train ride from downtown to Kenny & Ziggy’s Deli is in our not-so-distant future. But, of course, we shall see.

There is, however, a sneak peek in your very near future. According to this newly launched website from, among others, the Federal Railroad Administration, the Texas Department of Transportation and the private company hoping to build the thing, the Texas Central High-Speed Railway, a handful of public meetings are scheduled in coming weeks as part of the environmental impact study process, which, we noted in June, will take a look at the possible routes between here and there. And the first one’s in Dallas — at the Infomart, to be specific — on October 21. Then they start working their way south — from Corsicana to Teague to Bryan to Huntsville to Houston, where the roadshow wraps October 29.

The schedule for all the meetings will be the same. There will be an open house from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., during which folks will be able to browse maps and pictures that aren’t yet online. Then the folks behind this proposal will make their pitch from 6:30 to 7; after that the public will have an hour to say its piece.

We’ve been told the new website will have more information sooner than later, because, frankly, it couldn’t have much less. See you October 21.

Tom Schieffer, senior adviser to the Texas Central Railway, and his model train (Ben Torres/Special contributor)