Renewed talk of Dallas to Houston high speed rail has sparked new support for service between Dallas and Fort Worth. With Amtrak announcing it is pursuing the Houston leg, NBC 5’s Ken Kalthoff reports Norht Texas transportation planners say Dallas to Fort Worth with a stop in Arlington could happen first.
The idea of high-speed passenger rail service between Dallas and Houston received new support this month from government-backed Amtrak.
Michael Morris, the leading North Texas transportation planner said Thursday that he is working to see a proposed Dallas to Fort Worth leg built first.
“I think it has the chance to open much faster,” Morris said.
Morris is the Transportation Director with the North Central Texas Council of Governments which is based in Arlington.
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The city of Arlington, in between the two largest North Texas cities, is also on board, pursuing a high-speed rail stop.
“It’s real to us. We’ve been working on it for several years. We’re serious about it. We’re continuing to work on it,” Arlington Transportation Director Alicia Winkelblech said.
Sports stadiums and other attractions make Arlington’s entertainment district a regional destination.
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Arlington has “on-demand” vehicles for public transportation but it does not have traditional mass transit.
“So something like high-speed rail provides a fast efficient high-speed solution for people to get to Arlington,” said Winkelblech.
The Japanese technology envisioned for Dallas to Houston high-speed rail has been planned for years to extend to Fort Worth, too.
Morris said the Fort Worth leg could have environmental approval in 13 months.
“Dallas Fort Worth goes first. Market it to the world as you’re building the section to Houston,” Morris said.
The public right of way along I-30 is the preferred route for the DFW high-speed rail.
The planners said an Arlington station along I-30 could be linked to DFW Airport and the Arlington sports venues with some type of above-ground automated transportation system.
“That’s definitely something that we’re exploring because you can only do so much with all the vehicles on the ground,” Winkelblech said.
Morris said completing the DFW route could help boost the long-term goal of eventually connecting high-speed rail through College Station on the Dallas to Houston leg with Austin and San Antonio.
But Morris said he is most concerned with the booming North Texas region, where planning like this is necessary, with a million new residents arriving every 7 years.
“We’re at 8.2 going to 11.5 million people. How would you not think your conversation today isn’t critical to our future,” Morris said.
There is still strong opposition to the Dallas to Houston high-speed rail plan from communities in the middle but no organized opposition has surfaced to the Dallas to Fort Worth plan.
Arlington residents do not pay taxes to DART or the Fort Worth T transit systems.
That is what has blocked traditional Arlington mass transit in the past.
Morris said talks are also underway on how Arlington would contribute to big transit projects in the future.
