While it is no secret that Texas fought hard for a piece of these funds, at the end of the day, the funds were allocated to those projects that could put the most shovels in the ground.  The rules governing the allocation of the funds were certainly drafted in such a way that the corridors needed to initiate the planning activities would not benefit.  Despite the petitioning from members of the THSRTC Congressional Caucus and TxDOT, FRA did not change the rules and no planning funds were allocated to Texas.  

 We did, however, receive some positive feedback on our applications, and have every indication that we will receive federal funds in one of the upcoming allocations.  This project has never been dependant upon federal funds, though we would certainly hope to receive them – and we are optimistic that we will receive them soon.  

      

  As of December 1, 2009 the Texas Department of Transportation has a fully-staffed Rail Division, which is headed up by Bill Glavin, who shares the vision of THSRTC that high-speed intercity passenger rail capable of accommodating travel at speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour must be a part of Texas’ transportation network.  THSRTC is actively engaging with stakeholders along the Texas T-Bone and working closely with TxDOT to secure additional public support and the funds necessary to initiate the ridership and revenue studies that will help bolster the business case for the project.

 Incorporated in October 2009, the South Central High-Speed Rail and Transportation Authority, Inc. is a political subdivision of the state charged with developing high-speed passenger rail.  This corporation represents the legal and organizational framework necessary to develop this project.

 

 Neither the routes along I-45 between Dallas and Houston nor along I-10 between Houston and San Antonio have a population density sufficient to support high-speed rail.  By bringing the train to where the people are, and where the dramatic growth is anticipated, the Texas T-Bone will tap into a prime high-speed rail market.  Furthermore, the 490-mile Texas T-Bone is much shorter than the 770-mile Texas Triangle that failed almost 20 years ago.  The cost-per-mile figures for these systems are well worth the investment but are still significant.  By knocking off nearly 280 miles from the Triangle Corridor, the cost of the project is reduced to a much more reasonable figure.

 Texas’ population is set to double by 2040, to over 50 million.  78% of those Texans – over 40 million people – will live within the Texas T-Bone initial service area.  That’s more than the current population of California.  By 2050, at current growth trends, Texas will have surpassed California as the most populous state in the union.

 

 The longest trip on the Texas T-Bone is anticipated to be the 90-minute trip between DFW International Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.  Today, that trip takes about five hours to drive.

 Even if Texas had received all $8 billion made available by the American Recover and Reinvestment Act, the state would still have a long way to go to pay for the Texas T-Bone.  The private sector must play a significant role in financing this system.  We are confident that the private sector – along with city, county, and state governments – stand to benefit financially from this project.  It would be most helpful to receive some federal funds to complete the ridership and revenue forecasting and to initiate the engineering and environmental work.  With this work in place, it will be even easier to make a strong case to the private sector.

  Whether the initial funds are received from public or private sources, THSRTC and South Central High-Speed Rail and Transportation Authority, Inc. are actively engaging with members of the private sector, searching for a willing and capable partner that is prepared to design, build, operate, maintain, and finance this project.  Examples from around the world attest to high-speed rail’s ability to generate an operational profit, while providing valuable transportation and quality of life benefits for the communities it serves.

 

 

 THSRTC is actively and enthusiastically engaged in bringing to Texas high-speed passenger rail capable of transporting passengers at speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour.  The THSRTC Board of Directors advocates for and envisions a system in which numerous cities along the Corridor benefit from high-speed rail service.  If each train were to stop at each of these numerous stations, however, the trains would not be able to complete the trip in a time that is sufficiently competitive with travel by other modes.  There will, therefore, likely be a high volume of express service between the major markets served by the T-Bone.  Many trains, for example, will travel directly between Houston and Austin, San Antonio and the DFW Metroplex, and Houston to DFW.  Other, relatively smaller, markets will be served by rail less frequently.

  This frequency of total trains to be operated each day and which communities will be served at what frequency will be determined by market forces.  As the mobility needs of these communities change, the train schedules can be easily modified to accommodate the demand – without the need for additional tracks or other infrastructure.

 

 Transit Oriented Development (TOD), a term that was barely heard as recently as ten years ago, has become part of the vernacular for urban planners, land developers, and public transit financiers, among many others.  Referring to the dense, vertical, mixed-use developments that spring up around transit and passenger rail stations, TODs have become valuable tools in the planning and development of cities and counties.

 

  No.  THSRTC’s current vision calls for the South Central High-Speed Rail and Transportation Authority, Inc. (the “Authority”) to partner with a private consortium that will be capable of designing, building, operating, maintaining, and financing the Texas T-Bone High-Speed Rail Corridor.  The right of way and all infrastructure will remain in the possession of the Authority, a political subdivision of the State of Texas that is owned and operated by the cities and counties represented on its board of directors.

  The private consortium would develop and operate the system according to the performance and design parameters established by the Authority in collaboration with the communities and stakeholders along the Corridor.  Because there is no domestic high-speed passenger rail expertise in this country, there will almost certainly be a foreign component to the development of this project.  In the end, however, it is the vision of the THSRTC board of directors that the positive economic impacts of this project to the State of Texas be maximized wherever possible.

 

  Cities and counties have been the driving force behind the development of high-speed intercity passenger rail in Texas.  Because the bulk of funds used by the Texas Department of Transportation are constitutionally protected for use solely on highways, the State has allocated very little for the development of passenger rail over the years.  While cities and counties continue to invest the in the development and design of the system, the THSRTC Board of Directors’ business plan calls for scarce public funds to be leveraged with significant private capital to complete the design and construction of the system.  As examples around the world have demonstrated, high-speed intercity passenger rail generates an operational profit, thereby making it possible to operate a world-class system without taxpayer subsidies.