#Texas

Texas bullet train proposal pits rural landowners against urbanites

About 100 miles north of Houston, the landscape is dotted with sprawling farms and remote ranches. But critics say parts of the region could change if the Federal Railroad Administration approves a $12 billion infrastructure project. Texas Central, a privately run railroad company, is hoping to build a high-speed bullet train similar to the bullet train system already in operation between Tokyo and Osaka in Japan. The train would connect Dallas and Houston in less than 90 min

DEIS to be discussed at public meetings

With the release of the Federal Railroad Administration’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement on Texas Central Partner’s high speed rail project, residents and agencies are pouring over the extensive document before scheduled public meetings are held during the 60-day comment period. “The process is specifically designed for public involvement,” said Texas Central on their website description of the DEIS. “The 60-day public comment period that began with the Dec. 22 notice i

Good enough for government work?

I am guessing that most every blog reader has heard the somewhat-contemptuous phrase, "good enough for government work," used to discuss production that is mediocre at best and slipshod at worst. What few know, however, is the origin of this phrase, as discussed by Doris Kearns Goodwin in No Ordinary Time, her 1995 book about the home front during World War II. It turns out that the original meaning of this phrase was the exact opposite of the meaning it has since been given.

Feds pick preferred route for Dallas-to-Houston bullet train

The Dallas-to-Houston bullet train rolled a few inches closer to the starting line Friday with the release of a long-awaited federal study that narrows down several possible routes to a single path through powerline easements. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement, released by the U.S. Department of Transportation, doesn't necessarily endorse the so-called Utility Corridor. The feds still have 60 days to hear from the public before a final decision is made at a date undete

Analysis: The line for money at the Texas Capitol just got longer

Legislative sessions are almost always about the money — how much is available, and who is going to get it. The next session of the Texas Legislature will have the usual suspects in line —school finance, border security, pensions, etc. — but a new entry will be at the front of the line. His name is Harvey. This year’s regular and special legislative sessions were marked by financial wrangling, and by some analysts’ reckoning, lawmakers dug their successors a deep hole. The Te

Some Tulsa-to-OKC Rail Supporters Already Thinking of High-Speed Trains

Some Oklahoma passenger rail opponents believe it's time to consider high-speed rail between Tulsa and Oklahoma City. A concept presented at an interim study calls for trains on elevated tracks, which would be similar to this Shinkansen train in Taiwan. How would you like to get to Oklahoma City in 25 minutes? Some passenger rail supporters think it’s possible with high-speed rail. At state Sen. Kevin Matthews' interim study on passenger rail Tuesday, McGrath Construction Pre

Hyperloop One names 4 potential US routes

Dive Brief: Hyperloop One has selected 10 routes — including four in the U.S. — as part of its Hyperloop One Global Challenge, according to the company. It wants to have three full-scale systems operational by 2021. Officials issued an open invitation to public and private groups in May 2016 to develop a plan for a hyperloop system in their respective localities. The company will now allocate resources to each team to determine the top three commercially viable routes. The U.

Engineers 20 years ago warned of flooding risk in Houston area

DALLAS - A report released two decades ago on the Harris County reservoir system predicted with alarming accuracy the catastrophic flooding that would besiege the Houston area if changes weren't made in the face of rapid development. The report released in 1996 by engineers with the Harris County Flood Control District said the Addicks and Barker reservoirs were adequate when built in the 1940s. But it noted that as entire neighborhoods sprouted over the years around the rese

Automatic Emergency Relief from FTA Regulatory Requirements Applicable to Hurricane Harvey Response

Charter Transit agencies may take actions, such as providing service for evacuations, returning evacuees from shelters to their homes, transporting utility workers, and providing service to shelter residents, as long as these actions are directly related to Hurricane Harvey, without triggering the charter rule. Transit agencies may provide such services for up to 45 days from a declaration of emergency by the President, governor or mayor. For Texas, the Presidential declarati

MARITIME ADMINISTRATION MOBILIZES NATIONAL DEFENSE RESERVE FLEET VESSELS IN SUPPORT OF HURRICANE HA

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) has activated two National Defense Reserve Fleet vessels for a pre-scripted Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) mission to support relief efforts in Texas. The State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College’s training ship, EMPIRE STATE VI, and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy’s training ship, KENNEDY, have received orders to set sail within 10 days for the 4 to 5 day transit fr

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