Regional Rail Update for the South Central High Performance Rail Conference

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Regional Rail Update for the South Central
HighPerformance Rail Conference

• February 1, 2008
• Chad Edwards
• Principal Transportation Planner
• North Central Texas Council of Governments

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Overview

• Support for new AMTRAK rail station
• Memorandums of Understanding
• Tower 55
• Rail North Texas
• Current passenger rail projects in North Texas

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• South Central High Performance Rail Corridor

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Access to AMTRAK

• Current AMTRAK Routes in DFW Heartland Flyer
• Daily Between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth
• Texas Eagle
• Daily Between Chicago and San Antonio
• Three Times Weekly Between Chicago and Los
  Angeles
  
• Regional Transportation Council voted to support
  a new AMTRAK rail station in the city of Krum,
  TX
  

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Denton
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Memorandums of Understanding
NORTEX
TEXOMA
ATCOG
NCTCOG
ETCOG
WCTCOG

• MOU outlined future coordinated efforts in
  transportation planning

HOTCOG
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Tower 55 Rail Reliever StudyNCTCOG Project Goal

• Tower 55 Rail Reliever Study is to determine if a
  solution can be developed that is structurally
  feasible but also environmentally, socially,
  culturally, economically, and politically
  feasible.

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Tower 55 Rail Reliever StudyWhy is Tower 55
Important?

• Growth in North/South Movements
• Growth in East/West Movements
• Passenger Rail Access
• The North American Free Trade Agreement
• Pacific Rim Shipments
• Military Shipments
• Hazardous Materials Shipments
• Local Noise, Air Quality, and Neighborhood Impacts

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Rail North TexasStrategic Steps

• Assume Vote will be City-by-City
• Review Costs for Each Corridor and Review Sales
  Tax Revenue Data Refine Mobility 2030 (if
  necessary)
  
• Work with Private Sector, Local Legislative
  Delegation, and Transit Authorities
  
• Develop Priority Service Plan with Corridor
  Cities (Step 2 Above, Do Cities Want a 1
  Service Plan, Level the Playing Field)
  
• Identify Opening Day Rail Service Initiation
  Timeframe
  
• Review Potential Funding Options (e.g.,
  Reinvestment Zones, Previous Options)
  
• Hold a Next Steps and Funding Workshop Summit
  (Possible Spring/Summer 2008)
  
• Utilize Newspapers, Lobbyists, etc. to Share
  Common Position
  
• Develop Marketing Plan and Seek Non-RTC
  Resources
  
• Private and Public Sector Coordinate With
  Legislative Leadership

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Current Passenger Rail Projects

• The T
• Southwest-to-Northeast Rail Corridor DEIS
• Johnson County Passenger Rail Feasibility Study
• DART
• Green Line
• Blue Line Extension
• Orange Line
• Downtown 2nd Alignment
• DCTA
• RailDCTA

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• Contact Information
• Chad Edwards
• Principal Transportation Planner
• [phone]
• cedwards_at_nctcog.org

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Tower 55 Rail Reliever Study
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Tower 55