Obama's high-speed rail plan includes Texas

From Austin Business Journal, April 16, 2009...

President Obama has unveiled new components of a plan to build a nationwide high-speed rail system that includes Texas.

The plan could use $8 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as well as up to $5 billion over five years from the federal budget as a “down payment” to help create passenger trains.

The Federal Railroad Administration is expected to begin awarding its first round of grants by late summer.

The report from Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood identifies 10 major corridors where high-speed rail would work.

The planned corridors are in California, Washington-Oregon, Texas-Oklahoma-Arkansas, the Gulf Coast including New Orleans and Atlanta, Florida, the Great Lakes centered on Chicago, the Southeast including the Carolinas and Georgia, Pennsylvania, New York and Northern New England.

In Texas, the South Central High-Speed Corridor, would link Dallas-Fort Worth; Austin; San Antonio; Texarkana; Oklahoma City; Tulsa, Okla;. and Little Rock, Ark. A separate line would connect Houston with New Orleans, Mobile and other cities in the Southeast.

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Austin Rail Stops Get New Zoning

From Austin Business Journal April 7, 2008...

The station area plans were approved for transit-oriented development zoning creating denser, pedestrian-friendly zoning in those areas, many of them are currently zoned for commercial or industrial uses.

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Update on Trans-Texas Corridor and Rail Lines

From KUT.org February 1, 2008...

Ben Philpott gives us an update on the planned Trans-Texas Corridor project of toll-ways and rail lines.

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Why Can't We Have Fast Trains in Texas?

From PRWeb February 8, 2008...

What went wrong with Texas' first attempt at higher speed passenger and freight rail service? What is keeping Texas from being more than a one track congested railroad system? What can be done to have a seamless transportation system in Texas and the Southwest?

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