The three suggested alternates in that presentation between Dallas and Houston are a UP corridor, a BNSF corridor, and the I-45 corridor.... and most friendly solution, that will be I-45 - for the reasons I stated above. The only TXDOT support they will seek and need will be that cheap lease of as much of the I-45 corridor they can use for ROW. They will not initially build extensions of their line to Fort Worth and Galveston. It'll cost too much to do so....And I definitely would like to point out that I-45 does not enter Tarrant County.
"Whew! Lots of fanciful projections but little else to woo the support of Fort Worth or Tarrant County".
Of course Japan East and their supporters did not need to point these things out to us; being Fort Worth and Tarrant County, we noticed for ourselves that we were being excluded. Pointing these things out only validates my perspective; and perhaps the perspectives others.
Can we acknowledge that the private group’s initial roll-out of their plans in a location, specifically Fort Worth/Tarrant County was calculating and disingenuous in light of the assessment that it will, if these are their words, “cost too much to do so” and has become a public relations miscue and trust issue. If this is how they hope to build regional support, then I am at a loss. One should only ask for support of an individual or a group when one can say honestly to them that there will be a return for their involvement and their support. After all, they had been advised that true regional support was contingent upon there being multiple stations if full regional support was to be expected. It is reported that this was widely agreed by all. If the budgetary ceiling was set too low so that the agreement could not be upheld, then developers should seek to raise $15 Billion or whatever is necessary to build what was earlier agreed upon. Realistically, I think the projected costs will have been shown to have been woefully short along with its ridership as outlined in a scenario of a Dallas to Houston HSR in the New York Times::
http://economix.blog...h-speed-trains/
Returning and according to the NCTCOG issued “pdf”, Dallas has by far and away indisputable advantages by having things like freeways and railroads corridors on its side. And accordingly, one ought to willingly accept the biases in a study filled with projections over actual outcomes. However, knowing the great and proud pioneering history of “The Fort” that never accepts being thought of as a second thought, I really cannot believe that there will be any significant amount of institutional support or investment originating from Fort Worth/Tarrant County for either Dallas or this single station plan as it has been revealed.
By all means, build the HSR between Dallas and Houston; make your pitch in Dallas and Houston; but why was it necessary to make a pitch in Fort Worth, a place that is held “secondary” to the plans? Again, who thought that we would not notice being left out. When the time comes, if ever, for a direct connection and not simply a promise to Fort Worth, then that will be the right time for the venture group to make its pitch to our part of the region and to garner support.
Shocked yes; but fooled - never!