10 replies to this topic

[RD Milhollin]

Posted on Sun, Sep. 10, 2006

Arlington gets started on rail plan

By Mitchell Schnurman
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

If Grapevine can make a quick run at commuter rail, why not Arlington?

More people would use a rail line in Arlington, the cost would be about the same, and it would be a big boost to a growing university and the city's expanding entertainment district.

Indeed, local officials are working behind the scenes, trying to hatch a plan to get Arlington moving on mass transit. The Fort Worth Transportation Authority, known as the T, has floated some informal proposals, and Arlington leaders are weighing their options.

No commitments have been made, and rail is probably five to 10 years away if not more, but the talks are significant. It's clear that key Arlington leaders are sold on the need for rail, and the T is willing to be creative to get the ball rolling.

The talks center on adding intercity rail, without any local bus service. And they start with a simple question: What can Arlington get with a quarter-cent of sales tax?

That's all the taxing capacity that Arlington has left, after committing to help pay for the new Dallas Cowboys stadium. And when it comes to commuter rail, a quarter-cent doesn't usually buy much.

In fact, it may not be enough to bother with. If service is too limited, it won't appeal to residents throughout the city and won't attract enough riders to justify the expense. That means it won't reduce traffic on highways or spur development around transit stations.

Think too small on commuter rail, and it flops.

On the other hand, a quarter-cent is a starting point, which is significant in Arlington. Maybe it would create some momentum and push leaders to find additional ways to raise money.

Arlington voters have rejected mass transit three times, and the city is often ridiculed as the largest city in the country without local buses or rail.

That has to change. Any plan for a real regional rail network must include Arlington, the third-largest city in the Metroplex, and right in the middle.

Area agencies and officials have a master plan to create more taxing capacity in the region. They plan to lobby the Legislature to lift the cap on sales tax (now 8.25 percent) to pay for transit systems.

If the Legislature adopts the idea -- no sure thing -- then each county or city will hold elections to see whether voters will support another tax. If all that worked out, Arlington would have enough money to be a real player. Arlington supports this regional effort, as it should.

But leaders are also pursuing a separate track, in case the regional funding plan falters. That's smart, because Arlington should feel some urgency.

The Cowboys stadium, under construction, is expected to open in 2009. Arlington hopes to host a Super Bowl a few years later.

Tom Hicks is moving ahead with plans for Glorypark, an important mixed-use development next to Ameriquest Field.

The University of Texas at Arlington has 25,000 students and 5,000 faculty and staff.

Commuter rail could have a major impact on these cornerstones.

UTA students are so desperate for a rail line that the school has started a shuttle bus service to the Trinity Railway Express station at CentrePort.

That's more than 11 miles away, not exactly an easy hop for a rail ride into Dallas or Fort Worth, which is a good indicator of the appetite for public transportation. Unfortunately, an Arlington rail line faces technical hurdles that make it far more complicated than Grapevine's plan.

The Cotton Belt line that runs through Grapevine is controlled by Dallas Area Rapid Transit, and DART wants it to be used for commuter rail. In Arlington, Union Pacific controls the line that runs into Fort Worth, and it's swamped with freight traffic.

The UP line is the thoroughfare of choice, because the city wouldn't have to condemn property, buy right of way and build new tracks -- costs that would put a system out of reach.

Local agencies are negotiating with the railroad, suggesting ways that the region and state can help pay for major improvements at Tower 55, a Fort Worth rail hub that is a major bottleneck for freight traffic.

Fix Tower 55, perhaps as part of the Trans-Texas Corridor plan, and UP might be able to provide track for commuter rail.

"Even if we had the money, we couldn't do rail now, because the scheduling space just isn't there on the tracks," says Steve McCollum, an Arlington council member.

But money remains a key issue for both legs of an Arlington line -- into Fort Worth and into Dallas.

The T, whose members pay half a cent in sales tax to join the network, offered a great deal to Grapevine. It agreed to provide commuter rail only (no buses) for three-eighths of a cent.

Arlington has even less money available, so we'll see how creative the T can be.

"We're open to talking with any community that wants mass transit," says Dick Ruddell, the T's president.

He declined to discuss details of the current talks with Arlington.

Gary Thomas, president and executive director of DART, says that his agency has adopted three payment plans. Instead of insisting on a full penny in sales tax, as it has in the past, it's offering a half-cent option (for rail only) and a contracted rate for selected service.

"We and the T could contract with Arlington," Thomas said. "We'd be interested in talking about it. Everybody is trying to figure out what the opportunities are."

DART'S openness would surprise some Arlington leaders. They believe that there's lingering resentment toward Arlington, because it never got on board with mass transit. And never paid into it.

The 14th state didn't have to pay for the cost of the American Revolution, and we can't afford to get hung up on what wasn't done before. There's too much to do in the future.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

© 2006 Star-Telegram and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.dfw.com

[Now in Denton]

Posted on Sun, Sep. 10, 2006

Arlington gets started on rail plan

By Mitchell Schnurman
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

If Grapevine can make a quick run at commuter rail, why not Arlington?

That's all the taxing capacity that Arlington has left, after committing to help pay for the new Dallas Cowboys stadium. And when it comes to commuter rail, a quarter-cent doesn't usually buy much.

In fact, it may not be enough to bother with. If service is too limited, it won't appeal to residents throughout the city and won't attract enough riders to justify the expense. That means it won't reduce traffic on highways or spur development around transit stations.

Think too small on commuter rail, and it flops.

On the other hand, a quarter-cent is a starting point, which is significant in Arlington. Maybe it would create some momentum and push leaders to find additional ways to raise money.

Arlington voters have rejected mass transit three times, and the city is often ridiculed as the largest city in the country without local buses or rail.

That has to change. Any plan for a real regional rail network must include Arlington, the third-largest city in the Metroplex, and right in the middle.

The Cotton Belt line that runs through Grapevine is controlled by Dallas Area Rapid Transit, and DART wants it to be used for commuter rail. In Arlington, Union Pacific controls the line that runs into Fort Worth, and it's swamped with freight traffic.

But money remains a key issue for both legs of an Arlington line -- into Fort Worth and into Dallas.

Arlington has even less money available, so we'll see how creative the T can be.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

© 2006 Star-Telegram and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.dfw.com

This is just what UTASport and I talked about just two weeks ago. This is good news .I just don't see how rail can come too Arlington short of building a new line. At some point new rail will have to be built anyway. I knew with this Fort Worth Grapevine rail this would wake the dead in Arlington.

I still think the Cowboy stadium should of gone to Dallas but thiers no real point in talking about that now and just make the best out of what we got. If this comes to pass tourism in Tarrant Co. will be hard to beat.

[texastrill]

Its about time!Evertime I watch the T presentations on cable tv,they just laugh at that man when he mentions rail for east and southeast FW.Hopefully these Arlington projects will include my part of FW.Would be even better if there was Handley station,so i coould ride rail to my Cowboys games.

[FoUTASportscaster]

This is just what UTASport and I talked about just two weeks ago. This is good news .I just don't see how rail can come too Arlington short of building a new line. At some point new rail will have to be built anyway. I knew with this Fort Worth Grapevine rail this would wake the dead in Arlington.

In the current situation, it will be next to impossible to get regular passenger service up. Memorial Day weekend, I went with the girlfriend to OKC to visit her family and we decided to take Amtrak. We came back on Monday, which would have been ok except it was a holiday and the train wasn't running. We bought Amtrack from Ft Worth to Dallas. It took 20 or 30 minutes longer on the track-route the article mentioned because of the existing freight traffic. But there is hope.

This past election, while the gay marrage ban was the headline grabber. Prop 1 was more important to every day life. I don't remember the specifics, but it had something to do with rerouting freight traffic to the edge of metropolitan areas. This is one example where that would allow passenger trains to use the old freight that was rerouted on the new rails. When all of this would happen is up in the air.

The drawback is that this route doesn't serve a lot directly. It is close to UTA, but not comfortable to the average person. It is close to the stadiums, but not within walking distance. There isn't a lot around that area of 360. It isn't convenient via a car to the majority of the residents, as the population majority is south of and near 1-20 and north of I-30. It will be far more convinient to use the car. This is where bus service and more frequent light rail help.

Either way, it still good Arlington doing something. Though I am skeptical that anything will come of it, still positive to see some action.

[Now in Denton]

I tend to agree. UTASport you really know you way around this kinda stuff. Is that your business?

But I love where its talks about UTA students taking a shuttle bus just to get to TRE. So that they can go to either Fort Worth or Dallas. That says a lot .

[Keller Pirate]

The problem with the proposition to reroute the rail lines out of metro areas was that it did not have any financing to go with it. The railroads won't do it without the state paying for it and it seems the state is short on cash. Plus it ignores the fact that the railroads service the people living in the urban areas more so than the cows in the country. If you reroute the tracks you will have to increase the number and distance trucks haul the stuff from wherever the trains would be delivering it.

The UP line from Ft Worth to Dallas is going to be a tough nut to crack. You have the GM plant in Arlington with lots of business both inbound and outbound. But, who knows how long SUV's have left on this planet. Since UP has upgraded the line West of Ft Worth to Sierra Blanca they have rerouted intermodal trains for Memphis and points East that used to travel through San Antonio and Houston onto this more direct route, increasing traffic. Dallas' "seaport" is going add trains to this same route from the West coast also.

Commuter rail has to have an exponentially better on time performance than Amtrak to be sucesssful. 98% on time means you would be late for work only 5 times a year for the average person. 75% on time means you are late 60 days a year. How many bosses would tolerate that? You would be looking for a new job or back in your car. I don't think the line through Arlington, even double tracked, could consistantly operate passengers at a level of on time performance to be successful in the foreseeable future.

I hope they don't spend too much money studying this option and move quickly to something with a better chance of being built, even if it costs more.

[FoUTASportscaster]

I tend to agree. UTASport you really know you way around this kinda stuff. Is that your business?

No, but I am trying to find a way to make my knowledge and passion profitable, but right now, it's just a hobby.

The problem with the proposition to reroute the rail lines out of metro areas was that it did not have any financing to go with it. The railroads won't do it without the state paying for it and it seems the state is short on cash. Plus it ignores the fact that the railroads service the people living in the urban areas more so than the cows in the country. If you reroute the tracks you will have to increase the number and distance trucks haul the stuff from wherever the trains would be delivering it.

If the rail doesn't go through congested areas and are newer, the trains can go faster. If they can go on the outskirts faster than straight through the middle, it is more appealing. As for the funding, that is a major problem, but the groundwork is laid.

The UP line from Ft Worth to Dallas is going to be a tough nut to crack. You have the GM plant in Arlington with lots of business both inbound and outbound. But, who knows how long SUV's have left on this planet. Since UP has upgraded the line West of Ft Worth to Sierra Blanca they have rerouted intermodal trains for Memphis and points East that used to travel through San Antonio and Houston onto this more direct route, increasing traffic. Dallas' "seaport" is going add trains to this same route from the West coast also.

Dallas's port will be on the southern end of the metroplex. It would be well suited for what Prop 1 was intended for.

Commuter rail has to have an exponentially better on time performance than Amtrak to be sucesssful. 98% on time means you would be late for work only 5 times a year for the average person. 75% on time means you are late 60 days a year. How many bosses would tolerate that? You would be looking for a new job or back in your car. I don't think the line through Arlington, even double tracked, could consistantly operate passengers at a level of on time performance to be successful in the foreseeable future.

Commuter rail in the region has to be. The very nature of Commuter rail says it has to be on time by name. Amtrak is a different deal because they have to share existing rail. Since the state of rail infrastructure is pathetic in this country, they have to share it with freight, and by share I mean freight takes all priority. The TRE owns the ROW, and the future Cotton Belt Commuter rail is abandoned, so it will be passenger service only. That's the problem Arlington will be facing, but if enough of the freight can be diverted, it will be possible, but not in the existing situation.

I hope they don't spend too much money studying this option and move quickly to something with a better chance of being built, even if it costs more.

As long as they are talking mass transit, it is a start.

[Fort Worthology]

In the current situation, it will be next to impossible to get regular passenger service up. Memorial Day weekend, I went with the girlfriend to OKC to visit her family and we decided to take Amtrak. We came back on Monday, which would have been ok except it was a holiday and the train wasn't running. We bought Amtrack from Ft Worth to Dallas. It took 20 or 30 minutes longer on the track-route the article mentioned because of the existing freight traffic. But there is hope.

That's assuming that the Amtrak train doesn't run over somebody, or break down going with a lengthy delay, or show up to the station on the start of the return leg two hours late being towed by a freight train.

Sorry. Can you tell I've not had good experiences with Amtrak?

I love trains - but Amtrak makes me want to hate them.

[FoUTASportscaster]

That's assuming that the Amtrak train doesn't run over somebody, or break down going with a lengthy delay, or show up to the station on the start of the return leg two hours late being towed by a freight train.

Sorry. Can you tell I've not had good experiences with Amtrak?

I love trains - but Amtrak makes me want to hate them.

If rail had gotten the same amount of funding highways have the past 50 years, that wouldn't be an issue. But Amtral is neither here nor there when talking Arlington.

That's assuming that the Amtrak train doesn't run over somebody, or break down going with a lengthy delay, or show up to the station on the start of the return leg two hours late being towed by a freight train.

Sorry. Can you tell I've not had good experiences with Amtrak?

I love trains - but Amtrak makes me want to hate them.

If rail had gotten the same amount of funding highways have the past 50 years, that wouldn't be an issue. But Amtral is neither here nor there when talking Arlington.

[Keller Pirate]

I see no problems with the Cotton Belt route but I hope Arlington does not waste time and money on the UP route because it won't happen as long as GM stays in business and the longer they study this option the longer it will be before something that will work gets built.

As for highways we can't even build one now without it being a toll road because of financing problems. How can the state build railroads as required by prop 1 without money? Don't hold your breath for freight lines to be moved.

[RD Milhollin]

I see no problems with the Cotton Belt route but I hope Arlington does not waste time and money on the UP route because it won't happen as long as GM stays in business and the longer they study this option the longer it will be before something that will work gets built.

As for highways we can't even build one now without it being a toll road because of financing problems. How can the state build railroads as required by prop 1 without money? Don't hold your breath for freight lines to be moved.

The Cotton Belt Route does look good, there do not seem to any serious impediments to getting that section of the commuter rail web built and running.

The UP route is going to be the centerpiece of a regional rail system though. The track is reasonably straight and level, and yes it does serve the GM plant, as well as a large warehouse district, and assorted other facilities along it's course. But, consider that the GM plant produces full-size trucks, and consider what is sinking Ford right now. GM is going to have to consolidate their light truck division soon, and that could finally mean the closure of the 50's era plant. Besides this, any commuter line will have to share right-of-way with freight because of other rail-serviced facilities, but of course a lot of that can be done at night. It would have been far-sighted to have included rail lines as part of the rebuilding of I-30 from D to FW.

Sorry, but I see no problem building toll-roads in metropolitan urban areas. I am a little queasy about the current governor's plans for a statewide system, where the current Interstates would be sufficient if adequate and modern (straight and flat) rail lines were build in place of the 1/4 mile-wide roadway complex. The "Donut" loop system is going to spread sprawl into even more distant counties if built, unless it is a toll road with very limited access, and no frontage roads for Wall-Mart and McFry-Hutt to locate on. However, every cloud... A redeeming aspect of the loop might be that adequate right of way could be acquired to construct a double-track freight railroad bypass (and even space for the internet backbone) that would end the tangle at Tower 55 and free up the UP right of way for updated rail use.

Even if the bulk of the TTC plan is nixed by the next governor, the idea of a southern Metromess tollway-railroad bypass-fiber optic route would be a good idea.