Dallas to Houston High-speed Rail Plan Reaches End of Public Input Friday

ARLINGTON — As the public input period comes to a close for a proposed high-speed rail line from Dallas to Houston, North Texas transportation planners are unveiling potential stops for a connector route.The Regional Transportation Commission on Thursday discussed progress for a connection to Fort Worth and ongoing discussion with other planners for a line south from Fort Worth to Waco, Temple-Killeen, Austin, San Antonio and Laredo.The RTC will decide in April whether to take on the environmental study to get the Dallas-Fort Worth line in motion. Environmental clearance would be about two years away.A stop in Arlington remains a point of contention. Officials in Dallas, where a penny of sales tax goes to Dallas Area Rapid Transit, do not want Arlington — which is not a part of DART or the Fort Worth Transportation Authority — to get high-speed rail. Dallas City Council member Sandy Greyson reiterated that point at Thursday's RTC meeting in Arlington."It is the city of Dallas' position that no city be included unless they are member of a transit authority," Greyson said.Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams responded to Greyson that "we certainly want to be regional players and very much want to be part of the regional transportation system." Public input period endingMeanwhile, Friday ends the Federal Railroad Administration's public input period on the $15 billion Dallas to Houston line being proposed by Texas Central Partners. The company hopes to break ground on the project next year.  Continue reading...