Regional Rail Plan

[Quiz03]

Officials propose area tax for transit
By GORDON DICKSON
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/4925003.htm

Top elected officials from Tarrant, Denton, Dallas and Collin counties are discussing a plan to create a regional 1- cent sales tax to pay for mass transit. The plan would require all cities and towns in those counties to dedicate a penny of their sales tax to a new government body that would decide where and how the money would be spent. The initiative would focus mostly on building rail lines, officials said at an informal meeting Thursday. The first formal step could be to hold a referendum in 2004, supporters said. If voters in the four counties approved the proposal, supporters would go to the 2005 Legislature with a mandate from the public and demand that state leaders help them increase the state's sales-tax ceiling to 9.25 percent - from the current 8.25 percent - or find another way to raise the money.

Legislators at the meeting, however, were less than enthusiastic. "If we were ever going to increase our sales tax by 1 cent, it would probably go to education," said state Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano. "And I haven't even heard of that happening." Despite the political obstacles to increasing taxes in more than 130 Metroplex communities, Fort Worth Mayor Kenneth Barr said he believes there is a mandate from residents to do something about traffic congestion. As an example, he pointed to last year's election in conservative Denton County, where an overwhelming 73 percent of voters agreed to create a taxing authority primarily to build a rail line from Denton to Carrollton.

"The question is, do the leaders of the community understand the challenge? Fort Worth and Dallas have talked about it. We understand the need," Barr said. "There's preconceived notions about raising taxes. If we throw up our hands now, then two years will go by and we'll make no progress." The plans were discussed informally Thursday afternoon at the North Central Texas Council of Governments headquarters in Arlington. The meeting was attended by the mayors of the area's three largest cities - Barr, Dallas' Laura Miller and Arlington's Elzie Odom - plus two dozen other officials from the four counties. Serving as moderator was Dallas businessman Walt Humann, a proponent of regional transportation.

At least five state legislators also attended, and they received a chilly response from Metroplex leaders when they would not agree to sponsor a bill in the upcoming legislative session to increase the sales-tax cap to 9.25 percent. After this session, the Legislature will not reconvene until 2005 unless a special session is called. "As much as I'm an advocate of transportation and mobility, it's a matter of timing," said state Rep. Vicki Truitt, R-Keller, who noted that Gov. Rick Perry pledged earlier this week not to raise taxes this year. When Truitt attempted to assuage local leaders by saying, "Please don't interpret our `no' as discouraging," Tarrant County Commissioner Glen Whitley fired back: "Well, it is discouraging. That's why we wanted to hear from you today."

Later, Whitley said that Metroplex leaders simply want the Legislature's permission to put a sales taxes question on the ballot - a request that, by itself, is not a tax increase. Sales taxes can usually be raised locally, but the state would have to approve an increase beyond the 8.25-cent limit. "If we can't even ask them if we can address the problem, we're behind the eight ball," Whitley said. "Let the local people decide."

The 1-cent proposal was broadly supported by cities from all four counties, including Mayor Odom and Councilman Pat Remington from Arlington. Arlington voters rejected a plan last year to use sales taxes for transit. Even so, Remington said he believes that Arlington voters would support a transit tax if they believed it would connect Arlington with the rest of the region.

"If it was primarily a rail system, they would support it even if it costs them," he said. Several cities in Northeast Tarrant County did not send representatives to the meeting. Reached later, Grapevine Mayor William Tate said more work needs to be done to figure out how to apply the tax fairly to all communities. "It's going to take a lot of forethought and a lot of politicking," he said. "I really question whether people will support it. People are going to have to see who gets the benefit, and who gets the bill. You want this thing to work. Cities like Grapevine and Arlington stand to benefit a great deal. But it has to be done right." Of the current 8.25-cent sales tax, 6.25 cents goes to the state and up to 2 cents to local governments.

Increasing the limit to 9.25 cents would allow the plan to work without changing the way cities use their local taxes. But if the proposed 1- cent sales tax were deducted from the 8.25-cent limit, many cities in the Metroplex could not participate because they already dedicate their sales tax revenue to crime control, parks improvements and economic development. If the state cannot be persuaded to raise the limit to 9.25 cents, the Metroplex may have to look at ways to retire cities' other sales-tax projects to make room for a transportation tax, plan supporters said.

The new organization would either replace the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, Dallas Area Rapid Transit and Denton County Transportation Authority, or oversee those three agencies, organizers said. Cities that belong to the Fort Worth Transportation Authority - including Fort Worth and Richland Hills - would have to increase the half-cent sales tax they pay for transit to a full penny. That could be a problem in Fort Worth, where a half-cent goes to crime control and another penny to general government. In Denton County, residents approved the concept of a transportation authority in November but haven't yet approved the financing.

Members of DART - including Dallas and Irving - already pay a penny in sales tax for transit and would see no increase. The plan could generate an additional $155 million a year, enough to fully interconnect dozens of communities in Tarrant, Denton, Dallas and Collin counties - mostly with rail lines, supporters said. DART currently raises about $374 million a year, and the T about $28 million, said Humann, the moderator of the meeting. The key to success is getting all the communities to pay the 1-penny tax, he said. "A quarter-cent or a half- cent, in my opinion, is too low," Humann said. "If you undercapitalize, it will not be successful."

[Quiz03]

Regional transit would be wonderful, although i'd rather see the increase just be 1/2 cent instead of a whole cent. Get rid of the economic development agencies so there wouldn't be the harmful competition. If only the state would do this now instead of 2005 it could help us get out of our pollution problem. But I worry that every city will just complain until they get their own rail station that dallas may not expand its system for a long time after the next round.

I do think this is funny that this proposal aside from raising the sales tax cap is the same that came about in 1980 ( before I was even born).

[gc]

At least they are communicating about the regional needs and getting leaders involved. I'd prefer to see the whole 1 cent approval personally. I am eager to see how all of this works out over the coming months.

[Quiz03]

With Dallas' sales tax base even a 1/4 cent sales tax for road repairs like Arlington has, a proposal for parks maybe even Fair Park improvements , and cultural facilities could go a long way towards improving Dallas' infrastructure needs.

[gc]

Officials push for regional transit
Michael Whiteley Tarrant/Denton Editor

GREATER METROPLEX — Acknowledging a 2003 Legislature almost sure to become mired in state budget woes and the scramble to find cash for clean air, some of North Texas' biggest players in business and politics say they're gathering steam to push another agenda: making regional transit reality. State Rep. Steven D. Wolens, D-Dallas, was slated late this week to meet with business and political leaders that include the Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant county judges, the mayors of the region's four largest cities, veteran former Fort Worth House member and new state Sen. Kenneth "Kim" Brimer and two men credited with launching the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system in 1983.

Wolens, a 22-year legislative veteran and the husband of Dallas Mayor Laura Miller, expects to file the regional transit bill in concert with Brimer, who formerly chaired the House Business & Industry Committee. Walt Humann, a Hunt Oil Co. executive deemed a patriarch of DART, said the group is reviewing a buffet of financial options. Humann says one near certainty is that sales tax will drive the system of buses, light-rail and express trains envisioned with the failed political effort to create the Lone Star Transit Authority in 1980. Another, says Humann and others, is that every city along the line will kick in an even penny on the dollar — a plan that could add $155 million to the revenue now generated by DART and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, known as the T.

Since Miller and Fort Worth Mayor Kenneth Barr first floated the regional transit idea with a lunch crowd at the Fort Worth Petroleum Club on Sept. 13, officials in towns across the region have been hopping on board. Farmers Branch Mayor Bob Phelps, who heads the Metroplex Mayors Association, sees consensus on three fronts:

A referendum allowing residents in towns in the four counties to dedicate 1 cent of the existing sales tax to transit membership.

A guarantee that a single ballot question will combine two issues — changing the use for 4a and 4b sales tax money and pledging that money to regional transit.

A requirement that the state Comptroller of Public Accounts — not the cities — will collect the tax for the new transit authority.

Combining the ballot questions is key, said Phelps and Ray Hutchison, a Dallas lawyer and chief adviser on DART bond financing. "A city could vote to stop using their 4a and 4b money and then have to have a separate election to get into DART," Phelps said. "You've almost got to have a single-ballot question, or you could lose both ways." A study ordered by Denton Mayor Euline Brock shows wide-ranging disparities in what towns tax and spend around the Metroplex. With a state cap of 8.25 cents — 6.25 cents pledged to state revenue — all of the cities collect another penny for general revenue.

But, while DART cities all kick in a penny, Fort Worth contributes only a half-cent to the T and devotes the other half to its crime district. Others, like Frisco, one of the region's wealthiest cities, spends its extra penny on 4a and 4b and doesn't belong to DART. The powerful North Texas Commission has recommended authorizing referendums to impose a sales tax on gasoline to finance the transit system and other transportation needs. The Arlington Chamber of Commerce also has weighed in for regional transit — despite voters' resounding defeat of a referendum to form a city transit sytem last May that would have included a system of buses, expanded service to the elderly and disabled, and regional links to DART and the T.

Despite concerns over the Miller-Barr initiative from promoters of Denton County's new transit authority, Mayor Brock initiated a series of one-on-one meetings with Barr, Humann, local transportation officials and the new University of North Texas chancellor, former Dallas County Judge Lee Jackson. Brock doesn't back the idea of diverting sales tax, primarily because Denton now uses part of that money to reduce its property tax rate from 76 cents to 56 cents for every $100 of value. Instead, she advocates a separate funding stream that could take the form of additional sales tax or a four-county gas tax viewed as a users' fee for transit.

DBJ writer Stephanie Patrick contributed to this report.

Contact DBJ editor Michael Whiteley at mwhiteley@bizjournals.com or (817) 693-0023.

[bloodandpopcorn]

Personally, I really hope they decide to hike up the gas tax and use it to fund public transit. The fact that most people don't have a clue what a hybrid car is is simply disgusting. We need to stop relying so heavily on fuel and, while public transit alone might not be hte answer in this area for a long time, anything to discourage people from driving everywhere (even when it's a short half mile walk!) and incourage other types of fuel / more efficient and less polluting systems is great. Not to mention how much it will help regional transit agencies...

[freewaytincan]

Yes, discourage automobiles, and encourage alternate transporation. It's an idea that I have had as well.

[tamtagon]

The hybrid cars I've seen are odd looking. I hope the marketing genius of auto manufactiring realizes that most consumers dont really want to make a statement about gas mileage or reduces emmisions. I hope the car makers incorporate the hybrid technology into the existing brands that are already popluar.

[bloodandpopcorn]

That's what Honda just did with the Civic hybrid. Looks and performs just like a regular Civic, but you get 60 miles to the gallon and $2000 cash back from uncle sam himself.

[rantanamo]

I've had similar thoughts about the LEVs, hybrids, etc. Are the automakers purposely making them very odd looking for the benefit of the oil companies? OR perhaps the projects are funded by the oil companies. How about some popular car designs with the LEVs so these things can get moving off of the lots.

[rantanamo]

And just as I say that they show this year's line-up of hybrids on Tech TV, which all are following the exterior designs of current models. Finally they can move some of those things.

[CTroyMathis]

Officials push for regional transit
Michael Whiteley Tarrant/Denton Editor
http://dallas.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2003/01/13/focus7.html

GREATER METROPLEX — Acknowledging a 2003 Legislature almost sure to become mired in state budget woes and the scramble to find cash for clean air, some of North Texas' biggest players in business and politics say they're gathering steam to push another agenda: making regional transit reality. State Rep. Steven D. Wolens, D-Dallas, was slated late this week to meet with business and political leaders that include the Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant county judges, the mayors of the region's four largest cities, veteran former Fort Worth House member and new state Sen. Kenneth "Kim" Brimer and two men credited with launching the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system in 1983.

Wolens, a 22-year legislative veteran and the husband of Dallas Mayor Laura Miller, expects to file the regional transit bill in concert with Brimer, who formerly chaired the House Business & Industry Committee. Walt Humann, a Hunt Oil Co. executive deemed a patriarch of DART, said the group is reviewing a buffet of financial options. Humann says one near certainty is that sales tax will drive the system of buses, light-rail and express trains envisioned with the failed political effort to create the Lone Star Transit Authority in 1980.

Another, says Humann and others, is that every city along the line will kick in an even penny on the dollar — a plan that could add $155 million to the revenue now generated by DART and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, known as the T. Since Miller and Fort Worth Mayor Kenneth Barr first floated the regional transit idea with a lunch crowd at the Fort Worth Petroleum Club on Sept. 13, officials in towns across the region have been hopping on board. Farmers Branch Mayor Bob Phelps, who heads the Metroplex Mayors Association, sees consensus on three fronts:

---A referendum allowing residents in towns in the four counties to dedicate 1 cent of the existing sales tax to transit membership.

---A guarantee that a single ballot question will combine two issues — changing the use for 4a and 4b sales tax money and pledging that money to regional transit.

---A requirement that the state Comptroller of Public Accounts — not the cities — will collect the tax for the new transit authority.

Combining the ballot questions is key, said Phelps and Ray Hutchison, a Dallas lawyer and chief adviser on DART bond financing. "A city could vote to stop using their 4a and 4b money and then have to have a separate election to get into DART," Phelps said. "You've almost got to have a single-ballot question, or you could lose both ways." A study ordered by Denton Mayor Euline Brock shows wide-ranging disparities in what towns tax and spend around the Metroplex. With a state cap of 8.25 cents — 6.25 cents pledged to state revenue — all of the cities collect another penny for general revenue.

But, while DART cities all kick in a penny, Fort Worth contributes only a half-cent to the T and devotes the other half to its crime district. Others, like Frisco, one of the region's wealthiest cities, spends its extra penny on 4a and 4b (http://dallas.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2003/01/13/focus3.html) and doesn't belong to DART.

The powerful North Texas Commission has recommended authorizing referendums to impose a sales tax on gasoline to finance the transit system and other transportation needs. The Arlington Chamber of Commerce also has weighed in for regional transit — despite voters' resounding defeat of a referendum to form a city transit sytem last May that would have included a system of buses, expanded service to the elderly and disabled, and regional links to DART and the T. Despite concerns over the Miller-Barr initiative from promoters of Denton County's new transit authority, Mayor Brock initiated a series of one-on-one meetings with Barr, Humann, local transportation officials and the new University of North Texas chancellor, former Dallas County Judge Lee Jackson.

Brock doesn't back the idea of diverting sales tax, primarily because Denton now uses part of that money to reduce its property tax rate from 76 cents to 56 cents for every $100 of value. Instead, she advocates a separate funding stream that could take the form of additional sales tax or a four-county gas tax viewed as a users' fee for transit.

[freewaytincan]

Well, mixed feelings, but I am certainly happy that they want to stop the payments to move to places like Frisco. That's just malicious of them to do...to fragment and turn all cities against each other for very local gain...:mad:

[tamtagon]

I'm not up to speed with the cars. haha

However, my impression is that the American car companies have yet to mass market hybrid cars. Is that right? I know the livelihood of millions of people is tied to the oil industry. The car manufacturers may have an unspoken industry to industry understanding, but the American auto industry has had problems keeping up with consumer demand before. I hope the glory days of SUV profits hasnt blinded the long range planners in Detroit. I know the next car I buy will get good gas mileage, if it has a gasoline engine at all. The potential market for fuel efficient cars could be the next big thing with many consumer channels.

Have you seen the Arianna Huffington initiated anti-SUV commericals aired recently? The claims that buying gas contributes to terrorism is just as outrageous and truthful as claiming that buying pot contributes to terrorism, but may be just the tip of the iceburg.

I was not old enough to understand gas rationing of the 70's, but if Arab OPEC ever operates cooperatively, Americans may find out what economic warfare feels like - for the first time - and it may be more painful to more people than when planes crash into buildings. More than with the 70's oil embargo, the ideal of fuel efficency facilitating national security may be real.

Could a Lincoln Navigator ever get 75 mph? If we can put a man on the moon....

[tamtagon]

In varying degrees, all cities in the metroplex are affected by mass transit, and all but the most rural communities should have service. By cooperating, potentially merging, regional transit authorities are working to identify the best administration for the area and should be applauded. Functioning as one governing body, the decision to exist as one, two, three or more agencies should be driven by the arrangement which receives the most in outside (state and/or federal) funding assistance.

Extending DART et. al. beyond it's current member cities is enevitable. Certainly member cities should not fund expansion benefiting non-member cities, and the region should not suffer expansion delays caused by bickering municipalities. Now that the rail operates outside the city limits of Dallas, the nature of a city-membership organization will begin to take shape. As more DART cities have light rail service, Trinity Rail Express service is expanded, and Denton and Tarrant Counties start running trains, funding will have to shift from the city to the county level. Now, that's a headache. The benefit of DART to at least one non-member city is already financially obvious. All Dallas and Tarrant county cities must recognize a funding obligation as well as other cities in the CMSA.

Grand Prairie's windfall is the example. Arlington and Grand Prairie contribute funding to TRE based on usage estimates. Regularly, actual usage of Arlington and Grand Prairie residents is derrived through surveys, and contribution amounts from each city are adjusted. Recently, Arlington's contribution was increased and Grand Prairie's contribution was decreased. It is acknowledged that Grand Prairie usage of, and therefore contribution to, TRE was diminished due to users opting for more convenient DART lightrail in neighboring Dallas. As far as I'm aware, Grand Prairie does not contribute to DART. The dollar amounts may be small now (< $100,000), but the Grand Prairie example is central funding responsibilities. Indirect benefits of mass transit to non-member cities are numerous and will increasing as the region's population growth continues. Mass transit provides commute options, reduces gridlock, subtracts to commute times, lessens air pollution problems, and adds to a higher standard of living in the region as a whole. I'm unaware of any attempts to quantify indirect benefits of mass transport for non-member cities, but it would be interesting. It's one thing to speculate like I'm doing, and another to see real data....

Worst case senerio has DART lawyers presenting in court a battery of user profiles and cost-benefit analyses proving that non-contributing cities benefit from nearby train or bus lines. Dallas and Tarrant county residents in non-DART cities should plan on inclusion in the regionals transit systems. Additionally, air quality legislation from the state and potentially the federal government is another avenue in which non-contributing areas of the metroplex may be forced to contribute to the pollution solution addressed through public transportation.

[Quiz03]

Transit plan may not work for city
Leaders say regional system has appeal, but funding isn't there
01/26/2003
By STEPHANIE SANDOVAL / The Dallas Morning News
http://www.dallasnews.com/localnews/city/grandprairie/stories/012603dngrptransit.c6cd4.html

Grand Prairie officials say they are intrigued by a proposal to create a single regional, multicounty transit system. But they say funding problems could hamper the city's ability to participate. Mayor Charles England, long an opponent of mass transit in Grand Prairie, says he sees merit in the proposal to merge the region's two largest transit authorities and add into the network suburbs such as Grand Prairie that are not members of either transit agency. "It's like that old saying: Wise men change their minds, but fools never do," Mr. England said.

He said that as North Texas continues to grow and congestion builds, a regional transit system will be a necessity. "You can only build so many freeways and parking garages," he said. The regional proposal – which has been the subject of discussions among area transportation officials, mayors and state legislators – calls for the merger of Dallas Area Rapid Transit and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority into one transit authority that would include the participation of 15 cities not currently members of either agency.

Adding those cities would generate an additional $155 million annually for transit, proponents have said. Grand Prairie City Council members say they see advantages in such a regional system. But they said that if Grand Prairie were to join, it would require either an increase in the sales tax cap or a reallocation of sales taxes now used for parks and street repair. The city has reached the state sales tax cap that allows cities to use 1 cent for general expenses and 1 cent for items such as transit, economic development, streets and crime districts.

A half-cent of the sales tax will come available when the debt on Lone Star Park is paid off in about 2008. And the quarter-cent street improvement tax goes away in 2006 unless residents vote to continue it. But a quarter-cent sales tax voters adopted in 1999 as a perpetual funding source for park improvements is dedicated to paying off more than $30 million in bonds over the next 25 years. "We cannot repeal that tax as long as we have bonds outstanding," city Finance Director Elizabeth Walley said. That leaves the city a quarter-cent short under the regional transit proposal's funding formula. "The position Grand Prairie is in right now, the Legislature would have to raise the ceiling on the sales tax," council member Teri Jackson said.

And that's not likely, said state Sen. Kim Brimer, R-Fort Worth. "Current leadership is saying we will not have any tax increases beyond the 2 percent cap that's there now," he said. "We're going to stay within the confines of how we currently have it structured." City Council member Harry Englert said he believes that even if legislators don't take action this session to raise the tax cap, they will in the near future. "I think in two years the situation is going to become serious enough in metropolitan areas that it is going to be important enough to raise enough sales tax to have regional transit," he said. But Mr. Brimer said he and other legislators are drafting legislation to help move the regional transit idea forward.

Under the proposal, counties would call a referendum. If the measure were approved, each city within the county would be obligated to contribute a penny sales tax to transit. Those cities that have economic development sales taxes, such as the half-cent tax Grand Prairie is using to pay the debt on Lone Star Park, would have to terminate those programs and roll the tax over into transit, Mr. Brimer said. Mr. England said he agrees that putting the matter to the voters countywide, rather than as individual cities, is a good strategy because cities would not be able to opt out. But he agreed that the tax cap is going to have to be raised to enable cities such as Grand Prairie to participate.

Mrs. Jackson said Mr. Brimer's proposal would never pass. "Too many cities will jump up and down over that one. That's taking away city control of taxes," she said. "Cities can pretty much stomach a lot of the legislation the state Legislature passes, as long as it gives us a local option. Otherwise, they're infringing on our ability to run and manage our cities." Whether state legislators vote to raise the sales cap or cities are forced to reallocate existing taxes, a regional transit system is not likely to go over well with voters at this time, said Allan Saxe, University of Texas at Arlington political science professor. "I don't think the public would be in the mood for raising taxes right now," he said. "The economy is a little soft ... and sales taxes are being dedicated for a number of other causes. I just don't see them doing so."

[Quiz03]

They should have Collin, Denton, Dallas, Tarrant, and Rockwall Counties dedicate a cent to the regional transit system, and the truly outlying areas like Waxahachie, Hillsboro, Corsicana, Ennis, and Sherman-Denison could dedicate a half cent to the regional authority or their own local authority with its money going towards commuter rail and limited bus service.

[Quiz03]

More toll roads could be on area's horizon
Bills call for regional transit authority, fees on most interstates
03/15/2003
By TONY HARTZEL / The Dallas Morning News

The future of transportation in North Texas may include more toll roads – even on highways where motorists don't pay to drive now. Two state lawmakers filed bills Friday that would create a regional transportation authority to oversee the construction of roads and rail lines. The six-county North Texas Regional Mobility Authority could supersede the powers of tollway and transit agencies already in place.

Under the proposal, most major interstates in Collin, Dallas, Denton, Parker, Rockwall and Tarrant counties would be subject to having tollbooths. "If we don't start looking for money to affect our region's roads and to do something to enhance our mass-transit network, we're not going to meet the needs of the future," said state Sen. Kim Brimer, R-Fort Worth, author of one of the bills. "Some reviews I have seen show that people will vote to increase costs in their own region if the money is used in their own region."

The bills face several high hurdles, both locally and nationally. Adding tolls to freeways would require congressional approval. Mr. Brimer's bill also would allow voters to decide whether they want their cities to join the mobility authority and whether to place tollbooths on existing roads. "It won't fly," said Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano. "This is not the time to be talking about it, and I've been talking about regionalism forever." Many of the bills' goals could be reached with agreements among existing agencies. State legislation allows the Texas Transportation Commission to place tolls on freeways.

"We don't need someone trying to overlay something on what we've already done," said Collin County Judge Ron Harris, who also serves as chairman of the Dallas Regional Mobility Coalition, a local lobbying and transportation planning group. State Rep. Steve Wolens, D-Dallas, filed the House version of Mr. Brimer's Senate bill. Mr. Wolens said North Texas must do something soon because of its smog problems that could result in the loss of federal highway funds – a development that would devastate the region's economy. Adding more rail lines would help get more people out of their cars and could improve air quality, he said.

Mr. Brimer said that without changing its highway funding methods, Texas will soon run out of money to build highways because it must pay more money to maintain roads. "We've got to look at North Texas as a region and not as a collection of cities," Mr. Wolens said. "The absence of public debate on this means we will go nowhere on regional transportation." If either bill is passed, cities that do not belong to a transit agency could rely on the new toll roads to help them raise money for transit. The goal is to raise an equivalent amount of a 1 percent sales tax, the amount now paid by Dallas Area Rapid Transit member cities.

Mr. Brimer said that putting tolls back on Interstate 30, for example, could raise about $600 million a year for highway maintenance and for rail projects. The highway opened in 1957 as a turnpike and had tollbooths until 1978. Other options for transportation financing have been offered this year. Regional leaders have discussed expanding the sales-tax cap to allow more cities to join mass transit. In addition, state Sen. Jon Lindsay of Houston has filed a bill that would allow residents of urban counties to vote on adding a nickel-per-gallon gas tax that would finance local transportation projects.

The toll road idea was borne of necessity because Gov. Rick Perry has said he will oppose any tax bills, Mr. Wolens said. "I'm going with user fees on existing roads," he said. "If the voters don't want us to do that, we won't do it. But I'm not going to sit back and wait for the EPA to shut us down." Local leaders say they have discussed the issues thoroughly, and they have been taken aback by the speed and breadth of the lawmakers' proposals. The county judges of Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties have signed a resolution saying they are concerned about the creation of a new umbrella agency without having time to consider all the details.

"All of us believe we've proven how successful regionalism can be," Mr. Harris said. "Any bill that doesn't involve regional consensus and planning is very ill-advised." The bills do not directly address the fate of the North Texas Tollway Authority, but several observers said the creation of a new toll authority would jeopardize the existing agency's future. DART, the Fort Worth Transportation Authority and the Denton County Transportation Authority would not be dissolved unless voters chose to do so.

Creating one umbrella agency may sound like a good idea, but "I'm not sure we will ever get to the point where one agency can address transportation across the region efficiently," said DART board chairman Robert Pope. "Having another layer of government over transportation is surely not the way to go. But thank goodness people are now talking about this."

E-mail thartzel@dallasnews.com

[gc]

I missed that article yesterday. Interesting to see what happens here. The regional transit authority idea finally seems to gaining some momentum among these folks. I hope they do it right!

[gc]

I got this off of the civic-strategies.com website. Interesting, huh?



Submitted by Phil Waigand, community planner, Metro Empowerment, Arlington, Tex.

Our relatively new commuter rail for the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Trinity Railway Express, is a joint collaboration of the “T,” the transit system of Fort Worth, and DART, the transit system of Dallas. Trinity Railway will be the backdrop of a celebration of regional cooperation on April 5, 2003, called “Communities Coming Together.” The event is involves taking a round trip between Fort Worth and Dallas, and everyone in the region is invited to participate. There will be brief ceremonies in the Fort Worth and Dallas rail stations, with layover time in Dallas to explore the city via DART.

A main purpose of this event is to show how our diverse regional population can participate in accentuating the positives that unite us in the Metroplex. This may seem like just a simple round trip on a train, but it really has a greater implication. The DFW Metroplex has the potential to become a major destination for tourism, but this will never be fully realized until the people of the region develop a genuine collaborative spirit among its adjoining communities on many levels. Metroplex needs to see that joining forces makes the entire region stronger and creates more opportunities for “win/win” situations for all. The first step will be taking a train ride together.

For more information about Communities Coming Together, contact:
Phil Waigand
817-483-2259
waigandlegacy@flash.net

[Quiz03]

Local leaders blast regional transit bill
Proposal would allow tollbooths on interstates in 6-county area


04/05/2003

By TONY HARTZEL / The Dallas Morning News

A bill to create a North Texas regional transportation authority will get stiff opposition, even at its first legislative hearing next week, local leaders vowed Friday.

The Dallas Regional Mobility Coalition voted unanimously to oppose the bill written by state Rep. Steve Wolens, D-Dallas, that would form an umbrella agency for a six-county area.

The North Texas Regional Mobility Authority could supersede the powers of tollway and transit agencies already in place.

Under the proposal, most major interstates in Collin, Dallas, Denton, Parker, Rockwall and Tarrant counties would be subject to having tollbooths.

Coalition members argued that they felt shut out of the lawmaking process and that they and other local leaders should be included in any discussions before another layer of government is created.

"Mr. Wolens has not been a participant in transportation issues, and then he's thrown this out there," said Collin County Judge Ron Harris, the chairman of the coalition, a legislative lobbying group made up of 27 elected representatives from Dallas, Collin and Denton counties and numerous cities.

Mr. Wolens said he wrote the bill to raise more money for mass transit projects, particularly from cities that do not belong to Dallas Area Rapid Transit or the Fort Worth Transportation Authority. More money would help the region improve its air quality, which will be one of the area's most daunting challenges in the next few years, he said.

"I haven't changed directions on where I want this to go," he said.

"We've got a lot of problems in North Texas. We have regional problems, and they should be addressed with regional solutions."

Freeways to tollways


Supporters of the bill have touted its potential to raise $600 million for transportation projects by putting tollbooths on what are now free highways like Interstate 30.

Concerns about the bill range from its potential divisiveness to questions about where the millions of dollars raised by the new agency would be spent. The bill, which is written in broad terms, could allow money to be diverted to Gov. Rick Perry's Trans Texas Corridor plan, which calls for building new connecting highways and railways outside major metropolitan areas, opponents argue.

"We don't know where this bill is coming from," said state Rep. Linda Harper-Brown, R-Irving, a member of the House Transportation Committee. "But they're very intent on bringing the bill up and having a hearing."

NTTA estimates


Representatives of the North Texas Tollway Authority told the mobility coalition Friday that putting tollbooths back on I-30 and rebuilding 45-year-old sections of the deteriorated highway would cost $265 million and cost $28 million a year to operate.

An I-30 toll effort would net about $27 million a year, after estimating that 30 percent of existing traffic would find alternate routes rather than pay a 75-cent toll.

"I don't know how precise those figures are," Mr. Wolens said. "It's amusing that the NTTA would predict revenues on a road that would threaten their authority."

The bill has led to a flurry of activity among regional leaders concerned about its effects.

Local leaders have started discussing some early ideas, including paying for highway widening by putting tolls on some of the new lanes and making those express lanes.

A similar bill, filed by state Sen. Kim Brimer, R-Fort Worth, has not been scheduled for a hearing.

Dallas civic leader Walt Humann, who sat in on early discussions about the Wolens bill but does not support it, also met with local representatives Friday. He and others at the meeting said that they want local areas to keep control of transportation money they raise and that voters should be given the option of creating a new umbrella agency.

As introduced, Mr. Wolens' bill would allow the Texas Transportation Commission, which is appointed by the governor, to create the agency.

Leaders on both sides of the issue say they want more money for transportation projects but have decidedly different views about how to raise it.

Many in the region prefer a "bottom-up" approach that gets local input first and then seeks legislative approval.

Sparking conversation


Fort Worth is not interested in taking funds from any other area, said Mayor Kenneth Barr, but the bill could have the benefit of shaking things up and getting people talking about truly regional ideas.

"This discussion would not have been held had this legislation not been filed. The way we've been doing it is not going to work," said Mr. Barr, who participated in Mr. Humann's discussion on ways to improve funding for mass transit. "I don't think any bill that has been filed is the right bill yet. What these folks are doing is trying to get us shaken up and get us moving."

E-mail thartzel@dallasnews.co

[tamtagon]

The more politicians and organization heads battle to defend their power base, the more likely it is that regional transportation will suffer.

Leaders split over transit agency
04/13/2003

By TONY HARTZEL / The Dallas Morning News


AUSTIN – North Texas leaders have historically agreed on the need for more transportation funding, but they disagreed at the state Capitol last week on the merits of a bill that could raise millions of dollars for new roads and rail projects.

The House Transportation Committee heard testimony on a bill filed by state Rep. Steve Wolens, D-Dallas, that would create a new North Texas Regional Mobility Authority. Money would come from tolls on existing highways.

On one side Tuesday were Mr. Wolens and Fort Worth Mayor Kenneth Barr, who argued in favor of the bill. Dallas Mayor Laura Miller did not attend but has said that the bill has merit and that North Texas needs to do something to keep people moving.

On the other side were the other 14 Dallas City Council members, who signed a resolution asking that the bill be put on hold until regional leaders can have more discussions. Other opponents who attended the meeting were Richardson Mayor Gary Slagle, Denton Mayor Euline Brock and McKinney Mayor Don Dozier.

"North Texas does not want it and does not need it," Collin County Judge Ron Harris told the committee, which left the bill pending. Mr. Harris has argued that many, if not all, of the bill's goals can be accomplished by existing tollway and mass-transit agencies.

Something different needs to be done because North Texas' worsening transportation problems affect residents' quality of life, Mr. Barr said. Self-preservation may be to blame for some of the unwillingness to move forward, he told the committee.

"What's going on here is a natural bureaucratic tendency to protect those bodies, and I don't really fault that," he said, later adding that Fort Worth has watched DART open a new light-rail line in recent years. "What we've got here is a move beyond the status quo."

Under Mr. Wolens' bill, a regional mobility authority would have powers that supersede the authority of local tollway agencies. A companion bill filed by Sen. Kim Brimer would also give it powers that supersede the authority of existing transit agencies.

Opponents of Mr. Wolens' bill point out that the new authority would be created by the Texas Transportation Commission, a three-member panel appointed by the governor.

"We don't want this directed by the Texas Transportation Commission, and we don't want our money drained off," said Ms. Brock, whose city will vote this year on funding the new Denton County Transportation Authority.

Bill supporters say that the new regional authority would not be created without the consent of regional leaders and that board members would be appointed by local city councils and commissioners' courts.

The movement to put tollbooths on highways faces several hurdles, including the need for congressional approval in most cases.

In addition, Gov. Rick Perry prefers that local residents not be forced to join any mobility authority, said Kris Heckmann, Mr. Perry's transportation policy director.

"Anything that promotes regional planning and construction is something that we are for. The main thing is, we want it to be voluntary," Mr. Heckmann said. "The governor thinks this might be a vehicle for them, but it's up to them to decide."

Better coordination among agencies is the bill's primary goal, Mr. Wolens said. It would also allow a new mobility authority to plan and pay for rail projects outside the DART area, something that cannot be done now. No one else at the committee hearing had any better ideas to accomplish that, he said.

"There were no convincing alternatives" presented, Mr. Wolens said. "I found the committee receptive. Our reasoning will prevail in looking to the future."

Procedurally, Mr. Wolens' bill probably has several weeks to make it out of the committee and onto the House calendar for a debate before the end of the regular legislative session June 2.

[bloodandpopcorn]

I don't like the idea of it too much. Tollbooths on highways is a great idea, forcing more people to look at alternatives and bringing in $$$ for DART, but if a whole organization is going to be getting alot of money and using it to build rail in cities that don't pay DART's sales tax, that's bad. Also, the trans-texas corridor should be forced to enter the city of Dallas. Would be nice to have another stem going to Fort Worth from Dallas, or possibly, have a line that goes SA, Austin, FW, Dallas, then up NE of DFW, and a Houston,Dallas,FW line that goes up to the panhandle etc. But if it does not enter the local CDB's, then it should be opposed violently by local leaders. I used to be a huge proponent of the Trans-Texas Corridor, btu the more I hear about it, the more I think much of it is a terrible idea.

[Quiz03]

The more I hear and read about this regional mobility authority stuff the less I like it...especially here. We already have the North Texas Tollway Authority. I don't see two competing tollroad authorities as being good business.

No one in there right mind here could seriously expect to convert Central expressway unto a tollroad. They would likely be shot. I took the time to read the legislation and the only increased source of funds for transit woud be from converting free state highways to tollroads; any excess toll revenue the authority builds must be spent on tollroads or other road projects in the area or the money reverts to the state.

My feeling is that a regional mobility authority makes sense for Austin ans San Antonio since they don't have a tollroad authority already, but here where we already do it makes no sense.

[Quiz03]

Last night I was looking through transportation related bills pending in the state legislature and I came across one from Sen Shapiro. In the bill instead of having to call an election to end the 4A and 4B economc development sales tax and then voting to join a regional transit authority a municipality could instead have one election to join the transit authority which if successful would remove the 4A or 4B tax if it is already committed. The only thing is that the full tax rate set wouldn't be available until any outstanding bonds are paid off.

Anything that streamlines a joining a regional transit authority seems to be a good thing. One problem is that I didn't see a corresponding bill in the house.

[CTroyMathis]

Hartzel's latest, via:
http://www.lightrail.com/news/news03-06-13-6.htm

___________


Officials to discuss creating regional transit system

06/13/2003

By TONY HARTZEL / The Dallas Morning News

Before DART, North Texans had a chance to create a truly regional mass-transit network that would have run buses and trains across the area's four most-populous counties.

Voters' overwhelming rejection to create the Lone Star Transit Authority killed such a plan in 1980. But the regional vision has quickly taken root in recent months, as local leaders face an unofficial mandate from state leaders in Austin. Change is also needed to cope with the region's growth patterns and the growing number of motorists stuck in traffic, leaders say.

Lawmakers in this year's session pushed for transportation changes that would have, among other things, levied tolls on additional area roads and created an agency to oversee DART and other transit-related issues. Local leaders took those actions as a warning, and some will meet Friday to discuss creating a single mass-transit agency.

"We hope that any umbrella government form would start at the grass-roots level," said Dallas Area Rapid Transit board Chairman Robert Pope. "That's why we believe we need to do something before the next legislative session, or something will be done for us."

Changes could occur by the time the Legislature meets again in 2005, but organizers must overcome hurdles on how the new agency would get funding.

Thirteen cities make up DART, and another three belong to the Fort Worth Transit Authority, known as The T. But those two agencies represent only about half the population in the urban area. Voters recently created another agency, the Denton County Transportation Authority, which will have a funding election this fall.

Like he did 23 years ago, civic leader Walt Humann is leading the charge for the regionwide mass-transit agency. The Lone Star Transit failure led him and others to scale back plans and push for the creation of DART, which voters approved in 1983.

'It is doable'

Now he may be asking the agency he helped create to give up some of its power to a new agency.

"I honestly don't think it is," a hard sell, he said. "I believe it is doable to convince existing agencies to merge."

After Friday's meeting with the Dallas and Fort Worth chambers of commerce, Mr. Humann hopes to hold more regular discussions with a group consisting of county judges, representatives of the Metroplex Mayors Association and the three transit agencies. The effort will fail if suburban mayors are not included with the mayors of Dallas and Fort Worth, he and others said.

The T wants to be at the table for the discussions, said president and executive director Dick Ruddell.

"As more of an outsider, I can see where a larger regional approach here would have a lot of benefits," he said.

Finding funding

Funding a regionwide transit effort promises to be the most difficult question. The state limits the amount of sales tax a city can levy to 2 percent. Cities dedicate 1 percent to their budgets, and many cities not in DART have dedicated some or all of the remaining 1 percent to economic development corporations or similar efforts. DART requires a 1 percent sales tax.

Mr. Humann and others are hoping the state will allow cities in Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton counties to hold an election to boost their sales tax rates another penny for mass transit. Other counties also could be included.

"It becomes an impossible sell," without that additional sales tax, Mr. Humann said.

Even if the region agrees on a transit plan, getting state leaders to grant the additional sales tax power could be a monumental task. Gov. Rick Perry has routinely vowed to veto any bill that raises taxes. During the Legislative session, however, state transportation leaders said a sales tax increase might become palatable to the governor if about 15 counties petitioned for the additional taxing power.

In addition, school-funding issues may preclude state leaders from granting another one percent for transit. Mr. Perry is expected to call lawmakers into a special session to overhaul Texas' school finance system, and one possibility is to raise sales taxes for schools.

Raising the sales tax for transit is something "that's not going to work," said State Rep. Steve Wolens, D-Dallas. "Mr. Humann may be successful, but it's not going to be with the people in the Legislature I serve with. I don't think we want to go down the road of increased sales taxes."

Mr. Wolens wrote a bill this year that would have created regional transit authorities. Those agencies could have been funded by placing tolls on existing roads.

"This is an idea whose time is coming," Mr. Wolens said. "The idea that users of our roads are going to be supporting the maintenance and building of roads and mass transit is a surety in our future."

'A lot of changes'

As population growth forces average road speeds to decline and travel times to increase, the demand for mass transit will become acute.

"A lot of changes are going to occur," said Michael Morris, director of transportation for the North Central Council of Governments. "Constraints breed innovation."

Exactly how a future transit agency would look remains a question as leaders sit down for their first post-Legislature discussion. The region could have several authorities specializing in different modes of travel such as commuter rail, bus and light rail, Mr. Morris suggested.

Another idea is to merge existing agencies, with each taking different roles. One idea would be for DART to assume much of the region's rail planning efforts.

[gc]

Planners of rail system asking cities to climb aboard
By Gordon Dickson - Star-Telegram Staff Writer

Imagine buying one ticket and taking a train wherever you need to go in the Metroplex -- to work, school, shopping or just an evening out.

North Texas needs such a system, and needs to start building it now, before an additional 3 million residents move here, supporters of a commuter rail system say.

But persuading dozens of cities to work together to create the system -- and pay for it -- will be difficult. Many residents of Tarrant and Denton counties loudly oppose transit plans, arguing that rail lines would be a waste of money in a region dominated by automobiles. The money, they say, would be better spent on highways.

This summer, people on both sides of the rail debate will get a chance to sound off.

"The only way it's going to be a success is if it's a fluid system," said Michael Morris, transportation director for the North Central Texas Council of Governments. "We want to move out, develop consensus and find out exactly what we're doing in each corridor."

Designers are drawing up plans for a rail system 10 times the size of the Trinity Railway Express, which connects downtown Fort Worth to Dallas and is the area's only commuter rail line.

The council of governments is picking up the tab for plans to connect communities, many of which have little public transit. They include Arlington, Cleburne, Colleyville, Denton County, Grapevine and North Richland Hills.

Officials there are being asked to take an active role in creating a comprehensive rail system.

"Cities that begin to think that way will be part of the rail system that emerges. Cities that don't think that way might be left out," said Wes Jurey, president of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce. Arlington leaders plan to invite residents to a transportation forum tentatively set for Aug. 11, he said.

The sales pitch will be difficult in cities where officials have gone on record opposing rail service, organizers say. Residents will be asked to look beyond their municipal borders and create a system for the good of the region.

The first step will be explaining that the rail system isn't just for current residents but also for the more than 3 million newcomers expected in the area by 2025, Morris said.

Cities are being encouraged to insist that developers build communities around the rail lines so that residents can live, work and shop within walking distance.

"Wouldn't it be a shame if we waited until 3 million people had moved into the region, and then we built the rails?" Morris said. "Instead, we should be able to build the rails first and have the people locate where the rail is."

The Trinity Railway Express serves about 8,000 riders per day. That's equal to adding one freeway lane in each direction between Dallas and Fort Worth, Morris said.

Early predictions estimate that a regional rail system could serve up to 58,000 riders per day.

The cost is not yet known, but developing commuter rail on existing lines generally runs $10 million to $16 million per mile, according to estimates from the council of governments. Starting a rail line from scratch can cost upward of $40 million per mile.

Because North Texas has historical ties to the railroad industry, most of the right of way needed to operate a passenger train system is in place, greatly reducing startup costs, Morris said.

"We are taking advantage of an 1880s investment in freight railroads," he said.

For a rail system to succeed, proponents say, passengers must be able to go anywhere in the Metroplex with a single ticket. Passengers also should be able to reach their destinations without having to repeatedly change trains.

Working out those details will require tremendous cooperation among cities. The Metroplex has three transit authorities that collect sales taxes -- the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, the Denton County Transportation Authority and Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Many cities along the planned rail routes don't belong to an authority, and there must be a way for them to pay into the system.

Leaders of some cities say they aren't interested in raising sales taxes but would be open to other sources of funding.

"It needs to be a tax in some relation to how your city uses the system," Grapevine Mayor William D. Tate said. "DART and the T are almost obsolete in their funding. We've been looking for a solution that takes care of the needs of a majority of our residents."

The project's goal is to get all the cities to agree on a plan in the next 18 months. Then the plan could be presented to the Legislature for approval in 2005.

Some of the trains could be running by 2008-11, while others probably wouldn't be operating until much later.

Rail lines most likely to be built first include an extension of the Trinity Railway Express into southwest Fort Worth and the Cotton Belt line connecting downtown Fort Worth to the north end of Dallas/Fort Worth Airport.

Bedford resident Jim Lieber, who uses Metroplex freeways daily to make sales calls for his technical staffing business, believes that a majority of voters in the Metroplex support regional rail and will hold elected officials accountable for coming up with a successful regional rail system.

"The answer is traffic, traffic, traffic," Lieber said. "We have to do something because it is becoming like Los Angeles. People are starting to get angry. If they [politicians] sit quietly ... it will catch up to them."

How to get involved

• Visit the North Central Texas Council of Governments online (www.dfwinfo.com/trans) and read about the regional rail corridor plan.

• Find out when your city plans to hold public hearings on regional rail. Many cities will begin holding those hearings this summer.

• Find out who is being appointed as your city's representative to the regional rail corridor plan. In most cases, the city council or city manager designates a person.

• For more information, call the council of governments at (817) 640-3300.

[aceplace]

The fatal flaw in this arrangement is that "cities", essentially municipal governments, have no reason to be involved in Regional Transit planning.

In fact, they should butt out.

A true regional; planning agency has to make decisions on traffic flows thru the Metroplex as a whole... a municipal government, such as Colleyville or Kennedale, only gets in the way, tries to wring concessions for its own benefit, etc.

The ideal situation would be for the State Legislature to establish an independent level of government over traffic in the Metroplex, something like New York's Port Authority.

[gc]

I agree ace. That would be the most effective means for making progress.

[aceplace]

Well, if DART becomes part of a superagency, and this superagency is governed, for example, by a board elected by the people, is there still a role for individual municipalities vis a vis transit?

I think the answer is yes.

We can look at the MATA streetcar line as a good example of how a muni can supplement regional service to connect its local centers to a regional line. A muni can definitely have an interest in connecting its local centers of business and population to a regional connection point...

I think that this level of involvement may be appropriate for a muni because munis, after all, generally are responsible for planning, implementing and maintaining urban neighborhoods... traffic circulation within a neighborhood is probably not a regional concern, but still is vital for the neighborhood.

[Haretip]

Bingo!

I have long thought that MATA should aspire to be the Municipal transit agency for Dallas, albeit with a lot of cooperation with DART. I think the proposed Dallas Streetcar, Inc. will do just that. We only need MATA to embrace it and all parties to be represented equally on the board.

[aceplace]

Haretip, I didn't know there was such a thing. Do you know anything about it, where there is info, etc?

[Haretip]

Check out the thread below titled "CDTMA Issues Circulator Study - TROLLEY!". I think it details the establishment of the Dallas Streetcar Inc.

[Quiz03]

DART testing interest in Collin rail expansion



By TIMOTHY LEE
McKinney Courier-Gazette -
The potential expansion of DART rail systems into North Texas was the topic of discussion Friday when Collin County Commissioner Joe Jaynes hosted a bimonthly meeting of rural mayors.
Robert Pope, DART board chairman and a 30-year resident of Collin County, broached the sensitive subject of funding for rapid transit in the region, telling local officials that membership requires a minimum of one cent sales tax per community.
“As many of you know, there are communities represented here today which don’t have that one cent available,” he said.
City of Fairview Mayor Sid Israeloff asked how towns or cities can prepare now for future participation. Pope said that potential member cities can restructure local taxes, which would allow officials to participate in planning meetings.
For example, in McKinney, which has two half-cent taxes supporting McKinney Economic Development Corporation and McKinney Community Development Corporation, an election would have to be held to substitute the transit tax for the 4A and 4B taxes.
Such an shift in taxation would give the city a voice in decisions being made today that could affect future DART development.
A bill, sponsored by Sen. Florence Shapiro and Rep. Brian McCall, passed in this legislative session and was signed by Gov. Perry on Friday. The measure will allow a 4A-4B city to hold one election to convert to the transit tax, instead of the two elections previously required.
While the city would not be able to become a member of DART until the tax is actually collected, city leaders could sit at the planning table when critical decisions may be made.
Additionally, to protect bond repayment for which much of the existing tax is dedicated, the bill allows cities to delay the effective date of joining the transportation authority until bond debt has been satisfied.
Appointed to the board by the City of Plano in 1996, Pope, who has been chair for nearly two years, said one of his highest priorities was to help develop and implement a plan for the regional transit system.
“We went to Austin early and asked legislators from our area what their top ten issues were, and transportation was not one of them,” Pope said. “I don’t know what happened, but transportation has become a very important issue. If we don’t come up with a plan before the next session, we might have something forced on us.”
Pope said that, while the Regional Transportation Council has developed a regional rail plan through 2025, DART is limited by its current boundaries.
The point of primary interest to Collin residents, Pope said, includes the extension of the Parker Road Station in Plano and the Cross-Town Corridor, which will likely utilize the Cotton Belt or another rail alternative.
The Cross-Town expansion proposes extension of the Burlington-Northern rail from Carrollton, through west Plano into Frisco, Prosper and Celina. Pope added that the current plan was not developed beyond DART’s boundaries, but that future planning has now become a necessity.
Pope produced a map that included staged rail from Parker Road into McKinney and commuter rail through Frisco up to U.S. 380 near Prosper.
“Our build-out plan will be complete about 2015,” Pope said. “We’ve started looking at what comes after that. It is time we take our plan and look down the road, so we are preparing our 2030 plan.”
Pope said that 2030 plan provides a glimpse at what might be in the works if DART had no boundaries. The potential plan shows a commuter rail from Parker Road Station to McKinney. Pope, in answer to questions regarding expansion even further north, said DART is being pressed to envision service as far as Sherman.
According to Pope, the 13 cities currently members of DART are understandably opposed to paying for development outside areas that will be to their direct benefit.
Blue Ridge Mayor Fran Slater asked about the potential of “Park and Ride” facilities in the unincorporated areas. Pope said that there were a number of viable options available for the cities as DART looks to the future. The mayors agreed that the future of transportation in Texas hinges largely on the quick and successful development of an effective rail system.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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The McKinney Courier-Gazette
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For comments or questions, email

[CTroyMathis]

New transportation chairman makes light rail a priority
By Gordon Dickson
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/local/6276196.htm

ARLINGTON _ Building a Metroplex-wide commuter rail system is the top priority for Tarrant County Commissioner Glen Whitley, who took over as chairman of the region's transportation planning agency Thursday.

Whitley, who will serve as chairman of the Regional Transportation Council for one year, said that his goal by next summer is to forge a consensus among dozens of Metroplex cities about what kind of rail system they want and how to pay for it.

"We have an opportunity in the next couple of years to significantly add to the funds coming into this area," Whitley said in his first remarks as chairman. "I'm hoping we can say, `Here's where the rail is going. Here's where the train is stopping. Here's how we're raising the money.' "

A popular scenario for developing a Metroplex-wide rail system involves creating a new government authority that would manage the rail lines connecting dozens of cities in Tarrant, Denton, Dallas and Collin counties, several officials said. The new body would serve as an umbrella agency for the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, Denton County Transportation Authority and Dallas Area Rapid Transit, which would still be expected to handle services, such as busing, within their own boundaries.

Such a system would probably require the approval of voters in all four counties, and it theoretically could be funded by sales taxes if state lawmakers give their blessing, officials said. Whitley's goal is to present a unified Metroplex plan to legislators in the 2005 session.

By not having a regionwide plan in this year's legislative session, the Metroplex sent a confusing message to leaders in Austin, said Michael Morris, transportation director for the North Central Texas Council of Governments. Legislators attempted to create a rail plan of their own and found mixed support among Metroplex leaders.

"In the last legislative session, the region was silent on this issue. Time has proven to us that that was a mistake," Morris said. "If you don't put something forward for the legislature, legislators will do it for you."

Many cities that would be served by Metroplex rail lines don't belong to a transit authority. Figuring out how those cities can pay into a regional system will be difficult, North Richland Hills Mayor Oscar Trevino said.

"It can be done," said Trevino, a member of the transportation council. "The questions is how to create equality in the whole group."

[CTroyMathis]

Regional light rail, more toll roads foreseen in Collin County

By K. SHELBY CLARK , STAFF WRITER 07/13/2003
©Plano Star Courier 2003

The future of transportation in Collin County may include plans for regional light rail, expansion of existing toll roads and the addition of toll lanes to existing freeways.

Building a commuter rail system in Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties was among the priorities that the North Central Texas Council of Governments' Regional Transportation Council included in a report issued last week.
Headed by Tarrant County Commissioner Glen Whitley and Collin County Commissioner Jack Hatchell, vice chair, the council explored options for a regional light rail system that would likely require governmental cooperation from each of the member-cities and voter approval in each county.
A new regional rail authority would serve as an umbrella agency for the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, Denton County Transportation Authority and Dallas Area Rapid Transit.
Whitley's rail plan is among several so-called "mobility-mitigation" options in the Council of Governments' Mobility 2025 proposal, which includes studies on toll roads, managed lanes, light rail, bicycle and pedestrian trails, and projected road congestion estimates.
The report estimates that by year 2025, 45 percent of the roadways will be congested with an annual congestion cost of $8.2 billion.
Already, Plano's three DART light rail stations boast an average daily ridership of 4,200 passengers a day, commuting south from Plano into Richardson, Dallas, Garland, and Oak Cliff, according to DART spokesman Morgan Lyons.
Feasibility studies continue for the extension of DART light rail from Parker Road in Plano, through Allen, to Virginia Parkway in McKinney.

Expanding toll roads
While the success of light rail in Plano may be great, the contribution of toll roads throughout Collin County may be greater.
The North Texas Tollway Authority boasts 125,000 Collin County Tolltag users and more than 700,000 Tolltag customers throughout four counties.
Don Dillard, chairman of the North Texas Tollway Authority, went before County Commissioners last Tuesday to outline future toll projects in Collin County.
Extending the Dallas North Tollway from State Highway 121 to U.S. 380 in northern Collin County tops the list.
Detailed plans for the four-lane toll road are expected next year for the expansion, which would open for traffic in approximately 2008.
Construction is already under way for the extension of the Dallas North Tollway to State Highway 121, which is three months ahead of schedule and planned for completion in spring 2004.
Also among the tollway authority's future projects is a solution for the congested interchange at Central Expressway and President George Bush Turnpike.
Rivaling Central Expressway at LBJ Freeway as a hot spot for traffic delays and halting congestion, Dillard said the Central Expressway at Bush Turnpike interchange will be studied in coming years.
"We're looking for project solutions for increased delays and congestion at this interchange," Dillard said.

Adding toll lanes to freeways
While expanding its existing toll roads, the tollway authority is also studying the implementation of managed lanes, a state transportation department suggestion for adding toll lanes to existing to existing freeways.
Dillard told commissioners Tuesday that Austin legislators are suggesting such managed lanes to help mitigate the Metroplex's growing transportation needs.
But such a suggestion will need cooperation from governmental bodies such as the Collin County Commissioner's Court.
"If we step out there, we have to see people are behind us," Dillard said.
Currently, LBJ Freeway in Dallas County is being considered for managed lanes, but congested Collin County roads such as State Highway 121 may also be considered.
County Judge Ron Harris asked Dillard to return to the Commissioners' Court in six months to report the results of feasibility plans for such managed lanes.
"We don't want to be lynched by people that think we're going to put a toll on U.S. 75," Harris said. "That's why I'm asking for a formalized congestion mitigation plan from the NTTA."

[CTroyMathis]

It's time for North Texans to get on the same road
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/opinion/6390412.htm


IT'S NOT fair to even imply that there is a lack of effort in North Texas to solve the area's growing transportation and air quality problems.

People are working and studying all over the place -- 16 different groups involved in air quality issues alone, according to the North Texas Commission.

At least four alliances are involved in policy and advocacy on transportation and at least two in planning, three in public transit (four if you count the Trinity Railway Express joint venture between DART and the T) and others working on toll roads and the like.

But there is no truly central authority that can call all of these groups together, along with the elected and appointed officials who sanction them and the various issue-oriented groups that would like to influence the process.

And there certainly is no one with the authority to involve the ordinary citizen -- made king in the process because he or she pays the tax bill.

There are 200 or more municipalities and counties in the area and, frankly, they don't have a history of working particularly well with one another.

The state hasn't taken a lead role. And the federal government is looming out there somewhere both as a source of money for the right plans and as a stern and punishing taskmaster for those who fall short of the standards.

On Nov. 10, 2002, the Star-Telegram Editorial Board, after extensive study of the issues and years of concern, called for the formation of a regional transportation authority as the only entity that could deal with the magnitude of the problems.

"The term 'rush hour' is virtually obsolete in the Fort Worth-Dallas area," the editorial said, noting that people can seldom "rush" anywhere, given the area's congestion. It urged public officials to "accelerate discussions on forming a regional transit authority."

That same Sunday, The Dallas Morning News called for "a unified transit agency."

The News said the "region's Balkanization -- into cities with separate public transportation agendas -- hinders its ability to solve its grave congestion and pollution problems and to make itself more attractive to investors."

The two editorial boards reached those conclusions independently. But last week, the two boards took an unusual step.

Invitations are going into the mail to elected and appointed officials to attend a brief Aug. 15 meeting in Irving, co-hosted by the papers, to see if those officials can agree to bring multiple efforts under one umbrella.

With the invitations, the newspapers included a protocol statement that said in part that "if we can agree that we have a problem that threatens our collective well being, and if we can agree that we are powerless to solve the problem individually, we will have moved far toward a solution."

It asks those invited to agree that:

• North Texas has a problem that won't solve itself.

• The problem won't get solved without cooperation.

• One of the biggest impediments to a solution is the lack of a public transit system that encompasses and unites the region.

• We will commit ourselves to keep meeting and talking and brainstorming until we've figured out how to create that kind of system.

"The uncomfortable truth is that Washington tends to frown on communities that let their opposing interests and petty rivalries impede the efficient use of such funds," the protocol says. "It tends to smile on communities that work and plan together."

The document notes that if "The Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram can hold their fierce competition in abeyance and work together for this common good, so can the region's elected officials."

It asks them to sign this statement:

"Therefore, be it resolved that we -- sundry mayors, city council members, city managers, county judges and commissioners and transit leaders of the region -- hereby pledge ourselves to this task. We know that the excellence of our leadership and our collaboration will produce results that make our communities better places to live and prosper."

YOU MIGHT ask what the newspapers expect to come immediately from such a meeting. There's no good answer beyond the obvious desire of both editorial boards to see some form of transportation authority that can plan and implement regionally.

That may -- no, will -- be difficult to achieve.

In 1980, voters in Fort Worth, Arlington and Dallas overwhelmingly rejected the proposed regional Lone Star Transportation Authority.

But since then, the DART and the T have been formed, and a transportation authority was just recently approved in Denton County.

Since then, the Environmental Protection Agency has demanded that the area clean up its air or face sanctions that could halt expansion.

Since then -- 16 years ago, to be exact -- Airport Freeway traffic passed its stated capacity of 140,000 vehicles per day.

Since then, the average amount of fuel wasted annually per motorist because of gridlock has increased from 20 gallons to 120 gallons, according to the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University.

A typical Metroplex driver spends nearly two workweeks -- 74 hours -- stuck in traffic each year, and the congestion costs the region $1.4 billion annually. That's about $1,390 per rush-hour driver in wasted fuel, accidents and other expenses, the institute says.

Officials working to overcome the problems are quick to point out that mass transit issues, highway transportation issues and air quality issues pose differing challenges. But all those problems are best addressed via a unified, regional approach.

Of course, there will be problems.

Some communities, at least at first, will pay for more than they get.

DART has a penny on the sales tax, but the T only has a half-cent. How will that difference be made up?

In fact, how will any of this be funded?

Some will argue that this is a problem belonging primarily to Tarrant, Dallas, Denton and Collin counties.

To those we say: If the people and the congestion aren't in your backyard yet, they will be.

This is already the nation's fifth-largest metropolitan area under new federal guidelines that include Collin, Dallas, Delta, Denton, Ellis, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant and Wise counties.

The population of the entire North Texas area has grown more than 30 percent in 10 years. Projections are that it will be up 20 percent in a dozen years and up 65 percent 15 years after that and will reach nearly 10 million people by 2040.

The newspapers are not endorsing any specific plan. But they are endorsing the concept and the effort.

The climate for regional cooperation is more favorable now than it was in 1980. The need is greater -- and more pressing.

And although the Aug. 15 meeting is directed primarily to elected and appointed officials, it also is up to other interested groups and individuals to seek a place at the table, volunteering their time and expertise on committees and in public forums to address an almost overwhelming problem.

You know what they say about shade trees, don't you?

The best time to plant one was 20 years ago. The next best time is today.

Perhaps we can plant a seed Aug. 15.

[aceplace]

Good article, Troy.

The message I see behind the article, and the meaning behind the message, is that a small municipality such as Rowlett has no legitimate role to play in regional transportation... any more than it has a role to play in US Foreign policy.

Sure, if Rowlett were a geographic city, i.e. a town surrounded by country, out in the middle of nowhere, it would be the only responsible civic agency to deal with such problems.

But it's not an independent city, in the sense of being a separate urban area. It is just one of the many municipalities that comprise greater DFW.

The municipal government and the people of Rowlett should not have the option of either joining or not joining an agency such as DART... any more than they can join or not join the State of Texas. An agency such as DART should be chartered by the State of Texas to administer public transportation over the North Texas Urban Area. Its board can be elected by the people of whatever districts are set up, not by 200 city councils.

If we allowed a municipality to opt out of a regional authority, it wold do so to avoid the taxes. But its people would still benefit from the service. Just as people in McKinney and Allen benefit from riding DART trains.

We got ourselves into this mess by the idiotic assumption that Highland Park is not just a municipal government, but a city, physically separate from, say, University Park. Presumably, HP and UP are separate cities in the same sense that Dallas and Chicago are separate cities.

Since Highland Park and University Park are separate cities, why should they cooperate on regional transportation? Do Dallas and Chicago coordinate theirs?

In reality, Highland Park and University Park might be better described as "boroughs", independent administrative subdivisions, just as Merton and Enfield are boroughs of London. The entire DFW Metroplex is the "City". And most people refer to Greater London as a "City".

Since traffic in the Metroplex is related to the structure and the demographics of the Metroplex itself, a Metroplex agency has to deal with it. And the State of Texas must grant it legal authority, independent of the authority of the 200 or so municipalities in the DFW area.

Is it practical to expect the 200 municipalities to succesfully cooperate in setting regional policy? No. Their job is to pave streets and operate parks. That sort of thing. Their officers were elected by the people to pick up garbage and write zoning codes, not to elect board members to a regional agency. They are concerned with their local area, not the Metroplex as a whole.

[aceplace]

One question... what if the people of Rowlett don't want to be a part of a regional transportation agency.

The only reasonable answer is this: they're already part of the problem.

If they don't want to be a part of a Metroplex solution, then they have to remove themselves from the Metroplex. Go make the traffic worse somewhere else.

[aceplace]

Will more mass transportation, like DART Rail, and the TRE, solve the air pollution problems in DFW?

I don't think so... not if it just raises the percentage of commute trips from, say 3% to 7%.

A better solution. Figure out how much gasoline can be absorbed by the air above DFW and ration DFW's gasoline supply to exactly that amount.

How to allocate it to the public? Ration tickets? No, how about using the law of supply and demand... the price of a gallon of gas goes up until the demand levels off.

What about the poor who can't afford it? Well, how about that impoverished girl that whanged my car yesterday. Couldn't afford insurance either. She totaled HER car, so now she's riding DART. And she'll be a lot poorer after she pays the tickets she got for her bad driving.

The theory is that everyone knows the value of their own convenience. Some people might feel their convenience justifies spending $5 for a gallon of gas, in spite of their small income. Others may not think so. But everyone makes the decision they are comfortable with, rather than have someone else, like a ration board, make it for them.

In Europe, many people own cars. Munich has 1 million 3 hundred thousand people and 8 hundred thousand cars. But they don't drive them that often or that far. Thus, not so much gasoline in the air of that beautiful city. And their people are not as obese as ours... they have cities that are pleasant to walk in, and the walking keeps them fit. I don't remember ever seeing a fat girl in Munich or Amsterdam.

Dallas would be better off if the primary motive for owning a car was just to impress women in Deep Ellum, not to actually transport yourself somewhere.

[freewaytincan]

Originally posted by aceplace
Dallas would be better off if the primary motive for owning a car was just to impress women in Deep Ellum, not to actually transport yourself somewhere.

How very true that is.

[CTroyMathis]

http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/local/6487383.htm

City reconsiders light-rail plan
By Anna M. Tinsley
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH - City officials switched gears Thursday night on plans to create a local light-rail streetcar system, instead leaning toward a commuter rail plan that could extend Trinity Railway Express routes throughout the city.

More than a year ago, the City Council endorsed a light-rail system to get residents out of their cars and improve traffic congestion and air pollution.

"In Texas, we walk a little slower, talk a little slower," Mayor Mike Moncrief said. "And we are behind the curve when it comes to alternative transportation for our citizens.

"We need something clean, quick and economical."

City officials said the light-rail system has a dedicated track that must be built, competes with other traffic and has frequent stops. In comparison, commuter rail lines run along existing tracks, stop less and can carry more passengers.

The council shifted its transportation plans because the city's application for federal grant money was slowing down -- and becoming less competitive -- with the Federal Transit Administration. Local funding had not been identified to run the system after construction, and there was no proof that it would save travelers time.

The change will move commuter rail up on the city's list of priorities for federal road funding.

"If we were to press forward with our light-rail application, we could receive a negative rating which would have an incredibly negative impact on the project," said Brandon Aghamalian, the city's legislative liaison.

"So our legislative strategy is to not start off with one foot in the grave."

A route running east down Lancaster Avenue and, eventually, Rosedale Street is among the proposed routes. Another could run north through the Stockyards and the Mid-Cities areas, with another running south to the Hulen area.

Some officials said they don't believe that the streetcars will best serve Fort Worth at this time.

"It would not move people from the outskirts into town or vice versa," Councilman Chuck Silcox said. "With some type of DART-like rail, we could start making plans for a system to really move people."

[gc]

Area leaders to talk transit
20 years after first DART vote, summit to discuss regional issues
10:15 PM CDT on Wednesday, August 13, 2003
By TONY HARTZEL / The Dallas Morning News
http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/081403dnmetsummitadv.6dcaf.html

In two decades, North Texas has grown dramatically. The number of cities in its mass transit network has not.

Faced with that history, hundreds of elected leaders have agreed to meet Friday in Irving to discuss ways to expand transit to new areas. This week's discussion comes 20 years after voters approved DART's creation. Even with the positive vote on Aug. 13, 1983, many questioned whether Texans would ever forgo their cars to ride on trains.

"This is a great region," said civic leader Walt Humann, who led the campaign for Dallas Area Rapid Transit. "People have seen the success of light rail. Today, a lot of people feel so enthusiastic about it, and they want to get involved."

The latest effort to bring people to the table comes from the editorial pages of The Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which are co-sponsoring an invitation-only regional transit summit Friday afternoon.

The meeting will occur at the end of the Sixth Annual Texas Transportation Summit in Irving, which began Wednesday.The statewide event addresses topics ranging from high-speed rail to transportation security and aviation.

The regional transit effort has elicited both praise and raised eyebrows from regional leaders, some of whom say North Texas has been working on regional transit for years.

DART board chairman Robert Pope said that regional leaders have been talking about expanding mass transit for some time and that DART could take an active role in helping to plan where rail lines would be located in the future.

Others remain concerned about how to get all cities or counties to pay an equal share toward transit. Some have dedicated a 1 percent transit sales tax for two decades, and others have devoted their sales tax revenue to programs such as economic development corporations.

"There are a lot of efforts under way," but not all of those efforts are coordinated, said Keven Ann Willey, vice president and editorial page editor of The News. Houston has outmaneuvered North Texas in the past for transportation funds, and this is a way to keep North Texas ahead of its funding competitors, she added.

Initial responses have been favorable to the effort, said Paul Harral, vice president and editorial page editor of the Star-Telegram.

"People say that it's about time we get in a room and talk about this," he said. "Whether it translates into action remains a question."

The biggest obstacle to any action revolves around money, many elected leaders said. Less than half of the population in the four-county area of Dallas, Tarrant, Denton and Collin counties lives in a city that belongs to a mass transit agency.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit has 13 member cities, and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority has three. Residents of eight Denton County cities will have the chance to vote Sept. 13 on whether to approve a half-percent sales tax increase to fund the Denton County Transportation Authority and its commuter rail plans.

Demand for mass transit is growing. More than 2 million people moved to the four urban counties of North Texas from 1980 to 2003, many to cities outside the existing transit area. Congestion on area highways continues to increase, according to the Texas Transportation Institute.

"At this point, it's an equity issue because we've already got people who have been paying for trains," said Dallas County Judge Margaret Keliher. "It's a money problem, because some cities already have been paying for years and they have not yet gotten their trains."

Much of the initial legwork on developing a larger transit network may fall to the Regional Transportation Council, a policymaking body made up of elected leaders from across North Texas.

Plans still being developed call for the council to create up to 10 committees to research everything from planning to financing and communications efforts. Mr. Humann, the architect of DART's successful 1983 campaign, has similar suggestions for committees to develop new ideas.

In theory, the committees could go to each city and solicit advice on transit needs. Plans and cost estimates could then be developed, and cities could have some say in how to pay for those needs, said B. Glen Whitley, the chairman of the transportation council and a Tarrant County commissioner.

Sales taxes have been discussed, but there may be many other ways to get funding, he added.

"I'm not sure we need one transit authority," Mr. Whitley said. "There's no way I can see trying to do away with DART. But we've got to find a way to include everyone from the region and not be exclusive."

Financing could come from a hybrid of sources, said Michael Morris, director of transportation for the North Central Texas Council of Governments since 1990.

"It's an important issue, but I don't think we've lost any time," he said. With transit possibly reaching nine counties in the future, getting everyone to agree will be difficult, Mr. Morris emphasized. "It's a tall order. Maybe we can reach consensus, maybe we can't."

[bloodandpopcorn]

This topic seems to be getting only more and more complicated... The major problem here is the far out suburbs not wanting to join because they don't want to give up economic incentives programs, it seems to me. While I know we certainly can't force them to give those programs up, and leaving them out in the cold becomes our own problem, I think playing to their cause is also a bit much. I'd love to see the entire region on board, but all the cities currently in DART have had to make sacrifices to do so. Other cities who want to join must do so as well, and while encouraging them and showing them what they are missing is a great idea, but we can't just spend all of our time deliberating about how to get them in instead of getting things done for those of us who are currently paying.

I think the best solution for DART would be for Dallas and other member cities to add one or two toll lanes to highways, as has been mentioned before. central might be too hard, but perhaps I-35 could become half toll, half free. How to work that out, I'm not sure, but it would make it harder for people to drive and not pay. Those who did pay would be giving money to DART, who could expand and get member cities' citizens off the road...

Of course, being in Texas, I doubt if taking even one lane that is currently free and adding a cost to it will ever happen. It should, but, I doubt it will. And so our wonderful suburbanities make it impossible for us to meet the clean-air requirements, and highway funds are cut off, and all car-drivers suffer. Perhaps that's the next best thing for the region's public transportation...

[aceplace]

Blood,

The basic fallacy is to think that Regional Transit is a function that a municipality is supposed to perform. Or influence.

By definition, regional transit is REGIONAL, not municipal.

The municipalities don't build freeways either. Planning for them is done by the state, and by regional agencies such as NCTCOG.

Little burgs like Colleyville or Azle shouldn't have any input in regional planning. Their focus is not regional, it is local.

The state of Texas just needs to establish a regional authority to plan and build roadways and railways, and give it an independent source of revenue, like an extra cent of sales tax income. It can then divide the entire Metroplex into districts, and have each district send a board member to a decision making council.

This will free municipalities from having to fund transit out of their limited sales tax revenues, and ensures that everybody pays their share... nobody gets to opt out of paying while enjoying the benefits of the system.

[bloodandpopcorn]

I personally think that sounds great... but in Texas, I don't know that something like that would ever get passed. This is not a state that loves big government... which, in a way, is what that plan is. It makes most sense, yes, but for many Texans... sense doesn't realy matter. and sadly, with so many voters out in small towns or farms that wouldn't benefit, I really don't see something that massive getting passed, at least in the next 50 years or so.

[aceplace]

Well, I don't think it's such a problem to pass it... and the legislature appears to be interested in doing that now. The municipalities are trying to cobble together a plan to forestall exactly such a move from the legislature.

We already have a similar agency in place to build toll roads in North Texas... it is politically independent of municipalities like Frisco and Plano... as it should be.

[bloodandpopcorn]

So if such an organization were formed, how would be be sure that Dallas area rail, etc. could move at an equal or greater speed than it is now? i.e. might the initial $$$ not go to Austin, San Antonio, Houston where public transit is really weak compared to our DART area? I do think it would end up getting much more money for the region's rail, etc, and eventually be a help... but I don't want a big stall at the get go, when, really, Dallas' sucess is probably why it would happen in the first place.

When do you think this will be passed? And how exactly will funds be divided, do you know?

[freewaytincan]

Originally posted by bloodandpopcorn
I personally think that sounds great... but in Texas, I don't know that something like that would ever get passed. This is not a state that loves big government... which, in a way, is what that plan is. It makes most sense, yes, but for many Texans... sense doesn't realy matter. and sadly, with so many voters out in small towns or farms that wouldn't benefit, I really don't see something that massive getting passed, at least in the next 50 years or so.

Yeah, that's true. When's that last time voters in the 'burbs did something that actually benefitted farms and small towns?



Anyone?




Anyone?




Beuller?

[aceplace]

Blood,

Actually, I meant an Authority just for the DFW area, not one covering all of Texas.

The problem with DART is that it is trying to use light rail for two distinct transportation needs, Light Rail and commuter rail. DART has currently monopolized the existing rail corridors for its LRV system, so it would now be impossible to run commuter rail from, say McKinney, directly to downtown Dallas nonstop or with limited stops.

In a German city like Munich or Stuttgart, you have three modes of rail. First, you have actual streetcars to transport people across a 2 or 3 mile section of town, and with close stops. Then, you have underground lines with stations about a mile apart, very fast. Finally you have rail connections to serve the suburbs.

DART is using LRV to replace suburban and underground service, but the quality of the service is not ideal for places like Plano, and would be horrible for McKinney and Sherman. But DART has destroyed the existing heavy rail corridors into the center in favor of light rail.

A regional taxing and planning authority would be in a position to plan for a more widespreat application of transportation using funding separate from a city (municipality) 's taxing authority. A municipality like Dallas or Plano would then be able to use its sales tax revenue to lay track out to the neighborhoods, as surface lines or underground lines.

For a possible model of how this would work, look up info on the transit options in the Ruhr region of Germany, cities like Essen, Dortmund, Duisburh, and others.