txdot's ok to texas rail study

8/13/2019 TxDOT's OK to Texas Rail Study

1/26

TOPRS Winter 2014 Public Meeting Presentation

Winter 2014

PUBLIC

MEETINGS


2/26


3/26


Why study rail between Oklahoma and South Texas?

IH-35 is congested and

will continue to get morecongested as Texas

population and economy

grow.

Passenger rail servicecould fit the needs of

many travelers and

reduce demand on the

states roadways.

Study will provide a

blueprint for feasible rail

improvements.

3


4/26


5/26


6/26


Schedule

Set goals, gatherdata, develop and

screen alternatives

Select andanalyze

alternatives

Refine analysis andsecure agency

approvals

Alternatives

analysis

Winter

2013

Spring

2013

Summer

2013

Fall

2013

Winter

2014

Spring

2014

Summer

2014

Fall

2014

We are here

6


7/26TOPRS Winter 2014 Public Meeting Presentation

How we got here

Widerange of

ideas

Feasibilityscreen:physical

constraints

Step 1: screening

Range offeasible

ideas

Step #2:evaluation

criteria

Step 2:

alternatives analysisRange of

alternatives tostudy in EIS

7



How we compared alternatives

Green: Strength or benefit

Yellow: Some benefit

Red: Weakness or drawback

8



Screening criteria: operations

Revenue/operating cost ratio

Tells us if a route would require a subsidy to operate

Minimum thresholds must be met for alternatives to move

forward

Travel times

Comparison of rail travel time to auto travel time between

cities

Mode share on rail

% of people who would choose rail as opposed to othermodes for their trip

9



Screening criteria: infrastructure

Capital cost

Per passenger mile

Right-of-way/real estate impacts

A representation of possible impacts to private property

based on whether or not a route uses existing transportationrights-of-way

10



Screening criteria: environment

Natural resources

Wetlands

Critical habitat

Cultural/recreational resources

National and state historic places

Potential archeological sites

Parks and open space

Social resources

Prime farmland

Sensitive receptors (homes, schools, hospitals) potentiallyaffected by noise or vibration

Environmental Justice populations

11


12/26



Northern Section

13



Northern Section

14


15/26


Northern Section

15


16/26


ALTERNATIVES

Central Section

16


17/26


Central Section

17


18/26


19/26


Central Section

19


20/26


ALTERNATIVES

Southern Section

20


21/26


Southern Section

21


22/26


23/26


Southern Section

23


24/26


Southern Section

24


25/26


26/26


Questions?

Questions?

26

txdot's ok to texas rail study

Documents