New Alignment Proposed For High-Speed Rail Extension Into Arlington, Fort Worth
A new plan for extending a high-speed rail through Dallas and into Arlington and Fort Worth will be considered by regional transportation officials later this week.
The proposal comes on the heels of Dallas City Council’s opposition to an above-ground alignment that would cut through the southwest corner of downtown. Elected officials were concerned the route would disrupt the $3.7B Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center rebuild and several other private developments in the area.
The new plan suggests locating the Dallas rail station south of downtown and forgoing connections to Union Station and the convention center, according to the Fort Worth Report. It will be considered at a Regional Transportation Council meeting July 11 in Arlington.
Fort Worth officials remain adamant that extending the line into the west side of DFW will benefit all of North Texas, which is growing at a rapid rate. The revised route salvages about 97% of the original plan, Michael Morris, director of transportation of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, told the Fort Worth Report.
“High-speed rail is an integral part of our transportation future and it will include Tarrant County,” Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said in a statement last month. “Collectively, our success is dependent on world class mobility solutions that connect not just DFW but the entire state of Texas.”
The Dallas City Council in June commissioned a four-month study that will analyze how the high-speed rail connection could impact existing plans for the city’s Central Business District. The council plans to revisit the proposal once those results have been received.
