Galveston County pitches public transit district

County commissioners today will consider creating a transit district that eventually could lead to expanded public transportation options — including high-speed rail.

The high-speed rail option has long been talked about in the county as a way to connect Houston to Galveston, with a station possibly in League City.

Last year, the city of Galveston commissioned a study on the proposed rail line that would connect with Houston’s Metropolitan Transit Authority’s light rail line.

Forming the Galveston County Urban and Rural Transit District, which would have representatives from all 13 of the county’s municipalities, also could lead to increased federal funding of bus services that already link Galveston, Texas City and La Marque.

The city of Dickinson, through a partnership with the Gulf Coast Center, launched its own bus service this month. The Gulf Coast Centers Connect Transit also operates the bus services in Texas City and La Marque.

If approved by commissioners today, a transportation conference would be held April 13 when representatives of the county and cities will vote to create the nontaxing district.

Be careful what you wish for.

Where County Mass Transit Districts go, fat Union contracts and unfunded pension liabilities follow.

The track is already there. There have been trains from Housto to Galveston in the past. A train from Houston to Galveston was tried something like a decade ago and couldn’t draw enough riders to make it worthwhile. It’s only 23 miles from League City to Galveston on I-45 so who’s going to ride a train? Maybe from Houston to Galveston would be good if there were parking, you could commute to work but you’d have to get a cab in Galveston from the station to work or alternatively if you lived in Galveston you would have to get from the drop off in Houston to work. There is already park and ride from Webster to Houston and the HOV is being extend south of Dixie Farm to NASA 1. They could put a park and ride at Johnny Palmer and I-45. THe HOVs in Houston are primarily for buses anyway. Federal subsidies to move people by rail might make it attractive to some riders but I work out west of Houston so it won’t do me any good unless a lot of riders switch from I-45 to the rail. All in all, it sounds like a boondoggle to me.

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