Posted on 03/14/2017 2:33:48 PM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
DALLAS Texas Central, developers of the states high-speed train, announced on February 7th that it reached a significant milestone in its land option program, the result of collaborative and ongoing engagements with property owners and stakeholders along the projects potential route.
The company said it has reached option agreements on about 30 percent of the parcels estimate to be needed for the bullet trains route in the 10-county stretch between North Texas and Houston.
Negotiations have resulted in option agreements in all 10 counties, including 50 percent of the parcels for the proposed route in Waller and Grimes counties. Grimes County is the site of a Brazos Valley passenger station, a midway stop on the 240-mile line between the states top metro areas.
Texas Centrals option program compensates owners today in exchange for the right to acquire a parcel at a future date at an agreed price. The option offers are being made in select areas of alignments that are under review as part of the projects environmental assessment.
To date, options have been negotiated representing about 30 percent of the parcels estimated for the potential route.
This is a significant step in the progress of the high-speed train and it reflects the positive dialogue we have had with landowners along the route, said Texas Central CEO Carlos Aguilar. Texans see the many benefits of a system that will provide a safe, reliable and productive alternative to the states transportation demands.
Since the beginning of the project, Texas Central has pledged to engage in personalized, open, and collaborative discussions with landowners, listening to concerns, outlining the projects benefits and answering quest9ons. Texas Central so far has hosted 28 information meetings throughout the 10 counties, allowing for additional individual conversations with project managers and subject matter experts. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at northdallasgazette.com ...
Why, so Washington can tax and regulate it to death?
Friend sent me design specs for flying cards especially for seniors. Will be equipped with an orange flag on the left rear and it’s right turn signal light will be programmed to remain on for the duration of the flight.
Who knows, this Texas train might get built with only a little taxpayer money.
Who is going to ride it?
What keeps them going in Japan is that all the work is in Tokyo, and employers subsidize the train cards.
Who will pay for a train ride from Dallas through College Station to Houston? Well, lots of Aggies during winning seasons.
There is a bus service called Vonlane that takes a full size bus, puts in first class seating and drives from Love Field to downtown Houston.
But I understand that it is only private money.
“Well, lots of Aggies during winning seasons.”
To keep a train running, you need a certain level of ridership every day, week in and week out.
I am trying to have and opinion.....yea or nay.............I don’t yet.
“They need to quit pouring all this money into high-speed trains and instead focus on flying cars.”
Or spend 5% of the money this boondoggle will cost to add a lane or two to I-45...and then build parking lots for Megabus, so people can go between the cities for $5 instead of $80.
...but then again, nothing GLAMOROUS about doing that.
Trust me, this is one battle that Texans would be better off losing...there is NO MARKET for the train, unless you consider someone that lives in downtown Houston needing to go to downtown Dallas.
Otherwise, simply fly - two airports with full-up supporting infrastructure (i.e., rental cars, easy freeway access to get anywhere in either city, etc.). Or, for people that want to spend less, spend a billion or so (at the very most) to widen I-45 and give Megabus some help in locating their stations.
I would think one of the things that would put high speed trains ahead is if they would allow CCW on their trains.
I know if there was a comparably priced, straight through train to Florida that would allow me to carry I would take it.
I will not fly unless going over seas. And that is one heck of a drive.
With a name like this negotiations will not go well with the folks along the route. Especially along the Trinity.
I hear you...but visit an airport some time and you’ll see that people that don’t fly (for whatever reasons) are a very small minority.
As it is, there are other options short of this train, particularly for such a short distance - where it will likely be quicker for most people to drive, given the overhead of dealing with a train that neither picks them up where they live nor takes them where they’re going.
“As it is, there are other options short of this train”
Yes, but none of those offers the opportunity to revel in such intensely sumptuous virtue signaling as pimping for high-speed rail.
Gee, shucks. Happy to be a part of a Texas ping.
I think I flew over Texas, once.
Might have to retire there now.
And I know that I would be in heaven.
Having the opportunity to ride the fast 200 mph trains both in Japan and China, I can tell you I became an instant fan despite being skeptical for it here in the US. They have done it right. Cabins and seats are vastly more spacious and comfortable than a plane. Smooth and very quiet. Train station...10 minutes, walk in, buy tickets and enter the train instantly. Guarantee if done right here, you will see a huge popularity and acceptance. I wish everyone who is on the borderline on this effort would have an opportunity to experience before deciding against it. Texas being done privately...
“Theyll have to go through Rock Ridge.”
And need a sh**load of dimes to do it.
L
Japan and China citizens do not have property rights.
In order for the high speed rail to go through, they will have to have the right to eminent domain. That power is only reserved for governmental entities. The rail company is private and not a government. Therefore what they are doing is illegal, trying to seize or buy private property for their toy train. Add to that, the rail system will create levees that will foul up drainage and wildlife.
And for what?
Southwest Airlines can get you across the state faster and more efficiently than any rail can. And taxpayers don’t have to pay for it.
We took a bullet train in France. We took the hovercraft from England to France, extremely uncomfortable and boring. Got on the train thinking, now this is going to be better because we will be able to see the country side. As soon as the train got out of town (I forget which town) the train dropped off into a ditch and you saw nothing the entire trip. If you are tourist and you want to see everything you can this would not be the way to do it. As I said earlier I have not made up my mind about this train in Texas.
Anyone who thinks this isn't ultimately going to be backstopped by taxpayer dollars is living in a dream world.
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