Dallas transportation officials are considering an ambitious plan for up and coming railway projects in the region that envisions a city center where passengers can connect with existing railways across North Texas, like light rail and streetcars, and — someday — take a high speed train to Fort Worth or Houston.
What the plan says
At a meeting of the Dallas Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday, assistant city manager Robert Perez laid out the comprehensive, but tentative plan. It includes the city's coordination with ongoing initiatives including the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center, efforts to expand street cars downtown and the region's ongoing high speed rail endeavors. The plan would also revitalize the heavily underused Eddie Bernice Johnson Union Station.
"If you go looking you look at the union stations or the train stations in other cities, you'll find mixed use developments that are out to include hotels, to include retail to include bars. It really is a destination in itself in those other cities," Perez said. "You'll see a whole other vision that we could potentially produce here in Dallas."
A high speed rail station in South Dallas' Cedars neighborhood has already been approved by federal officials in a recent environmental study. What's also new is a proposed "people mover," or elevated walkway, that would be built over I-30 connecting the different elements — the high speed rail station to EBJ Union Station, the convention center and ultimately the rest of downtown and the region.
"You're on the heels of something that I don't think exists in the United States," said Michael Morris, transportation director with the North Central Texas Council of Governments.
The overall vision is just a rough sketch of what could be — a vibrant railway hub that could change the fabric of the city's core.
What elected officials are asking
Committee members followed the presentation with questions as some are still wondering if the high speed rail projects are ever going to take off.
"I'm at this point thinking it's not going to happen in my lifetime," said District 12 council member Cara Mendelsohn. "Is it urgent for us to consider Dallas to Fort Worth, when we don't know if Dallas-Houston is ever going to happen?"
Morris responded that Amtrak is already "full speed ahead" in conversations with officials in Washington about implementing the Dallas to Houston leg of the line. Just last month, the Federal Railroad Administration awarded $2 million in grants for proposed railway projects in the state.
Meanwhile, the Regional Transportation Council, represented by various North Texas elected officials, is about to conduct an environmental study of the Fort Worth to Dallas leg of the line, which may include a station in Arlington.
But with a gain there's also a loss — District 1 council member Chad West asked Morris about the valuable downtown real estate that the city could lose in the railway's alignment.
"A fair question would be, what additional density is gained by having a high speed rail station?" Morris responded. "Because I think the answer is, you actually get more economic development, greater use of land, taller buildings, than you would otherwise."
Committee chair Omar Narvaez reminded members that Dallas was built on a railroad. In fact, it was Dallas' original founder John Neely Bryan who envisioned the city as a rail destination in 1873.
"High speed rail was probably a pipe dream 20 years ago," Narvaez said. "It's kind of interesting to see, you know... a little over 100-something years later, that it's all about rail again for us and we do just got to get it right."
No timeline was set on when the high speed rail hub would break ground. The committee expects to hear a more detailed plan on the rail hub vision in March.
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