Opportunities and challenges for high-speed rail corridors in Texas.

Details

• Creators:
  Carroll, Todd ; Walton, C. Michael
• Corporate Creators:
  University of Texas at Austin. Center for Transportation Research
• Corporate Contributors:
  Texas Transportation Institute
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Special trains
  • High speed rail
  • High speed ground transportation
  • High speed rail
  • Transportation planning
  • High speed trains--Texas--Planning
• Publication/ Report Number:
  SWUTC/11/476660-00076-1 ; Report 476660-00076-1
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  Texas
• Edition:
  Research report; Sept. 2010-Aug. 2011.
• Corporate Publisher:
  Southwest Region University Transportation Center (U.S.)
• Abstract:
  Texas features a growing economy and population. The state boasts a large and well-developed ; network of roads, freight railroads, and air facilities, which make the state a vital link in the movement of ; people and goods. However, as the state continues to grow in population and economic significance, these ; systems are straining to meet state, national, and even global needs. It is increasingly obvious to residents ; and state officials that Texas should consider implementing alternative modes of transport, including ; development of passenger rail, for which Texas currently lags behind many of its peer states. Passenger ; rail provides quantifiable benefits in displacing less energy-efficient and higher pollutant-emitting air and ; automobile modes while generating potential positive economic impacts and enhancing consumer choice ; and multimodalism. Conveniently, renewed national interest in rail has invigorated research measuring ; the applicability of passenger rail services to many different regions of the United States, with the ; possibility that future national transportation visions will include passenger rail as an essential element. ; This thesis seeks to clarify the potential for passenger rail specifically in Texas through comparison and ; contrast with other regions and nations in the midst of new national-level knowledge and the changing ; transportation opportunities and challenges facing the state. Some of the ideal characteristics of successful ; international passenger systems exist in Texas, including optimal city spacing and a well-established rail ; network, which have fuelled ongoing interest demonstrated by various system proposals for high-speed ; intercity transportation in Texas over the last four decades. Despite these characteristics, the state presents ; a number of barriers to rail transport rooted in low transit use coupled with generally lower density and ; ambivalent support from politicians and residents when officials present realities of eminent domain and ; land use changes. However, with revitalized national rail interest and new federal rail planning ; requirements, the state may yet be able to work through these challenges to exploit the opportunities the ; state possesses.
  More +
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  DTRT07-G-0006
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/23866/dot_23866_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 6.82 MB]
• Collection(s):
  University Transportation Centers ; US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:4f3cf66dc9bbb5d45642c883f583caa2c892a8e0f4a5069a91cda1f2a0c882ee853125da483e09c57b4e5fb3b9a9f92b6023f133d70ea54a74b3d894c6cb24bb