If you have an opinion on the proposed Houston-to-Dallas bullet train, Friday, March 9, is your final day to make it known to planners.
That is the online deadline for citizens to submit feedback on the train's routes and design. The Federal Railroad Administration released the report back in December, which outlined the proposed route and stops along the 90-minute ride between the Lone Star State’s two biggest cities.
As CultureMap reported in February, Houston now has its terminal: Northwest Mall, at the interchange of Loop 610 and U.S. 290, is the preferred site of the new passenger station. The Houston location is touted as a “high-growth area,” with easy access to the Galleria, the Energy Corridor, and downtown.
Here is the proposed train route (courtesy of ABC13):
Proponents of the bullet train say it will relieve traffic congestion and make for safer roadways, by cutting down on the number of fatal and serious accidents along Interstate 45. (According to planners, the train is expected to remove 14,630 cars daily from I-45.) Advocates also note that the train is said to be utilizing the industry’s safest technology, while citing I-45 as the second deadliest highway in America.
But the train is not without its share of controversy: there is an estimable anti-train contingent, and the proposed rail line cuts a line through 240 miles of Texas land — much of it private property.
Comments from the last round of public meetings will be incorporated into a final report, which the Federal Railroad Administration will then approve.
The Houston-to-Dallas bullet train is one step closer to reality after the announcement of a Houston stop.
