Post by pavel on Apr 5, 2016 1:55:29 GMT -6
Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail loses Brazos Valley support
While the company developing the high-speed rail between Dallas and Houston continues to tout the economic benefits it would bring to the Brazos Valley, leaders of the regional planning commission have reversed their previous vote of confidence in the project.
The Brazos Valley Council of Governments passed a resolution March 9 in opposition of Texas Central Partners’ bullet train project, a reversal to the position they took in March 2014. Grimes County Judge Ben Leman — who also chairs both the agency and the Texans Against High-Speed Rail group — said he introduced the resolution with the intention of getting an updated reflection of the BVCOG’s current feelings on the rail, which would zip passengers at up to 205 miles per hour between Dallas and Houston in less than 90 minutes.
When the agency, composed of five voting members each from Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Leon, Madison, Robertson and Washington counties, first voted on the project two years ago, Leman said, details were limited, and Texas Central “certainly led a lot of people to believe” that it would use existing rights of way. Despite the company’s promises that the final rail alignment will follow existing interstates, freight rail and power and utility corridors, Leman said the project will require “all new right of way,” and eminent domain will have to be used extensively in order for the project to be achieved.
“The resolution says the body does not believe that this project will reach the level of public benefit that justifies the use of eminent domain,” Leman said.
Read more: www.theeagle.com/news/local/dallas-to-houston-high-speed-rail-loses-brazos-valley-support/article_2d510789-03cb-578f-83c2-dbafdb45db6f.html
While the company developing the high-speed rail between Dallas and Houston continues to tout the economic benefits it would bring to the Brazos Valley, leaders of the regional planning commission have reversed their previous vote of confidence in the project.
The Brazos Valley Council of Governments passed a resolution March 9 in opposition of Texas Central Partners’ bullet train project, a reversal to the position they took in March 2014. Grimes County Judge Ben Leman — who also chairs both the agency and the Texans Against High-Speed Rail group — said he introduced the resolution with the intention of getting an updated reflection of the BVCOG’s current feelings on the rail, which would zip passengers at up to 205 miles per hour between Dallas and Houston in less than 90 minutes.
When the agency, composed of five voting members each from Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Leon, Madison, Robertson and Washington counties, first voted on the project two years ago, Leman said, details were limited, and Texas Central “certainly led a lot of people to believe” that it would use existing rights of way. Despite the company’s promises that the final rail alignment will follow existing interstates, freight rail and power and utility corridors, Leman said the project will require “all new right of way,” and eminent domain will have to be used extensively in order for the project to be achieved.
“The resolution says the body does not believe that this project will reach the level of public benefit that justifies the use of eminent domain,” Leman said.
Read more: www.theeagle.com/news/local/dallas-to-houston-high-speed-rail-loses-brazos-valley-support/article_2d510789-03cb-578f-83c2-dbafdb45db6f.html