Plans to link Fort Worth, Arlington and Dallas with high-speed rail are moving ahead, and the North Central Texas Council of Governments wants to hear what potential users of the system think. The formal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process of the Dallas-Fort Worth High-Speed Transportation Connections Study will kick off in September, and NCTCOG is hosting four open house events to allow the public a chance to learn more about the project.
The first open house is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29 at NCTCOG’s Arlington offices. Subsequent open houses will be hosted at 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31 at the Fort Worth Central Station Community Room; 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 6 at the Tony Shotwell Life Center in Grand Prairie; and 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7 at the West Dallas Multipurpose Center.
The open houses will encourage an open dialogue, similar to meetings held during the first phase of the study in 2021. A short video will discuss the project and presentation boards throughout each venue will explain different high-speed technologies and illustrate the recommended route.
During Phase 1 of the project, planners evaluated high-speed transportation alternatives, including alignments and various high-speed technologies, that could enhance travel between Dallas, Arlington and Fort Worth. Now, the proposed high-speed transportation project between Dallas and Fort Worth is in Phase 2, focusing on a single corridor and identified station locations, with the goal of evaluating potential social and environmental impacts along the corridor.
Planners and engineers have identified the preferred route to be generally located along Interstate Highway 30 between downtown Dallas and downtown Fort Worth, with a stop in the Arlington Entertainment District. Currently, they are advancing preliminary engineering design of this alignment to support the social and environmental analysis of high-speed rail.
The high-speed rail line being studied in North Texas would provide connections with local transportation systems and link directly to future high-speed services such as the planned Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail line.
The 12-county metropolitan area currently has a population of 8 million and is expected to add an additional 3 million-plus people by 2045. The projected 2045 population of over 11 million would be approximately 50% larger than in 2018. Implementation of high-speed rail technology will help alleviate the increase in highway congestion that is expected to occur because of the population growth.
High-Speed Transportation Open Houses
Aug. 29, 5-7:30 p.m.
North Central Texas Council of Governments
616 Six Flags Drive
Arlington, TX 76011
Aug. 31, 4-7 p.m.
Fort Worth Central Station Community Room
1001 Jones St.
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Sept. 6, 5-7:30 p.m.
Tony Shotwell Life Center
2750 Graham St.
Grand Prairie, TX 75050
Sept. 7, 4-7 p.m.
West Dallas Multipurpose Center
2828 Fish Trap Road
Dallas, TX 75212
