TEX Rail construction could begin in 2016 with ROD receipt

Written by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T) received a Record of Decision (ROD) from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the TEX Rail project. The ROD sets the stage for construction on the project to possibly begin in 2016.

 

“Achieving a Record of Decision is an acknowledgement of the importance of TEX Rail in helping to meet the growing public transportation needs in Greater Fort Worth and Tarrant County, and to provide essential connections to other transit systems across the North Central Texas region,” said Scott Mahaffey, The T’s Board Chair.

The initial service of TEX Rail will extend from downtown Fort Worth, across northeast Tarrant County and Grapevine and into DFW Airport at Terminal B. This 27-mile regional rail corridor is projected to have more than 10,000 daily riders at initial start of service in 2018 using eight stations. By 2035, there will be 10 stations and more than 15,500 daily riders.

“We want to acknowledge the strong regional and congressional support throughout the development and planning of TEX Rail, including FTA Region VI in Fort Worth, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Southwest Region in Fort Worth, the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), and The T’s TEX Rail partners: Tarrant County, the City of Fort Worth, the City of Grapevine, and DFW Airport,” Mahaffey said.

“These supporters, and many other community and state leaders, also were instrumental in TEX Rail’s inclusion in the President’s 2015 Budget for New Starts funding,” he said.

The New Starts process will qualify TEX Rail to eventually receive federal funding for approved expenditures of up to 50 percent of TEX Rail’s estimated capital cost.

The Record of Decision permits The T to contract with an engineering services firm to advance engineering and to begin acquiring property necessary for stations and other property along the rail corridor.

The next major milestone in the federal New Starts Process will be after FTA provides The T with permission to enter engineering, at which point The T will place its order for rail vehicles, according to Mahaffey.

The last major milestone in the New Starts process will be the FTA’s awarding a Full Funding Grant.

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