Peter LeCody is the president of Texas Rail Advocates, a Dallas-based group that supports freight and passenger rail development. He is also chairman of the National Association of Railroad Passengers.
There is federal funding through the FAST Act and other programs that can be leveraged for passenger rail if Texas can step up and match it. Other conservative states, like Oklahoma and Utah, dedicate funding for passenger rail and transit and are seeing the benefits of transportation choices for their citizens. Texas has been shut out.
It’s almost too late to start a statewide passenger rail network in Texas. Rail projects here have no dedicated source of revenue; no statewide projects are being considered by TxDOT. Future generations may regret that our elected leaders only focused on more highway development and left passenger train service on a dead-end track.
Much of what we take for granted in our daily lives is shipped by freight rail. And those same railcars could be sitting idle by Jan. 1 if Congress keeps playing a waiting game.
The future of business in Texas hinges on a transportation system that is fast, dependable and connects people with all modes of transportation. It's time for high-speed rail, and plans are moving forward faster than most people realize.
