Lone S Star R tar Reg egional al R Rail ail Pro Project - Upd pdate Jos oseph B h Black – Rail ail D Dir irector, L Lone St Star ar R Rail ail D Dis istrict June 3 3, , 2015
Lone Star Regional Rail Project - Update Lone Star ar Rai Rail D Distric ict & & the Pr Project Connectivity/ y/Mo Mobil ilit ity Environme mental Impact Stateme ement (EIS) S) Process ss 1
Jurisdictions and Service Area • Cities: Georgetown, Austin, San Marcos, New Braunfels, Schertz, San Antonio • Countie ies: Williamson, Travis, Hays, Bexar • Tr Transit Agen gencies: Capital Metro, CARTS, VIA, ART • MPOs MPOs: CAMPO, AAMPO • Ot Other E Entit ities: Austin Community College District • Region’ n’s s Board R d Repres esen entation: 21 members representing the political leadership and business community of Central/South Texas, plus “at large” members appointed by the TxTC. 3 3
How Does the LSRRP Effort Fill a Central Texas Need? Passenger Rail Pas Rail New Freight Rai Rail L Line • LST STAR AR is is R Regional R Rail ail - • 30+ through f freig ight t train ains p per hybrid of commuter & day y rerouted to Urban Freight intercity rail Rail Bypass • Originall lly 1 16 stations at full • 80+ 80+ miles of of new fr freight r rail service (up to 24 with split li line from Seguin to Taylor stations service) • 40+ m 40+ miles of i of improved fr freight • 32 round und tr trips a a day y at full rail ail l lin ine from San Antonio to service Seguin • 118 m mile les s of p passe senger r ra rail; l; • Economi mic d devel elopmen pment t San Antonio north to oppotunities Georgetown 4 4
Lone Star Regional Rail – LSTAR Passenger Service Rid ider E Experience • Considered a higher level of transit o Dependable/predictable service o Avoids destination parking & costs o Bring your bike along o Wi-fi enabled • Congestion proof option – bypasses traffic bottlenecks • Makes drive time available for other activities Link nks ne nearly 300,000 s stud tudents, f faculty a y and nd sta taff a at t 17 c camp mpuses es: • Texas A&M University San Antonio • UTSA Downtown Campus • Alamo Community Colleges • Texas State University • The University of Texas at Austin 6
Lone Star Regional Rail – New Freight Rail Line Regional Mobil ility/ y/Access • Relocation of UP reduces freight rail traffic in city centers o “Through” freight trains are longer & slower (1-2 miles long; avg. 20 mph or less) o Passenger trains are shorter & faster (max. 8 cars; avg. 60 mph) o Moves “through freight” trains to bypass (approx. 30-40 trains/day) o Remaining local freight stays in the corridor (no loss of service) o Amtrak service stays in the corridor (more reliable service) 7
Union Pacific Railroad • Ne New F Frei eight Rail l Line ne – jo join int planni nning ng • LSTAR Passen enger er and nd Loca cal F Frei eight O Oper erations – jo join int planni nning ng “Unio ion Pac acific ic R Rail ailroad h has as been workin ing cooperatively w wit ith t the Dis istrict o on it its Au Austin-San An Antonio Corrid idor p proje ject for several al y year ars…We b believe that at b both Uni nion Pacific a and nd th the D District h have m made s sub ubstantial progress…and nd anti nticipate that a an e even entual a agree eement w will res esult in the a e ability o of t the Di e District to pr provide pas assenger s servic ice an and r relocation of t through f freig ight in in the A Austin in-San A an Antoni nio Corrid idor…” Jerry Wilm lmoth, General al Manag ager – Networ ork Infrastruct cture, Un Union on Pacific Rail ilroad 8
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Process • National E Env nvironmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires a an n Env nvironmental I Impa pact Statement (EIS) to assess pr project altern rnative ves o LSTAR Service and Freight Bypass Line • NE NEPA PA en environme mental al i imp mpac act c cat atego egories o Threatened or endangered species impacts o Air & water quality impacts o Historic & cultural sites impacts o Social & economic community impacts o Cost-benefit analysis o … • Envi viro ronmental Justice considerations of NEPA assess human health, economic, and social impacts on minority and low-income populations. LSRD D has i ini nitiated an n EIS f for the pa passenger l line a and nd freight bypa pass Proc ocess will t take approximately 3 y 3 years with r results expected S Summe mer 2 2017 15
Proje ject P Pur urpose Proje ject P Pur urpose The pu purpo pose o of the pr proposed Pr d Project is t is to fac acil ilitate t the reliab able t transpo port o of pe peopl ple an and d freight wh whil ile im impr proving mo mode de c choic ice, mo mobility, an and d ac access t to edu ducational, emplo loym yment, a , and commercial c l centers w withi hin t the commu munit itie ies t s that at c compris ise t the m metropo polit itan a areas o as of Austin a and San A Antonio io. T The propo pose sed P d Proje ject w would d exp xpan and t tran ansportation mo mode de c choic ice an and d pr provide a a convenie ient a alternat ativ ive t to the u use o of majo jor r regio ional al hig ighways t to mo move pe peopl ple an and d goods t to su supp pport c current an and d forecasted g growth an and e d economic de development wit within Central an Ce and d So South T Texas. 16
The e NEPA PA Pr Proces ess Sc Scopi ping Fal all l 2014–Winter 2 2015 18
The e NEPA PA Pr Proces ess Sc Scopi ping Fal all l 2014–Winter 2 2015 Alternatives Sp Spring–Su Summ mmer er 2 2015 19
The e NEPA PA Pr Proces ess Sc Scopi ping Fal all l 2014–Winter 2 2015 Alternatives Spring–Su Sp Summ mmer er 2 2015 Asse ssess I Impa mpacts Fal all l 2015–Sp Spring g 2016 20
The e NEPA PA Pr Proces ess Sc Scopi ping Fal all l 2014–Winter 2 2015 Alternatives Sp Spring–Su Summ mmer er 2 2015 Asse ssess I Impa mpacts Fal all l 2015–Sp Spring g 2016 Dra raft E EIS IS Summer mmer–Fall 2 2016 21
The e NEPA PA Pr Proces ess Sc Scopi ping Fal all l 2014–Winter 2 2015 Alternatives Sp Spring–Su Summ mmer er 2 2015 Asse ssess I Impa mpacts Fal all l 2015–Sp Spring g 2016 Dra raft E EIS IS Summer mmer–Fall 2 2016 Final al E EIS/R S/ROD 2017 22
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