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 Jos oseph L h Lessard – Plann nning Director, Knud Knudson L LP August 20, 20, 20 2015
Lone Star Regional Rail Project - Update Presentat ation Lone Star ar Rai Rail’s Bac ackground • Connectivity/ y/Mo Mobil ilit ity • EI EIS Sta tatus us • Local Fund unding ng • 1
Jurisdictions and Service Area • Cities: Georgetown, Austin, San Marcos, New Braunfels, Schertz, San Antonio • Countie ies: Williamson, Travis, Hays, Bexar, Bastrop • 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: 22 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 New Freight intercity rail Rail Line • 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 opportunities Georgetown 4 4
Lone Star Regional Rail – Service Planning Targets • Initial S Servi vice: : 60 min. headway on peak 120 min. headway off peak 12 total round trips per day Weekends & holidays: per demand & budget • Bas Base S e Ser ervice: : 30 min. headway on peak 60 min. headway off peak 21 total round trips per day, including express service Weekends & holidays: per demand & budget • Full S Servi vice: : 15 min. headway on peak 60 min. headway off peak 28-32 total round trips per day, including express service Weekends & holidays: per demand & budget 5
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 – Connectivity/Mobility 10
Lone Star Regional Rail – Connectivity/Mobility Hig Highway expans ansion n capabi bili lity i is li limited • TxDOT funding is limited, though growing • Rights of way established in 1950-1970s • Capital Area MPO data: 12-14 additional lanes needed by 2035 11
Lone Star Regional Rail – Connectivity/Mobility LSTAR AR p pas assenger t train ains c can an provid ide equivalent of 2 to 8 8 ad addit itional h hig ighway la lanes s to t the re region’s t s tra ransp sportation system from W Willi lliamso son t to B Bexar r County 12
Lone Star Core c Regio e congestion “me ional c commuter r “meters” traffic like rail ail is is e an h hourg rgla lass ss – you u can p n pour ur more unaffected b una by y highway c y cong ngestion. Regional Rail sand nd, b but y ut you u can’t make i it t move Connectivity/ faster. fa Mobility Suburb rban Cities Core C Cit ity Growth th r results ts i in a a rin ing o of c core congestion. LSTAR can a n add 1 to 4 lane nes o of capacity i y in n each d direction. Suburb rban Cities 13
Community & Economic Development – Area Stations • San n Marcos ( (2) • New New Br Brau aunfel els ( (1) • Schert rtz ( (1) San n Ant ntonio Stations (7) • Loop 1 p 1604 • Loop 4 p 410/Airport • San P n Pedro & & H Hildebrand ( (local) • Fr Fredericksburg Rd Rd. (lo local) l) San Pedro & Hildebrand Fredericksburg Rd. • Do Downt ntown S San A n Ant ntonio • a • Port S San n Ant ntonio (to be adde dded d to EIS) S) • Verano no/Texas A A&M S San A n Ant ntonio (to be adde dded d to EIS) S) 14
Lone Star Regional Rail – Economic Impact • Pas Passenger ger 726,000 to 1,288,000 hours commute time saved annually Average annual savings to LSTAR users of $17.4 to $30.9 million Growth & land use change around stations • Frei eight Future business potential Growth needs of Union Pacific Known corridor can direct land use Minimal impact: ~100’ – 150’ right-of-way 15
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 New East Freight 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 ne new freight line ne Proc ocess will t take approximately 3 y 3 years with r results expected S Summe mer 2 2017 18
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 safe, r saf reliable, an and e d effic icient t tran ansport o of pe peopl ple wh whil ile impr im proving mo mode de c choic ice, mo mobility, an and d ac access t to educat atio ional al, e employme ment, a and c comme mercial ial c centers w s within in the c commu munit itie ies t s that at c comprise se t the m metropo polit itan an 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, pr promote connectivity, an and d pr provide an an al alternative t to t the u use se o of major r majo regional al h hig ighways t to mo move pe people t to su suppo pport current an and d forecasted g growt wth an and d economic de development wit within Ce Central an and d So South T Texas wh whil ile maintaining f main freight r rai ail se service an and d capac apacity. 19
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Process An Environmental al Impact S Statement ( (EIS) is a document that describes the effects of a large or complex project on the human and natural environment. The Lone Star Regional Rail EIS will be prepared on behalf of the Lone Star ar Rai Rail D Distric ict under the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Federal al H Highway ay Admin inistrat ation, and the Tex Texas Dep Department of Transportatio ion. At the end of the study process, the lead federal agency (FHWA, in this case) issues a Record d of Dec Decision (R (ROD) that will determine how — if at all — a project can best move forward. 20
The e EIS IS Pr Proces ess Sc Scopi ping Fal all l 2014–Winter 2 2015 21
The e EIS IS Pr Proces ess Sc Scopi ping Fal all l 2014–Winter 2 2015 Alternatives WE AR E ARE E HER ERE Sp Spring–Fal all 2 2015 22
The e EIS IS Pr Proces ess Sc Scopi ping Fal all l 2014–Winter 2 2015 Alternatives Sp Spring–Fal all 2 2015 Asse ssess I Impa mpacts Winter 2015–Spring 2 g 2016 23
The e EIS IS Pr Proces ess Sc Scopi ping Fal all l 2014–Winter 2 2015 Alternatives Sp Spring–Fal all 2 2015 Asse ssess I Impa mpacts Winter 2015–Spring 2 g 2016 Dra raft E EIS IS Summer mmer–Fall 2 2016 24
The e EIS IS Pr Proces ess Sc Scopi ping Fal all l 2014–Winter 2 2015 Alternatives Sp Spring–Fal all 2 2015 Asse ssess I Impa mpacts Winter 2015–Spring 2 g 2016 Dra raft E EIS IS Summer mmer–Fall 2 2016 Final al E EIS/R S/ROD 2017-2018 25
LSTAR – Timeline Local funding is the gat ateway ay to capital funding from public and private sources. Capital al Fund unding ng Local Constr tructi tion Commi mmissi sioning Operation ons Fund unding Design gn Tim imin ing New development influenced by rail opportunity • Initiates value capture from land speculation, zoning and other entitlements • 26
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