Lone S Star R tar Reg egional al R Rail ail Pro Project - Upd - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Lone S Star R tar Reg egional al R Rail ail Pro Project - Upd pdate

Jos

• seph 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

ar Rai Rail D Distric ict & & the Pr Project

• Connectivity/

y/Mo Mobil ilit ity

• Environme

mental Impact Stateme ement (EIS) S) Process ss

Lone Star Regional Rail Project - Update

1

3

• 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.

Jurisdictions and Service Area

3

4

• 30+ through f

freig ight t train ains p per day y rerouted to Urban Freight Rail Bypass

• 80+

80+ miles of

• f new fr

freight r rail li line from Seguin to Taylor

• 40+ m

40+ miles of i

• f improved fr

freight rail ail l lin ine from San Antonio to Seguin

• Economi

mic d devel elopmen pment t

• ppotunities

New Freight Rai Rail L Line

• LST

STAR AR is is R Regional R Rail ail

• hybrid of commuter &

intercity rail

• Originall

lly 1 16 stations at full service (up to 24 with split stations service)

• 32 round

und tr trips a a day y at full service

• 118 m

mile les s of p passe senger r ra rail; l; San Antonio north to Georgetown

How Does the LSRRP Effort Fill a Central Texas Need?

Pas Passenger Rail Rail

4

Rid ider E Experience

• Considered a higher level of transit
• Dependable/predictable service
• Avoids destination parking & costs
• Bring your bike along
• 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

Lone Star Regional Rail – LSTAR Passenger Service

6

Regional Mobil ility/ y/Access

• Relocation of UP reduces freight rail traffic in city centers
• “Through” freight trains are longer & slower

(1-2 miles long; avg. 20 mph or less)

• Passenger trains are shorter & faster (max. 8 cars; avg. 60 mph)
• Moves “through freight” trains to bypass (approx. 30-40 trains/day)
• Remaining local freight stays in the corridor (no loss of service)
• Amtrak service stays in the corridor (more reliable service)

Lone Star Regional Rail – New Freight Rail Line

7

“Unio ion Pac acific ic R Rail ailroad h has as been workin ing cooperatively w wit ith t the Dis istrict o

• n 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

• f 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

• rk Infrastruct

cture, Un Union

• n Pacific Rail

ilroad

• 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

Union Pacific Railroad

8

• 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

• LSTAR Service and Freight Bypass Line
• NE

NEPA PA en environme mental al i imp mpac act c cat atego egories

• Threatened or endangered species impacts
• Air & water quality impacts
• Historic & cultural sites impacts
• Social & economic community impacts
• Cost-benefit analysis
• …
• 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

• cess will t

take approximately 3 y 3 years with r results expected S Summe mer 2 2017

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Process

15

The pu purpo pose o

• f the pr

proposed Pr d Project is t is to fac acil ilitate t the reliab able t transpo port o

• f 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

• f 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 Ce Central an and d So South T Texas.

Proje ject P Pur urpose Proje ject P Pur urpose

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

Sp Spring–Su 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