[00:00:04]
WATCHING THE MEETING OF THE DALLAS CITY COUNCIL WITH MAYOR ERIC L. JOHNSON, MAYOR PRO TEM CANAL, ATKINS, DEPUTY MAYOR, PRO TEM CAROLYN KING ARNOLD.
COUNCIL MEMBERS SHAD WEST, JESSE MORENO, ZAIN GRACIE, JAIME RESENDEZ, OMAR NVAS, ADAM, BASIL DUA, PAULA BLACKMAN, KATHY STEWART, JANIE SCHULTZ, KARA MENDELSON, GAY DONELLE WILLIS PAUL RIDLEY, AND CITY MANAGER TC BROAD, MAX CITY SECRETARY BILLY RAY JOHNSON AND CITY ATTORNEY TAMMY PALINO.
[Call to Order]
GOOD MORNING.TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6TH, 2024, AND THE TIME IS NINE 13.
I NOW CALL THIS MEETING OF THE DALLAS CITY COUNCILOR.
ORDER FIRST TODAY, THE INVOCATION SPEAKER WILL BE COUNCILMAN ZAN GRAYSON FROM DISTRICT THREE.
GRACIOUS AND LOVING GOD, AS WE GATHER HERE TODAY IN THE PRESENCE OF DALLAS CITY COUNCIL.
DURING THIS WOMAN'S MONTH, WE ARE REMINDED OF THE FAITH AND RESILIENCE OF THE WOMEN WHO HAVE COME BEFORE US, JUST AS LYDIA IN ACTS 16, 13 THROUGH 15.
OPEN HER HEART TO RECEIVE YOUR WORD.
MAY WE ALSO BE OPEN TO YOUR GUIDANCE AND WISDOM IN ALL OUR DECISIONS TODAY.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE WOMEN IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO LEAD WITH STRENGTH, COMPASSION, AND GRACE.
MAY THEIR VOICES BE HEARD AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS VALUED AS WE SEEK TO CREATE A CITY THAT IS INCLUSIVE AND JUST FOR ALL.
GUIDE US LORD IN OUR DELIBERATIONS AND HELP US TO REMEMBER THE IMPORTANCE OF LISTENING TO ALL PERSPECTIVES, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF THE MARGINALIZED AND VULNERABLE AMONG US.
MAY THE DECISIONS MADE HERE TODAY REFLECT YOUR LOVE AND DESIRE FOR JUSTICE.
WE ASK FOR YOUR BLESSINGS UPON THIS MEETING.
UH, UPON THE LEADERS GATHERED HERE AND UPON ALL THE RESIDENTS OF DALLAS, GRANT US THE COURAGE TO ADVOCATE FOR EQUALITY, THE WISDOM TO PROMOTE UNDERSTANDING AND THE COMPASSION TO CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER.
WE OFFER THIS PRAYER IN THE NAME OF YOUR SON, JESUS CHRIST.
NOW WE STAND FOR THE PRESIDENT LEGION, OUR PRESIDENT LEGION FLAG UNITED.
UH, BEFORE WE BEGIN, WE HAVE SOME ANNOUNCEMENT.
[Special Presentations]
UH, I WILL NOW TURN OVER TO COUNCILWOMAN MENISON FOR THE SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT.IN RECOGNITION OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH AND INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY ON FRIDAY THIS YEAR, I CHOOSE TO SPEAK ABOUT ISRAELI WOMEN.
HUNDREDS OF ISRAELI WOMEN WERE MURDERED ON OCTOBER 7TH.
THE UN REPORT RELEASED THIS WEEK SAYS THERE ARE REASONABLE GROUNDS TO BELIEVE SEXUAL VIOLENCE, INCLUDING RAPE AND GANG RAPE OCCURRED AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS DURING THE OCTOBER 7TH ATTACK.
THE REPORT SAYS, IN MOST INSTANCES, VICTIMS WERE FIRST SUBJECTED TO RAPE, THEN KILLED, AND AT LEAST TWO INCIDENTS RELATE TO THE RAPE OF WOMEN'S CORPSES.
THE UN REPORT SAYS THERE IS QUOTE, CLEAR AND CONVINCING INFORMATION THAT SEXUAL VIOLENCE, INCLUDING RAPE, SEXUALIZED, TORTURE AND CRUEL, INHUMANE, AND DEGRADING TREATMENT WAS INFLICTED AGAINST SOME WOMEN AND CHILDREN DURING THEIR TIME IN CAPTIVITY.
IT ALSO SAID THERE ARE REASONABLE GROUNDS TO BELIEVE SUCH ABUSE IS TAKING PLACE AGAINST THE HOSTAGES STILL BEING HELD IN RECOGNITION OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY,
[00:05:01]
I SHARE THE NAMES OF THE 14 ISRAELI WOMEN'S STILL IN CAPTIVITY, HAVING, HAVING BEEN HELD HOSTAGE FOR MORE THAN 150 DAYS BY THE TERRORIST GROUP, HAMAS, NOAH ARGA, KATRINA AEV, AAM BERGER, SHERI BIBAS, AMIT QUILA, EMILY DAMARI, LEARY ELBA, KAMAL GOT DANIELLA GILBOA, ROMI, NONAN, NAMA LEVY, DOONE, STEIN BECKER, ARBEL UD AND EDEN YAMI.THESE 14 WOMEN ALONG WITH THE OTHER 120 CHILDREN AND MEN BEING HELD CAPTIVE WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN.
[Open Microphone Speakers]
NOW WE'LL HEAR FROM AN OPEN MIC SPEAKER.THE DALLAS CITY COUNCIL WILL NOW HEAR ITS FIRST FIVE REGISTERED SPEAKERS.
I'LL RECITE THE SPEAKER GUIDELINES.
SPEAKERS MUST OBSERVE THE SAME RULES OR PROPRIETY DECORUM AND GOOD CONDUCT APPLICABLE TO MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
ANY SPEAKER MAKING PERSONAL IMP PERTINENT PROFANE OR SLANDEROUS REMARKS OR WHO BECOMES BOISTEROUS.
WHILE ADDRESSING THE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE ROOM FOR THOSE IN-PERSON SPEAKERS.
FOR THOSE VIRTUAL SPEAKERS, YOU'LL BE REMOVED FROM THE SESSION.
INDIVIDUALS BE GIVEN THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
FOR THOSE IN-PERSON SPEAKERS, YOU'LL NOTICE A TIME ON THE MONITOR AT THE PODIUM WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP.
PLEASE STOP FOR THOSE VIRTUAL SPEAKERS.
I WILL ANNOUNCE WHEN YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
ALSO, SPEAKERS, PLEASE BE MINDFUL THAT DURING YOUR COMMENTS, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO REFER TO A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER BY NAME.
PLEASE ADDRESS YOUR COMMENTS TO MAYOR ATKINS, ONLY YOUR FIRST SPEAKER.
I'M HERE FOR, UM, I'M NEEDING ASSISTANCE FROM YOU GUYS, UM, NEEDING HELP.
UM, I'VE BEEN GOING TO THE OVERSIGHT BOARD, UH, SINCE AUGUST.
I HAD A ISSUE AT A RESTAURANT, AT A RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT.
I HAD AN ISSUE AT THE RESTAURANT WHERE, UM, I HAVE A DISABILITY.
I'M A RETIRED UNITED STATES ARMY SERGEANT.
UM, I WAS DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTAN, KUIA, IRAQ.
UM, I SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT LED ME TO THE WTU WARRIOR TRANSITION UNIT, ALSO KNOWN AS A WOUNDED WARRIOR IN FORT SAM HOUSTON.
I SPENT A YEAR AND A HALF RECOVERING FROM MY INJURIES.
I HAVE A DISABILITY THAT MY PROVIDER GAVE ME A DOCUMENT THAT ALLOWS ME ACCESS TO THE RESTROOMS DURING NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS.
I WAS AT A RESTAURANT BY NAME OF SIRIUS PIZZA IN DALLAS, TEXAS.
DURING THE NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS, I ORDERED MY FOOD AND I TRIED TO GO TO THE RESTROOM.
I TRIED TO PROVIDE MY DOCUMENTS TO THE MANAGER AS WELL AS THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THERE WERE TWO UNIFORM OFFICERS AND AN ESTABLISHMENT.
THEY CHOSE NOT TO ASSIST ME, ME.
I THEN CALLED 9 1 1 TO ASSIST ME BECAUSE THE POLICE OFFICER CHOSE NOT TO LOOK AT MY DOCUMENTS NOR MY ID.
AFTER THE NINE ONE ONE PHONE CALL, I THEN SPOKE TO THE OFFICERS AGAIN, TRYING TO ASSIST THEM WHILE MY FOOD WAS BEING PREPARED.
I ENDED UP HAVING AN ACCIDENT IN THE RESTAURANT, LEAVING THE RESTAURANT.
I TOLD THE OFFICERS I HAD AN ACCIDENT MYSELF, AND THEY JUST LOOKED AT ME AND JUST NONCHALANTLY, JUST, IT'S WHATEVER.
UM, I'M ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE.
THIS IS WHY MY PROVIDER PROVIDED ME THESE DOCUMENTS TO PRESENT THIS TO THESE OFFICERS TO ASSIST ME AS PUBLIC SERVANTS.
I DON'T KNOW OTHER, NO OTHER WAY.
WHEN THIS MATTER HAS HAPPENED BEFORE, UM, I TRY TO BRING UP THE PEOPLE.
IF Y'ALL COULD PLEASE GRANT ME, UH, AN EXTRA MINUTE AND A HALF.
UM, BUT I'M HERE FOR ASSISTANCE.
I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE POLICE, UH, INTERNAL AFFAIRS JUNE 12TH.
UM, WE ARE NOW AND IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION.
[00:10:01]
UM, I SPOKE TO THE OVERSIGHT BOARD IN AUGUST.UM, THAT WAS MY FIRST TIME SPEAKING AT THE OVERSIGHT BOARD POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD.
AND WE AT THIS MATTER NOW, UM, NINE MONTHS OUT AND IT HASN'T BEEN RESOLVED.
I DID RECEIVE A LETTER THIS PAST.
UH, IF IT'S OKAY, IF YOU GUYS GRAB ME ANOTHER MINUTE, MINUTE AND A HALF PLEASE, MAYOR.
UM, I'M NEEDING AN ASSISTANCE JUST GETTING, UH, JUST TO LOOK INTO, I CALL YOU.
SO SOMEONE GONNA MEET WITH YOU, JUST GO TO THE CONRAD THERE.
I'M SORRY, I COULDN'T HEAR YOU.
JUST GO RIGHT THERE FOR THE OFFICER JOHN FORTUNE.
YOU MAY GO AHEAD, STEP TO THE RIGHT.
UH, JUST WANNA MAKE A COMMENT ON THAT.
UH, MR. LANE IS A, IS A DISTRICT THREE RESIDENT.
UH, FROM THERE, AND, AND FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANT TO THANK HIM FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE UNITED STATES.
UH, BUT ALSO, UH, THANK HIM FOR HIS COURAGE TO COME BEFORE US.
THAT WAS A VERY, UH, EMBARRASSING MOMENT, UH, THERE IN THIS, UH, DELAY.
UH, IN ADDRESSING THIS SITUATION.
WE KNOW THAT THERE'S NECESSARY BUREAUCRACY AND THEN THERE'S UNNECESSARY BUREAUCRACY.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE A COMMUNITY WHO DOESN'T HATE THE POLICE, BUT ARE LONGING FOR A RELATIONSHIP, THESE TYPE OF DELAYS HINDER THAT RELATIONSHIP.
SO I WANT TO ENCOURAGE, I KNOW MR. FORTUNE IS TALKING TO HIM RIGHT NOW, BUT I WANT TO ENCOURAGE, UH, CHIEF GARCIA, IF HE'S LISTENING, THESE TYPE OF DELAYS HURT THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO IF WE CAN GET THIS ADDRESSED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND REMOVE THE UNNECESSARY RED TAPE SO THAT WE CAN GET TO ACCOUNTABILITY, IT WILL SERVE THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY.
AND I JUST WANT TO, UM, ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, THE WORK THAT, UH, MY POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD MEMBER, JONATHAN MAPLES, IS WORKING.
I KNOW THAT I BELIEVE THIS IS COMING BACK TO THEM NEXT MONTH, AND I, I HOPE AGAIN FOR A SPEEDY, UH, RESOLUTION TO THAT.
THANK YOU, MADAM SECRETARY, YOUR NEXT SPEAKER, AMAR NANJIANI.
UH, I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE DALLAS CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE AGAINST RACIST AND POLITICAL REPRESSION.
UM, I'M ALSO HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE DYNELL LANE CASE.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, I THINK WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE THAT IT'S, UM, A REALLY BAD SITUATION.
I JUST WANTED TO SHARE SOME ADDITIONAL FACTS.
UM, WHAT THE INCIDENT WAS IN JUNE AS DI UH, MR. LAND, UH, EXPLAINED.
IT'S NOW MARCH, 2024, AND DPD HAS CONTINUED TO STALL ON PROVIDING ANSWERS FOR THIS CASE.
UM, DPD HAS DEMONSTRATED A, UH, LACK OF INITIATIVE IN INVESTIGATING THIS CASE.
AT SEVERAL, UM, OVERSIGHT BOARD MEETINGS, UH, UH, THEY ADMITTED THAT, UH, THE CASE WAS CLOSED BEFORE THEY'D EVEN SEEN THE BODY CAM FOOTAGE.
OF THE FOUR OFFICERS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THE SITUATION, UM, THEY HAD DEFENDED THE INVOLVED COP'S CONDUCT ON THE GROUNDS THAT MR. LANE WAS NOT PRESENT TO HEAR THEIR COMMENTS.
UH, THEY DEFENDED THE COP'S DECISION TO DECLINE, HELPING MR. LANE TO GET ACCESS TO A BATHROOM BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THE LAW.
I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE POLICE OFFICERS.
THEIR JOB IS TO UPHOLD THE LAW.
I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT, UH, THE EXCUSES THAT INTERNAL AFFAIRS HAS MADE SO FAR HAVE BEEN UNACCEPTABLE.
UM, IN A MEMO IN JANUARY, EDDIE GARCIA SAID TO THE, UM, OVERSIGHT BOARD THAT ONE OF THE OFFICERS INVOLVED IS ON FMLA, WHICH IS HELD UP THE CASE.
THIS COULD MAYBE EXPLAIN A COUPLE MONTHS OF THE DELAY, BUT IT'S BEEN 10 MONTHS.
SO, UM, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT DPD IS STALLING.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, SOMETHING LIKE HIT YOUR BUTTON TESTING.
UM, THIS IS THE EXACT TYPE OF THING THAT SOMETHING LIKE THE OVERSIGHT BOARD SHOULD BE ABLE TO INTERVENE ON.
UH, IT SHOULD BE CLEAR TO ANYBODY PAYING ATTENTION NOW.
AND I THINK THE MEMBERS OF THE OVERSIGHT BOARD ARE ALSO RECOGNIZING THIS, THAT THE OVERSIGHT BOARD IS TOOTHLESS, AND IT HAS BEEN SINCE ITS INCEPTION.
UM, I THINK THE OVERSIGHT BOARD MEMBERS HAVE THEMSELVES, UH, RECOGNIZED THAT THE ONLY POWER THEY HAVE IS TO SEND STRONGLY WORDED LETTERS TO THE CITY MANAGER, CITY COUNCIL, AND THE POLICE CHIEF.
AND, UM, THEY DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE ANY POWER TO, UH, COMPEL, UH, THE POLICE FORCE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT, UH, THE CASES THAT ARE BROUGHT TO THEM.
UM, SO I WANTED TO SORT OF LAY THOSE FACTS OUT FOR, UM, YOU ALL AND FOR ANYBODY LISTENING, UM, AND THE COMMUNITY URGES CITY COUNCIL TO, UM, USE ITS POWER TO PUSH DPD INTERNAL AFFAIRS TO, UH, PROVIDE ANSWERS.
I JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE SENATOR, FORMER SENATOR.
SENATOR K BATON HUDSON, THANK YOU FOR COMING.
[00:15:04]
GORDON FLOWERS IS NOT PRESENT.HELLO, MY NAME IS WILLIAM MARTIN.
THIS IS THE THIRD TIME I HAVE SPOKEN BEFORE THIS SET OF COUNSEL ABOUT CRIME, PROSTITUTION, AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN NORTHWEST DALLAS.
I AM BACK BECAUSE NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN THE PAST TWO YEARS.
IT HAS CHANGED, IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE.
AND IF THIS PAST WEEKEND IS AN INDICATOR OF THIS SPRING AND SUMMER, WE WILL BE OVERRUN WITH CRIME ONCE AGAIN.
IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED THE REWRITTEN MANIFESTATION OF PROSTITUTION ORDINANCE, PROVIDING THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH A VALUABLE TOOL TO FIGHT CRIME AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN DALLAS.
THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS YET TO ENFORCE THE ORDINANCE SINCE IT WAS REWRITTEN AND PASSED NEARLY SIX MONTHS AGO.
OFFICERS ON THE STREET HAVE TOLD ME THEY ARE NOT ENFORCING THE ORDINANCE.
THE STATE OF TEXAS PASSED PENAL CODE FOUR 3.021 FELONY SOLICITATION OF PROSTITUTION IN SEPTEMBER OF 2022.
THIS LAW MAKES SOLICITING PROSTITUTION A FELONY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SINCE SEPTEMBER OF 2022, THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS ARRESTED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE FOR SOLICITING PROSTITUTION IN DALLAS.
BUT THE DALLAS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY HAS YET TO EVEN CHARGE ANYONE IN DALLAS COUNTY UNDER THE NEW FELONY LAW.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE COUNCIL IS NOT IN CHARGE OF THE DALLAS DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THE MAYOR, EXCUSE ME.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR KNOW THAT THIS TOOL IS NOT BEING USED TO HELP THE CITIZENS OF DALLAS OR THE WOMEN BEING HUMAN TRAFFICKED.
THE DALLAS CITY COUNCIL AND THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS PROVIDED TWO VALUABLE TOOLS TO FIGHT HUMAN TRAFFICKING ON THE STREETS OF DALLAS.
BUT LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS IGNORED BOTH TOOLS AND NOT USED EITHER OF THEM TO HELP THE CITIZENS OF DALLAS OR THE WOMEN BEING TRAFFICKED ON THE STREETS.
I HAVE SEEN THE POLICE REPORTS ON THE NUMBER OF ARRESTS IN NORTHWEST DALLAS IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS, BUT THIS HAS NOT MADE A DIFFERENCE.
AND THE PROBLEM IS GETTING BIGGER EVERY DAY.
THE BOAT IS SINKING, AND THEY ARE USING TEACUPS TO BAIL WATER WHEN WE NEED TWO DOZEN MEN WITH FIVE GALLON BUCKETS TO BAIL THE WATER BECAUSE WE ARE SINKING FAST.
I HAVE NOT DRIVEN DOWN SHADY TRAIL BETWEEN SOUTHWELL AND NORTHWEST HIGHWAY IN THE LAST 90 DAYS WITHOUT SEEING MULTIPLE WOMEN ON THE STREET.
ONE JANUARY MORNING AT 4:45 AM THERE WERE 18 WOMEN ON SHADY TRAILS SELLING SEX.
MOST WERE WEARING G-STRING AND LITTLE ELSE.
THE THERMOMETER IN MY TRUCK SAID IT WAS 18 DEGREES OUTSIDE.
IF ANYONE THINKS THESE WOMEN ARE OUTSELLING SEX BY CHOICE WITH NO CLOTHES ON AND 18 DEGREE WEATHER, YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM.
PLEASE DO SOMETHING TO HELP US.
MY NAME IS EDWARD GARDE AND I'M, UH, A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT 14.
I'M HERE TO PROVIDE A DALLAS, UH, RESIDENCE PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR FOR THE SEARCH FOR A NEW CITY MANAGER.
AS WE EMBARK ON THE SEARCH FOR A NEW CITY MANAGER.
OUR CITY STANDS AT A CRITICAL JUNCTURE.
WE ARE AT THE OUTSET OF A PROCESS THAT WILL SHAPE THE FUTURE OF DALLAS, AND IT'S ESSENTIAL TO ESTABLISH THAT CRITERIA FOR OUR NEXT LEADER.
THE QUALITIES THAT OUR MAYOR HAS PREVIOUSLY STATED ARE NOT MERE ATTRIBUTES.
I BELIEVE THEY'RE THE BEDROCK OF OUR CITY'S NEW, A CITY'S RENEWAL AND ADVANCEMENT.
THE CITY MANAGER MUST SEEK, WE MUST SEEK, MUST BE A PARAGON OF PUBLIC SAFETY, A GUARDIAN TAXPAYER DOLLARS, AND A PROVIDER OF ESSENTIAL SERVICES, AND A MODEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND CLEAR COMMUNICATION.
WE ARE POISED FOR A TIME OF RENEWAL AND REGROWTH REQUIR, A CITY MANAGER WHO'S NOT ONLY SKILLED IN THESE AREAS, BUT ALSO BRINGS FRESH ENERGY AND INSIGHTS.
IT'S MORE THAN A CHANGE OF PERSONNEL.
IT'S A FUNDAMENTAL TRANSFORMATION OF OUR GOVERNANCE AND SIT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN OUR PURSUIT.
WE'LL MUST AIM FOR A LEADER WHO PER PERSONIFIES THESE IDEALS, ONE WHO WILL CONFRONT SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES WHILE RAISING THE BAR FOR PUBLIC SERVICE.
OUR COMMITMENT TO DALLAS IS UNWAVERING TO TIRELESSLY IMPROVE OUR CITY.
LET'S EMBARK ON THIS JOURNEY WITH DETERMINATION AND WELCOME A NEW ERA OF LEADERSHIP THAT MIRRORS THE VIBRANCY OF DALLAS.
IN CLOSING, THE FUTURE CITY MANAGER OF DALLAS MUST BE MORE THAN A CONTINUATION OF THE PAST THAT HAS PROVIDE A CATALYST FOR INNOVATION AND A HARRE PROSPERITY FOR THE FUTURE OF DALLAS.
[00:20:01]
THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO OUR CITY, AND ITS PROMISING FUTURE.I'M TOLD MACKENZIE FRE IS NOT PRESENT.
RHONDA SIMMONS IS NOT PRESENT.
HELLO, CITY OF DALLAS COUNCIL, DALLAS CITY MANAGER, AND DALLAS MAYOR, ET CETERA.
I'M HERE TO REVEAL A VERY DEADLY AIR INTOXICATING PUBLIC SAFETY CRISIS THAT IS INFLICTING DEADLY HUMAN SLAUGHTER ON ALL OF US CITIZENS OF DALLAS, TEXAS.
I AM MAKING A REQUEST FOR PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF THIS AIR INTOXICATING CRISIS AS MEANS TO START THE PROCESS FOR THE PERMANENT RESOLUTION OF IT.
I HAVE BROUGHT THIS VERY DEADLY AIR INTOXICATION CRISIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DALLAS COUNCIL MEMBERS AND TO THE ATTENTION OF DALLAS POLICE CHIEF AND TO THE ATTENTION OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE VIA EMAIL.
ON MANY OCCASIONS, I HAVE REVEALED THAT AIR INTOXICATION CRISIS WAS INFLICTING DEATH ON MORE OR LESS BLACK CITIZENS OF THE ENTIRE DALLAS-FORT WORTH AREA IN THE FORM OF STROKES, HEART ATTACKS, CANCER, DIABETES, INFECTIOUS DISEASE, AND HOMICIDAL SHOOTING VIOLENCE, ET CETERA.
THESE DEATHS SAFELY APPEAR FROM NATURAL CAUSES, BUT THEY ARE ACTUALLY DEATHS CAUSED BY THE AIR INTOXICATING CRIMES THAT IS TARGETING THE HEALTH DISORDERS AND THE SOCIAL PROBLEMS THAT BLACK PEOPLE ARE KNOWN TO BE MORE SO VICTIM OF.
I ALSO REVEALED THAT THIS VERY DAILY AIR INTOXICATING CRISIS CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY VARIOUS UNMISTAKABLE, TORMENTING, SYMPTOMATIC SENSATIONS, SUCH AS EXCRUCIATING HEADACHE PAINS AND EXCRUCIATING TOOTHACHE PAIN, AN OVERWHELMING SENSE OF FEELING SLEEPY AND FEELING DROWSY.
AN INCIDENT WITH CHRONIC URINATION AND BLOOD PRESSURE SO DANGEROUSLY HIGH THAT YOU CAN HEAR YOUR OWN HEART RATE SLAMMING IN YOUR OWN EARS FROM YOUR HEART LABORING, EXTRA HEART TO PUMP BLOOD.
HOWEVER, I GOT NO RESPONSE FROM ANY OF YOU COUNCIL PEOPLE, THE MAYOR OR THE POLICE CHIEF, AND FOR THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO JUSTICE COMING TO SERVE, TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC SAFETY FROM THIS TORMENTING AND DEADLY AIR INTOXICATING CRISIS.
THEREFORE, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN COMPELLED TO RESORT TO VIOLENT VIGILANTE ACTIVISM.
THIS IS ALSO KNOWN AS TERRORISM.
THIS IS THE ELEMENT THAT IS PRODUCING THE MASS SHOOTINGS.
IT'S PRODUCING THE URBAN RIOTS AND IT'S PRODUCING THE BOMBINGS AND IT'S PRODUCING THE ARSON AND PRODUCING THE CYBER ATTACKS.
IT ALSO PRODUCED THE NINE 11 ATTACKS.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN HAS APPOINTED A CONGRESSIONAL HOUSE SELECT COMMITTEE TO MAKE INQUIRIES INTO WHAT IS CAUSING THIS TORMENT.
SYMPTOMATIC SENSATIONS SUCH AS THE HEADACHE PAIN.
IT IS BEING REFERRED TO AS THE HAVANA SYNDROME.
AND I WILL BE BACK AND I WILL BE IN TOUCH WITH ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH THIS THANK YOU.
SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THANK YOU.
I WILL GO AHEAD AND CALL THE FINAL SPEAKER ON YOUR SPEAKER'S LIST AT THIS TIME.
[00:25:01]
ROBERT DIXON.NOW I PROMISED MYSELF THAT I WOULD NOT GET TOO EMOTIONALLY INVOLVED WITH THIS TESTIMONY, BUT I WANNA REPORT TO YOU TODAY SOMETHING HORRIBLE THAT HAPPENED TO ME THIS WEEKEND.
IF IT HAPPENED TO ME, IT CAN HAPPEN TO EVERY ONE OF YOU.
MY PHONE WAS STOLEN, BUT IT WASN'T JUST THAT MY PHONE WAS STOLEN.
AND RIGHT AFTER IT WAS STOLEN, I'M GETTING TEXT MESSAGES TO MY OTHER PHONE ASKING FOR MONEY.
THEY WANT A RANSOM TO RETURN MY PHONE.
IT HAS ALL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION.
I MEAN, THIS IS SERIOUS STUFF.
OKAY? SO I WENT TO THE POLICE.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT YOU DO, RIGHT? I WENT TO THE POLICE SUBSTATION THERE ON MCCALLUM OVER THE WEEKEND FOUR TIMES, AND I WAS TOLD CONSISTENTLY, WE ARE NOT PROPERLY STAFFED TO BE ABLE TO HELP YOU.
IF YOU WANT TO DO THIS, IF YOU WANT TO DEAL WITH THIS, UH, UH, LIKE A HOSTAGE NEGOTIATION, YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN.
BECAUSE ALL WE HAVE IS PATROL OFFICERS HERE.
AND THIS IS A TIME SENSITIVE MATTER.
I'M GETTING TEXTS BACK AND FORTH FROM THESE PEOPLE.
AND AT SOME POINT IN TIME, I'M EVEN CONSIDERING, I MEAN, MY, MY SONGS ARE ON THIS THING.
I WASN'T EVEN CONSIDERING, UH, DOING IT MYSELF.
SO I ACTUALLY CAME THIS CLOSE TO BE ABLE TO PAY A RANSOM TO THESE PEOPLE.
BUT AT THE VERY LAST SECOND, THEY WANTED MORE MONEY SO THAT, UM, THAT COMPLETELY NIX THE DEAL.
AND I JUST THINK, WHERE WAS THE POLICE? AND, YOU KNOW, THESE WERE MY SONGS.
I MEAN, LIKE, GIRL, YOU'RE SUCH A BAD THING STANDING THERE ALL DAY LONG LOOKING SO GOOD TO ME, BABY.
AND IT'S NOT JUST THAT, BUT IT'S OTHER PERSONAL INFORMATION.
THIS IS A REAL LIFE SITUATION.
I FINALLY DID GET A CHANCE TO TALK TO A DETECTIVE YESTERDAY WHO IS WORKING ON THIS, BUT THIS COULD HAVE REALLY TURNED OUT BAD.
FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A HORRIBLE SITUATION IF THEY BROUGHT A GUN, THEY BOUGHT A KNIFE OR SOME OTHER WHATEVER IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
BUT I WAS THIS CLOSE TO DEALING WITH IT, OR AT LEAST TRYING TO.
BUT WHEN THEY ASKED FOR THE EXTRA MONEY, THAT WAS THE END OF IT.
I KNEW THAT IT WAS OVER MY HEAD AND I COULDN'T DEAL WITH THIS.
BUT THE POLICE WERE NOT AVAILABLE.
THIS CONCLUDES YOUR OPEN MICROPHONE SPEAKERS FOR THIS MEETING.
[1. 24-313 Approval of Minutes of the February 21, 2024 City Council Meeting]
ON OUR VOTE AGENDA MATTER.DO I HAVE A MOTION? LET ME, MR. MAYOR.
YOUR ITEM, YOUR FIRST ITEM IS APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
SO THE FEBRUARY 21ST, 2024 CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
[2. 24-510 Consideration of appointments to boards and commissions and the evaluation and duties of board and commission members (List of nominees is available in the City Secretary's Office)]
AGENDA.ITEM TWO IS CONSIDERATION OF APPOINT MR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
THIS MORNING, YOU ONLY HAVE ONE NOMINEE FOR INDIVIDUAL APPOINTMENT.
YOUR NOMINEE TO THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR COMMUNITY CENTER BOARD, CLARA BROWN, TRIMBLE IS BEING NOMINATED BY COUNCIL MEMBER STEWART, THIS IS YOUR ITEM.
MR. MAYOR, DO I HAVE A MOTION SET? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
MR. MAYOR, YOUR BRIEFINGS CONTINUE.
[C. 24-626 Vision Zero Update]
ITEM C, BATTLE SECRETARY CITY, MR. CITY MANAGER, ARE YOU READY? YES, SIR.THIS WILL BE A DISCUSSION ON THE DOWNTOWN TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES, UH, INCLUDING THE EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON UNION STATION, HIGH SPEED RAIL AND STREET CAR EXPANSION.
UH, THE PRESENTATION WILL BE MADE, UH, BY ANDY BYFORD, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF AMTRAK.
UH, MR. MICHAEL MORRIS, DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION FOR THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS.
AND DR. ROBERT PEREZ, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
THEY'LL DISCUSS THE MAJOR DOWNTOWN TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES TO INCLUDE, AGAIN, THE POTENTIAL REDEVELOPMENT OF THE EDDIE BERNICE
[00:30:01]
JOHNSON UNION STATION HIGH SPEED RAIL INITIATIVE AND STREETCAR EXPANSION.I WILL NOW TURN IT OVER TO MR. BYFORD, MR. MORRIS AND ROBERT, UH, TO TAKE US THROUGH THIS BRIEFING.
UM, HONORABLE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, ROBERT, BE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
UM, AS MR. BROAD, UH, MENTIONED, WE HAVE, UH, MR. ANDY BYFORD, UH, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF AMTRAK.
UM, MR. MICHAEL MORRIS, DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION FOR THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS.
UH, GUS AND CARLY, DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION, CITY OF DALLAS, AND ROSA FLEMING, UH, DIRECTOR OF CONVENTION CENTER.
SO, UM, THE PURPOSE OF OF THIS BRIEFING TODAY, UM, AGAIN FOLLOWING, UH, BRIEFINGS THAT WE HAVE SHARED WITH THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE OVER THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS.
UH, WE WANNA SHARE WITH FULL COUNSEL, UH, AND PROVIDE UPDATES, UH, ON THE JOHNSON UNION STATION REDEVELOPMENT, STREETCAR EXPANSION, AND THEN OUR, UM, HIGH SPEED WELL INITIATIVES THAT, THAT WE'RE WORKING ON WITH BOTH, UH, THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL, GOVERNMENTS AND AMTRAK.
SO CONSISTENT WITH THE KAY BAILEY HUTCHINSON, UM, CONVENTION CENTER, UH, MASTER PLAN, UH, WE'VE, UH, BEEN LOOKING AT THE EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON UNION STATION AS IT PRESENTS A NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO HAVE IT SERVE AS DALLAS'S DOWNTOWN MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION HUB, AS IT IS CURRENTLY SERVING AMTRAK DART LIGHT RAIL AND A DART BUS.
AND WE ARE LOOKING AT IT FOR POTENTIAL STREET CAR, UM, EXPANSION.
AND THEN ALSO IT PROVIDES US AN OPPORTUNITY FOR REDEVELOPMENT AS A MIXED USE TRANSPORTATION HUB.
UH, YOU'LL SEE A COUPLE PICTURES THERE, UH, OF DENVER, VIRGINIA STATION THAT SHOWS BOTH THE OUTSIDE OF THE UNION STATION AS WELL AS THE INSIDE, UH, INSIDE DENVER UNION STATION.
IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT, UH, IT'S ACTUALLY A MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT THAT SERVES AS THE TRAIN STATION AS WELL AS A HOTEL.
IT HAS BARS, RETAIL, AND OTHER USES IN THERE.
AND SO, AGAIN, WE FEEL AS THOUGH, UH, WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION AND DEVELOPMENT THAT THIS PROVIDES A, A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REDEVELOP.
ALONG, UH, ALONG WITH THE EBJ, UH, US, EVALUATING THE EBJ UNION STATION, UH, AS, UH, I GUESS AS A TRANSPORTATION HUB, WE ARE LOOKING AT IT TO ALSO POTENTIALLY SERVE THE STREETCAR EXPANSION.
OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, WE'VE BEEN, UH, SPEAKING WITH A NUMBER OF YOU, UH, ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO EX EXPAND THE STREETCAR, UH, TO ACTUALLY CONNECT THE M LINE TROLLEY AND THE DALLAS STREET CAR.
UM, IN THE CONVERSATIONS WITH A NUMBER OF YOU, YOU HAVE ALSO EXPRESSED A NUMBER OF, UH, POTENTIAL EXPANSIONS, INCLUDING FAIR PARK, UH, THE DALLAS ZOO, DEEP EL TRINITY GROVES IN LOWER GREENVILLE.
UH, WHILE WE ARE GOING TO BE EVALUATING THOSE POTENTIAL EXPANSIONS, I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT AS WE DEVELOP PROJECTS IN THOSE AREAS, UH, TO INCLUDE THE I 3 45, THE MLK PROJECT, UH, AND ROSS AVENUE AS WELL AS OTHERS, WE ARE, WE WILL DESIGN IT, UH, TO ACCOMMODATE FUTURE STREETCAR EXPANSION.
SO WHILE WE MAY NOT HAVE A PROPOSED ROUTE, OR, OR WHILE WE MAY NOT HAVE A FINAL ROUTE, UH, WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE FUTURE PROOF OUR PROJECTS TO ACCOMMODATE FUTURE STREET CAR EXPANSION.
AND THEN WORKING WITH, UH, GUS AND THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, WE ARE WORKING ON A FUNDING AND RFP STRATEGY, UH, FOR A STUDY THAT INCLUDES A COMBINATION OF COMPONENTS FOR A DOWNTOWN PARKING STUDY, UH, WHICH IS CURRENTLY FUNDED THROUGH, UH, $750,000 OF DART EXCESS SALES TAX REVENUES, AND ALSO OUR RE-IMAGINING GRANT.
SO, UM, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE, THE FUNDING STRATEGY THAT WE PROPOSE TO COUNCIL, UH, FOR THIS STUDY.
SO, UM, FOR THE TWO HIGH-SPEED RAIL INITIATIVES, UM, THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS ON, TO INCLUDE THE DALLAS TO HOUSTON AND THE DALLAS TO FORT WORTH, UM, SEGMENTS, I JUST WANT TO BRING TO CITY COUNCIL'S ATTENTION THAT, UM, IN OUR PAST LEGISLATIVE PROGRAMS, WE HAVE SUPPORTED, OR THE CITY COUNCIL HAS SUPPORTED THE, UM, THE, THE HOUSTON TO THE NORTH TEXAS CENTRAL REGION LINE, AND THEN ALSO SPECIFICALLY IN THE 2015 PROGRAM, UH, THE PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY, UH, CALLED OUT, UH, SUPPORT OF A ONE SEAT RIDE BETWEEN FORT WORTH, ARLINGTON AND DALLAS, UH, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE, UH, RAIL OR WITH THE LINE TO HOUSTON.
UM, YOU'LL ALSO HEAR A LITTLE BIT LATER, UM, ABOUT THE HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION, UH, THAT, UH, HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR THE, UH, SOUTH OF I 30 IN THE CEDARS.
AND THEN WE, WE HAVE DISCUSSED WITH, UH, BOTH COMMITTEES, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION, THE IDEA ON VISIONING, UH, AN ELEVATED WALKWAY, UH, WITH THE, THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL GOVERNMENTS, UH, AND THE AREA STAKEHOLDERS.
AND THIS WALKWAY, UH, WOULD ACTUALLY CONNECT THE HIGH SPEED RAIL STATIONS SOUTH OF 30 IN THE CEDARS
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TO THE CONVENTION CENTER, TO THE EBJ, AND THEN TO POTENTIALLY OTHER, UH, PROPERTIES AND DEVELOPMENT.WITH THAT, I, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. BYFORD TO TAKE US THROUGH THE HOUSTON TO DALLAS, UH, SEGMENT.
AS MY COLLEAGUE SAID, I'M ANDY BYFORD.
I'M THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AT AMTRAK, A ROLE THAT I'VE HELD SINCE APRIL OF LAST YEAR.
UM, SO, UM, IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK IN THE CITY AND ALSO TO BE ABLE TO TALK WITH YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES TODAY ABOUT THE BENEFITS AS I SEE THEM, OF HIGH SPEED RAIL IN GENERAL.
UH, WHICH I WILL, UM, UH, COVER IN THE FIRST FEW SLIDES THAT I'VE GOT FOR YOU.
AND THEN I'LL GET SPECIFIC ABOUT THE DALLAS HOUSTON PROJECT, WHICH IS ONE OF MY KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY.
ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF HAVING WORKED IN TRANSIT NOW AND TRANSPORTATION GENERALLY ON THREE CONTINENTS, UH, ACROSS THE WORLD, UM, IS THAT YOU GET TO SEE WHAT GOOD LOOKS LIKE.
AND CERTAINLY IT'S BEEN, I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO WORK IN COUNTRIES WHERE HIGH SPEED RAIL IS VERY MUCH A PART OF THE TRANSPORTATION OFFER, UM, OVER THE RIGHT DISTANCE.
UH, AND WITH THE RIGHT, UM, CHARACTERISTICS IN TERMS OF, UH, POPULATION DRAW TO PROVIDE MEANINGFUL RIDERSHIP, HIGH SPEED RAIL PROVIDES, UM, A MASSIVE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE, UH, CITIES AND REGIONS FORWARD.
AND AS THE SLIDE SAYS, TO PROVIDE OUTSIZED ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS.
AND YOU ONLY HAVE TO LOOK AT, UH, THE INSTANCES WHERE HIGH SPEED RAIL HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY DEPLOYED, UH, STARTING WITH JAPAN IN THE 1960S, THEN THROUGH EUROPE, IN FRANCE, IN GERMANY, AND ITALY AND SPAIN, UH, THE UK AND NOW PROGRESSIVELY THROUGH ASIA, UH, CHINA, UH, IN RUSSIA.
IN AFRICA, UH, HIGH SPEED RAIL IS VERY MUCH A PART OF THAT TRANSPORT OFFER.
UH, AND IT IS COMPLIMENTARY TO, UH, OTHER MODES, SUCH AS THE CAR AND AVIATION.
BUT, BUT THE KEY POINT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU CHOOSE, UH, ROUTES AND THAT YOU CHOOSE CITY PAIRINGS OF THE RIGHT CHARACTERISTICS, WHICH I'LL COME BACK TO LATER ON.
HIGH SPEED RAIL IS IN ITSELF, UM, I I IS A VERY, UH, UH, VALUABLE ADDITION TO THAT TRANSPORT OFFER, BUT IT CAN'T BE SEEN IN ISOLATION.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AMTRAK IS VERY CLEAR ON.
WE DON'T SEE A HIGH-SPEED RAIL AS A PANACEA FOR ALL ROUTES, RATHER, THAT IT FITS AS PART OF A TRANSPORTATION JIGSAW WITHOUT, WITH THE REST OF THE AMTRAK NETWORK.
AND THAT'S THE TRUE POWER OF, UM, BRINGING AMTRAK TO WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY THE TEXAS CENTRAL PROGRAM, BECAUSE WHERE AMTRAK HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH, UH, TEXAS CENTRAL SINCE 2016, TO ENSURE THAT THE REV RESERVATIONS AND TICKETING WERE, UM, UH, COORDINATED WITH THE NATIONAL NETWORK.
WE SEE, UH, THE HIGH SPEED, UH, POTENTIAL TO ADD TO OUR CURRENT MIX OF, UH, THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR OF THE LONG DISTANCE SERVICES AND OF THE, UH, STATE SUPPORTED SERVICES THAT WE CURRENTLY OPERATE, UH, AND TRULY TO BE A BACKBONE OF OUR, OF THAT NETWORK, BUT ON AN INTEGRATED FASHION.
AND INTEGRATION INCLUDES INTEGRATION AT EITHER END WITH MASS TRANSPORTATION.
AGAIN, I'LL COMMENT UPON THAT LATER ON.
UM, AND WE SEE THAT NOW IS THE GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK IF, IF THE US, WHICH REALLY IS AN OUTLIER IN, IN, UH, COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD NOW, WHERE HIGH SPEED RAIL HASN'T REALLY BEEN EMBRACED TO DATE.
THERE'S, THERE'S ONCE, ONE EXAMPLE WITH THE ELA ON THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR.
NOW IS THE TIME TO GRASP THAT NETTLE, UH, AND TEXAS CAN BE AT THE VERY FOREFRONT OF THAT RAIL REVOLUTION THAT AMTRAK IS LEADING AS WE LOOK TO DOUBLE OUR RIDERSHIP BY 2040.
SO IT'S VERY, VERY MUCH PART OF AMTRAK'S STRATEGY, UH, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I WAS BROUGHT ON BOARD.
SO WHAT IS THE AMTRAK APPROACH? AS I SAID, THE OFFICE WAS ESTABLISHED WITH MY APPOINTMENT IN APRIL OF LAST YEAR.
UH, OUR MANDATE IS AS THE BULLET POINTS, UH, UH, SHOW YOU THERE TO DEVELOP A STRATEGY FOR HIGH SPEED RAIL ACROSS THE US.
WE ARE THE, WE ARE AMERICA'S RAILROAD, WE ARE THE NATIONAL PROVIDER.
SO WE FEEL IT'S ONLY RIGHT THAT AMTRAK SHOULD TAKE THE LEAD ON DEVELOPING AND THEN DELIVERING THAT STRATEGY WITH OTHER PARTNERS.
A SLIDE ON THAT SHORTLY, UH, TO TRULY CREATE A NATIONAL NETWORK FOR THE US.
PART OF THAT ROLE THEN IS TO VERY MUCH PROMOTE THE CAUSE OF, UH, HIGH-SPEED RAIL TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE NEVER ACTUALLY RIDDEN ON A TRUE HIGH-SPEED NETWORK, YOU, YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE BENEFIT THAT THAT CAN BRING, UH, AND THE CONVENIENCE THAT IT ENTAILS.
WE NEED TO IDENTIFY SUITABLE CORRIDORS.
AGAIN, I'LL TALK ABOUT THE CHARACTERISTICS IN A SECOND.
MANAGE SPECIFIC PROJECTS, OF WHICH DALLAS TO HOUSTON IS THE MAIN ONE THAT I'M WORKING ON WITH MY COLLEAGUES.
AND TO PROVIDE A CENTER OF EXPERTISE AT AMTRAK FOR ALL, UM, UH, AREAS RELATING TO HIGH SPEED, UH, WHERE WE ARE QUITE OFTEN, WE ARE PROACTIVELY ASKED BY, UH, CITIES.
COULD YOU HAVE A LOOK AT THIS CORRIDOR? SO, SO MY OFFICE IS A REPOSITORY FOR THOSE IDEAS IN THE US.
I SAID THAT THERE IS, THERE'S ONLY REALLY ONE TRUE HIGH SPEED, UH, OPERATION AT THE MOMENT, AND THAT IS OUR ACELA SERVICE, WHICH RUNS
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BETWEEN BOSTON AND DC.BUT, UH, HERE'S THE POINT THAT THE HIGH, THE, THE TRAIN ITSELF IS A HIGH SPEED TRAIN.
THAT'S ACTUALLY THE NEW TRAIN THAT WE'LL BE DEPLOYING LATER THIS YEAR.
BUT THE EXISTING ACELA TRAIN IS A HIGH SPEED TRAIN.
IT'S CAPABLE OF DOING 150 MILES PER HOUR, BUT THE ROUTE IS NOT A HIGH SPEED ROUTE.
THE AVERAGE SPEED ALONG THE, THE ACELA CORRIDOR IS ACTUALLY 70 MILES PER HOUR.
WHY? BECAUSE WHERE THERE ARE CORRIDORS WERE STRETCHES WHERE WE CAN GET UP TO THAT FULL ONE 50, UH, BECAUSE IT WASN'T BUILT AS A HIGH SPEED ROUTE, UH, THE TRAIN HAS TO, UH, NAVIGATE THROUGH, UH, QUITE A CIRCUITOUS ROUTE.
UM, AND WITH LESS THAN, UM, OPTIMAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT'S SAFE, UH, BUT THE OVERHEAD WIRES, THE TRACKS, AND VARIOUS OTHER ELEMENTS, UH, ARE NOT FIT FOR TRUE HIGH SPEED OPERATION, WHICH IS WHY THE TRAIN HAS TO KEEP SLOWING DOWN.
THE GOOD NEWS IS WE'RE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.
WE ARE COMPLETELY, UH, RENEWING THE HIGH, THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR, AND WE'RE BRINGING IN THESE BEAUTIFUL NEW VEIA, UH, TRAINS LATER THIS YEAR, WHICH WILL PROVIDE, UM, EXPANDED CAPACITY.
BUT WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO DO IS TO PROVIDE THE, THE FIRST TRUE HIGH-SPEED CORRIDOR.
AND WE WANT TO DO THAT HERE IN DALLAS, BETWEEN DALLAS AND HOUSTON.
WE'RE NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE IN THIS SPACE.
OBVIOUSLY, PEOPLE WILL BE AWARE, YOU'LL BE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN CALIFORNIA WITH THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL THERE BETWEEN LA AND SAN FRANCISCO.
BRIGHTLINE HAVE PROPOSED A HIGH SPEED SERVICE BETWEEN LAS VEGAS AND LOS ANGELES, AND THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OTHER EXAMPLES THERE, BUT THE US REMAINS AN OUTLIER.
SO LET'S TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT DALLAS TO HOUSTON, UH, WHICH IS ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO WHY DO WE THINK DALLAS TO HOUSTON IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY? I TALKED ABOUT CHARACTERISTICS AND VARIABLES EARLIER.
UM, SO WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UH, WHAT YOU NEED TO HAVE TO OPERATE A TRULY VIABLE HIGH-SPEED ROUTE IS A NUMBER OF CHARACTERISTICS.
A NUMBER OF TICKS HAVE TO GO INTO THE BOX.
YOU NEED CITY PAIRINGS, UH, AT EITHER END WITH ENOUGH POPULATION TO PROVIDE VIABLE RIDERSHIP.
THE CITIES NEED TO BE ON AT THE SWEET SPOT BETWEEN 200 TO 600 MILES APART.
YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE REASONABLY STRAIGHTFORWARD TOPOGRAPHY.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GO THROUGH MOUNTAINOUS AREAS, BUT STRAIGHTFORWARD TOPOGRAPHY IS A REAL BENEFIT.
IF THE ALTERNATIVES, THE MODAL ALTERNATIVES ARE SUBOPTIMAL, THAT WILL ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO MIGRATE TO THE NEW SYSTEM, UH, IF THAT SYSTEM EXISTS.
AND IF YOU WERE TO SAY TO ME ALL OF THOSE CHARACTERISTICS, AND SHOW ME A MAP OF THE US WITH THE VARIOUS CITY PAIRINGS, THE MOST COMPELLING CITY PAIRING WITHOUT QUESTION IS DALLAS TO HOUSTON.
WHY DO I SAY THAT? BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT TWO CITIES THAT ARE 240 MILES APART.
YOU HAVE THE FOURTH AND FIFTH FASTEST GROWING METROPOLISES, ONE AT EITHER END WITH ONE INTERMEDIATE STOP.
YOU'VE GOT PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD TOPOGRAPHY.
YOU'VE GOT THE ALTERNATIVES OF FLYING BETWEEN DALLAS AND HOUSTON WITH ALL OF THE, UH, CHALLENGES THAT THAT PRESENTS VERY, UH, CONGESTED AIRSPACE, VERY CONGESTED AIRPORTS.
YOU GOT THE OTHER ALTERNATIVE, WHICH IS THE I 45 A INTERSTATE WITH A, A, A VERY POOR SAFETY RECORD.
SO, FOR MYRIAD REASONS, THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION THE MOST COMPELLING OF ALL THE VARIOUS, UM, CITY COMBINATIONS THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT.
WE THINK IT TICKS ALL THE BOXES.
AND FURTHERMORE, AT EITHER END OF THE ROUTE, YOU WOULD HAVE EXCELLENT CONNECTIONS TO, UH, DART TO AMTRAK, TO METRO RAIL.
'CAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU GET THOSE CONNECTIONS RIGHT AT EITHER END.
WE'VE GOT STRONG POLITICAL SUPPORT HERE.
AND IN HOUSTON, UH, WE HAVE STILL SOME THINGS TO DO, THOUGH THE THE ROUTE IS NOT YET FULLY SECURED, AND OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T YET HAVE THE FULL FUNDING PACKAGE.
BUT FIRST OF ALL, YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU'VE CHOSEN THE RIGHT ROUTE.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE NEXT, UH, SLIDE PLEASE.
SOME KEY DECISIONS ARE ALREADY IN THE BAG.
KEY DECISIONS, SUCH AS WHAT'S CALLED THE RPA, THE RULE OF PARTICULAR APPLICABILITY, WHICH HAS DETERMINED THAT IF THIS ROUTE GOES FORWARD, IF THIS ROUTE, UH, IS, IS, UM, DEVELOPED, IT WILL DEPLOY THE LEGENDARY SHI CANEN N 700, UH, TRAIN TECHNOLOGY, THE JAPANESE BULLET TRAIN SUBJECT TO A BIO AMERICA WAIVER, WHICH WE BELIEVE WE CAN GET.
UH, IT WILL DEPLOY THAT TECHNOLOGY TO THE ROUTE THAT WILL BE A GAME CHANGER FOR THE CITIES OF DALLAS AND HOUSTON.
AND FOR, UH, THE, UH, AND FOR TEXAS, AND I WOULD SAY THE US ACTUALLY, THAT THAT TRAIN HAS A FLAWLESS, AND I CHOOSE THAT WORD, DELIBERATELY FLAWLESS SAFETY RECORD.
THERE HAS NOT BEEN ONE SINGLE TRAIN CAUSED ACCIDENT SINCE IT.
THE, THE TRAIN, UH, WAS BROUGHT INTO SERVICE IN 1961, NOT ONE.
AND IT HAS A STELLAR RELIABILITY RECORD.
I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO RIDE ON THE HANSEN.
UH, JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
I WENT FROM TOKYO TO ATE, WHICH IS IN HAKA, THE NORTHERNMOST ISLAND.
THAT IS A ROUND TRIP OF OVER 800 MILES.
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THE CUMULATIVE DELAY, IN OTHER WORDS, GOING THERE AND BACK, THE CUMULATIVE DELAY WAS 20 SECONDS.WE WERE 20 SECONDS LATE GETTING BACK INTO TOKYO ON THE RETURN TRIP.
IT HAS A FLAWLESS SAFETY AND RELIABILITY RECORD.
A NUMBER OF OTHER, UM, MAJOR, UH, DECISIONS HAVE BEEN TAKEN, PARTICULARLY THE ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, CLEARANCES HAVE BEEN OBTAINED.
THEY NEED TO BE REFRESHED, BUT WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN DO THAT.
SO, IN CONCLUSION, WE BELIEVE THAT THIS ROUTE STILL LOOKS VIABLE.
ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS AMTRAK DID WHEN WE WERE ASKED IN A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE WERE ASKED TO, TO RE-LOOK AT THE ROUTE, UM, FROM THE, THE WORK THAT TEXAS CENTRAL HAD DONE.
AND, AND THIS, UH, HAS SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON WITH MY TEAM, WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CASE, THE, THE RIDERSHIP AND THE PROJECTED REVENUES STILL STAND UP TO SCRUTINY POST COVID, BECAUSE WE WERE CONCERNED THAT POST COVID, THE RIDERSHIP, THE MODEL WOULD'VE, WOULD'VE DROPPED BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE WORKING FROM HOME.
ON THE CONTRARY, USING THE SAME COMPANY WITH THE SAME METHODOLOGY AND THE SAME QUESTIONS TO ENSURE CONSISTENCY IN A, LIKE, FOR LIKE COMPARISON.
THE BUSINESS CASE IS ARGUABLY STRONGER.
THERE'S A FEW, UM, THERE'S A BIT, UH, OF, OF A CHANGE IN THE MIX.
FEWER, UH, BUSINESS RIDERS, BUT A LOT MORE LEISURE RIDERS.
AND THEY'RE ATTRACTED TO THE FACT THAT IF YOU RUN AT 205 MILES AN HOUR, UH, OVER 240 MILES WITH ONE INTERMEDIATE STOP AT COLLEGE, AND SOMETIMES WE WOULD RUN NONSTOP, YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO GO TO, UH, HOUSTON TO GO AND SEE A GAME, TO HAVE DINNER AND COME BACK THE SAME DAY.
IN FACT, THAT TRAIN WOULD HAVE THE FASTEST AVERAGE SPEED IN THE WORLD.
NOT THE FAST, NOT THE HIGHEST TOP SPEED, BUT THE FASTEST AVERAGE SPEED IN THE WORLD, WHICH WOULD BE A BADGE OF HONOR FOR THIS CITY AND FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO OUR CONCLUSION FROM HAVING A LOOK AT THE, UM, MARKET ANALYSIS IS ACTUALLY COVID HAS NOT IMPACTED, ADVERSELY IMPACTED THAT, UH, PROJECTED RIDERSHIP AT ALL.
WE'VE BEEN VERY CAREFUL TO KEEP OUR JAPANESE PARTNERS ON SIDE.
OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S SOME FRUSTRATION BECAUSE THESE, THE, THE, THE PROJECT HAS, UH, BEEN ON HIATUS FOR A WHILE.
UH, BUT WE STILL HAVE THAT SUPPORT.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING INTO WHAT'S CALLED THE CORRIDOR ID PROGRAM, UH, FEDERAL, UH, PROGRAM, WHICH HAS ATTRACTED FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS.
AND WE WILL BE PUTTING IN FURTHER GRANT APPLICATIONS ONCE WE GET THROUGH THE CID PROCESS TO HOPEFULLY ACHIEVE FINANCIAL CLOSE BY THE END OF, UH, NEXT YEAR, AND THEN PUT A SPADE IN THE GROUND.
THERE'S STILL A LOT TO DO, BUT WE BELIEVE IN CONCLUSION, MR. MAYOR, THAT THIS REPRESENTS A, A COMPELLING OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUR CITY.
UH, AND THAT'S CERTAINLY WHAT EXCITES ME ABOUT THIS ROLE AND SOMETHING WE WE'RE DETERMINED TO DELIVER FOR YOU, FOR THE PEOPLE OF DALLAS AND HOUSTON, AND ALSO THE PEOPLE OF TEXAS.
UM, I'LL ASK MICHAEL MORRIS TO TAKE US THROUGH THE NEXT SEGMENT OF THE FORT WORTH TO DALLAS DISCUSSION.
DR. PEREZ, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
MICHAEL MORRIS, DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION AT THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS.
FOR THE RECORD, UH, MR. MAYOR COUNCIL, MR. CITY MANAGER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE, UH, WORKING WITH YOU OVER THE LAST, UH, SEVERAL YEARS.
I DID SEE SENATOR HUTCHINSON HERE TODAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, HER CONVENTION CENTER.
UH, SO I WANTED TO MAKE YOU ALL AWARE.
SHE IS, UH, IN THE HOUSE, MR. BYFORD.
IT'S VERY NICE TO BE WITH YOU.
UH, DAN LAMERS AND BRENDA WHEELER FROM OUR STAFF ARE HERE, WHO, WHO DOES HIGH SPEED RAIL EVERY DAY.
AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK OF HNTB PUTTING A LOT OF THESE DETAILS TOGETHER.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN AT THIS SINCE 2020.
WE'VE LOOKED AT 50 OPTIONS IN THE TWO YEAR ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS THAT TOOK US INTO, UH, A REFINEMENT, UH, PHASE.
AS WE LOOKED AT OUR STATIONS, UH, FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.
UH, WE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION ON MONDAY FROM THE FEDERAL TRANS ADMINISTRATION, UH, THAT WE ARE NOW IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS, UH, WITH THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION THAT PERMITS US, UH, ONCE CLEARED IN 12 MONTHS.
'CAUSE WE'RE NOW ON THE CLOCK, UH, TO BE ABLE TO PURSUE FUNDING WITH A PRIVATE SECTOR PROVIDER AND OR AMTRAK OR, AND, UH, OR THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT, UH, TO EXTEND SERVICE SEAMLESSLY, UH, BETWEEN DALLAS, UH, ARLINGTON IF THEY PARTICIPATE IN A TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY.
UH, AND, UH, DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH, WE TOO HAVE ENTERED THE QUARTER ID PROGRAM SUCCESSFULLY.
UH, WE THINK WE'LL FOLLOW THE DALLAS TO HOUSTON, UH, INVESTMENT BY THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION.
UH, WE WILL BE BUSY ON OUR FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION ENVIRONMENTAL, BUT WE TOO ARE IN LINE TO GET FEDERAL FUNDS FROM THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, UH, THROUGH THE QUARTER ID PROGRAM.
SO THIS CHART SHOWS YOU TWO PATHS FORWARD, UH, TO GET FUNDING TO ADVANCE HIGH SPEED RAIL BETWEEN DALLAS AND FORT WORTH.
NEXT SLIDE IS A REVIEW OF THE OPTIONS.
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UH, BY A FEW PEOPLE TO REVIEW THE OPTIONS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY REJECTED.UM, THOSE ARE LISTED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THIS PARTICULAR PAGE.
UM, TWO OF THE OPTIONS THAT WE HAD PREVIOUSLY APPROVED, UH, STILL HAVE MERIT.
UH, WE CAN EXTEND FROM THE CURRENT DALLAS HIGH-SPEED RAIL STATION WEST OF THE HYATT REGENCY, AS WELL AS EAST OF THE HYATT REGENCY.
SINCE THE CONVENTION CENTER HAS COME ON BOARD AND YOU, THIS COUNCIL SELECTED THE EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON UNION STATION AS THE HUB, WE PROPOSE TO EXTEND THE, UH, PEDESTRIAN LOBBY OF HIGH SPEED RAIL ALL THE WAY TO THE EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON UNION STATION, BOTH IN SIDEWALK AND POTENTIALLY WITH A PEOPLE MOVER SYSTEM UNDERNEATH THE HIGH SPEED RAIL.
UH, AND THEN WHEN YOU SEE THE SAN FRANCISCO HIGH-SPEED RAIL STATION, UH, WE INTRODUCED TODAY A POTENTIAL PEDESTRIAN CAP, UH, INTER INTERCONNECTING BETTER UNION STATION, UH, WITH, UH, THE HYATT REGENCY AS A POTENTIAL OPTION.
SO ALL PREVIOUSLY ALTERNATIVES WERE RE-REVIEWED AS REQUESTED.
UM, THE SAME CONCLUSION WAS REACHED AS WAS REACHED, UH, PREVIOUSLY.
SO IF YOU GO BACK TO OUR WORK IN THE FALL OF 2020, ON THE NEXT SLIDE, HERE'S THE 50 OR SO OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE.
UH, LOOKED AT, UH, HUNDREDS OF MEETINGS, UH, DOZENS AND DOZENS OF PUBLIC MEETINGS, UH, DURING THAT PARTICULAR PROCESS OVER TWO YEARS.
THAT TOOK US TO THE SUMMER OF 2021 ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, STAYING ON PUBLIC SECTOR RIGHT AWAY AS BEST WE CAN.
THIS IS THE INTERSTATE 30 QUARTER.
UH, WE DO HAVE, UM, SKIP STOP OPERATION AT, UH, ARLINGTON, UH, EITHER PERMANENTLY IF THEY DON'T PARTICIPATE IN A TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, OR THERE'S NO REASON WHY EVERY TRAIN DOES NOT HAVE TO STOP AT THE ARLINGTON STATION.
UH, BUT THIS TOOK US INTO THE DETAILS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE THREE, UH, LOCATIONS SINCE THE SUMMER OF 2021.
HERE ARE THOSE PARTICULAR OPTIONS.
WE SPENT TWO YEARS, I'M NOT SHOWING YOU ALL THE OPTIONS WE DID IN ARLINGTON AND ALL THE OPTIONS WE DID IN FORT WORTH, BUT HERE'S ALL THE OPTIONS.
WE STUDIED 27 PLUS OPTIONS IN DOWNTOWN DALLAS.
UM, MORE, MORE PUBLIC MEETINGS, MORE MEETINGS WITH REGARD TO HOW BEST TO GET TO THE DALLAS TO HOUSTON HIGH-SPEED RAIL STATION.
UM, HERE ARE THE OPTIONS THAT, UH, STILL, UH, ARE PROCEEDING IN THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION ENVIRONMENTAL.
THERE'S NO FATAL FLAW IN EXTENDING WITHOUT CHANGE THE LOCATION OF THE DALLAS HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION TO GO WEST OF THE HYATT REGENCY.
THERE'S NO REASON THE RAIL LINE HAS TO GO BETWEEN THE HYATT REGENCY AND UNION STATION.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF POSITIVE REASONS WHY YOU WISH TO, TO DO THAT, UH, RELATED TO BOTH YOUR UNION STATION HUB DECISION AND YOUR CONVENTION CENTER.
THE NEXT OPTION, UM, IS TWO A.
UM, THIS GOES EAST OF THE HYATT REGENCY.
YOU SEE, WE'RE AVOIDING THE LATEST LAYOUT OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UH, NO CHANGE TO THE LOCATION OF THE HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION.
UH, YOU, YOU CAN SEE, UM, UH, A GRAPH OF THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION AS IT HUGS THE RAIL DISTRICT, UM, FACILITY THAT OBVIOUSLY ALREADY EXISTS AND HAS FOR DECADES.
UM, AND IT ALIGNS TO THE HOTEL STREET ADJACENT TO THIS PARTICULAR RAIL QUARTER SINCE YOUR DECISION TO ADVANCE THE HUB.
AND WE ARE TRAINED IN SYSTEMS, UH, AS PART OF OUR TRAINING, UH, YOU HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO EXTEND THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE GETTING OFF AT THE DALLAS HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION, NOT ONLY TO BE ABLE TO GO TO ARLINGTON AND FORT WORTH, BUT TO CONVENIENTLY GO TO A WHOLE HOST OF BUILDINGS AND CONVENTION CENTER HOTELS AND UNION STATION.
SO, UM, THIS IS, UH, AGAIN, USING THE ALIGNMENT EAST OF THE HYATT REGENCY, BUT WE EXTEND THIS PEDESTRIAN LOBBY.
WE EXTEND THIS LINEAR SIDEWALK.
WE EXTEND POTENTIALLY A PEOPLE MOVER UNDERNEATH THE RAILROAD TRACK.
AND YOU CAN SEE, DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU WISH TO HAVE DEVELOPMENTS, UH, HOW THOSE CAN BE EXTENDED FROM THIS HORIZONTAL, UM, UM, LOBBY.
AND WE SHOWED YOU AT YOUR LAST MEETING SOME EXAMPLES OF THAT IN, IN DUBAI.
HERE IS SOME OTHER EXAMPLES OF THIS.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN, UH, LOOKING AT HOW TO INTERFACE WITH THE EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON UNION STATION, A POTENTIAL ANNEX BUILDING, UH, BUILT NEXT TO THE LIGHT RAIL.
UH, A DIRECT CONNECTION FROM FROM THAT INTO, UH, THE HYATT REGENCY DIRECTLY INTO THIS HORIZONTAL, UH, LOBBY AS PART OF THAT PARTICULAR PROCESS.
AND DEPENDING ON WHAT DEVELOPMENTS CONVENTION CENTER PLANS FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER WHERE, WHERE THE CONVENTION CENTER HOTELS, OBVIOUSLY THIS GIVES YOU ACCESS TO ALL OF THOSE PARTICULAR LOCATIONS.
[00:55:01]
AND YOU CAN SEE ON THE LEFT PART OF THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE, UH, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.UH, YOU CAN SEE THESE, UH, CONNECTIONS TO THE ANNEX AT UNION STATION DIRECT CONNECTIONS INTO THE HYATT REGENCY, CREATING BETTER CONNECTIONS BETWEEN HYATT REGENCY AND UNION STATION.
YOU'RE IN THIS LOBBY AREA, SO YOU CAN GET THESE CONNECTIONS TO ALL THESE PARTICULAR, UH, DEVELOPMENTS, INCLUDING THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND THEN ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PAGE, YOU SEE THE, UM, CURRENT HIGH-SPEED RAIL STATION AS DEFINED BY ANDY AND ALREADY ENVIRONMENTALLY CLEARED AS PART OF THIS PROCESS.
SO IT'S A TERRIFIC OPPORTUNITY IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN CONNECTING YOUR DESIRES OF A CONVENTION CENTER AND YOUR DESIRES OF A UNION STATION TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE HIGH SPEED RAIL, UH, FACILITY HERE IS ON THE NEXT SLIDE, IS A BLOWUP OF WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
UM, WE'RE EXPLORING BOTH PEDESTRIAN AS WELL AS SMALL PEOPLE MOVER SYSTEM.
UH, THIS PARTICULAR NOTION GOES BETWEEN, UH, EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON UNION STATION AND THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL STATION, A VERY SHORT DISTANCE, GIVING YOU WHATEVER ACCESS.
BUT AS YOU EXPLORE YOUR STREETCAR, WHICH IS PART OF THIS PARTICULAR AGENDA ITEM, AND AS YOU EXPLORE YOUR CONVENTION CENTER, THERE'S NOT NOTHING STOPPING YOU OF EXTENDING THIS ALL THE WAY OVER, UH, TO TRINITY GROVES AND ALL THE WAY TO THE SOUTH, AS YOU PREVIOUSLY CREATED A DESIRE TO CONNECT SOUTH DALLAS AND THE CEDARS INTO THE REACHES OF THE, UH, CONVENTION CENTER, AND BY THE WAY, INTO THE REACHES OF THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL INVESTMENT.
SO YOU, YOU HAVE THIS HUGE FOCUS ON AMTRAK COMING INTO UNION STATION.
YOU HAVE THIS HUGE FOCUS NOW ON AMTRAK GOING INTO FORT WORTH VIA OKLAHOMA CITY AND KANSAS CITY, ALL BEING INTEGRATED INTO A, UH, TERRIFIC, UM, A VERY EXTENSIVE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM, REGIONAL RAIL SYSTEM, AND POTENTIAL, UH, PEOPLE MOVER SYSTEM.
ONE OPTION THAT CAME UP AFTER YOU SEE THE SAN FRANCISCO HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION IS THIS NOTION OF A PEDESTRIAN CAP.
SO LATE LAST WEEK, WE, WE TALKED WITH CITY STAFF ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR IDEA, UH, WHERE YOU COULD PUT A PEDESTRIAN CAP AS YOU LOOK IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND PHOTO.
UM, THE HYATT REGENCY CURRENTLY IS OVERLOOKING A, A RAIL DISTRICT AND HAS FOR FIVE DECADES.
UH, IF THERE'S INTEREST IN TRYING TO COVER UP THAT PARTICULAR VIEW, UH, OF THE RAIL DISTRICT, YOU COULD CREATE A DESTINATION OF A PEDESTRIAN CAP FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER.
YOU COULD HAVE THAT AS A DESTINATION FOR PEOPLE IN THE HUB.
YOU COULD HAVE THAT AS A, A DESTINATION FOR PEOPLE IN CONVENTION CENTER HOTELS AS PART OF THAT PARTICULAR PROCESS.
AND I'LL SHOW YOU THE SAN FRANCISCO STATION IN A MOMENT.
UM, I BELIEVE THERE'S PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES TO QUOTE CREATE SYSTEM.
SO AS YOU PULL THE ONION SKIN BACK WITH REGARD TO HIGH SPEED RAIL, THEN YOU ADD IN THE CONVENTION CENTER, THEN YOU ADD IN THE HUB, THEN YOU ADD IN THE NEW AMTRAK SERVICE FROM DFW TO ATLANTA AT GRADE.
UH, YOU START TO SEE THE, UH, LAYERING OF THESE PARTICULAR SYSTEM, UH, CONNECTIONS.
UH, HERE IN THE NEXT SLIDE ARE THE FATAL FLAWS THAT WE HAD.
IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, ALTERNATIVE NUMBER THREE ON THE NEXT SLIDE, I WON'T, UH, GO THROUGH THESE.
UH, YOU HAVE WHITE PAPERS THAT WE PROMISED YOU ON EACH OF THESE THAT HAVE BEEN DRAFTED BY THE, UH, CONSULTANTS THAT, UH, DID THE GEOMETRIC WORK.
UH, WE WERE ASKED AGAIN TO LOOK AT A POTENTIAL, UM, UH, MOVEMENT OF THE HIGH SPEED RAIL OVER THE RAIL DISTRICT.
UH, SO ACTUALLY MOVE IT A FURTHER EAST.
SO HERE IS WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
UH, MASSIVE PERGOLA STRUCTURES HAS TO BE DEVELOPED TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THAT PARTICULAR EXPANSION OVER THE RAIL DISTRICT.
LOOKS HERE, INDUSTRIAL, UH, CERTAINLY POSSIBLE.
THEORETICALLY, UH, WE HAVE NOT CHECKED WITH ALL THE RAIL DISTRICT PARTNERS.
THE RAILROADS MAY HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT, UH, COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS.
UH, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WILL GET LEGS OR NOT, BUT WE WERE ASKED.
AND, UH, HERE IS A, WHAT THE HNTB ENGINEERS HAVE, UH, DRAFTED UP THAT WE HAD LOOKED AT PREVIOUSLY WITH, UH, MORE DETAIL.
UM, THE OTHER OPTIONS, UM, I WON'T TAKE TIME.
IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, UM, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU BUILD A SUBWAY? IT TAKES YOU 20 MINUTES TO UNLOAD A TRAIN AND MOVE 17 FLOORS TO GET TO A SUBWAY LOCATION.
UM, HUMAN BEINGS HAVE OUT OF VEHICLE TIME AT TWICE IN VEHICLE TIME.
SO INSTEAD OF A TRAIN COMING IN AND STOPPING FOR TWO MINUTES AND THEN GOING ON TO FORT WORTH, UH, YOU WOULD FEEL LIKE A 40 MINUTE DELAY TO GO 17 FLIGHTS TO GO TO A SUBWAY STATION.
[01:00:02]
UH, WE WERE ASKED TO ALSO LOOK AT A SUBWAY STATION THAT WASN'T CO LOCATED WITH THE HIGH SPEED RAIL.SO NOW YOU'RE LOOKING AT PROBABLY ALMOST AN HOUR, UM, IN EQUIVALENT TRAVEL TIME TO GET FROM THE HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION TO SOME SUBWAY STATION.
NOT, UH, ALIGNED WITH THE HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION.
TXDOT HAD PREVIOUSLY LOOKED AT SOME FATAL FLAWS, UH, ON THE TRE CORRIDOR, UH, WE EXAMINE THE TRE CORRIDOR AGAIN.
UH, THE TRE CORRIDOR HAS ITS OWN FATAL FLAWS, LARGELY BECAUSE IT DOESN'T, UH, MEET THE GREAT SEPARATION REQUIREMENTS OF HIGH SPEEDED RAIL.
UM, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WE WERE ASKED SOME SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
UH, DETAILED ENGINEERING, UM, PROFILES, BOTH GRADES AND TANGENTS WERE RUN.
UM, FORT WORTH TO DALLAS, UH, MAXIMUM SPEED IS 160 MILES AN HOUR.
IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT 21 MINUTES FOR THAT PARTICULAR TRIP.
IF YOU STOP IN ARLINGTON, THE MAXIMUM SPEED IS ABOUT THE SAME, 160 MILES AN HOUR.
IT'S ABOUT FOUR MINUTES LONGER TO DECELERATE, TWO MINUTE DWELL AND RE RE-ACCELERATE.
SO IT'S 25 MINUTES WITH A STOP IN ARLINGTON, UH, DALLAS TO HOUSTON IS REPORTED MAXIMUM SPEED OF 200 MILES AN HOUR, PLUS IT'S ABOUT A 90 MINUTE TRAVEL TIME.
AND THEN THE REALLY COOL PART IS YOU CAN GO FROM FORT WORTH TO HOUSTON IN ABOUT TWO HOURS, UH, SEAMLESSLY, UH, THROUGH THE DALLAS STATION.
AT THE LAST MEETING, UH, WE WERE ASKED, UH, AND THIS IS REALLY GONNA BE A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT TO BE TRANSFERRED TO YOUR STAFF.
AS YOU LOOK AT THE LAND USE IMPLICATIONS, UH, WE WERE ASKED ABOUT WHAT MARKETS WILL BE SERVED, UH, IN THIS PARTICULAR INITIATIVE, AND WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF DENSITY, UH, FOR HIGH SPEED RAIL STATIONS AND THE EFFECT OF LAND VALUES.
SO OUR STAFF PULLED ALL THE ARTICLES ON THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC.
MY SUGGESTION IS YOU GET THIS FROM YOUR OWN VERY GIFTED PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAFF.
UH, HERE IS A PICTURE ON, UH, OF THE SAN FRANCISCO HIGHSPEED RAIL STATION.
UH, PLEASE LOOK IN THE PICTURE OF THE DENSITY OF BUILDINGS NEXT TO A HIGH-SPEED RAIL STATION IN THE UNITED STATES.
THIS IS, THIS IS NOT THE PICTURE THAT YOU, YOU'RE LOOKING AT AND CONTEMPLATING THAT YOU SHOULD LOOK AT AND CONTEMPLATE TO MAXIMIZE THE DENSITY AROUND HIGH SPEED RAIL STATIONS.
ONE TRIP YOU MAY WISH TO GO TO IS TO GO TO SAN FRANCISCO AND, UH, TALK TO THE DEVELOPERS AND, AND KICK THE TIRES ON THE HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION.
UH, BUT, UM, IT IS, UH, IT IS A DIFFERENT WORLD, UH, WHEN YOU START PUTTING LAND USE AROUND HUGE HIGH VALUE, UH, PROPERTIES LIKE HIGH-SPEED RAIL STATIONS.
UH, WE, WE DON'T, PROBABLY DON'T HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE IN OUR COUNTRY AS MR. BEFOR DESCRIBED, BUT IT'S EASY TO GO TO OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD AND SEE THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF HIGH SPEEDED RAIL STATIONS.
UH, PROPERTY VALUES ARE THE SAME, UM, 50 TO A HUNDRED PERCENT INCREASE IN THE VALUE OF PROPERTY NEAR A HIGH-SPEED RAIL STATION.
UH, SOME CITIES ARE DECLARING SIX TO 14% INCREASES IN PROPERTY VALUES.
IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE THE WINNER OF A HIGH SPEED RAIL, UH, STATION IN YOUR PARTICULAR COMMUNITY.
THE LITERATURE'S TALKING ABOUT A 20 MINUTE WALKING DISTANCE.
PLUS, IF YOU HAVE REGIONAL RAIL THAT'S, THAT'S DIRECTLY CONNECTED, WHICH WE DO, PLUS IF YOU HAVE LIGHT RAIL, WHICH IS, WHICH IS CONNECTED, WHICH WE DO PLUS ANY BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIONS.
AND THESE OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE SHOWING INCREASE IN LAND VALUES 18 MILES AWAY FROM THE HIGH SPEED RAIL, UH, INVESTMENT.
AND THEN WHEN YOU ADD THE HUB AND THE CONVENTION CENTER, IT JUST GETS EVEN BETTER.
HERE'S A SLIDE OF, UH, HIGH-SPEED RAIL, UH, IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD.
UH, MR. BYFORD DESCRIBED, UH, US A LITTLE LATE TO THE GAME HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.
UH, AND THEN WITH REGARD TO THE DIFFERENT MARKET SEGMENTS, UH, MY FINAL SLIDE IS HIGHSPEED RAIL TO HOUSTON, AUSTIN AND SAN ANTONIO.
REMEMBER, OUR HOPE IS NOT ONLY DOES DALLAS TO HOUSTON, UH, BECOME, UH, BE IS IMPLEMENTED, THAT GIVES YOU YOUR SEAMLESS CONNECTION TO FORT WORTH.
BUT EVENTUALLY WE WOULD GET TO AUSTIN AND SAN ANTONIO MUCH, MUCH EASIER VIA THE DALLAS HOUSTON LINE, UH, THAN TO BUILD THE INVERTED U AND GO HIGH SPEED RAIL TO AUSTIN, SAN ANTONIO OUT OF FORT WORTH.
THE OTHER THING THAT'S, REMEMBER, IF YOU FORCE A TRANSFER IN DOWNTOWN, BECAUSE THE ARLINGTON STATION IS OUR ACCESS TO DFW AIRPORT, YOU'D BE FORCING A SECOND TRANSFER IN ARLINGTON.
YOU GET TO DFW AIRPORT, THE RULE OF THUMB IS TWO TRANSFERS AND YOU'RE DEAD.
UM, SO THAT IS A, UH, AN ITEM TO BE EXTREMELY SENSITIVE TO, UH, UNDER FEDERAL RULE.
I HAVE TO WALK AROUND THE REGION, UH, AS IF IT'S 20 45, 20 50.
[01:05:02]
'CAUSE I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION.SO WE'RE CURRENTLY AT A 2 8, 8 0.2 MILLION.
I'M ACTING LIKE WE'RE AT 12.4.
AND I THINK, UH, NOT, NOT NECESSARILY THE MOST CONVENIENT PLACE FOR A LOCAL, LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIAL, UH, BUT I HAVE TO WALK AROUND LIKE THE REGION IS 12.4 MILLION PEOPLE.
AND IN 2045, I WOULD HOPE SOMEONE BACK IN 2024 THOUGHT ABOUT CONNECTING DOWNTOWN DALLAS, HOUSTON, AUSTIN, AND SAN ANTONIO BY HIGH SPEED RAIL.
I DON'T THINK YOU'VE FULLY EXPLORED THE BETTER CONNECTION AT THE HUB, AT GRADE AMTRAK STREETCAR, LIGHT RAIL REGIONAL RAIL, I THINK YOU HAVE YET TO EXPLORE THE FULL CONNECTIONS OF YOUR NEW CONVENTION CENTER.
AND BY THE WAY, THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE HAVE TO STOP THE, UH, PEOPLE MOVER AT, UH, AT UNION STATION.
THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE COULDN'T EXTEND OVER TO TRINITY GROVES.
AND IF THERE'S A GOAL OF THIS COUNCIL TO CREATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FROM THE CONVENTIONEERS GOING TO TRINITY GROVES, YOU COULD CONNECT THAT WITH A PEOPLE MOVER SYSTEM TO TRINITY GROVES.
OR IF YOU WISH TO, AS YOU HAVE SAID PREVIOUSLY, EXTEND CONVENTIONEERS TO GO TO INTEREST IN, UH, SOUTH DALLAS.
UH, YOU COULD EASILY DO IT BY EXTENDING THE PEOPLE MOVER SYSTEM FURTHER TO THE SOUTH.
UM, WE WERE LUCKY TO GET OUR NINE EVENTS FOR THE FIFA WORLD CUP.
I WONDER WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED IF WE HAD A HIGH SPEED RAIL ALREADY IN OPERATION AND WHAT THAT COULD DO, UH, FOR FUTURE CONVENTIONS AND SPECIAL EVENTS.
UM, MR. MAYOR, I'LL STOP THERE AND BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, ANY WE HAVE.
UM, AS FAR AS NEXT STEPS, WE'LL CONTINUE WORKING WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND PARTNERS ON VISIONS FOR THESE ITEMS TO, UH, TO INCLUDE INCORPORATING, UH, FEEDBACK INTO ANY FUTURE, UH, SOLICITATIONS, UH, FOR RFPS.
UH, WE'LL CONTINUE RESEARCHING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IMPACTS, UM, SURROUNDING HIGH SPEED RAIL.
UH, WE ALREADY HAVE WSP, UH, WORKING ON THAT, AND WE'LL INCORPORATE THAT FEEDBACK INTO FUTURE, UM, BRIEFINGS TO COUNCIL AND TO THE COMMITTEES.
UM, AND THEN ULTIMATELY WHAT WE HOPE TO DO IS WORK TOWARDS, UH, CITY COUNCIL CONSENSUS ON A PATH MOVING FORWARD.
WITH THAT, WE'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. PARIS.
WE'RE ON ITEM C FOR THE PUBLIC CHAIRMAN MORENO, YOU RECOGNIZE FOR FIVE MINUTES.
THE TOPIC OF HIGH SPEED RAIL IS ABSOLUTELY EXCITING.
UM, HOWEVER, I'M EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED IN THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION THAT HAS HAPPENED WITH MULTIPLE AGENCIES, INCLUDING OUR TRANSPORTATION, OUR OWN TRANSPORTATION TEAM HERE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AFTER ALL THIS BEING IN, IN DISTRICT TWO, AS THE, UH, STATION WOULD BE LOCATED, UH, IN THE DISTRICT, TODAY'S THE, THE MOST INFORMATION THAT I'VE RECEIVED THUS FAR.
WE RECEIVED THESE DOCUMENTS, UH, A DAY OR TWO AGO, AND SO I'M STILL REVIEWING AND TRYING TO SOAK IT ALL IN.
UM, AND WE SHOULD ALL WANNA BE GOOD PARTNERS HERE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
WE WANNA BE PARTNERS TO OUR REGION, BUT AS DALLAS ELECTED LEADERS, WE MUST LOOK OUT FOR WHAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES WHEN IT COMES TO HIGH-SPEED RAIL.
HAVE WE SELECTED WHICH FORM OF HIGH-SPEED TECHNOLOGY, UH, WE WOULD BE IMPLEMENTING? UM, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
UH, MR. MAYOR, THESE, THESE CHOSEN TECHNOLOGY WOULD BE, AS I MENTIONED IN MY PRESENTATION, THE HANSEN N 700, UH, BULLET TRAIN, FOR WANT OF A BETTER WORD.
IT COMES AS PART OF A SYSTEM, INCLUDING THE OVERHEAD CATY AND THE OTHER SAFETY RELATED SYSTEMS WHERE THE, UH, THAT IS THE CHOSEN TECHNOLOGY WITH THE ONE CAVEAT THAT WE WOULD STILL NEED TO ACHIEVE A BY WAVER, A BY AMERICA, SORRY, WAIVER.
AND WE'RE TALKING TO FRA ABOUT THAT.
AND WHAT IS THE, THE MAX SPEED ON THIS TECHNOLOGY? UM, IT, IT'S ACTUALLY HIGHER THAN 205 MILES PER HOUR.
WE'VE MODEL, WE'VE MODELED 2 0 5, BUT THE, THE TRAIN ITSELF IS CAPABLE OF HIGHER SPEEDS THAN THAT IN THE MID TWENTIES.
AND WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE HIGH SPEED, UM, USED BETWEEN DALLAS AND, AND, UH, FORT WORTH? YEAH, IT WAS IN MY PRESENTATION, I THINK IT WAS 160 MILES AN HOUR, UM, GIVEN THE, UH, DISTANCE, THE SHORTER DISTANCE BETWEEN DALLAS AND FORT WORTH, AND ITS, AND ITS GEOMETRIC PROFILE, UH, ON THE, UH, ROUTE THAT'S CURRENTLY BEING CONSIDERED.
WHAT IS THE TRAVEL TIME BETWEEN DALLAS AND FORT WORTH? PUT MY SLIDE BACK UP.
UM, YOU'LL SEE THAT ON SLIDE 17, 21 MINUTES, UM, BETWEEN FORT WORTH AND DALLAS.
UM, BECAUSE WE'RE BUILDING A SKIP STOP IN ARLINGTON NOT KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT ARLINGTON'S GOING TO DO.
AND NOT EVERY TRAIN HAS TO STOP, EVEN IF ARLINGTON DOES.
AND IT'S 25 MINUTES IF YOU HAVE THREE STOPS.
[01:10:01]
UH, THIS HIGH SPEED RAIL.UM, SO FOR THE PURPOSES OF, UH, TODAY, THAT'S YET TO BE DETERMINED.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OPTIONS, BUT CERTAINLY, UH, WE ARE APPROACHING THIS AS AMTRAK AS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE THAT THIS WOULD BE AN AMTRAK OPERATED SERVICE.
THAT DECISION HAS NOT YET BEEN TAKEN.
UH, BUT THAT'S THE CURRENT ASSUMPTION.
IF ARLINGTON WERE TO BE, UH, IN THE MIX, WOULD THEY THEN, UH, BE PART OF THE, IF DART WERE TO HAVE A ROLE IN THIS, WOULD, WOULD THEY BE JOINING THE REGIONAL SYSTEM AS WELL? FOR ARLINGTON TO GET A STATION, THEY HAVE TO EITHER JOIN A TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY OR JOIN A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION OF A TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY.
SO THERE ARE THREE TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITIES IN THE REGION.
NOW THAT WE GOT OUR LETTER ON MONDAY, ARLINGTON IS NOW ON THE CLOCK.
THEY HAVE 365 DAYS BECAUSE WE HAVE TO, UNDER FEDERAL RULE, COMPLETE OUR ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, ASSESSMENT OF HIGH SPEED RAIL BETWEEN DALLAS AND FORT WORTH.
DO WE HAVE PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS ON, UH, OP UH, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF, UH, THE HIGH SPEED RAIL DURING THE ENVIRONMENTAL? WELL, SORRY, AS, UH, YES, WE DO.
UH, WE, AS PART OF THE BUSINESS CASE, MR. MAYOR, WE HAVE TO DO AN ANALYSIS OF WHAT THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE COSTS WOULD LOOK LIKE, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT'S GERMANE TO THE, UH, TO THE BUSINESS CASE.
WHEN YOU'RE OFFSETTING PREDICTED RIDERSHIP REVENUES AND THE ON COST OF OPERATIONS, WHAT, WHAT IS THAT ANALYSIS? WHAT WHAT'S THE FIGURE? UH, I DON'T HAVE THE FIGURE RIGHT BEFORE ME, BUT THE, UH, THE BUSINESS CASE IS EXTREMELY STRONG WHEN YOU NET OUT THE COST OF OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, UH, THE PROJECTED RIDERSHIP, AND THEREBY THE REVENUES EASILY OUTSTRIP THAT EVEN TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE NEED TO SET ASIDE SOME OF THAT REVENUE FOR RENEWALS, UH, GOING FORWARD.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, UH, WHAT RIDERSHIP'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.
I KNOW IT'S KIND OF DIFFICULT TO PREDICT, UH, BUT WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET TO IS THAT OPERATION COST IN THE MAINTENANCE, YOU KNOW, WEIGHING THE, THE COST OF, OF THE FARE BETWEEN DALLAS AND FORT WORTH.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? IS THE MAINTENANCE, IS THE MAINTENANCE AT ALL GONNA BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DALLAS, UH, RESIDENTS, IF THEY'RE SHORTFALLS, WANTING TO CLEARLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MAINTENANCE IMPLEMENTATIONS, UH, WOULD BE ON THE RESIDENT OF DALLAS? UNDERSTOOD.
UM, COUNCILMAN, THERE IS NO, NOTHING IN OUR PARTICULAR PLAN HAS EITHER CAPITAL COST COMPETING WITH ANY OTHER TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENT, NOR IS THERE ANY PLAN THAT RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF, UH, OF ANY OF OUR CITIES WOULD BE PAYING THE OPERATION OR MAINTENANCE COST OF, OF HIGH SPEED RAIL.
UM, WE'VE DONE AN INDUSTRY FORUM.
WE HAVE, UH, COMPANIES AROUND THE WORLD, UH, THAT BELIEVE DALLAS TO FORT WORTH IS A, IS A UNBELIEVABLY, UH, TERRIFIC, UH, INVESTMENT TO THE DALLAS TO HOUSTON HIGH-SPEED RAIL.
AND IT WOULD BE MY HOPE, UH, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT ANY CROSS, UH, PLATFORM TRANSFERS.
WE WANT IT AS SEAMLESS AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
IT'S MY HOPE THAT THE TECHNOLOGY USED BETWEEN DALLAS AND HOUSTON WOULD BE THE IDENTICAL TECHNOLOGY THAT WOULD EXTEND TO FORT WORTH AND BEYOND, UH, AS YOU BUILD A NATIONAL NETWORK.
WITH THAT, UM, HOW CONFIDENT ARE, ARE WE WITH THE ALIGNMENT BETWEEN DALLAS TO HOUSTON, WHICH I, I AM EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE OF, AND, UM, GLAD OF THE PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE THERE.
UH, IF THAT DOESN'T, UH, BECOME A REALITY, UH, DOES DALLAS TO FORT WORTH STILL MOVE FORWARD? IS THAT STILL NEEDED? IS, IS THIS, UH, WOULD WE STILL MOVE FORWARD IF DALLAS TO HOUSTON DOESN'T GET, UM, DESIGNED AND BUILT, UH, UNDER OUR ENVIRONMENTAL, WE HAVE IN INDEPENDENT UTILITY? SO IN THEORY, AND I SAY THEORY, DALLAS TO FORT WORTH COULD EXIST ON ITS OWN, UH, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T THINK HIGH SPEED RAIL BETWEEN DALLAS AND FORT WORTH IS, UM, AS REALISTIC AS BEING A PARTNER TO THE DALLAS TO HOUSTON INVESTMENT.
IF I MIGHT JUST ADD TO THAT, I'D, I'D ENTIRELY ECHO WHAT, UH, MR. MORRIS HAS JUST SAID.
UH, YOU COULD DO IT STANDALONE, BUT IT WOULD NOT FIT THE TYPICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A HIGH SPEED ROUTE.
ON THE CONTRARY, CONVERSELY, WERE YOU TO BE ABLE TO SUCCEED TO GO FROM FORT WORTH ALL THE WAY TO HOUSTON, THAT THAT ACTUALLY MAKES THE BUSINESS CASE EVEN BETTER FOR THE DALLAS TO HOUSTON SECTION, BECAUSE YOU WOULD HAVE THE, THOSE, UH, COUPLE OF EXTRA STOCKS.
YOU WOULD ALSO HAVE THE CONNECTION TO DALLAS FORT WORTH AIRPORT.
SO, UM, I THINK THE, UH, THE CHALLENGE FOR US IS TO MAKE THE WHOLE ROUTE WORK, BUT THEY ARE ACTUALLY TWO SEPARATE PROJECTS AND WE ARE CAREFUL TO KEEP THEM THAT WAY FOR NOW.
AND COUNCILMAN, I WOULD ALSO THINK OVER TIME, AS YOU APPROACH 12, 12 MILLION PE PEOPLE, IF YOUR END STATION IS IN DALLAS,
[01:15:02]
THE PRESSURE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ON PARKING AS INEFFICIENT LAND USE IS GONNA BE GOING THROUGH THE ROOF.UH, ONE OF THE ITEMS I WOULD ASK YOUR STAFF TO LOOK AT IS TO REDUCE THE PRESSURE ON PARKING AT AN END STATION WHEN A REGION BECOMES 12 MILLION.
SO YOU CAN HAVE MUCH HIGHER LAND USE EFFECTIVENESS IN OFFICE RESIDENTIAL AND RETAIL THAN BUILDING HUGE PARKING GARAGES TO SUPPORT THE END STATION OF A HIGH-SPEED RAIL INVESTMENT.
UM, YOU GUYS MENTIONED, UM, LOOKING AT, UH, THE ROUTES AND WHETHER, UH, ARLINGTON'S IN THERE OR NOT.
UM, AND DURING YOUR STUDIES, WHAT DID WE LOOK AT WHEN WE LOOKED AT, AT THE POSSIBILITY OF IMPROVING THE, THE TRE FROM DALLAS TO FORT WORTH, WHETHER NEW MODERN TECHNOLOGY OR, OR CUTTING TIME GOING A DIRECT ROUTE FROM DALLAS TO FORT WORTH? UM, DID WE STUDY WHAT THE TIME, DISTANCE, IF WE HAD DIRECT, UH, ROUTES BETWEEN DALLAS AND FORT WORTH ON THE TRE? YES, SIR.
AND YOU HAVE A WHITE PAPER AND YOU JUST RECEIVED IT, SO I DON'T, I WOULDN'T HAVE ANTICIPATED YOU WOULD'VE TIME TO READ IT, BUT DR. PEREZ HAS SENT YOU THE WHITE PAPERS ON EITHER AN AT GRADE IMPROVEMENT ON THE TRE QUARTER OR A GRADE SEPARATION OVER THE TRE QUARTER.
WE ELIMINATED THAT IN 2 20 20.
WE RE-LOOKED AT IT, REDRAFTED A WHITE PAPER, MORE THAN HAPPY TO MEET WITH YOU ON THE DETAILS OF THAT PARTICULAR REASONS WHY, UH, THAT PARTICULAR INVESTMENT WOULDN'T BE, WOULD NOT MEET THE, UH, PURPOSE.
UM, WITH THE PROPOSED ROUTE, HOW MANY HOMES, BUSINESSES WOULD BE SUBJECT TO IMMINENT DOMAIN? WELL, WE'RE NOW, UH, THIR IN OUR THIRD DAY OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS, SO WE WILL WORK WITH YOU.
WE'VE BEEN HEARING PEOPLE SAY 300.
WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT IS COMING FROM.
UM, OTHER THAN THEY, THEY WISH NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROCESS.
UH, PRELIMINARY ALIGNMENT AT TWO OR 3% DESIGN, UH, IS VERY, VERY MINIMAL.
AND WE'RE WORKING ON SOME LAND SWAPS AND OTHER INITIATIVES IN THAT PART OF THE CITY TO CREATE EVEN BETTER, UH, OPPORTUNITIES.
SO, UH, WE WILL KNOW, WE WILL KNOW AND KEEP THE COMMUNITY UP TO DATE AS WE ADVANCE THE ENVIRONMENTAL, WHICH IS NOW THREE DAYS OLD.
UH, BUT WE THINK IT'S VERY MINIMAL.
90 SOME ODD PERCENT OF THE RIGHT OF WAY IS ON PUBLIC SECTOR RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, VERY LITTLE OF IT IS ON PRIVATE SECTOR RIGHT OF WAY.
IN, IN A FEW WEEKS, UH, THE DALLAS CITY COUNCIL WILL BE INVITED OUT TO MARTYRS PARK, UH, A SITE OF, UH, AFRICAN AMERICAN LYNCHINGS THAT HAPPENED, UH, HERE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UH, THE PROPOSAL CA UM, CALLED FOR THIS, UH, HIGH-SPEED RAIL TO BE ON, ON THE BACKGROUND OF, OF THAT PARK.
UM, CAN YOU SPEAK TO, UH, HOW THAT WOULD IMPACT THAT PARTICULAR, UH, THAT PARK THERE UNDER FEDERAL LAW? UH, UNDER FOUR F PROVISIONS, THERE'S GREAT SENSITIVITY TO PARKS, ALL PARKS, ESPECIALLY THOSE SENSITIVE, UH, HISTORICALLY, UM, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, WE'RE NOT TOUCHING ANY PARKS.
UM, PART OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IS TO DOCUMENT ANY IMPACT TO SENSITIVE AREAS, INCLUDING THAT ONE.
UM, WE ARE GOING OVER THE SIMMONS PARK, UH, ALL OF THAT UNDER FEDERAL RULE, WE'LL GET GREAT, UH, SCRUTINY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE GEOMETRIC DESIGN IS AT 2%.
WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO 30, UH, MOVING FURTHER AWAY FROM THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT ANY ANYWHERE CLOSE TO TOUCHING IT.
UH, WHICH WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE, UH, IN OUR BEST INTEREST.
NO DIFFERENT THAN OUR EXPLORING OF, UH, INNOVATIVE IDEAS TO, TO HELP CONNECT, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER, HIGH SPEED RAIL TO YOUR NEW HUB STATION.
THOSE ARE THE ACTIVITIES THAT TAKE PLACE IN AN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY, WHICH WOULD BEGIN, UH, THIS WEEK.
UM, YOU, UH, TALKED ABOUT THE, THE HUB, UH, EXTENDING THAT HUB NETWORK AND THAT, UH, I BELIEVE THE CITY WAS, UH, HAD A, UM, A RELATIONSHIP WHERE TIED WITH THAT, UM, CAN YOU GIMME A LITTLE BIT MORE BACKGROUND? WE WERE INVITED TO A MEETING IN MY MEMORY IS NOVEMBER.
UH, THE CITY OF DALLAS WENT THROUGH A PROCESS TO DEFINE ITS INTERMODAL HUB, EITHER AT THE DALLAS HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, OR THE EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON UNION STATION.
UM, ROSA LED THAT PARTICULAR PROCESS, UH, THAT PROCESS IDENTIFIED THE EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, UM, HUB TO BE AT YOUR HISTORIC UNION STATION, WHICH I THINK IS A BRILLIANT MOVE BECAUSE OF ALL THE MODES THAT ARE THERE.
UH, AND THEN WE'RE PROPOSING A REALLY, WE THINK, UH, UM, CLEVER WAY TO CONNECT
[01:20:01]
THE HUB, UH, TO THE HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION AND TO THE CONVENTION CENTER AND POTENTIALLY TO, UM, THE WEST, WEST DALLAS AND SOUTH DALLAS AS WELL.BUT WE WERE NOT INVOLVED IN THAT DECISION.
THAT DECISION WAS INITIATED BY ROSA, WHO'S MORE THAN ABLE TO SPEAK TO IT.
ROSA FLEMING, DIRECTOR OF CONVENTION AND EVENT SERVICES.
SO AS WE WALKED THROUGH THE MASTER PLAN AND PRESENTED IT TO COUNCIL, WE SEPARATED IT INTO CONVENTION CENTER.
AND THEN THE OTHER COMPONENTS THAT ARE PART OF THE PLAN, ONE OF THOSE INCLUDED UNION STATION.
AND SO AS WE WALKED THROUGH THE, THE PLANNING OF THE DISTRICT, UH, THERE WAS THE QUESTION OF WHERE THE BEST MULTIMODAL HUB WOULD BE.
UM, AS IT STANDS, UNION STATION IS ALREADY A MULTIMODAL HUB, UM, JUST THERE'S NOT A HIGH SPEED RAIL CONNECTED TO IT, BUT THERE ARE BUSES, THERE ARE TRAINS, TRE, ET CETERA.
AND SO IT WAS ALREADY BY NATURE A HUB AND IT MADE MOST SENSE.
AND SO AS WE BROUGHT OPTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL, UM, THAT IS WHERE WE SETTLED RATHER THAN USING THE PLATFORM OR THE STATION WHERE THE HIGH SPEED RAIL WOULD, UH, EMANATE FROM IN THE CEDARS UNION STATION MADE THE MOST SENSE.
AND SO AS YOU WALK THROUGH THE EXISTING, UH, PLAN THAT IS ON THE DALLAS CC MASTER PLAN.COM SITE AS AN ARCHIVE, IT SHOWS THE EMANATION AND THE MEETINGS THAT WE WENT THROUGH TO ACTUALLY SELECT UNION STATION AS THE, AS THE HUB.
AND IN THAT WE WORKED WITH DART, WE WORKED WITH COG, WE WORKED WITH AMTRAK AND ALL OF OUR PARTNERS ALONG WITH CITY COUNCIL AND OUR INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDER GROUPS FOR THAT, WILL THERE BE A REQUIREMENT, UH, FROM LA LANDMARK, UM, FOR THE, UH, ELEVATED, UH, PROPOSAL TO, TO GO OVER BEHIND, UH, UNION STATION? SO WE WOULD WORK WITH, UM, THE LANDMARK COMMISSION AND WITH OUR PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN DEPARTMENT, WHO HAVE BEEN INTEGRALLY INVOLVED THE ENTIRE TIME AS WE'VE WALKED THROUGH THE, THE MASTER PLANNING.
AT ANY TIME WE'RE GOING TO TOUCH THAT BUILDING OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S OF HISTORIC NATURE.
WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PROPOSAL, AGAIN, THE ELEVATED ROUTE, UH, ROUTE, UM, WE, WE SAW SOME GREAT IMAGES ON WHAT A PEDESTRIAN DECK COULD LOOK LIKE.
WHO WOULD BEAR THE COST OF THAT? WOULD THAT BE, UH, AMTRAK OR WOULD THAT BE THE CITY OR THE PRIVATE DEVELOPER? WHO, WHO WOULD WELL, IT CERTAINLY WOULD NOT BE AMTRAK.
'CAUSE AMTRAK RIGHT NOW IS FOCUSED ON THE DALLAS HIGH-SPEED RAIL STATION TO THE SOUTH TO HOUSTON.
UM, WE ARE CONSIDERING ABSORBING THE COST OF THE PEOPLE MOVER SYSTEM, SIDEWALK SYSTEM BETWEEN HIGH SPEED RAIL AND THE HUB.
SINCE WE ARE THE, UH, METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION FOR DALLAS FORT WORTH, THAT TRANSPORTATION, THAT SEAMLESS TRANSPORTATION CONNECTION, WE THINK IT WOULD BE CRITICAL.
UM, THE NOTION OF A PEDESTRIAN CAP ON TOP IS ABOUT FIVE DAYS OLD.
IT CAME LATE LAST WEEK AFTER SEEING THE SAN FRANCISCO HIGH-SPEED RAIL STATION.
SO THAT'S AN OPEN, OPEN QUESTION.
UM, I DON'T WANNA NEGOTIATE AGAINST MYSELF.
UH, AND WE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN IF, IF THE CITY WOULD, WOULD WANT TO EXPLORE AS A, AS THEY LAY OUT A STREETCAR SYSTEM, DO YOU WANT TO EXPLORE THE PEOPLE MOVER SYSTEM EXTENDING OVER TO TRINITY GROVES AND TO SOUTH DALLAS? WE WOULD WAIT DIRECTION FROM THIS COUNCIL, IF THAT'S OF INTEREST.
THAT RENDERING FROM SAN FRANCISCO, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS A BUILT OUT OR IS THAT A PROPOSAL? I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S A RENDERING THAT'S A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION THAT EXISTS ON THE PLANET EARTH.
UM, WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE, THE LANDSCAPE AND HOW IT COULD, UM, HAVE AN IMPACT.
UM, WHAT WE HAVEN'T, WHAT I HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT YET IS HAROLD, UH, HAROLD SIMMONS PARK AND HOW THAT WOULD BE, UM, GOING OVER THE PARK.
HAVE THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSIONS WITH, UH, THAT, UH, ORGANIZATION? YEAH, OUR STAFF HAS MET WITH THEM.
THEY SEEM VERY INTERESTED IN IT.
WE HAVE THIS IDEA POTENTIALLY CONNECTING TO THE OUTLOOKS, UH, INDEPENDENT OF HIGH SPEED RAIL.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE PARK TO HELP FUND OTHER INNOVATIVE THINGS THEY'VE BEEN WANTING TO DO.
SO WE'RE FOUR YEARS PROBABLY IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM.
AND ALL OF OUR ALIGNMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN, WE WORK WORKING WITH OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS HAVE BEEN REVIEWED WITH THEM AS PART OF THAT PROCESS.
SO, UM, I THINK THEY'RE VERY, UH, THEY, THEY HAVEN'T INDICATED ANY CRITICISM OF IT TO US.
UH, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO EXPLORE, UH, HOW TO BETTER CONNECT TO THEIR OUTLOOKS AND THIS POTENTIAL, UH, PEOPLE MOVER CONNECTION OVER TO THE WESTERN SIDE WHERE THEY'RE SPENDING A LOT OF THEIR ENERGY IS ON THE, ON THE WEST
[01:25:01]
DALLAS SIDE OF THE PARK.THE, THE IDEA OF OF STREET EXPANSION, OF THE STREETCAR AND PEOPLE MOVER IS ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING.
AND I THINK THOSE ARE, UH, UH, THINGS WE SHOULD CONTINUE EXPLORING REGARDLESS IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH A, A RECOMMENDATION ON THE, UH, CURRENT PROPOSED ROUTE.
GERALD SCHULTZ, YOU RECKON FOR FIVE MINUTES? THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.
UM, I'M, I'M VERY EXCITED AND HAVE BEEN FOR MANY, MANY YEARS ABOUT THE DALLAS HOUSTON ROUTE.
THAT FORT WORTH ROUTE IS NEWER TO ME, SO I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT.
CAN YOU TELL ME AGAIN, TELL ME IN A WAY THAT I CAN EXPLAIN TO OTHER PEOPLE WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO DALLAS OF THE FORT WORTH ROUTE? UM, I, I THINK FORCING 12 MILLION PEOPLE, IF THAT'S THE POPULATION IN 2045 OR 8 MILLION PEOPLE TODAY, IF YOU HAD IT, THEY WOULD ALL BE FORCED TO GET TO THE HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION.
SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET A TRINITY RAILWAY EXPRESS, UH, TO HELP YOU TO SOME EXTENT.
IF YOU'RE IN THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE REGION, YOU HAVE THE BENEFIT OF OBVIOUSLY LIGHT RAIL.
UM, BUT YOU'RE PROBABLY DEPENDENT ON THE AUTOMOBILE TO MAKE THAT PARTICULAR CONNECTION.
UM, AND IN OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AIRLINES, IF YOU GO BACK TO WHY HIGH SPEED RAIL GOT DERAILED, SORRY TO SAY DERAILED 15 YEARS AGO, IS THE SOUTHWEST AIRLINES AND AMERICAN AIRLINES DIDN'T THINK WE WERE PLAYING HIGH-SPEED RAIL FAIRLY BETWEEN THE TWO AIRLINES.
SO THEY EACH HAVE ACCESS IN A SIMILAR FASHION BY BUILDING HIGH-SPEED RAIL TO ARLINGTON, YOU HAVE A RELATIVELY SHORT CONNECTION TO DFW AIRPORT AND THE HIGH SPEED RAIL CONNECTION TO DALLAS HAS A RELATIVELY SHORT CONNECTION ON LIGHT RAIL TO LOVE FIELD.
SO, UH, THAT IS THE EARLY WORKINGS OF, OF THE DESIRE TO HAVE AN ARLINGTON STATION WAS LARGELY TO PLAY FAIR BETWEEN THE AIRLINES.
SO WE DIDN'T GET DERAILED AGAIN ON EQUAL ACCESS.
BUT IF YOU MOVE AHEAD TO 12 MILLION PEOPLE, THE MORE SEAMLESS YOU CAN MAKE THESE CONNECTIONS AND DON'T OVERBUILD YOUR PARKING IN DOWNTOWN, THE MORE SUCCESSFUL YOU'RE GONNA HAVE HIGH SPEED RAIL.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO DRIVE TO DOWNTOWN DALLAS.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN TAKE A TRANSIT TRIP TO YOUR ARLINGTON STATION, OR YOU CAN TAKE A-A-A-A-A-A-T-R-E STATION OR A TEXT RAIL LINE MOVEMENT TO YOUR HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION IN DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH, AND THEN YOU ARE SEAMLESSLY IN HOUSTON IN, IN TWO HOURS VERSUS SPENDING 40 MINUTES OR WHATEVER IT WOULD TAKE TO TRAVEL ACROSS THE REGION TO GET TO THE HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION, FIND A PARKING SPACE, PAY FOR THAT PARTICULAR PARKING.
IT IS JUST A VERY AWKWARD, UH, CONNECTION.
UM, AND SO MUCH MORE SEAMLESS, UH, IN INCLUDING A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE IN THE FUTURE THAT JUST WANT TO GO FROM DALLAS TO FORT WORTH.
DON'T DON'T THINK EVERYONE IS, IS GOING TO HOUSTON WHEN YOU HAVE A REGION OF 12 MILLION PEOPLE.
UH, PART OF THE LAYERING OF THIS PARTICULAR SYSTEM IS THE RIDERSHIP BENEFIT YOU WOULD GET IN 20 MINUTES BETWEEN DALLAS, DALLAS AND FORT WORTH.
SO IT'S A REGIONAL ANSWER, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? IT'S BOTH REGIONALLY AND IT'S, UH, STATEWIDE.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, PART OF A NATIONAL, NO, I'M JUST SAYING IN TERMS OF THE BENEFIT OF DALLAS REGION, AND THEN EVENTUALLY WE WILL HEAD WEST OF FORT WORTH IF THIS IS A NATIONAL MM-HMM.
IS FORT WORTH THEN GO TO DENVER? DOES IT GO TO OKLAHOMA CITY? WHERE DO WE GO WEST OF, OF DALLAS AS PART OF A NATIONAL NETWORK? SO THAT LEADS TO MY NA I'M SORRY.
I WAS GONNA SAY, AND CHAIR, UH, ASIDE FROM THE, UM, ASIDE FROM THE TRANSPORTATION, UM, BENEFITS, UH, WHILE I DID MENTION THAT WE ARE STILL GONNA BE WORKING ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IMPACT, UH, HAVING HIGH SPEED RAIL, UM, AT LEAST IN THE RESEARCH THAT'S PRELIMINARILY BEEN DONE, UH, LEADS TO GREATER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IMPACTS AS WELL AROUND THE STATION.
I THINK MR. BYFORD MENTIONED THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IMPACTS COULD BE AS FAR AS 18 MILES AWAY FROM THE STATION ITSELF.
I'M GONNA ASK FOR THOSE REPORTS YES.
COMING UP, BUT NO, I APPRECIATE THAT.
MAY I JUST MAKE ONE REALLY QUICK COMMENT, SORRY TO CUT ACROSS YOU.
I MEAN, MY STRONG RECOMMENDATION AS, AS SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN IN THIS GAME FOR A LITTLE WHILE IS, UM, IF YOU CAN, IF YOU CAN CONNECT YOUR PRIMARY AIRPORT, DALLAS FORT WORTH TO A HIGH SPEED NETWORK, YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY DO THAT.
ALL THE EVIDENCE ACROSS THE WORLD.
SO IT SHOWS WHAT THE, UH, POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT IS.
I MEAN, MY COLLEAGUE SHOWED YOU THOSE, UH, UH, THOSE GRAPHICS AND REALITIES OF WHAT HAPPENS AROUND STATIONS IF YOU EVER GET TO GO TO TOKYO OR TO NAGOYA STATIONS, UH, IN JAPAN.
THE, THE, THE LINE SIDE DEVELOPMENT IS REMARKABLE AROUND THE, THE, THOSE STATIONS.
AND JUST ONE FINAL EXAMPLE, ALBEIT NOT TRUE HIGH SPEED RAIN RAIL, IT'S MORE OF A,
[01:30:01]
A, A HIGH, HIGH TRANSIT SPEED LINE ACROSS LONDON.I WAS, UM, PREVIOUSLY COMMISSIONER OF TRANSPORT FOR LONDON, AND WE CONNECTED UP HEATHROW AIRPORT WITH THE CITY OF LONDON AND WITH CANARY WHARF SO THAT YOU CAN NOW GO THERE IN 40 MINUTES.
THAT IS A GAME CHANGER FOR LONDON TO THE DETRIMENT OF ITS INTERNATIONAL COMPETITORS, NAMELY PLACES LIKE FRANKFURT, LONDON, HEATHROW WILL MASSIVELY BENEFIT FROM THAT.
SO, UH, MY ADVICE IS GRASP THAT.
AND IN FACT, UH, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I COULD NOT FIND WHICH SLIDE SHOWS THE FULL ALIGNMENT FOR DFW, I COULDN'T FIND IT IN THIS PRESENTATION OR IN THE WHITE PAPER.
IF YOU TURN TO PAGE, UH, FIVE, THAT IS THE, UH, ALIGNMENT, UH, COMING OUT OF 2021, AND IT'S MY, MY SLIDE FIVE IS THIS, UH, CAN YOU, CAN YOU PULL UP THE SLIDES? UH, MICHAEL MORRIS'S SLIDES.
PAGE FIVE, THE BLUE LINE ON I 30, SLIDE FOUR.
I DON'T SEE THE AIRPORT THAT, THAT'S THE TEXT.
UH, CAN WE PULL, I SEE THIS, CAN WE PULL UP THAT SLIDE SO PEOPLE AREN'T CONFUSED WHERE THE ALIGNMENT IS? YEAH.
90 SOME ODD PERCENT ON INTERSTATE 30.
I KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET TO.
THE ONLY TIME I MET WITH, UH, GOVERNOR ABBOTT, UH, WAS ON HIGH SPEED RAIL FIVE, SIX YEARS AGO WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROCESS.
AND ALL HE ASKED IS STAY ON PUBLIC SECTOR RIGHT AWAY AS BEST YOU CAN.
THAT WASN'T THE DRIVING FORCE, BUT THAT ENDED UP BEING THE BEST OPTION.
I DON'T HAVE THE FRONT PART OF THE, WE NEED TO MOVE TO THE, UH, THE CORRECT PRESENTATION.
NO, NOT, WHILE WE'RE WAITING, CAN I ASK ANOTHER QUESTION? UM, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE AMTRAK RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FORT WORTH ROUTE, BOTH FROM, UH, IN GENERAL, BUT ALSO YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE'S THE INTEGRATION CONCEPT.
COULD YOU SHARE THAT PLEASE? CERTAINLY.
UM, THE, THE AMTRAK RELATIONSHIPS, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE THE, THEY ARE TWO SEPARATE PROJECTS, BOTH, AND THEY ARE BOTH RECIPIENTS OF, UH, CORRIDOR ID, WHICH IS A-A-F-R-A PROGRAM, AS YOU KNOW, CORRIDOR ID, UM, APPLICATIONS, WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY TOGETHER PRECISELY BECAUSE AS MR. MORRIS SAID, UH, IT WOULD JUST BE FOOLISH NOT TO ACHIEVE A REALLY SEAMLESS ONE SEAT RIDE, INTER INTERCHANGE AT DALLAS.
THAT'S GOT TO BE THE OBJECTIVE.
SO, UM, WE ARE LIAISING VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER.
UH, IDEALLY YOU'D HAVE THE SAME TECHNOLOGY.
YOU'D HAVE THE, YOU'D HAVE A, A SEAMLESS ONE SEAT RIDE THROUGH, UM, THROUGH SERVICE BETWEEN FORT WORTH, DALLAS AND THEN ONTO HOUSTON.
BUT AMTRAK, WILL AMTRAK BE MANAGING IT THE WAY THEY WILL BE THE DALLAS HOUSTON? UH, NOT AT THE MOMENT, NO.
THEY ARE TWO SEPARATE PROJECTS.
AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN ASKED BY THE FRA IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH BOTH TDOT ON THEIR CID APPLICATION, WHICH RELATES TO, UM, UPGRADING THE, THE EXISTING FREIGHT ROUTE AND THIS, UH, PROJECT ALISTAIR FORT WORTH.
UM, WE, WE ARE NOT MERGING THE PROJECTS BECAUSE DALLAS TO HOUSTON IS SO MUCH FURTHER ADVANCED IN TERMS OF DESIGN.
SO WE CAN PROCEED WITH THAT, BUT WE WILL DO SO IN A WAY THAT IF WE DO START CONSTRUCTION, THEN DALLAS TO FORT WORTH CAN FOLLOW AS A COMPLIMENTARY, UH, PROJECT.
DALLAS TO HOUSTON IS ENVIRONMENTALLY CLEARED.
DALLAS TO FORT WORTH, I'M THRILLED ABOUT THE HOUSTON DALLAS TO FORT WORTH IS NOW THREE DAYS INTO AN ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE.
THERE'S YOUR SLIDE WHERE, OKAY, I'M SORRY.
THE BLUE LINE IS THE HIGH SPEED RAIL PORT, UH, WITH A STATION IN DALLAS.
THAT'S THE AIRPORT WHERE THE STAR IS THE STATION.
I KNOW, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE AIRPORT IS ON THIS PICTURE.
THE AIRPORT IS A TRANSFER FROM THE ARLINGTON STATION, THE MIDDLE STAR NORTH TO THE FOURTH RAIL LINE THAT ENTERS DFW AIRPORT.
YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE THE RAIL LINE FROM PLANO, THE RAIL LINE FROM FORT WORTH.
UH, YOU HAVE THE LIGHT RAIL LINE FROM IRVING.
AND THE FOURTH RAIL LINE IN THE MOBILITY PLAN IS A RAIL IS A SO AUTONOMOUS TRANSIT VEHICLE FROM
[01:35:01]
THAT, UH, YELLOW STATION INTO DFW AIRPORT.SO I'M SURE MY COLLEAGUES WILL PIGGYBACK ON THAT.
I'M GONNA MOVE ON FROM WITH MY OTHER QUESTIONS AND LET MY COLLEAGUES DIG INTO THE AIRPORT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UM, COULD YOU, UM, LET'S SEE, FOUR, FIVE.
UM, IF WE SUPPORT THE DALLAS HOUSTON ROUTE AND DECIDE THAT THE ONE TICKET IS NOT THE WAY WE ARE READY TO GO YET, UM, COULD YOU EXPLAIN WHAT WOULD BE THE FALLOUT AND THE COST FROM THAT AT THIS POINT IN HISTORY, UM, THE BUSINESS CASE FOR DALLAS TO HOUSTON, UH, IS INDEPENDENT OF ANY SUB, UH, EXTENSION THAT MIGHT, MAY OR MAY NOT TAKE PLACE FROM DALLAS TO FORT WORTH.
SO, UH, BUT, BUT BECAUSE PRECISELY BECAUSE AMTRAK IS INVOLVED AT THE MOMENT IN THE DUE DILIGENCE BASIS, REVIEWING THE VIABILITY OF THE PROJECT.
BUT IF IT WERE TO GO FORWARD, ONE OF THE BIG ADVANTAGES OF AMTRAK BEING INVOLVED IS IT WOULD BE THEN, UM, PART OF THE NATIONAL NETWORK AND THEREFORE PART OF THE NATIONAL RESERVATION AND TICKETING SYSTEM.
AND SO IF THE FORT WORTH EXTENSION BECAME A REALITY, YOU COULD EASILY EXTEND WITHIN THAT SAME NATIONAL, UH, ENVELOPE IS EASILY DONE.
UM, AND COULD YOU, NOW I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE, UH, BACK TO THE FORT WORTH ONE FOR A SECOND.
COULD YOU TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT, WE'VE HEARD DIFFERENT THOUGHTS ABOUT THE IMPACT ON REUNION FOR ME, THERE'S SOME GIVENS ON REUNION I FIND LIKE, UH, LIKE I DO ABOUT THIS BUILDING, THAT IT'S AN ICONIC DALLAS BUILDING.
WE'VE HEARD THAT IT COULD BE THREATENED WITH THIS ALIGNMENT.
COULD YOU SPEAK TO THAT, MR. MORRIS? WELL, WE'VE BEEN AT IT FIVE YEARS AND ONLY SINCE PROBABLY THE SUMMER HAVE WE HEARD ANYONE'S CONCERN ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, THAT PARTICULAR ITEM.
SINCE WE'VE BEEN AT IT FOR FOUR YEARS AND WE'VE LOOKED AT 50 OPTIONS.
IF THERE IS SOME ISSUE BETWEEN THE EAST SIDE OF THE HYATT REGENCY LOOKING DOWNTOWN, I'D HAVE TO ASK HARD QUESTIONS.
YOU'RE STARING AT A RAIL DISTRICT THAT HAS BEEN THERE FOR A HUNDRED YEARS, PROBABLY.
UM, WE HAVE AN OPTION ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE HYATT REGENCY.
UM, I WOULDN'T BOTHER TO BRING THE PEOPLE MOVER AND ALL THAT ALONG THE WEST SIDE 'CAUSE IT'S SO FAR AWAY FROM UNION STATION.
BUT WE, WE'VE HAD THREE YEARS AGO, FIVE YEARS AGO, AND TODAY, IF THERE'S SOME ISSUE BETWEEN THE HYATT REGENCY AND LOOKING EAST OF DOWNTOWN, WE SIMPLY GO ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE HYATT REGENCY.
BUT YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE MAKING ALL THOSE INTERMODAL CONNECTIONS 'CAUSE THE ROUTE IS NOWHERE CLOSE TO, UH, UNION STATION.
IF IN FACT, YOU'VE MADE A DECISION TO GO TO UNION STATION AND TO BUILD A CONVENTION CENTER, YOU HAVE THE ABILITY OF ECONOMIES, OF SCALE, OF CREATING THESE SEAMLESS CONNECTIONS ON THE EAST SIDE.
BUT, UM, IT'S UP TO YOU IF WE GO EAST OF THE HYATT REGENCY OR WEST, WE HAVE THREE OPTIONS NOW EAST OF THE HYATT REGENCY THAT MAY HAVE SOME BENEFIT TO THIS COUNCIL.
AND WE HAVE A ROUTE WEST OF THE HYATT REGENCY THAT MAKE I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND REMEMBER, YOU'VE APPROVED A ONE SEAT RIDE AND YOU'VE APPROVED THE DALLAS STATION.
SO WE'RE JUST FOLLOWING THE DIRECTION WE'VE GOTTEN FROM THIS PARTICULAR COUNCIL HISTORICALLY, IS TO GET TO THE DALLAS HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION.
THAT'S THE ONE THAT WAS APPROVED IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS.
SO, SO, SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT'S THAT RESOLUTION DONE IN 2015 AS PART OF A LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, THAT WAS THE, THAT AND, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL VOTES AT THE RTC AND SEVERAL, PROBABLY OTHER VOTES HERE, UHHUH
AND YOUR STAFF AND OUR STAFF DID THAT RELIGIOUSLY HAVE IT BE FOR THE SAFETY PROTOCOL OR THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT? WE WOULD OF OFTEN HAVE MULTIPLE PRESENTERS AT THOSE HEARINGS, UH, ARGUING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DALLAS TO, TO HOUSTON CONNECTION.
UM, COULD YOU TALK ABOUT, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE TIME I COULDN'T FIND IN THE WHITE PAPER.
SO DR. PEREZ, WHERE ARE THE TIME DIFFERENCES THAT MR. MORRIS REP REFERENCED IN TERMS OF THE, THE SELECTION? I DIDN'T SEE TIME DIFFERENCES THERE.
I SAW LOTS OF OTHER DATA POINTS ABOUT WHY CERTAIN ALIGNMENTS WERE SELECTED.
UH, I'M SORRY, I DON'T UNDERSTAND TIME DIFFERENCE.
IT'S BASED ON, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CHAIR MORENO'S QUESTION ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE IN TIME BETWEEN THE CURRENT TRE AND THIS AND RIGHT.
IF YOU GO TO THE SLIDE WHERE I PRESENTED THE TRAVEL TIMES, THESE ARE FROM THE LATEST, UH, GEOMETRIC PROFILES OF THE ACCELERATION RATE OF THE, UH, JAPANESE TRAIN.
[01:40:01]
YEAH.OH, YOU MEAN PLANNING TIME OR SPEED OF THE TRAIN? NO, THE SPEED OF THE WELL, YOU TALKED TO, AND YOU REFERENCED THIS REPORT WHEN HE ASKED ABOUT, UH, THE DIFFERENCE IN THE SPEED.
UH, DR. PEREZ, YOU 30, THERE'S 31.
IT, IT'S MY SLIDE 17, IT'S 31, BUT IT DOESN'T COMPARE, UH, IT DOESN'T COMPARE THEM.
THE TRE VERSUS THE HIGH SPEED RAIL.
VERSUS THE OH OH TRE IS 65 MINUTES, UH, WITH SIMULATED HIGH SPEED RAIL WILL HAVE NO IMPACT ON THE TRE RIDERSHIP.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ME? OH, YOU'RE ASKING ME WHAT IS THE TRAVEL TIME OF, OF, OF TRYING TO PUT AT GRADE RAIL SERVICE ON THE TRE QUARTER? UH, I'LL, I'LL LET MR. MORENO ASK IT AGAIN.
I'M JUST TRYING TO FIND THE SOURCE FOR, THERE ARE FATAL FLAW, THERE ARE FATAL FLAWS OF PUTTING A HIGH SPEED TRAIN ON AN AT GRADE CORRIDOR.
HAPPY TO MEET WITH YOU ON WHY YOU DON'T HAVE A HIGH SPEED TRAIN, GO ALL THE WAY TO HOUSTON AND THEN DRAG YOURSELF ACROSS AN AT GRADE CORRIDOR, UH, BETWEEN DALLAS AND FORT WORTH, IF THAT'S THE QUESTION.
UM, CAN THE STREET CAR THAT YOU MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PRESENTATION, IS THAT POSSIBLE TO BUILD THAT INTO THE FUNDING FOR ANY OF THIS? OR IS IT AN ENTIRELY NEW AND THIRD INITIATIVE NOW? SO WE'VE GOT DALLAS, HOUSTON, DALLAS, FORT WORTH, AND THEN NOW WOULD THIS BE THE THIRD INITIATIVE OR COULD WE BUILD IT INTO THE PACKAGE? SO, UH, THE STREETCAR WOULD BE A SEPARATE INITIATIVE, MA'AM.
UM, CAN WE POSSIBLY GET THE, UH, BUSINESS CASE FOR EACH OF THOSE ALIGNMENTS THAT YOU REFERENCED, THE BUSINESS CASE FOR HAVING THEM, THE ECONOMIC CASE? I HAVEN'T SEEN THOSE PAPERS THAT SHOW THEM.
OH, WE HAVE ALL THE, UH, I REALLY THINK YOU NEED TO GET IT FROM YOUR STAFF, BUT WE WILL GIVE A HEADSTART TO YOUR STAFF OF ALL THE, UH, REPORTS WE HAVE READ THAT CITED THESE PARTICULAR ELEMENTS.
WE HAVE ALL THOSE SITES AND REPORTS.
WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO GIVE 'EM YOU, YOU AND YOUR STAFF.
UM, AND THEN, UM, IS, UM, THE RE IS ALSO, IS IT A SEPARATE PROJECT FOR THE REMODELING OF THE, UH, UNION STATION, THE EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON? YES, IT ROSA FLEMING.
AGAIN, THIS IS, UH, A SEPARATE PROJECT.
IT'S PART OF THE COMPONENTS RELATED TO THE MASTER PLAN.
UM, IT WOULD BE, WE MODELED THOUGH IN COLLABORATION WITH, UH, THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY OF THE, OF THE BUILDING ALONG WITH CITY OF DALLAS, UM, COG AND, AND AMTRAK.
SO THERE WOULD BE A COMBINATION OF FUNDING FROM ALL OF THOSE TWO.
RENOVATE IT, IS THAT NEW MONEY OR IS IT PART OF THE CONVENTION CENTER MONEY, OR ARE WE GONNA HAVE, WHAT'S THE BURDEN ON THE CITY OF DALLAS FOR THAT? SO IT'S NEW MONEY.
I THINK WHEN I PRESENTED IN FEBRUARY OF 2023, UM, WE PROVIDED, UM, A CHART THAT SHOWED WHERE MONEY WAS COMING FROM.
AND AT THE TIME WE WERE LOOKING AT KIND OF A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM.
SO SOME CITY MONEY THAT WOULD COME FROM CONVENTION AND EVENT SERVICES, UM, SOME MONEY FROM FROM COG THAT'S YET TO BE, WE'LL HAVE TO DO AN ANALYSIS.
WE'LL HAVE TO DO THE ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING AND DESIGN AND GET A GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE FOR WHAT'S THAT'S GONNA BE.
WE'LL WORK WITH THEM, WE'LL WORK WITH AMTRAK AND WE'LL WORK WITH THE MANAGEMENT, UM, COMPANY OF THE, OF THE BUILDING, BECAUSE I WOULD THINK THAT THE STATION WOULD BE BUILT INTO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE RAIL AND WE COULD WORK THROUGH THAT AS WE, WE CAN'T HAVE RAIL WITH ION.
SO AS THE TIMING, WE'LL HAVE TO WORK THE TIMING OUT AND OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SOME DECISIONS, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE KIND OF TABLED IT, CONCENTRATING ON THE CONVENTION CENTER AND SOME OF THE OTHER COMPONENTS RIGHT NOW AS WE WORK THROUGH SOME OF THE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS SAID COUNCIL HAS ABOUT HIGH SPEED RAIL.
BUT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE'LL CONTINUE MEETING AS A GROUP WITH ALL OF OUR EXTERNAL INTERNAL STAKEHOLDER, GENERAL PARTNERS, AND THEN COME BACK WITH A PLAN THAT SHOWS HOW THAT TIMELINE WOULD, WOULD WORK TOGETHER.
AND IS, AND SORRY FOR THIS QUESTION, BUT IS THE, UH, THE PLAN FOR THE STATION AND THE ALIGNMENT IS THAT IT'LL GO OUT OF THE STATION ON THE, ON THE EAST SIDE OF REUNION AND THEN HEAD TO HOUSTON REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE DO WITH FORT WORTH? IS THAT CORRECT? SO THAT ALIGNMENT, THE IMPACT ON REUNION IS THE SAME? NO.
WHETHER WE DO DALLAS AND HOUSTON ONLY AT THIS POINT, OR WE DO THE WHOLE SYSTEM, IS THAT CORRECT? UH, WE WOULD, WE ARE PROCEEDING ON THE BASIS OF, BECAUSE WE ARE SO MUCH FURTHER ADVANCED, UH, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS ALREADY HAVING BEEN CLEARED, THE ROUTE THAT WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY, UH, SAID THAT THE DALLAS TO HOUSTON SECTION WOULD FOLLOW INCLUDING TERMIN, UH, CURRENTLY TERMINUS IN DALLAS.
THAT REMAINS THE SAME AS PREVIOUSLY BRIEFED TO YOU.
SO REMIND ME WHERE THE END WOULD BE IF WE DON'T DO THE FORT WORTH AT THIS POINT.
THE STATION IS, I MAKE SURE I GET MY GEOGRAPH IN THE CEDARS.
IS THAT THE CEDAR STATION EAST STATION? YEAH.
OH WAIT, SORRY, ONE LAST QUESTION.
[01:45:01]
30.AND DOES THAT INCLUDE THE CONVENTION CENTER AT ALL? NO, THE DALLAS HOUSTON ALIGNMENT.
DR. PEREZ, YOU NEED TO TELL THEM WHERE THE HIGHS, THE DALLAS HIGH-SPEED RAIL STATION IS IN RELATION TO THE CONVENTION CENTER, WHICH IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FREEWAY.
SO THE HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION THAT THEY'RE REFERRING TO IS IN, IN THE CEDARS, UM, DISTANCE WISE IT'S MAYBE, UH, IT'S IN THE SAME LOCATION A MILE ISH FROM THE, UH, CONVENTION CENTER.
AND SO IF YOU KNOW WHEN COMING TO FRUITION, WOULD IT BE BENEFICIAL FOR THE THERE TO BE A A THERE PEOPLE MOVER THAT TAKES PEOPLE FROM THAT STATION TWO, THE CONVENTION CENTER? YES.
CHAIRMAN RIDLEY, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES WE'RE ON ITEM C FOR THE PUBLIC.
MR. BYFORD, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND MAKING THIS PRESENTATION, WHICH IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE HAVE HEARD DIRECTLY FROM AMTRAK ABOUT THEIR INTEREST IN THE DALLAS HOUSTON CONNECTION.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO APPLAUD THE ADMINISTRATION FOR MAKING HIGH SPEED RAIL, RAIL TRAVEL PASSENGER TRAVEL IN GENERAL, SUCH A HIGH PRIORITY.
AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO COMPLIMENT AMTRAK ON ITS VISIONARY LEADERSHIP IN IDENTIFYING THE DALLAS TO HOUSTON CORRIDOR AS ITS TOP PRIORITY FOR HIGH SPEED RAIL.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY.
AND WE WOULD CERTAINLY ECHO THE FACT THAT WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE, UM, THE DIRECTION AND THE LEADERSHIP SHOWN BY THE ADMINISTRATION IN A VERY OVERT SUPPORT OF RAIL IN GENERAL AND ALSO IN HIGH SPEED.
I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO MEET WITH THE SECRETARY, SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG JUST THREE WEEKS AGO MAYBE, AND HE WAS VERY, VERY POSITIVE ABOUT THE DALLAS TO HOUSTON PROJECT.
AND SO THAT, THAT'S VERY ENCOURAGING.
UH, MR. MORRIS, A PRACTICAL QUESTION.
UH, WHAT ELEVATION ABOVE GRADE WOULD THE TRACKS BE FOR THE PROPOSED HIGH SPEED RAIL ADJACENT TO THE, UM, UH, UNION STATION? SO THE DALLAS STATION IS APPROXIMATELY 70 FEET ABOVE GROUND.
THAT'S THE HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION.
THE HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION, RIGHT? I'M TALKING ABOUT AT UNION STATION.
WELL, WE WOULD BE, I I I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME.
UH, WE'RE EXTENDING BASICALLY PARALLEL TO THAT, UH, ELEVATION.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ELEVATION OF THE GROUND DOES AS IT HEADS, UH, FURTHER WEST.
I CAN GET YOU THAT PARTICULAR DISTANCE.
WELL, I'M INTERESTED IN THAT BECAUSE THE ELEVATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN PRESENTED WITH, UM, SHOW WHAT I WOULD ESTIMATE AT PERHAPS 40 FEET ABOVE GRADE.
AND YET THE HIGH SPEED LINE COMING IN FROM HOUSTON AT THE HIGH SPEED STATION HAS TO BE AT 70 FEET.
UM, FOR REASONS THAT HAVEN'T YET BEEN DISCUSSED HERE, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT'S BEEN FEDERALLY APPROVED.
AND SO MY QUESTION IS, HOW WILL YOU TRAVERSE LESS THAN A MILE DISTANCE FROM UNION STATION WITH A GRADIENT OF AT LEAST 30 FEET? I WOULD ESTIMATE, UM, IN THAT SHORT SPAN OF TIME TO ALLOW FOR THE ONE SEAT RIDE AT THE STATION, I WOULD BE, I, I THINK YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL THAT WHEN WE EITHER NEED TO USE, PROBABLY USE THE ELEVATION ABOVE SEA LEVEL BECAUSE THE ELEVATION ABOUT ABOVE SEA LEVEL WILL BE APPROXIMATELY THE SAME.
ITS DISTANCE ABOVE THE GROUND MAY BE A FUNCTION OF HOW THE DISTANCE ABOVE THE GROUND CHANGES.
SO OUR ELEVATION IS ROUGHLY THE SAME ELEVATION AS THE, AS THE DALLAS HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION AS IT EXTENDS WEST.
HAVE YOU DONE ANY STUDIES OF THAT? YOU LOOK, YOU'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE LAND TO KNOW, OF COURSE.
HAVE YOU DONE ANY STUDIES OF THAT? YES, THE ENGINEERS HAVE ENGINEERED IT AT 3%.
AND I CAN GET YOU ALL THOSE DETAILS.
SO THERE ARE TWO MAIN ISSUES THAT I SEE, UH, WITH REGARD TO THIS, UM, CONNECTION BETWEEN DALLAS AND FORT WORTH.
IT MAKE ME HIGHLY SKEPTICAL OF ITS PRACTICALITY AND INDEED BASIC NEED FOR IT.
UH, THE FIRST ONE IS THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION'S 2017 STUDY IN WHICH THEY LOOKED AT A HIGH SPEED RAIL CORRIDOR ALONG THE I 30 ALIGNMENT BETWEEN DALLAS AND FORT WORTH.
AND CONCLUDED THAT IT WOULD COST $12 BILLION AND IT WOULD SAVE ONLY 30 SECONDS AS COMPARED TO THE TRINITY RAILROAD EXPRESS.
IF THE RAILROAD EXPRESS, UH, HARDWARE WAS, UM, ENHANCED TO 125 MILE AN HOUR, UH, SPEED, THAT TO ME DOES NOT JUSTIFY THE I 30 CORRIDOR.
IT DOES NOT JUSTIFY, IN FACT, IT ARGUES AGAINST ANY HIGH SPEED RAIL AS BEING BASICALLY A PUBLIC WORKS BOONDOGGLE.
TODAY, THAT'S PROBABLY MORE LIKE $20 BILLION TO
[01:50:01]
BUILD SOMETHING THAT SAVES PEOPLE 30 SECONDS.IS THAT REALLY WHAT WE WANT TO DO HERE? BUT THE SECOND ISSUE THAT I HAVE IS WHAT I CALL CS COMMON SENSE.
DOES THIS MAKE SENSE TO ANYBODY THAT WE WOULD SPEND THIS MUCH MONEY TO ACHIEVE SO LITTLE GAIN JUST BECAUSE IN 2015 THIS BODY PASSED A LEGISLATIVE AGENDA THAT CALLED FOR A ONE SEED RYE.
YOU KNOW, WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE THEN? A LOT.
BUT PRINCIPALLY THE RA'S STUDY TWO YEARS LATER IN 2017 THAT SAID, THIS IS NOT A PREFERRED ROUTE.
AND I THINK WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY NINE YEARS AFTER THAT LEGISLATIVE AGENDA WAS PASSED TO LOOK AT WHETHER IT STILL MAKES SENSE TODAY.
I DOUBT VERY MUCH THAT EVEN THE 2015 COUNCIL WOULD'VE WRITTEN A BLANK CHECK IN SUPPORT OF THE ONE SEAT RIDE AT THAT TIME, AND INDEED WOULD HAVE PUT CONDITIONS ON IT THAT MADE SENSE TO ACHIEVE THAT IN TERMS OF COST PRACTICALITY AND ACTUAL IMPROVEMENT IN TRAVEL TIMES.
BUT IN ADDITION, WE HAVE HEARD NO BUSINESS CASE BEING MADE FOR THE DALLAS TO FORT WORTH ROUTE.
MR. BYFORD HAS SAID HE HAS DONE THAT FOR THE HOUSTON TO DALLAS CONNECTION.
AND I THINK IT MAKES A WELL OF A LOT OF SENSE, AND I SUPPORT THAT CONNECTION VERY STEADFASTLY BECAUSE OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN ORIGIN AND DESTINATION.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT WITH FORT WORTH.
WE'VE GOT A 30 MILE DISTANCE THAT PEOPLE CAN TRAVERSE IN 40 MINUTES BY CAR OR USE THE CURRENT TRINITY RAILROAD EXPRESS TO ACHIEVE THEIR TRAVEL DESTINATION.
AND SO COMMON SENSE TO ME DICTATES THAT WE REVISIT WHATEVER IS BINDING FROM 2015 AND LOOK AT IT WITH THE COMMON SENSE OF THE FFRA STUDY AND THE CURRENT PRACTICALITIES THAT INCLUDE DAMAGING OR DESTROYING THE BUSINESS OF THE HYATT REGENCY BY ITS PROXIMITY EITHER ON THE WEST OR THE EAST SIDE.
OF COURSE, CHAIRMAN WEST DRAGONS FOR FIVE MINUTES.
AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL BEING HERE TODAY AND, AND FOR THIS GREAT PRESENTATION.
I'M GONNA START, UH, WITH MY QUESTIONS WITH, UH, DIRECTOR FLEMING, BUT I DO WANT TO JUST GIVE GUS A HEADS UP, UM, THAT I'M GONNA ASK FOR YOU TO REFERENCE THE DOCUMENT THAT MR. RIDLEY WAS JUST REFERRING TO THE 2015, UM, DOCUMENT THAT WE SUPPOSEDLY AGREED TO ON THE ONE SEAT RIDE.
I HAVE WHAT I THINK IS A COPY OF IT, AND I I HAVE NOT SEEN IT UNTIL TODAY.
SO I WILL BE COMING BACK TO MY SECOND PART OF MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU ON THAT.
SO, DIRECTOR FLEMING, UM, FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER LAND AROUND THE ACTUAL BUILDING, UM, WHO'S WORKING ON THAT? WHO'S, WHO'S PUTTING THERE IS A BIG PICTURE, I HOPE, AND WHO'S WORKING ON THE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES OF THAT LAND AROUND THERE.
SO AS PART OF THE MASTER PLANNING PROCESS OVER THE LAST, UM, TWO, TWO AND A HALF YEARS, UH, WE ACTUALLY DID A STUDY.
WE USED, UM, WSP SUBS, HUNT PARTNERS IN HRNA.
THEY DID, UH, KIND OF A CONCEPTUAL LOOK AT WHAT WOULD WORK BEST AROUND IT.
OBVIOUSLY FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER TO BE SUCCESSFUL, THERE WAS THE 4,500 HOTEL ROOMS THAT NEEDED TO BE BE ADDED.
SO THE CONCEPT OF ADDING ENOUGH HOTEL CONCEPTS THAT FED INTO THAT, UM, AS WELL AS REQUISITE RESTAURANT RETAIL, A MIX OF HOUSING, AND THEN A, A POOL AWAY FROM OFFICE SPACE AS WE SAW THE, THE CONCERN OF PEOPLE WORKING AT HOME RATHER THAN WORKING IN OFFICES.
SO WE HAVE A CONCEPT RELATED TO THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND CLEAR THE ACREAGE THAT'LL BE AROUND THE CONVENTION CENTER.
WE WILL BE WORKING ON AN RFQ THAT'LL LOOK AT A P THREE RELATIONSHIP WITH A DEVELOPER TO HELP US DEVELOP IT.
BUT TAKING THOSE ALONG THE WAY, NOW WE HAVE, UH, RETAINED HUNT PARTNERS TO HELP US REFRESH THE STUDY AS WE GO ALONG SO THAT WHEN WE GET TO THAT DEVELOPMENT, UM, OPPORTUNITY, IT'S NOT HAVING TO GO BACK SEVERAL YEARS.
IT'LL BE GOING BACK JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM THAT'S ONGOING.
WE TALK ABOUT A LOT AT THE CITY PLACEMAKING AND, UM, HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR, SOME OF OUR FAVORITE PLACES IN OUR DISTRICTS, IT'S ALWAYS THE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN GET AROUND EASILY.
AND, UM, WHAT IS IT ABOUT PLACEMAKING AROUND THE CONVENTION CENTER THAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU
[01:55:01]
AND THE CONSULTANTS? SURE.SO AS WE LOOKED AT THE PLAN, NOT JUST OURSELVES, BUT AS WE CAME TO COUNCIL, AS WE TALKED TO EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS IN THE PUBLIC DURING OUR ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES, A LOT OF IT WAS THE PERCEPTION OF A LACK OF PUBLIC SAFETY OR SAFENESS AROUND THE COM BECAUSE OF THE DARK SPACES AND BECAUSE OF THE VACANT LOTS AND SOME UNUSED OPEN SPACES.
AND SO PART OF THE PLAN IS TO REALLY FILL THOSE IN.
AND THAT COULD BE AS THE STUDY, UH, SHOWS A A MIX OF HOUSING, A MIX OF PARK SPACE, OPEN SPACE, GREEN SPACE THAT COULD BE USED, AND, AND FIXING THE WALKABILITY ISSUES THAT SEEMED TO BE A CONCERN, NOT JUST FOR OUR VISITORS, BUT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE, WORK AND PLAY, UM, IN DOWNTOWN DALLAS.
SO THAT'S PARAMOUNT IN THE, IN THE EXECUTION OF THE PLAN.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU THAT ANSWER.
AND, UM, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT DARK SPACES, WALKABILITY, STUFF LIKE THAT, THAT PREVENTS PEOPLE FROM WANTING TO BE IN AN AREA, UM, WOULD A, WOULD AN ELEVATED HIGHWAY, UM, CAUSE A PROBLEM FOR YOU? I, AND SO IN CONJECTURE AND ANSWERING THAT QUESTION, IF PLANNED CORRECTLY, AND IF PLANNED IN THE WAY WE SEE IT, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST IN IN THE UNITED STATES, BUT ACROSS THE WORLD REALLY AND DEVELOPED CORRECTLY, I THINK IT COULD BE, UH, A BENEFIT.
I THINK IT'S JUST PLANNING IT IN A WAY THAT, UM, PEOPLE COME DOWN FROM AN ELEVATED PLATFORM ON A, ON AN ELEVATOR OF SORTS AND ARE ABLE TO ENJOY THE RETAIL SPACE, ET CETERA.
THAT IS, THAT IS DOWNTOWN IN THE WALKABLE, WALKABLE SPACES.
WELL, I THINK ONE OF MY CONCERNS ABOUT, I, I'M JUST GETTING THIS, LIKE MY COLLEAGUES, AS MR. MORENO MENTIONED, THIS LARGE PACKET FOR THE HIGH SPEED RAIL CAME IN YESTERDAY LESS THAN 24 HOURS AGO.
AND IT'S PRETTY, PRETTY DETAILED.
UM, AND I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR ELEVATIONS SINCE OUR LA BEFORE OUR LAST BRIEFING ON WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE, HOW IT WOULD IMPACT THE AREA AROUND THE HYATT REGENCY.
SO WE'RE JUST STARTING TO SEE THAT NOW.
UM, AND I DIDN'T REALIZE, LIKE THE FACT THAT IT, I ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WOULD BE IN, IN MY MIND, THE WAY IT WAS DESCRIBED TO ME, CUT OFF A LITTLE PART OF THE, THE SORT OF GRASSY AREA, UM, CLOSE TO THE TRINITY AND NOT ACTUALLY GO RIGHT THROUGH THE HO LIKE IN FRONT OF THE HOTEL.
SO THAT BRINGS ME SOME CONCERNS ON THE CURRENT DESIGN, WHICH I'M GONNA, IT'S NOT YOUR PURVIEW NECESSARILY, BUT LET ME ASK YOU THIS.
WILL THE CITY'S DECISION ON HIGH SPEED RAIL AND WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IF IT'S DALLAS TO HOUSTON OR, OR IF IT'S FORT WORTH TO HOUSTON, IS THAT GONNA IMPACT YOUR DESIGN? SO PART OF THE BRIEFING THAT WE GAVE TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, UM, IN FEBRUARY AND WHAT WE'LL GO OVER AGAIN TODAY SHOWS A REORIENTATION, NOT A CHANGE IN THE PROGRAMMABLE SPACE OR WHAT WE TALK TO THE VOTERS OR OUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT AS WE PROGRAM THE CONVENTION CENTER, BUT MOVING IT BACK, BUT NOT JUST BECAUSE OF HIGH SPEED RAIL NECESSARILY.
I THINK THAT THAT'S JUST A, SOMETHING THAT MOVES IT OUT OF THE WAY OF THE ALIGNMENT.
BUT PRIMARILY BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO BE SHARING SPACE WITH TEXDOT AND UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD AS WE DO CONSTRUCTION.
SO AS THEY'RE DOING, I 30 TDOT HAS ASKED US AND WE'VE AGREED TO BE GOOD PARTNERS AND SHARE SOME SPACE WHERE THEY NEED TO DO A SHOE FLY FOR UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD AND WHERE THEY NEED TO STAGE SOME EQUIPMENT.
SO THAT'S MORE THE IMPETUS OF THE MOVE.
BUT WHEN YOU SEE THE REORIENTATION, YOU KNOW, ON A, ON AN ILLUSTRATION, IT DOES SHOW THAT WE'VE MOVED OUT OF THE WAY OF, OF A HIGH SPEED RAIL GOING THROUGH THE BUILDING NECESSARILY.
I'LL MOVE ON TO A COUPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STREETCAR.
EITHER, UM, DIRECTOR LY OR DR. PEREZ.
UM, NOTHING THAT YOU GUYS BRIEFED TODAY WAS, WAS COMPLETELY NEW EXCEPT ONE THING, AND I WAS VERY GLAD TO HEAR IT, WHICH IS THAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING, UM, THE PLACEMAKING, HOW THE STREETCAR MAY COME INTO THESE DIFFERENT AREAS IN TOWN.
AND YOU'RE CONSIDERING THAT AND WE'RE PLANNING AHEAD IN THE DESIGN.
UM, AND YOU MENTIONED THE ZOO, DEEP EL FAIR PARK, UH, THERE MAY HAVE BEEN OTHERS.
UM, CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, LIKE LET'S USE THE ZOO FOR AN EXAMPLE 'CAUSE THAT IMPACTS MY DISTRICT AND MY COLLEAGUE OVER THERE.
UM, HOW, HOW ARE WE CONSIDERING THAT IN THE DESIGN WORK, HOW THE STREETCAR MIGHT COME IN THERE? I PROBABLY RELY UPON GUS TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL, BUT ESSENTIALLY, UM, AS WE ARE, UM, AS, AS WE'VE HEARD, UH, I GUESS THE DESTINATIONS OF INTEREST FROM SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE KNOW THAT AS WE HAVE PROJECTS IN THOSE PARTICULAR AREAS, WE WANT TO DESIGN, UH, THOSE PROJECTS, UH, SUCH AS MLK.
UM, WE, WE RECEIVED THAT FEDERAL GRANT EARLIER THIS YEAR, UM, TO, UH, I GUESS REIMAGINE MLK FROM 45 TO FAIR PARK.
AND SO AS WE HAVE THOSE PROJECTS AT HAND,
[02:00:01]
UH, WE WILL DESIGN, UH, THE STREETS TO ACCOMMODATE FUTURE STREETCAR EXPANSION.AND THEN WE ARE DOING THAT WITH, UH, A NUMBER OF THE STREETS IN THE AREAS OF INTEREST THAT HAVE BEEN SHARED TO US BY COUNCIL.
ALRIGHT, I'LL MOVE ON TO MY QUESTIONS ON THE HIGH SPEED RAIL.
UM, SO THIS PACKET THAT WE, WE RECEIVED, THERE'S NO INDICATION OF WHO WROTE IT, WHO WAS INVOLVED IN, IN DESIGNING THIS PACKET.
I DON'T SEE ANY NAMES IN HERE EXCEPT IT'S THE TRANSPORTATION CORRIDORS CONNECTION STUDY.
CAN YOU GIMME AN INDICATION OF WHO'S, WHO'S INVOLVED IN WRITING THIS? I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT OUR WHITE PAPERS THAT WERE WRITTEN, UH, WE ARE, WE ARE THE AUTHORS OF THAT, THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS.
UM, A LOT OF HELP FROM OUR HNTB UH, CONSULTANTS, UH, DOING THE GEOMETRIC DESIGN QUESTIONS.
AND, UH, OUR PARTICULAR STAFF THAT HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, SO OUR OUR COUNCIL GOVERNMENT STAFF AND OUR HNTB CONSULTANTS.
WAS IF, IF THAT'S THE WHITE PAPERS.
IT'S, I BELIEVE SO IT'S THE DOCUMENT THAT WAS EMAILED YESTERDAY TO COUNCIL.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS AT THE DIRECTION OF, UH, A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS AT THE RTC.
WE, WE GOT A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON, HEY, WOULD YOU RELOOK AT THIS? WOULD WE LOOK AT THAT? YES, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO QUESTIONS.
SO WE PUT MORE DETAIL INTO THE REASONS WHY EITHER FOUR YEARS AGO OR TWO YEARS AGO, A CERTAIN DECISION WAS MADE.
WE LOOKED AT IT A NEW RIGHT, UH, LOOKED AT IT AGAIN, CALCULATED THE CAPACITY OF ELEVATORS AND SO ON AND SO FORTH WITH MORE DETAIL.
'CAUSE WE HAVE HNDB CONSULTANTS ON BOARD AND WE UPDATED THOSE PARTICULAR REPORTS.
UM, AND LET'S GO, LET'S TURN NEXT TO THE DOCUMENT THAT, UM, WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THAT WHERE COUNSEL APPROVED THIS, UM, ONE SEAT RIDE, WHICH IN CONCEPT I COMPLETELY SUPPORT.
I JUST HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR WHERE LEGALLY DID WE ACTUALLY, I CAN'T, PEOPLE KEEP TELLING ME THIS EXISTS AND I I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET A COPY TILL TODAY.
UM, WHAT I HAVE, THE ONLY THING I'VE SEEN IS A, UM, A LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM DOCUMENT THAT WAS VOTED ON IN FEBRUARY, 2015, UM, WHICH DOES NOT REALLY EVEN DISCUSS A ONE SEAT RIDE.
SO WAS THERE SOMETHING MORE FORMALIZED, LIKE A RESOLUTION THAT I DON'T HAVE A COPY OF THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE? UM, THIS IS GUIN CARLEY, DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
AS FAR AS I KNOW, THIS IS WHAT I AM, UM, AWARE OF THAT EXISTS.
HOWEVER, DIRECTOR ROGERS, UM, MAY ADD SOME INFORMATION TO IT.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
I MEAN, WE'RE BEING TOLD OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT WE'VE, AS A FORMER COUNCIL, NO ONE WAS HERE EXCEPT MAYBE ONE OF US, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, SIGNED OFF ON THIS.
AND IF IT'S JUST A DISCUSSION THAT WAS IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM, THAT'S NOT AN OFFICIAL APPROVAL.
UH, AND, AND AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, UH, THIS EVEN PREDATED MY TIME HERE WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS.
SO, UH, THAT IS WHAT I'M AWARE OF THAT EXISTS, UH, OUT THERE.
UNLESS, UH, UM, I'D LIKE SOMEONE TO SAY THAT.
MS. ROGERS, EXPLAIN ON THE RECORD, PLEASE.
CARRIE ROGERS, DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, UM, LIKE DR.
UM, BUT WE DID PULL UP THE 2015 LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM UNDER THE SECTION ECONOMIC VIBRANCY AND THE LANGUAGE WRITTEN THERE SAYS, SUPPORT MULTIMODAL CHOICES AND FUNDING OPTIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION, INCLUDING HIGH SPEED RAIL, LIGHT RAIL, STREET CARS, SURFACE ROADS, PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE TRAILS.
UM, DIRECTOR ROGERS, IS THERE ANYTHING BEYOND THAT THAT YOU'VE LOCATED OR CITY SECRETARY'S LOCATED THAT SAYS THE COUNCIL SIGNED OFF ON THIS WHOLE CONCEPT? NOT THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO FIND AS OF THIS MORNING.
UM, DIRECTOR MORRIS, ARE YOU AWARE OF ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS? UM, I HAVEN'T REVIEWED THE CITY OF DALLAS DOCUMENTS.
I'VE CERTAINLY REVIEWED THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL DOCUMENTS.
UM, YOU HAVE SENT STAFF TO TESTIFY ON BEHALF OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS I'M TALKING ABOUT NOT MY STAFF.
SO IF I WERE YOU, I WOULD DEVELOP A, WHAT, WHAT INSTRUCTION WAS GIVEN TO EITHER DALLAS STAFF OR UM, CITY POSITION WITH REGARD TO ADVOCATING FOR HIGH SPEED RAIL BETWEEN DALLAS AND UH, HOUSTON, AND SEE WHAT THAT GETS YOU.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN WHAT DALLAS COUNCIL MEMBERS DID AT THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL ON DALLAS TO HOUSTON AND DALLAS TO FORT WORTH, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO PULL THAT
[02:05:01]
FOR YOU.I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
JUST SO WE KNOW THE FULL HISTORY, DID YOU HAVE A FOLLOW UP, UM, AS A FOLLOW UP TO THAT IN THE REFERENCE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON? THE 2017 PROGRAM DOES INDICATE SUPPORT FOR HIGH SPEED RAIL BETWEEN DALLAS AND HOUSTON, BUT DOES NOT MENTION FORT WORTH.
ALRIGHT, THAT'S HELPFUL AS WELL.
UH, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR ROGERS.
SO I, I'LL JUST END MY LAST OF MY STATEMENT HERE.
LIKE I SUPPORT, I WANT THE ONE SEAT RIDE.
I THINK ALL OF US ON HERE, LIKE THE CONCEPT, UM, WHAT I DIDN'T GET INTO BUT BOTHERS ME ABOUT THE CURRENT ALIGNMENT AND DESIGN IS HOW IT CUTS OFF PART OF DOWNTOWN.
SO, THANK YOU CHAIRWOMAN STEWART, YOU RECOGNIZE FOR FIVE MINUTES.
I THOUGHT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GRACIE WAS BEFORE ME, BUT WE'LL GO NOW.
UM, SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
UM, AND ALL OF THIS INFORMATION IS, IS OBVIOUSLY VERY BENEFICIAL AND VERY HELPFUL TO US.
I WON'T GO BACK THROUGH THE QUESTIONS I HAVE BECAUSE SO MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ASKED THOSE QUESTIONS, SO I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO, UM, TO REPEAT, REPEAT THAT.
BUT I DO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THIS PROJECT CERTAINLY HAS MY SUPPORT.
UH, I THINK, UM, I CAN SEE THAT WE CAN ALL IT, IT'S WHAT CHAIR WEST JUST SAID, WE CAN ALL SEE THE BENEFITS, UM, EVEN TO FORT WORTH, ALTHOUGH THAT'S THE PART THAT I THINK IS TRICKIER FOR US.
AND, UM, SO FOR ME, AS I JUST HAVE LISTENED TO EVERYBODY AND PICKED OUT SOMETHING THAT MAYBE WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT, BUT I WANT TO, UH, ZERO IN ON, AND THAT'S THE ELEVATED INFRASTRUCTURE OF THIS, UM, AS IT COMES INTO THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND SO MY QUESTION IS, AND AND MR. MORRIS, YOU CAN PROBABLY ANSWER THIS FOR ME.
DO WE HAVE ELEVATED STRUCTURES FOR THE, THE TRAIN IN FORT WORTH OR ARLINGTON, OR DOES THAT, IS THAT JUST PART OF THE DALLAS? UM, SO, UH, SUPPORTING YOUR QUESTION, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, WE'RE HERE HANDCUFFED IN DALLAS BECAUSE WE ARE MEETING, WE ARE MEETING THE EXISTING HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION THAT'S ENVIRONMENTALLY APPROVED, BUT WE DIDN'T TAKE THAT FOR A GIVEN.
WE EXPLORED SUBWAYS AND OTHER DOWNTOWN STATIONS AND A WHOLE HOST OF OTHER, UH, ELEMENTS, UH, UM, AND SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO GO TO THAT PARTICULAR STATION, BUT WE COULD NOT FIND ANY REASONABLE EXPECTATION.
UM, AND I, AND I THINK IF YOU GO BACK TO MR. RIDLEY'S, IF YOU MAKE A THEORETICAL ASSUMPTION, YOU CAN GO 125 MILES AN HOUR ON TRE, WHICH YOU CAN'T, THEN THE SPEED DIFFERENCE WILL BE SMALL.
UM, BUT THE REALITY IS IF YOU WANT TO GO INTO A SUBWAY, UM, YOU GOTTA UNLOAD THE TRAIN, GRAB YOUR LUGGAGE.
IT'S 20 MINUTES, 40 MINUTES FOR HUMANS WITHOUT A VEHICLE TIME.
SO WE COULDN'T GET SOME OTHER COMBINATION OF SUBWAY AND SO AND SO FORTH TO WORK WITHOUT HITTING SOME SNAG THAT SAYS, WELL, THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
OTHER, OTHER THAN THE ONE SEAT RIDE.
BUT THE STATION WAS A PRODUCT OF EARLIER WORK THAT WAS DONE WITH LOTS OF OPTIONS THAT RESULTED, WE WEREN'T INVOLVED IN ANY OF THAT.
THE ONLY INVOLVEMENT OF THE RTC WAS THE ORIGINAL IDEA WAS TO STOP HIGH SPEED RAIL AND WALKS THE HI WALKS THE HATCHEE.
AND OUR COMMENT WAS, UH, YOU'VE GOTTA GET TO DOWNTOWN.
WHY WOULD YOU BUILD HIGH SPEED RAIL AND STOP IT THERE? SO, UH, OTHERS BEFORE US CAME UP AT THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION.
THERE'S, I THINK, VERY JUSTIFIED REASONS WHY IT'S ELEVATED AND NOT IN A SUBWAY, IF THAT'S THE QUESTION.
UH, BUT IN OUR PARTICULAR CASE, WE WERE NOT CONSTRAINED BY AN ALREADY APPROVED IN ENVIRONMENTAL IN ARLINGTON OR FORT WORTH.
SO IN THOSE PARTICULAR CASES, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
WE ARE, WE'RE AVOIDING THE 360 1 61 INTERCHANGES ON I 30.
SO WE ARE FORCED INTO A TUNNEL IN ARLINGTON.
AND THE EASIEST WAY INTO FORT WORTH IS, IS THROUGH A TUNNEL AS WELL.
WE WOULD'VE LOVED TO HAVE A TUNNEL IN DOWNTOWN DALLAS, BUT THE CARDS DEALT TO US WAS A HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION GOING TO HOUSTON AT THE ENVIRONMENTALLY APPROVED LOCATION THAT AMTRAK, TO THEIR CREDIT, IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF AND ADVANCING HIGH SPEED RAIL.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, FROM DALLAS TO HOUSTON, IT IS, IS IT ELEVATED THE WHOLE WAY OR IS IT JUST ELEVATED FROM SAY, WAXAHATCHEE COMING NORTH? UM, WELL, IT, IT, A LOT OF IT IS BUILT ON VIADUCT, EITHER VIADUCT, SO THE, THE, THE CLASSIC SORT OF VIADUCT STRUCTURE OR ON BERM, WHICH IS A BUILDUP OF EARTHWORKS IN ORDER TO TAKE IT AT, AT A, UM, CONSISTENT LEVEL.
WHAT YOU DON'T WANT WITH A HIGH SPEED ROUTE IS EITHER TO, UM, INTRODUCE CURVES.
'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY BY DEFINITION, THE SHARPER THE CURVE, THE THE LOWER THE SPEED.
UH, BUT ALSO YOU DON'T WANT TO KEEP CHANGING ELEVATIONS IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
SO IT'S, IT'S A MIXTURE THROUGHOUT THE ROUTE, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF VIADUCT AND BURN WORK.
SO I THINK IT'S, IT'S THAT VIADUCT INFRASTRUCTURE
[02:10:01]
THOUGH.IT'S, IT'S THE, IT'S, IT'S WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PROPERTY, TO THE PEOPLE, TO THE COMMUNITIES, TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE UNDER THIS, RIGHT? AND, AND SURROUNDING THIS.
AND, UM, DALLAS DOESN'T HAVE A GREAT TRACK RECORD FOR, UH, KEEPING THE, THAT PARTICULAR AREA, UM, ENGAGED AND VITALIZED AND, AND IN FACT, THAT PART VERY OFTEN GETS IGNORED AND NEIGHBORHOODS GET DIVIDED.
AND I THINK WHEN IT'S PART OF THE WHOLE REASON WE'RE BRINGING I 3 45 DOWN, RIGHT, IS BECAUSE OF WHAT IT DID TO ALL OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES UNDERNEATH.
SO I TRULY HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT THIS.
I I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE CORRIDOR.
NOW, MAYBE PARTS OF IT ARE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, AND WE DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THAT, BUT I DO WORRY, AGAIN, POTENTIALLY WHAT HAPPENS UNDER, UNDERNEATH THOSE SPACES.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF ELEVATED RAMPS WITH 6 35 AND 75.
AND I'VE RECENTLY HAD A TOUR, UM, WITH THE SECURITY DIRECTOR FROM TI OF SOME OF THOSE SPACES.
AND THERE'S A CREEK AND THERE'S SOME COMMUNITIES UNDER THERE LIVING, UM, VERY CONSISTENT CONSISTENTLY.
SO I, I WANT US TO BE VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT WHAT WE'RE BUILDING AND THE IMPACT OF WHAT WE'RE BUILDING.
AND I KNOW THERE ARE ENGINEERING STUDIES, BUT THERE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY IMPACT STUDY TO WHAT HAPPENS UNDERNEATH THIS RAIL, THIS ELEVATED INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, I, I TOO, WITH MY COLLEAGUES, AS I LOOK AT SLIDE 28, I BELIEVE, UM, I, I THINK THAT WE TALK ABOUT THAT THE HYATT HAS, YOU KNOW, THE RAIL YARD RIGHT THERE, BUT THAT RAIL YARD HAS BEEN DOWN AT GRADE.
AND SO I THINK WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE FROM THE I BERNICE JOHNSON RAIL STATION AND THE HYATT IS GOING TO BE THIS TRAIN, AND SOME, ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS, WILL THEY SEE TRAIN, OR WILL THEY SEE CONCRETE? DO WE HAVE TO SOMEHOW PROTECT THE TRAIN? WHAT, WHAT WILL, WHAT'S THE TOP OF THAT LOOK LIKE? SO ON TOP OF THE RAILROAD TRACK IS A, A GANTRY THAT RUNS THE ELECTRIC PROPULSION SYSTEM.
SO REMEMBER, IF THE CONCERN IS WE DON'T WANT TO SEE ANYTHING ELEVATED BETWEEN THE HYATT REGENCY AND THE RAIL DISTRICT, THEN THE ROUTE IS, UH, THERE'S ANOTHER ROUTE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE HYATT REGENCY.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO GO ON THE EAST SIDE.
THE BENEFIT OF GOING ON THE EAST SIDE, IT HELPS YOU WITH THIS NOTION OF, UH, STREETCAR INTERFACE, UH, YOU KNOW, COMMUTER, UH, ACCESS TO THE UNION STATION.
SO YOU BRING IN AMTRAK TRAINS INTO UNION STATION FROM ALL OVER A NEW ONE GOING TO ATLANTA, YOU WOULD'VE A SEAMLESS CONNECTION TO THE HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION.
YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE THE CONNECTION TO FORT WORTH.
YOU DO NOT HAVE THAT CONNECTION.
I WANT YOU TO PICTURE COMING OUT OF UNION STATION, GRABBING YOUR SUITCASES, CROSSING INTERSTATE 30 AND GETTING TO A HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION, VERSUS YOU HAVE A SEAMLESS CONNECTION FOR THAT PARTICULAR MOVEMENT.
SO, UM, CHAIR, IF I MIGHT JUST COMMENT, WE'RE VERY ALIVE TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS THAT YOU RAISED.
UM, I MEAN, WE, WE ARE BENEFICIARIES OF WORK THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE IN TERMS OF GETTING THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCES.
SO THAT'S GOOD THAT THAT DOESN'T NEED TO BE REDONE WHOLESALE.
IT DOES NEED TO BE REVIEWED AFTER THREE YEARS.
UM, AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF, UH, COMMISSIONING THAT PIECE OF WORK RIGHT NOW.
BUT ON, ON BEHALF OF AMTRAK, WE ARE, WE ARE VERY, UM, ALIVE TO, UH, MAKING SURE THAT COMMUNITIES KNOW, KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S PROPOSED AND WHAT THEY'RE GETTING.
SO YOU'VE GOT MY, UM, COMMITMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE DO PROPERLY DISCUSS THOSE KINDS OF ISSUES WITH YOU.
AND WITH REGARD TO THE, THE VISUALS, I MEAN, ALL I'D SAY IS THAT YEAH, TYPICALLY YOU WOULD SEE THE CATY, WHICH IS THE OVERHEAD WIRES AND THE TRAIN GOING UNDERNEATH.
UM, IT IS ACTUALLY VERY DRAMATIC.
I MEAN, I GUESS I'M KIND OF BIASED, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
UH, I THINK I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME PICTURES OF THAT.
UM, I THINK, SO WHEN WE WERE MET PREVIOUSLY, MR. MORRISON AND, UH, DIRECTOR PEREZ, WE, OR EXCUSE ME, DEPUTY MANAGER, UH, PEREZ, SORRY, I'VE GOT MY WORDS ALL SCRAMBLED FOR A MINUTE.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW WE NEEDED VISUALS, HOW WE WERE HAVING TROUBLE VISUALIZING ALL OF THIS, AND NOW WE'RE GETTING A GLIMPSE OF THAT.
BUT I THINK SOME ADDITIONAL VISUALS WOULD BE GOOD.
AND IN, IN ADDITION TO THAT, I THINK SOME CONVERSATIONS, UM, WITH THE, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, THIS DECISION MAY HAVE BEEN MADE NINE YEARS AGO, BUT, UM, I THINK WE'RE HAVING TROUBLE CATCHING UP TO THAT.
SOME, SOME DECISIONS AND STUDIES HAVE BEEN DONE,
[02:15:01]
AND PERHAPS YOU ALL HAVE CHECKED IN, AND I'M SURE YOU HAVE CHECKED IN ALONG THE WAY, BUT I THINK SOME OF US FEEL AS IF ALL OF A SUDDEN THIS IS KIND OF PLOPPED DOWN AND WE NEED SOME ABILITY TO, TO WORK THROUGH THAT AND TO, UM, TO GET OUR HANDS AROUND THE VISUALS, THE, THE, UM, THE PATH OF TRAVEL.AND THEN, AS I SAID EARLIER, JUST THE IMPACT.
SO, ROSA, I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA, UH, ENGAGE, UM, WSP, IS THAT CORRECT? AND WE COULD GET SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, LOOKING AT WHAT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IS TO THIS PROPERTY UNDERNEATH, UM, THE ELEVATED INFRASTRUCTURE AND SURROUNDING.
SO YES, WE'RE GOING TO, WE'VE TALKED TO WSP, WE'RE GOING TO USE THE EXISTING ADVANCED PLANNING CONTRACT, AND WE WILL LOOK AT DATA RELATED TO DENSITY RELATED TO LAND VALUE, POPULATION, ET CETERA.
UM, AS WE WALK, AS WE WALK THROUGH IT, WHEN WE GET THE DRAFT, IF WE NEED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, WE'LL WORK TO GET THAT AS WELL.
AND PERHAPS WE COULD GET SOME INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT DOES HAPPEN TO THE COMMUNITIES IN JAPAN THAT ARE, I'M ASSUMING THEY HAVE THE ELEVATED, UM, RAIL, SINCE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT BOOKING THE HOTEL ROOMS. SO MAYBE IF THERE'S ANY, ANYTHING THAT WE COULD UNDERSTAND BY WHAT THAT IMPACT HAS BEEN IN OTHER PLACES.
I MEAN, I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN FIND OUT.
THE, ACTUALLY THAT'S THAT GRADE, THE, UH, THE PLACE WHERE I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE HOTEL THAT IS ACTUALLY AT GRADE, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT VARIES BY ROUTE.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL HAVE, UM, THE DEPUTY MAYOR, PRO TE AND THEN MS. WILLIS, UM, FOR FIVE MINUTES EACH.
UH, AND MOST OF YOU DON'T REALIZE, MAYBE YOU'RE DOING THE AUDIENCE.
THIS IS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, SO WE WILL BE CELEBRATING THAT EVENT, UM, SHORTLY.
BUT IT IS AN HONOR FOR ME TO BE HERE.
AND I'M GONNA BE VERY SHORT BECAUSE I'VE, I WAS ONE OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO BY LUCK I WAS HERE IN 2015 AND IN 2016, SO THAT'S WHEN I BEGAN TO SEE THE HEADLINES AND THE EXCITEMENT FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE AN OPTION IN TERMS OF MOBILITY, UH, STARTED HITTING THE HEADLINES.
I, I'M, I DID ASK QUESTIONS AND WILL CONTINUE TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE IMPACT, UH, ON, ON, WHICH IS PART OF MY DISTRICT AND THE LOWER PART OF, UH, MY DISTRICT IN THE FRUIT DALE AREA.
BUT THAT WAS, HAD TO DO WITH SOME BUYOUTS THERE.
FROM A PRIVATE STANDPOINT, IT WAS, NO, MY UNDERSTANDING, THERE WAS NO IMMINENT DOMAIN.
BUT I THINK THIS JUST GIVE, GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY.
AND I WAS WRITING NOTES, UH, LONG TERM, UH, JUST THE BENEFITS WE WERE GAINED FROM THE EDUCATIONAL SECTOR, PREPARING OUR YOUTH FOR NEW OPTIONS AND NEW, UH, JOBS AND NEW CAREER PATHS.
I THINK I CAN SEE THE BOOM IN BUSINESS.
UH, LOCAL BUSINESSES WILL, WILL, I THINK, BENEFIT, UH, JUST FROM THE TOURISM THAT WILL BEGIN TO COME IN AND PLACEMENT OF, OF CERTAIN RESTAURANTS WHERE THEY CAN ACTUALLY SEE HIGH ABOVE THE, THE, THE RAIL AS IT'S, IT'S MOVING.
UH, SO I THINK IT'S A POSITIVE FOR THE BUSINESS AND ECO ECONOMICS.
UH, WE LOOK AT, UH, REDUCING CONGESTION AND TRAVEL, BUT I JUST SEE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, UM, DALLAS TO BE WHAT IT, WHAT WE SAY IT IS, BIG D AND ALL INCLUSIVE.
AND SO I JUST THINK THIS IS ANOTHER OPTION.
UH, WE WILL HAVE TO GET OVER THE HURDLES.
UH, I'M HAPPY TO SEE SOMETHING THAT MOVES FASTER THAN I DO, YOU KNOW,
SO, UH, BUT FOR ME, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, I HAVE BEEN WITH IT A LITTLE BIT LONGER, PERHAPS, OTHER THAN OUR GODFATHER HERE, MR. TENNELL ATKINS.
I BELIEVE HE WAS HERE AT THAT TIME, UH, EARLY ON, UH, TO BE INTRODUCED.
BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW, WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO ASK QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF THE IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR DALLAS.
BUT I JUST SIMPLY BELIEVE IT WOULD JUST PUT US ON THE MAP AS HAVING ANOTHER OPTION IN TERMS OF, UH, MOBILITY.
SO THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT I WANNA ADD.
AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE COMES UP, UM, I WILL PRESENT THAT TO YOU WHEN WE ARE, WHEN HAVING ANOTHER, WHEN WE HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO MEET.
BUT I'M EXTREMELY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE FUTURE OF DALLAS.
UM, WE'RE STILL ON ITEM C, MS. WILLIS, AND THEN CHAIRWOMAN MENDELSON, AND THEN MS. BLACKMAN FOR FIVE MINUTES EACH.
I TOOK MY KIDS ON A TRIP TO CHICAGO, DID THE SLEEPER CAR THE WHOLE BIT, UM, HAVE TRAVELED ON THE ASLA.
UH, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WHILE GOING FROM BOSTON TO DC AND CROSSING SEVERAL STATES IS PROBABLY A BIG DEAL TO SOME IN TEXAS, UH, HAVING SOMETHING THAT'S JUST DALLAS TO HOUSTON, SELF-CONTAINED IN THE STATE IS OKAY.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE EVER DRIVEN FROM DALHART TO HARLINGEN, BUT WE GOT A LOT OF ROOM IN THIS STATE.
SO, UM, I, I REALLY LOVE THE, THE WAY THAT WE CAN LINK THE ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE ASPECT OF THIS BETWEEN DALLAS AND HOUSTON, AND HAVE ACCESS TO, UH, THE ENERGY AND SHIPPING SECTORS THAT WE DON'T HAVE
[02:20:01]
AS MUCH OF UP HERE.UM, YOU KNOW, VIRTUAL'S OKAY, BUT WE LIKE EYEBALL TO EYEBALL AND HANDSHAKES SOMETIMES.
SO I REALLY LOVE THAT ASPECT OF THIS.
UM, MY FAMILY'S ALSO BEEN A CONSUMER OF THE TRE, UH, WHEN MY MOM LIVED IN FORT WORTH BEFORE SHE MOVED OVER HERE.
SO WE, WE USED THE TRE TO GET BACK AND FORTH SO SHE WOULDN'T HAVE TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY.
UM, SO I, I LOVE TRAIN TRAVEL AND I'VE, I'VE BEEN A FAN OF THIS DALLAS TO HOUSTON PLAN FOR A WHILE.
UM, AND, AND REALLY HOPE THAT WE CAN SEE IT IN MY LIFETIME,
UM, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE, THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT'S BEEN SPENT ON THIS, MR. MORRIS, YOU'VE REFERENCED, UM, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND A LOT OF, UH, ASPECTS OF THIS BEING EXPLORED.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PROJECTS, INITIATIVES, STUDIES, THEY'RE GOING ON AROUND HERE ALL THE TIME, AND SOMETIMES THEY DON'T GET ATTENTION UNTIL THEY START TO COALESCE A LITTLE MORE AND RISE TO THE TOP.
AND SO I'M A BIG FAN OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOCUSED MODEL WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN COME TO ME WITH YOUR IDEAS, BUT IF YOU HAVEN'T SHOPPED IT WITH THE NEIGHBORS AND GOTTEN THEIR INPUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA MAKE YOU GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.
AND SO I THINK IN THIS CASE, SOMETIMES YOU'VE GOTTA TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO REACH OUT TO THE AFFECTED PARTIES IN AN EARLIER TIMEFRAME, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, NOW WE DO HAVE AN ISSUE BEFORE US.
SO I'M, I GUESS I'M A LITTLE LESS SYMPATHETIC TO ALL THE TIME SPENT, UM, BECAUSE THIS IS NOW COALESCING AND WE'RE HAVING TO GIVE IT ATTENTION.
I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST YOU TO LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE MEETINGS THAT WE DID HAVE.
I WASN'T A MAJOR PART OF MY PRESENTATION, HUNDREDS OF THEM, AND SEE WHO WE MET WITH OVER THOSE FOUR OR FIVE YEARS.
AND, UM, UM, JUST, JUST REFLECT ON THAT.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE TIE TO THE, I'M A GRASSROOTS BOTTOM UP GUY.
WE IMPLEMENTED A GRASSROOTS BOTTOM UP INITIATIVE.
I DON'T WANT YOU TO TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.
AND, UH, IF YOU WOULD, LET US SEND IT TO THE COUNCIL SO THEY KNOW THAT PRO I, I BELIEVE THAT BOX WAS CHECKED.
WELL, I BELIEVE PEOPLE RAISE A HAND, UM, IN THE PROCESS A LITTLE LATER, IT SUGGESTS THAT MAYBE THERE WAS A BOX THAT WASN'T CHECKED.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU, I THINK, YOU KNOW WHAT WE, I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE TO BELABOR IT, BUT, SO I'M, I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE DALLAS TO FORT WORTH ASPECT OF THIS, UH, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF DALLAS TO HOUSTON, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE YEARS AGO, DECISIONS WERE MADE AND THAT DALLAS IS NOW BEING PENALIZED IN A WAY FOR ARLINGTON AND FORT WORTH TO HAVE SOME CONNECTIVITY.
UM, SO I'M JUST A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT, WHERE WE'RE COMING INTO PLAY ON THIS.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW THAT THE COUNCIL RESOLUTION OF ALMOST 10 YEARS AGO TALKED ABOUT A ONE SEAT RIDE.
I'M SURE THAT SOUNDED FABULOUS AT THE TIME.
BUT I THINK WHERE WE'RE, WHERE WE'VE GOT HESITANCY IS HOW THIS IS BEING PROPOSED TO BE EXECUTED.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I, THINGS MOVE FAST AROUND HERE, AND I WOULD SAY THAT I WOULD RESPECT A FUTURE COUNCIL'S NEED OR DESIRE TO EVALUATE DECISIONS WE'RE MAKING TODAY, 10 YEARS, HENCE, AND, UH, CHANGE THEM OR MODIFY THEM TO REFLECT THE CITY AND, UH, WHERE WE'RE GOING.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M STRUGGLING WITH THE WHOLE NEED TO BE PART OF A NATIONAL NETWORK OF THE FUTURE, UH, AND WITH THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE FACING TODAY AND HOW WE PRIORITIZE THESE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I LEAN TOWARD PUTTING MORE ENERGY TO DALLAS, TO HOUSTON, AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THIS DFW PIECE.
UM, BUT I, I'M ALSO HAVING DIFFICULTY AROUND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASPECT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE MAKING ASSUMPTIONS.
I REALIZE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A TREMENDOUS VOLUME OF PEOPLE COMING TO TEXAS.
BUT, UM, DR. PEREZ, I'M HEARING THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD OR MAKE SOME DECISIONS, THEN THE ECO DEV STUDY PART COMES TO PLAY, AND IT JUST SEEMS LIKE WE'VE GOT THIS CHRONOLOGY ISSUE GOING ON.
SO WHAT CAN YOU POINT TO, TO SAY, YES, IT'S GONNA HAVE THIS KIND OF, UH, ECO DEV IMPACT ON THE CITY OF DALLAS WITH PEOPLE FROM FORT WORTH BEING ABLE TO COME TO DALLAS, AND FOR ARLINGTON TO BEING ABLE TO COME TO DALLAS, THAT WAS DONE POST COVID.
WHAT DO WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIS? UM, SO THE, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IMPACT THAT I DISCUSSED, UH, IT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HA WE HAVEN'T DONE, UM, FORMALLY WHAT I WOULD SAY IS I WOULD POINT YOU TO OTHER STATIONS ACROSS THE WORLD, UH, AND THE PROXIMITY OF THOSE STATIONS.
AND, UM, I MEAN, UH, MR. BYFORD MENTIONED, UH, THE FOUR SEASONS IN, IN TOKYO.
IT'S RIGHT NEAR, UH, ONE OF THE STATIONS, UH, FOR HIGH-SPEED RAIL.
IF, IF YOU GO AND, AND JUST RESEARCH THE FOUR SEASONS, YOU ACTUALLY SEE PICTURES OF THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL FROM THE HOTEL, FROM THE ROOMS.
[02:25:01]
AND SO I, I MEAN, AGAIN, WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING FORMALLY, BUT INFORMALLY, AND AS I MENTIONED, THE RESEARCH, UH, I MEAN THE, THOSE, THOSE EXAMPLES EXIST ACROSS THE WORLD.AND SO, UM, THE INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN ASKED HERE, I MEAN, WE WILL DEFINITELY INCORPORATE THAT FEEDBACK INTO THIS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STUDY.
UM, BUT AGAIN, JUST, UH, PRELIMINARILY, I MEAN, THAT'S THE TYPE OF INFORMAL RESEARCH THAT WE'VE DONE TO SEE, TO, TO SEE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IMPACTS.
UH, IF, IF YOU LOOK AROUND THAT STATION IN, IN TOKYO, THERE'S, UH, THERE'S HOTELS, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT.
AND, AND SO, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, IF COUNCIL HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO JUST DO A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH, WE'LL DO IT FOR YOU OBVIOUSLY.
UM, BUT, UH, I MEAN, IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE SOME TIME, I, I INVITE YOU TO GO LOOK AT SOME OF THE STATIONS ACROSS THE WORLD, HIGH SPEED RAIL STATIONS AND, AND JUST LOOK AT THE BOOM OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AROUND THAT.
AND IT'S NOT JUST HOTELS, IT'S, UH, LUXURY APARTMENTS.
IT IS, UH, MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO, UH, IT, IT, IT'S EXCITING TO ACTUALLY BE, UH, BE ABLE TO POTENTIALLY DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT HERE.
AND SO, WE'LL, WE WILL DO THAT RESEARCH AND WE'LL SHARE THAT FEEDBACK WITH YOU.
BUT AGAIN, UM, JUST, JUST LOOKING AT THE STATIONS AND THE RAIL ACROSS THE WORLD, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES THAT THAT WOULD DEFINITELY, UH, MOVE DALLAS FORWARD.
I THINK MR. BIER WANTS TO SPEAK AS WELL.
MAY I MAKE ONE MORE SUGGESTION? A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE, AND, AND I CAN SPEAK WITH SOME, UM, AUTHORITY.
'CAUSE I USED TO LIVE, THERE ACTUALLY WAS, UH, AROUND KING'S CROSS STATION IN LONDON, WHERE YEARS AGO, 1995, I WAS THE GROUP STATION MANAGER AT THE STATION MANAGER OF THE UNDERGROUND STATION.
UM, AND AT THE TIME, IT WAS PRETTY GRIM AROUND KINGS CROSS THAT WHOLE AREA, KINGS CROSS HOUSTON OF LONDON.
UM, THE HIGH-SPEED TRAIN, WHICH GOES THE EURO STARCH GOES FROM PARIS TO LONDON, ORIGINALLY WENT INTO WATERLOO.
BUT THAT WAS ONLY EVER A TEMPORARY, UM, ARRANGEMENT.
THE LONG TERM AIM WAS TO TAKE THE HIGH SPEED CHAIN INTO ST.
AND, UH, TO SAY, BUT IT WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT TO SAY IT'S HAD A TRANSFORMATIVE, UH, IMPACT.
KING'S CROSS LOOKS NOTHING LIKE WHAT IT ONCE, UH, USED TO LOOK LIKE.
UH, TOTAL TRANSFORMATION, UH, NEW APARTMENT BUILDINGS, UH, CONVERSION OF OLD BUILDINGS, HOTELS, BUSINESSES.
IT REALLY IS QUITE REMARKABLE.
AND, UH, AGAIN, IT'S BECOME A DESTINATION, ITS OWN RIGHT.
WHAT WAS A PRETTY DOWDY MAINLINE STATION WHEN I USED TO GO TO UNIVERSITY IN LEICESTER FROM THERE IT WAS, IT WAS KIND OF DERELICT, UH, ST.
WELL, INTEREST OF MY COLLEAGUES' TIME, AND I APPRECIATE IT'S NOW BEAUTIFUL, YOUR STORY.
AND I, I LOVE WHAT YOU ALL HAVE BROUGHT UP ABOUT DEVELOPMENT AND ABOUT DESTINATIONS AND IN OTHER CITIES.
UM, AND, UH, BECAUSE THEY MAY NOT HAVE AS MUCH, I MEAN, WHEN I'VE GONE TO CONVENTIONS ELSEWHERE, THEY JUST DON'T HAVE ANYTHING AS RIVETING AND DYNAMIC.
YOU KNOW, DALLAS, TEXAS IS EMBARKING ON A $3.7 BILLION CONVENTION CENTER.
IT'S GONNA TRANSFORM AN AREA, BUT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HOTELS AND HOUSING AND AN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
AND THERE IS A PROPOSAL BEFORE US, AND I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED HERE CAN TORPEDO THAT A $5 BILLION DEVELOPMENT THAT WOULD HAVE ALL OF THESE THINGS, INCLUDING SOMETHING THAT WE TRY TO SHOEHORN INTO HOUSING DEALS, AND THAT'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT'S BEING OFFERED TO US WITHOUT US HAVING TO BEG FOR IT.
AND SO THAT, THAT'S YOUR TIME FOR THIS ROUND.
SO I'M, I'M LOOKING AT THE FACT THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY ON THE TABLE THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY TIED TO THIS STATION, AND THAT WE CAN'T LOOK $750 MILLION OF TAX REVENUE ACROSS 20 YEARS.
THAT, THAT REALLY IS YOUR TIME.
I'M SORRY, I'M TRYING, BUT WE, WE HAVE A PROGRAM WE'RE TRYING TO GET SOME FOLKS TO, OKAY, SO CHAIRWOMAN MENDELSON, AND THEN MS. BLACKMAN, FIVE MINUTES EACH.
SO I HAVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT, AND, UM, MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES TALKED ABOUT SOME THINGS, BUT I FEEL LIKE THERE'S SOME THINGS I COULD TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
AND THE FIRST THING I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS THE DOCUMENT Y'ALL SHARED ABOUT PUBLIC STAKEHOLDER AND CITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND THE FIRST BULLET SAYS, ELECTED OFFICIAL BRIEFINGS WERE HELD.
WHO WERE THOSE ELECTED OFFICIALS? IT'S A SLIDE DATED MARCH, 2024.
I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, BUT IT'S GOT A LETTER OF WRITING.
MS. MENDELSON, WAS IT A SLIDE THAT WAS PRESENTED TODAY? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT SLIDE TWO, WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT THAT? WE, THIS IS WHERE YOU'RE ALSO OUTLINING ALL THE RTC MEETINGS.
I THINK IT'S IN THE WHITE, IN THE WHITE PAPERS.
OH, SO YOU'RE IN THE WHITE PAPER.
COULD COULD YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION? I APOLOGIZE.
I, I GET ASKED TO REPEAT THE QUESTION ALL THE TIME.
[02:30:01]
BRIEFINGS WERE HELD, AND THEN YOU GIVE THREE DATES.WHO WERE THOSE ELECTED OFFICIALS? I WILL FIND THAT INFORMATION OUT FOR OUR STAFF BEHIND ME.
IT'S, BUT IT WASN'T DALLAS ELECTED OFFICIALS, CORRECT? I DON'T, I HAVE TO FIND OUT FOR YOU.
WELL, I HAVEN'T FOUND ANYTHING ON OUR PUBLIC MEETING SITE.
I WILL PULL, I WILL PULL ALL OF THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD, PERIOD, AND FLAG ALL THE ONES THAT AFFECTED COMMUNITY GROUPS AND OR OFFICIALS IN DALLAS.
SO THE NEXT BULLET IS ABOUT THE RTC MEETINGS.
AND, UM, THE MAYOR APPOINTED ME TO THIS SOMETIME IN 2020.
SO THE FIRST DATE YOU HAVE LISTED, I WAS NOT A MEMBER.
THIS WAS A VIRTUAL MEETING, AND THERE WAS ACTUALLY NO DISCUSSION OF DALLAS TO FORT WORTH.
IT WAS ONLY DALLAS TO HOUSTON.
AND THEN THE SECOND DATE, NOVEMBER 12TH, UM, THIS WAS ALSO A VIRTUAL MEETING.
IT WAS, UM, THE FIRST ONE THAT YOU LISTED.
AGAIN, THE ONLY DISCUSSION WAS DALLAS TO HOUSTON.
THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION AT EITHER OF THOSE ABOUT THIS, UH, SEVEN FOOT SEVEN, I'M SORRY, SEVEN STORY STATION, WHICH AT THE TIME I'D NEVER HEARD OF THE NEXT FOUR MEETINGS.
THE MARCH 11TH MEETING, IT WAS A 10 MINUTE PRESENTATION.
THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION, AND IT WAS FROM DALLAS TO FORT WORTH, WAS THE AGENDA ITEM.
THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION ABOUT DOWNTOWN AT ALL.
THE MAY 13TH MEETING, THERE WAS A, THERE WERE COMMENTS MADE THAT SAID THERE'D BE MORE STUDY ABOUT DOWNTOWN DALLAS, THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL OPTIONS, AND THAT YOU'D BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH CITY OF DALLAS, AND THAT YOU WOULD REALLY GET INTO IT IN PHASE TWO, IN WHICH CASE YOU ARE ONLY IN PHASE ONE AT THIS TIME.
THAT WAS THE ONLY PART THAT WAS EVEN BROUGHT UP IN THAT 10 MINUTES.
THE NEXT MEETING, JULY 8TH, AGAIN, THE AGENDA ITEM WAS DALLAS TO FORT WORTH.
AND THE COMMENT THAT WAS MADE WAS THAT YOU WERE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK WITH TDOT AND YOU WERE GONNA COORDINATE WITH STAKEHOLDERS WHEN YOU GET TO PHASE TWO.
SO AGAIN, AT THIS POINT, I'M GONNA TELL YOU, I HAD NO IDEA AT ALL, ZERO ABOUT WHAT WE WERE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT WITH A STATION IN DALLAS, AS YOU ARE NOW DESCRIBING IT, THERE WAS A COMMENT MADE THAT THERE WAS A TWO YEAR TIMEFRAME AND THREE STATION CONCEPT WAS MENTIONED WITH THE ONE SEAT RULE.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S A ISSUE AMONGST THIS COUNCIL ABOUT THAT.
I THINK THIS COUNCIL GENERALLY SUPPORTS THIS.
IT'S BEEN IN OUR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM FOR HIGH SPEED RAIL, BUT NOT AS IT'S BEING PRESENTED.
AND THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS.
AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK YOU'RE GETTING PUSHBACK ON.
OKAY, THE NEXT MEETING WAS IN FEBRUARY 10TH, AND THEN AGAIN, THIS IS DALLAS TO FORT WORTH.
THIS IS WHERE WE'RE LOOKING TO GO TO PHASE TWO IN ADVANCE, A HIGH SPEED OR HYPERLOOP ALONG THE I 30 CORRIDOR.
THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION ABOUT STATIONS OR DOWNTOWN DALLAS.
THEN WE GO BACK TO VIRTUAL ON MARCH 9TH.
THE ITEM IS DALLAS TO FORT WORTH.
AND THE COMMENT WAS MADE THAT YOU'VE BEEN WORKING WITH STAKEHOLDERS FOR STATIONS AND THE WHOLE NEPA PROCESS.
I ASK QUESTIONS AT THAT MEETING, AND I SAY, ARE WE STILL DOING IN ARLINGTON STATION BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT A MEMBER OF A TRANSIT AGENCY? THE NEXT QUESTION I ASK IS, ARE YOU WORKING WITH THE LANDOWNERS, PRIVATE AND PUBLIC? AND THOSE STAKEHOLDERS? THE ANSWER WAS YES.
THE NEXT QUESTION I ASK IS THAT, CAN YOU CONFIRM YOU'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING WITHOUT, UM, WITHOUT TALKING TO THESE PRIVATE LANDOWNERS? AND BRENDAN MADE THIS PRESENTATION AND HE SAID, THAT'S TRUE.
SO I KEEP HEARING FROM YOU THAT, WELL, WE'RE NOT REALLY SURE WHAT THE HUNS WANT, BUT THIS WAS, THIS WAS MY AFFIRMATION THAT YOU WERE ACTUALLY DOING THAT.
THE NEXT ITEM WAS DECEMBER 14TH.
THIS IS WHERE, UM, REALLY THIS STARTED TO BLOW UP BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, UM, THE CONTRACT ABOUT TUNNELING.
AND IT BECAME VERY CLEAR THAT THINGS WERE MOVING FORWARD WITHOUT EVER HAVING BEEN DISCUSSED.
CAN YOU PROVIDE A BRIEFING WHERE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, FIRST OF ALL, A SEVEN STORY STATION IN THE CEDARS? I'VE NEVER HEARD THAT.
SO REMEMBER, THE, THE STATION IN THE CEDARS IS NOT A FUNCTION OF OUR PROCESS.
THE STATION IN THE CEDARS IS A FUNCTION OF YOUR PROCESS BECAUSE HIGH SPEED RAIL BETWEEN DOWNTOWN DALLAS AND DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH, OUR OFFICE DIDN'T LOCATE THAT PARTICULAR STATION.
THAT STATION WAS LOCATED AS PART OF THE PROCESS FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL BETWEEN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON AND DOWNTOWN DALLAS, WE EXPLORED A WHOLE BUNCH OF OPTIONS THAT DIDN'T ASSUME WE WOULD GO TO THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION.
OUR CONCLUSION WAS, THE BEST THING WE CAN DO IS GO TO THAT LOCATION THAT YOU ESTABLISHED IN THE HIGH SPEED RAIL STUDY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE FROM DALLAS TO HOUSTON.
SHOW ME WHERE IT SAYS WE ESTABLISHED IT THOUGH.
I I WILL, I'LL, I'LL GO INTO YOUR BOOKS.
[02:35:01]
DID THE CITY OF DALLAS STAFF DO WITH REGARD TO COMMUNICATING TO THE CITY OF DALLAS? THE WORK THAT WAS BEING DONE ON ALL THE OPTIONS FROM DALLAS TO HOUSTON.SO YOU WOULD SEE A COUNCIL WOULD SEE THOSE PARTICULAR ITEMS. I WILL WORK WITH YOUR CITY TO FIND THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU.
NOW, WITH REGARD TO ALL OF THESE MEETINGS, I WILL PULL ALL OF THE PRESENTATIONS.
I WILL PULL ALL THE MEETINGS THAT I'VE HAD, UH, WITH THE HUNTS, WHICH IS EXTENSIVE.
I WILL PRESENT TO YOU ALL THE INFORMATION I PRESENTED TO THE HUNTS DURING THAT PARTICULAR PROCESS.
UH, AND WE WILL PULL ALL OF THE PRESENTATIONS FOR ALL OF THESE PARTICULAR DATES WITH ALL, AS I INDICATED TO, UH, COUNCILMAN WEST, WHO THE DALLAS MEMBERS WERE AT ALL THESE PARTICULAR MEETINGS TO DESCRIBE THAT PARTICULAR PROCESS.
BUT YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE MAKING A CLAIM THAT SOMEHOW THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL WAS INVOLVED IN THE LOCATION OF THE DALLAS STATION AND THE ELEVATION OF THE DALLAS STATION.
I'M SAYING WE WERE NOT, I'M NOT SAYING THE RTC WAS, I'M SAYING THE COUNCIL, BECAUSE I'VE YET TO FIND A REPORTER OR ANYBODY IN THIS BUILDING THAT SAYS, YEAH, I KNEW THAT WAS GONNA BE A SEVEN STORY, UH, STATION.
IF YOU'RE ASKING ME TO HELP YOU FIND THAT INFORMATION, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO HELP YOU FIND THAT INFORMATION.
WELL, I, I HAVE A LOT MORE QUESTIONS.
THERE'S A WHOLE STUDY FROM 2017 WHEN WE WERE PRESENTED AT THE RTC, THAT MAP, WHICH YOU'RE USING THE SAME ONE OF ALL THE DIFFERENT ALIGNMENTS.
THERE WAS NEVER A DISCUSSION THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS AN EVALUATION THAT ACTUALLY SAID IT WASN'T VIABLE TO DO I 30 THAT TWO TIMES.
SO WHY WASN'T THAT PRESENTED TO THE RTC THAT SAID, WE HAVE A STUDY? SO WE WENT AND DID OUR OWN AND SAID, NOW IT IS VIABLE.
THAT'LL HAVE TO BE YOUR LAST QUESTION FOR THIS ROUND.
YOU CAN ANSWER THAT IF, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.
UM, I THINK TXDOT HAD A MAJOR FAILURE IN THEIR CORE EXPRESS STUDY.
THEY ASSUMED 100% OF ALL THE ROUTES WERE ON THE TRINITY RAILWAY EXPRESS, AND THEY HIT THE SAME FAILURE.
WE HIT THAT YOU CAN'T PUT HIGH SPEED RAIL ON THE TRINITY RAILWAY EXPRESS.
SO THEY FOLDED THEIR 10 AND WENT HOME AND SAID, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE AN OPTION, AND THEREFORE IT CAN'T BE BUILT.
'CAUSE THEY COULDN'T GET TRINITY RAILWAY EXPRESS TO WORK.
THEY HIT THE SAME THEORETICAL THAT MR. COUNCILMAN RIDLEY INDICATED WE'D LIKE TO GO 125 MILES AN HOUR ON THE TRINITY RAILWAY EXPRESS, AND YOU CAN'T.
SO THEY SAID, WELL, UH, WE, WE CAN'T MOVE FORWARD.
THE LESSON LEARNED WAS THEY DID NOT EXPLORE THE 50 OPTIONS THAT WE DID.
SO THE LESSON LEARNED WAS DON'T PUT ALL YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET AND ASSUME THERE'S ONLY ONE ROUTE.
WE WENT AND EXPLORED 50 ROUTES.
THAT'S WHY THE FALL 2020 STUDY STARTED WITH THE ASSUMPTION EVERY ROUTE WILL BE STUDIED.
SO THIS ISN'T A QUESTION, BUT MY NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
MS. BLACK ME REGISTER FOR FIVE MINUTES.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
SO, UH, WE TOOK THE TRAIN A LOT.
UM, AND SO MY QUESTION, LOOKING FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE IS WHAT IS THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE? SO I SEE THESE AS TWO SEPARATE PROJECTS.
YOU HAVE THE DALLAS TO HOUSTON SEGMENT, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE DALLAS AND FORT WORTH.
THEY ARE RELATED, BUT THEY ARE, BECAUSE I THINK THE FUNDING SOURCES ARE ACTUALLY TWO DIFFERENT FUNDING.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, GIVE ME WHAT THE USER EXPERIENCE WOULD BE FROM HOUSTON INTO A STATION, BECAUSE I, I AM CONFUSED ON DO WE HAVE THREE STATIONS IN DOWNTOWN? DO WE HAVE TWO? AND, AND I'M NOT ON TRANSPORTATION OR ON RTC, SO I'M GETTING THIS, UH, AT A REALLY JUST PAPER ONE DIMENSIONAL.
SO IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT IS THE, THE HOUSTON TO DALLAS EXPERIENCE WHEN THEY GET HERE? UM, WELL, SO I, OUR AIM, OF COURSE IS TO MAKE IT EXCELLENT THAT THE, UH, ONBOARD SERVICE, THE, UH, THE FACT THAT IT WOULD BE FULLY ACCESSIBLE, THE FACT THAT IT WOULD BE A STATE OF THE ART MODERN, UH, HIGH SPEED TRAIN WOULD MAKE IT FOR, UH, TO BE A VERY, UH, PLEASANT, UH, EXPERIENCE, UH, FROM START TO FINISH FROM HOUSTON INTO DALLAS.
SO WHEN YOU ARRIVE IN DALLAS, YOU WOULD ARRIVE AT A, UH, STATE-OF-THE-ART, AGAIN, SAME EXPRESSION, BUT MODERN STATION, FULLY ACCESSIBLE, LOTS OF RETAIL OPPORTUNITY.
UM, AND THAT STATION WOULD THEN HAVE THIS SEAMLESS INTERCHANGE THAT WE'RE TALKING AROUND ABOUT WITH MY COLLEAGUE, MR. MORRIS.
I IDEALLY ON IN ORDER THAT YOU WOULD THEN BE ABLE TO PROCEED ONTO FORT WORTH IF YOU WISHED.
AND THEN THERE WOULD ALSO BE EXCELLENT CONNECTIONS, BOTH WITH DART AND ACROSS TO THE AMTRAK STATION.
SO AGAIN, IT WOULD BE, UM, SEAMLESS IN TERMS OF THROUGH TICKETING.
UH, I THINK SHE'S ASKING YOU ASSUME FOR A MOMENT IT'S ONLY HOUSTON TO DALLAS.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET TO DALLAS? YOU SPECIFICALLY, LIKE WHERE IS THAT POINT IN WHICH YOU DE TRAIN? IS IT AT THE CEDARS, IS IT AT EBJ? IS IT AT THE TRAIN STATION? I'M TRYING
[02:40:01]
TO FIGURE OUT DO WE HAVE WHERE THE ACTUAL DROP OFF POINT IS BETWEEN THE DALLAS AND HOUSTON AND IS IT THE CEDARS? YEAH, SO THE, THE STATION IS, UH, IT'S, IT'S NOT AT, UH, UNION STATION.IT'S IN, IT'S IN FAIRLY CLOSE PROXIMITY.
SO WE WOULD HAVE A, UH, PEOPLE MOVE A PROBABLY SUBTERRANEAN PEOPLE MOVE A AIR CONDITION BETWEEN THE TWO STATIONS.
DO YOU MEAN SPECIFICALLY GEOGRAPHICALLY BY STREET WHERE IT IS? SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT IT'S IT'S GONNA BE CONNECT.
IT'S, NO, THEY'RE NOT THE SAME.
THEY'RE GONNA, IT'S ALMOST LIKE THIS.
WITH A MILE PEOPLE BETWEEN TWO STATIONS.
THERE'S A HIGH SPEED, UM, STATION, WHICH IS THE TERMINUS OF DALLAS TO HOUSTON.
OR LET'S DO IT THE OTHER WAY AROUND HOUSTON TO DALLAS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO GO ONTO, TO FORT WORTH.
THAT'S NOT THE SAME STATION AS THE AMTRAK STATION, BUT THERE WILL BE A SUBTERRANEAN AIR CONDITIONED INTERCHANGE, UH, THAT YOU COULD QUICKLY GO FROM THE HIGH SPEED STATION TO THE AMTRAK STATION, UH, AND THE OTHER FACILITIES THAT YOU'VE GOT THERE.
AND THE AMTRAK STATION IS THE CEDAR STATION? NO, I, I ASKED THE CITY OF DALLAS STAFF TO MAKE SURE EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER KNOWS WHERE THE DALLAS HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION IS.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
SO THE DALLAS HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION WILL BE IN THE CEDARS.
IT'S WHAT THEY'RE CALLING, I GUESS WE'RE USING IT A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
AND SAME PLATFORM, UM, IN A LOT OF THE DOCUMENTS.
AND THEN THE CONNECTION THAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT WOULD BE TO UNION STATION, BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE AMTRAK IS LOCATED CURRENTLY.
AND THAT'S THE MILE ONE? THAT'S ABOUT A MILE.
AND IS THAT STRETCH FUNDED? UM, IS THE PEOPLE MOVER FUNDED? THAT IS PART OF THE RECOMMENDATION.
WE HAVE AN EXTENDING HIGH SPEED RAIL TO FORT WORTH.
IT'S, WE HAVE TO FIND FUNDING.
WE AS PART, WE, THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL AND THE FUNDING SOURCES THAT ARE ON THE FIRST PAGE OF MY PRESENTATION, WE WOULD PROPOSE TO INCLUDE THAT IN THE HIGH SPEED RAIL COST TO FORT WORTH.
BECAUSE WE BELIEVE A SEAMLESS CONNECTION TO THE CONVENTION CENTER, TO THE, UH, CONVENTION CENTER, HOTELS TO UNION STATION WOULD BE A WONDERFUL THING FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND IF I MIGHT JUST ADD TO THAT, IRRESPECTIVE OF THE FUNDING, WE DO KNOW THAT WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE IS FOR PEOPLE ARRIVING, UH, COMING NORTH UP TO DALLAS INTO THE HIGH SPEED STATION.
WE WANT THE INTERCHANGE WITH THE, WITH UNION STATION, THE CONVENTIONAL STATION THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS TO BE, UH, SEAMLESS, EASY TO USE.
WELL SIGN POSTED, AIR CONDITIONED SO THAT IT, IT, IT IS, IT IS AN EASY CHA UH, INTERCHANGE TO MAKE IF YOU THEN WANT TO CARRY ON, ON A CONVENTIONAL AMTRAK SERVICE, UH, AROUND THE REST OF THE NETWORK.
SO, BUT YOUR DALLAS TO HOUSTON DOES NOT HAVE THAT CURRENTLY FUNDED AS PART OF YOUR PARTICULAR PROPOSAL.
AND SO THEY HAVE TO ACTUALLY GET OFF A TRAIN AND GET ON A NEW TRAIN.
SO IT'S REALLY NOT AN EASY, IT'S EASY 'CAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A TICKET, BUT THERE'S STILL SOME TRANSFERRING THAT, THAT HAPPENS THERE BE BETWEEN THE HIGH SPEED YES.
AND THE CONVENTIONAL AMTRAK SERVICES.
THEY'RE NOT THE SAME STATION, BUT WE WOULD MAKE THE INTERCHANGE, UM, EASY, EASY TO USE.
AND USUALLY PEOPLE MOVERS ARE HOW LONG? I MEAN, A MILE IS A PRETTY LONG MILE.
I MEAN, IT'S A PRETTY LONG STRETCH.
I MEAN, YOU TYP YOU TYPICALLY WOULDN'T HAVE ONE THAT IS A MILE LONG.
IT'S A BIT LIKE AN AIRPORT IN A VERY, VERY LONG CORRIDOR.
YOU TYPICALLY, UM, HAVE A, HAVE A, A PEOPLE MOVER, A SHORT, UM, GAP, AND THEN ANOTHER PEOPLE MOVER.
UM, BUT THE TECHNOLOGY'S MOVED ON A LOT SINCE, UM, PEOPLE MOVERS WERE FIRST INVENTED.
SO THEN THEY TRANSFER, AND NOW THERE'S A NEW TRAIN THAT THERE'S, THAT'S TAKEN IN BETWEEN DALLAS AND FORT WORTH.
AND THAT'S WHERE THAT TRAIN IS THE SAME TRAIN THAT COMES INTO DALLAS STATION.
THE NOTION OF A ONE SEAT RIDE IS YOU GO, OKAY, HOUSTON TO DALLAS, YOU SIT IN YOUR TRAIN, YOU SIT THERE PROBABLY FOR TWO MINUTES AS EVERYONE GETS OFF, PEOPLE GET ON ONE SEAT RIDE.
IF YOU WISH TO GO TO AMTRAK OR UNION STATION, YOU GO DOWN THE ESCALATORS TO THE LOBBY AND YOU WOULD THEN GO THROUGH THIS AIR CONDITIONED SPACE IN OUR PROPOSAL, YOU'D GO THROUGH THIS AIR CONDITIONED SPACE TO UNION STATION.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO ON OUR, OUR PROPOSAL TO YOU.
IF YOU ASK US TO GO WEST OF THE HYATT REGENCY, I DON'T THINK YOU WOULD GET THAT CONNECTION, RIGHT.
WE'RE WE'RE, WE'RE TOO FAR AWAY FROM UNION STATION.
SO YOU WOULD GO SEVEN FLOORS DOWN TO THE STREET, YOU'RE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF INTERSTATE 30, YOU WOULD CROSS AT LAMAR OR SOME STREET, AND YOU WOULD TAKE YOUR LUGGAGE UP ACROSS THE SIGNALED INTERSECTIONS TO THE AMTRAK STATION.
I THINK THAT'S HORRIBLE WHY I AM PROPOSING THE PROPOSAL WE HAVE FOR YOU.
SO THEN, AND SO WHAT ARE WE, WITH THIS NEW, NOT THIS NEW ALIGNMENT, BUT THE ALIGNMENT BETWEEN DALLAS AND FORT WORTH.
WHAT ARE WE SOLVING FOR? IS IT FOR STOPS AT THE AIRPORT? IS IT STOPS IN ARLINGTON? IS IT, I,
[02:45:01]
'CAUSE I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY THIS ROUTE VERSUS ANY OF THE OTHER ONES, AND I KNOW YOU'VE OUTLINED IT IN YOUR INFORMATION, BUT I WANNA HEAR IT SPECIFICALLY.SO THE, THE BENEFIT OF CONNECTING FORT WORTH TO DALLAS IS YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE MORE, UH, SEAMLESS CONNECTIONS FROM HOUSTON TO DALLAS BY GOING TO ARLINGTON OR GOING TO FORT WORTH.
THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE, THIS MAY SURPRISE YOU.
THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH REGION THAT ARE NOT RESIDENTS OF DALLAS.
WE'RE 8.2 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE REGION ON OUR WAY TO 12.
IT IS OUR WAY TO GET TO DFW AIRPORT IN A FAIR, UH, WAY TO GET TO LOVE FIELD.
AND IT PREVENTS ME BUILDING HIGH SPEED RAIL FROM FORT WORTH TO, THE PREVIOUS PLAN WAS TO BUILD HIGH SPEED RAIL FROM FORT WORTH TO AUSTIN, SAN ANTONIO.
SO INSTEAD OF BUILDING HIGHSPEED, THE STATE'S PLAN IS AN UPSIDE DOWN.
U YOU, YOU GO DALLAS, I'M SORRY, EXCUSE ME.
UH, HOUSTON, DALLAS, ARLINGTON, AUSTIN, SAN ANTONIO, LAREDO, MONTEREY, MEXICO.
YOU, WHY ARE YOU BUILDING TWO NORTH-SOUTH HIGH SPEED RAILROADS WHEN YOU CAN USE THE ECONOMIES OF SCALE OF THE DALLAS TO HOUSTON ROUTE.
SO THE PURPOSE, INSTEAD OF BUILDING TWO, YOU BUILD ONE.
AND ANYONE THAT WISHES TO GO TO AUSTIN, SAN ANTONIO SOMEDAY NOT RIGHT NOW, IS YOU JUST SIMPLY BRANCH OFF ON YOUR WAY TO A AND M UNIVERSITY AND GO TO AUSTIN, SAN ANTONIO.
SO INSTEAD OF FORT WORTH BUILDING HIGH SPEED RAIL TO AUSTIN, SAN ANTONIO, AS PART OF THE STATE PLAN, FORT WORTH WOULD GET THE BENEFIT OF THE DALLAS TO HOUSTON PIECE.
AND YOU GET THE ECONOMIES OF SCALE OF MORE RIDERSHIP WHEN YOU ADD AUSTIN AND SAN ANTONIO TO THAT PARTICULAR MIX.
OTHERWISE, WE'RE BUILDING THE UPSIDE DOWN U AND YOU'RE BUILDING TWO NORTH SOUTH HIGH SPEED RAIL LINES.
THAT, IN MY MIND, DON'T MAKE SENSE.
I HOPE THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION.
UM, AND ALSO TO, SO WE TALK ABOUT THE CEDARS AND OKAY, FIRST OF ALL, WHEN WAS ALL OF THIS? WAS IT DEVELOPED IN 2017? LIKE WHEN WAS ALL OF THIS REALLY BEING DISCUSSED? SO IN TERMS OF THE CEDARS, I DON'T HAVE THE DATES.
I'LL HAVE TO DEFER THAT TO, TO, UH, GO HIGH SPEED RAIL HAS BEEN DISCUSSED BETWEEN DOWS AND HOUSTON FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS.
I'M LOOKING AT THIS SPECIFIC, UM, THIS SPECIFIC TRAIN STATION, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE SAYING THAT IT'S OUR PROCESS, IS IT, I MEAN, THE CITY OWNS IT.
IF WE WANTED TO REEVALUATE, BECAUSE THIS IS NOW A DYNAMIC AREA, WE'VE NOW DECIDED WE'RE BUILDING A NEW CONVENTION CENTER.
IT'S NOT THE SAME PLAN, IN MY OPINION, AS WHEN IT WAS IN 2017.
SO MY QUESTION IS, DOES IT STILL MAKE SENSE? AND I BELIEVE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, YOU CAN OPEN UP ONLY A SECTION OF IT.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO OPEN UP THE WHOLE THING.
BUT I, I'M JUST CURIOUS AS TO IS THIS THE APPROPRIATE, UM, IS IT, ARE WE GETTING OUR, GIVEN WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THIS AREA AND ALL THE PLANS ABOUT, UM, REDEVELOPMENT, DOES THIS STILL MAKE SENSE? AND, AND, AND TO SAY, YES, WE'RE GONNA GO WITH IT, THEN I WANNA KNOW WHY, BECAUSE IT'S CHANGED IN SEVEN YEARS.
SO I THINK, UM, WE GOT YOUR ANSWER TO YOUR PREVIOUS QUESTION.
I THINK IT WAS NOVEMBER 3RD, 2020 WHEN THE CEDARS, UM, DECISION, WHEN THE RECORD OF DECISION WAS MADE FOR THE, UH, LOCATION OF THE PLATFORM OR STATION FOR THE HIGH SPEED RAIL IN THE CEDARS.
UM, SO JUST A, JUST A FEW YEARS AGO.
UM, AND THEN IN TERMS OF UNION STATION, UNION STATION IS ALREADY A HUB.
AND SO, UM, THAT, UH, IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS, WAS CHANGING.
IT'S ALREADY A MULTIMODAL HUB.
SO THAT DECISION, I THINK WAS AN EASIER DECISION FOR CITY COUNCIL TO LOOK AT BECAUSE THERE'S ALREADY A VARIETY OF, OF, OF TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS THERE.
NOW, IN TERMS OF THE PLATFORM, I'M NOT SURE, I'LL HAVE TO DEFER TO MICHAEL MORRIS OR DR.
KINK, CARLY, ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COULD BE REOPENED, UH, RELATIVE TO THE PLATFORM OR THE STATION IN THE, IN THE CEDARS.
I THINK ANDY NEEDS TO ANSWER THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION.
HE, HE'S USING ALL THE EXISTING PERMITS.
SO I THINK HE NEEDS TO BE ASKED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF HE HAD TO OPEN UP THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS.
SO I'LL HAPPILY TO COMMENT ON THAT.
UM, I THINK IF IT SOUNDS LIKE A SMALL MATTER, BUT IF WE WERE TO, IF SUDDENLY THE QUESTION IS, UM, SHOULD WE REOPEN THE, THE WHOLE QUESTION OF WHETHER THE HIGH SPEED STATION SHOULD BE WHERE IT IS PROPOSED WITH ALL THE PERMITS THAT WE'VE GOT, THE ROD THAT'S IN PLACE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE, THAT TO ME IS A MASSIVE REOPENER
[02:50:01]
AND WE'LL PUT THE ENTIRE PROJECT AT RISK.UM, CERTAINLY IN TERMS OF TIME, UH, TIMESCALE, IT WILL PUT THE PROJECT BACK.
UM, PUTTING THE TIMESCALE BACK WITHOUT QUESTION ADDS EXPONENTIALLY TO COST AND THEREFORE WOULD BRING THE WHOLE BUSINESS CASE INTO SEVERE QUESTION.
SO WITH THE FUNDING SITUATION, IF YOU, IF WE DON'T, ARE ALL THESE SEGMENTS RELIED ON EACH OTHER? IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU DON'T HAVE FUNDING FOR HOUSTON TO DALLAS OR DOESN'T GET IT FUNDED, THEN DALLAS TO FORT WORTH DOESN'T EXIST.
AND VICE VERSA, IF WE DON'T GET THE FUNDING FOR DALLAS AND FORT WORTH, THEY'RE BUILT, ARE THEY, ARE THEY ALL DEPENDENT ON EACH OTHER? NO, THEY'RE TWO SEPARATE PROJECTS.
BOTH WITHIN THE SAME FRA, UH, GRANT PROGRAM, NAMELY CID CORRIDOR ID.
UH, BUT THE WAY I'VE DESCRIBED THEM IS THEY ARE SEPARATE BUT COMPLIMENTARY.
THAT'S BUT, BUT, BUT, BUT THE FUNDING IS NOT RELIED ON ONE, ON A ONE, NOT DOING ONE DOESN'T PRECLUDE THE OTHER.
UM, AND THEN LOOKING AT, I DID PULL UP THE TOKYO.
UM, SO MY QUESTION IS, IS YEAH, THE TRAIN STATION IS ACTUALLY, IT LOOKS LIKE ACROSS THE STREET.
IT DOESN'T RUN THROUGH THEIR PROPERTY NEXT TO THEIR WALL.
SO MY QUESTION IS, IS WHAT IS THE ACTUAL, THE PROXIMITY FROM THE STATION TO THE BUILDING? BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE IN THESE THAT IT IS LITERALLY GOING IN FRONT OF THE HYATT REGENCY, LIKE LITERALLY IN FRONT.
AND WHEREAS YOU LOOK AT THESE OTHER TRAIN STATIONS, AND I'VE BEEN THE ONES THAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT, UH, ON THEIR PROPERTY IN FRONT, IN FRONT OF THEIR WINDOW.
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF SPACE IN WHICH, UH, CON, YOU KNOW, DESIGN ACTUALLY GOES AROUND IT.
SO I, I'M JUST SAYING THAT, UH, PRO, UM, IF YOU, WHEN YOU GIVE US THAT INFORMATION, MAKE SURE YOU TELL US IT IS A HUNDRED YARDS FROM THE FRONT DOOR.
I'M GONNA GO TO CHAIRMAN GRACIE FOR FIVE MINUTES THEN.
UH, MAYOR PRO, MAYOR PRO TEM FOR FIVE MINUTES.
DO IT FOR FIVE MINUTES AND THEN BACK TO YOU CHAIRMAN MENDELSON FOR THREE.
EVERYBODY GOT THAT BEFORE THE QUEUE CHANGED? OKAY, GO AHEAD.
UH, I JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS.
UM, AND IT, IT'S REALLY CENTERED AROUND THE, THE, THE ROUTE.
SO I'M GONNA START FIRST WITH THE STATION IN HOUSTON.
IS THAT A PROPOSED ELEVATED STATION? IT, IT IS, UH, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT RIGHT IN DOWNTOWN D UM, HOUSTON, IT'S, UH, IT'S SLIGHTLY OUTTA DOWNTOWN, BUT IT IS AN ELEVATED STATION.
AND THE R THE ROUTE THROUGH ALL THE WAY TO DALLAS IS ELEVATED ON, IN, UM, EITHER VIADUCT OR BY.
UM, AND THEN I SAW ON, I THINK IT WAS SLIDE 29, IT SAID THAT BECAUSE OF THE ELEVATION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT WAS ONE OF THE FLAWS THAT, UH, COMING OUT OF, OR IF IT WAS, I FORGET WHAT IT WAS.
IT SAID, LEMME SEE, I WROTE IT.
A VERTICAL TRANSFER ADDS 20 MINUTE DELAY TO A, TO ACCOUNT FOR A 17 STORY ELEVATION.
AND THAT'S, SO IF IT WERE COMING FROM, SO WHAT WOULD THE DELAY BE COMING FROM FORT WORTH TO ARLINGTON TO DALLAS? BECAUSE THAT'S ESSENTIALLY BEING AN ELEVATION.
I THINK YOU SAID IT EARLIER, YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE SEA LEVEL.
AND I'M A BIT OF A GEEK WHEN IT COMES TO THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO AM I TO, TO ASSUME THAT THERE'S NOT A DELAY EVEN THOUGH THERE'S AN INCLINE ON HIS TRAIN, THERE'S NOT A DELAY COMING UP BECAUSE OF THE ELEVATION OR SOMETHING.
IS THAT COUNCILMAN, LEMME TRY TO DO A BETTER JOB EXPLAINING THAT SOMEONE FROM DALLAS COME, UM, SOMEONE FROM HOUSTON COMES INTO DALLAS, AND IF THEY WERE TO STAY ON THAT PARTICULAR TRAIN IN OUR PROPOSAL, THE TRAIN WOULD STOP FOR ABOUT TWO MINUTES BY POLICY.
PEOPLE GET ON AND OFF, AND THEN YOU SIT, STAY IN YOUR SEAT, RIGHT? AND YOU EX AND YOU CONTINUE ON YOUR JOURNEY TO ARLINGTON AND IN FORT WORTH, RIGHT? THAT'S THE ONE SEAT RIDE.
THE, THE ASK OF US WAS, WELL, WHAT IF YOU PUT YOUR DALLAS TO FORT WORTH IN A TUNNEL? RIGHT? SO WE LOOKED AT A TUNNEL UNDERNEATH THE DALLAS HIGHSPEED RAIL STATION AND WE LOOKED AT A TUNNEL, NOT UNDER THAT PARTICULAR STATION.
SO FOR EVERYONE, THE TRAIN STOPS TAKES ABOUT 20 MINUTES TO ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED IN GOING TO ARLINGTON OR FORT WORTH, IT TAKES ABOUT 20 MINUTES TO TAKE THE 17 STORY ELEVATOR.
'CAUSE THE, THE SUBWAY IS ABOUT A HUNDRED FEET DOWN BECAUSE WE, THE TUNNEL ENGINEERS SAID, THIS IS THE ELEVATION TO GET UNDERNEATH THE TRINITY RIVER.
IF WE'RE RIGHT UNDER THE DALLAS STATION, YOU TAKE THE ELEVATOR DOWN, IT'S ROUGHLY 20 MINUTES, 20 MINUTES TO A HUMAN.
WHEN YOU GO DOWN WALKING, WAITING FOR AN ELEVATOR, WAITING YOUR TURN TO GET ON THOSE ELEVATORS, THE PERCEPTION IS IT'S 40 MINUTES.
SO 40 MINUTE PERCEPTION PRETTY WELL ELIMINATES
[02:55:01]
WHY WOULD I BOTHER TO WAIT? WHY WOULD I BOTHER TO MAKE THAT PARTICULAR MOVEMENT? UH, WHEN YOU'RE PENALIZED BY 40 MINUTES, IF YOU WISH TO BUILD A SUBWAY STATION NOT RIGHT UNDER IT, YOU WOULD HAVE TO ADD THE ADDITIONAL TRAVEL TIME AT THE SURFACE STREET.SO YOU TAKE THE ELEVATOR DOWN TO THE SURFACE STREET.
YOU, YOU WALK THE SURFACE STREET TO ANOTHER STATION, YOU TAKE THAT ELEVATOR DOWN 10 STORIES.
SO IT'S NOT SO MUCH ABOUT THE, THE, THE, UH, THE TRAIN, THE SPEED OF THE TRAIN AND THE TIME TO, IT'S NOT THE GEO FROM ONE LOCATION TO POINT B TO POINT C.
IT'S ABOUT THE TIME FROM PARKING AND GETTING TO THE TRAIN IS WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO.
AND THE IDEA, THE IDEA WAS IF YOU PUT IT IN A SUBWAY, THEN THERE'LL BE MORE DEVELOPABLE LAND.
THE PERCEPTION IS YOU HAVE MORE DEVELOPABLE LAND BECAUSE THE RAIL TRACK ISN'T TAKING UP WHERE BUILDINGS CAN GO.
I THINK THAT ISN'T REALLY TRUE IF YOU TAKE THE DENSITY THAT YOU WOULD BUILD IF YOU HAD HIGH SPEED RAIL.
BUT REMEMBER, IF YOU BUILD A SUBWAY TUNNEL, YOU GOTTA BE CAREFUL OF MAKING AN ASSUMPTION.
YOU'RE GONNA PUT BUILDINGS ON TOP OF A SUBWAY TUNNEL.
SO JUST 'CAUSE YOU CAN'T SEE IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE GONNA BUILD MORE BUILDINGS.
SO THE ASSUMPTION OF SUBWAY HAS MORE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT VERSUS NOT.
YOU REALLY GOTTA BE CAREFUL 'CAUSE YOU'D HAVE TO PLACE THOSE COLUMNS IN ADVANCE AND NOT TRY TO DRILL COLUMNS UNDER AN ACTIVE PASSENGER RAIL TUNNEL.
AND I GUESS WHERE I'M TRYING TO GET TO THIS IS BECAUSE ONE, THIS IS A VERY EXCITING PROJECT, UH, ACROSS THE BOARD REALLY FOR THE ENTIRE, UH, STATE, TO BE HONEST.
AND, AND, AND I SEE WHERE IT'S GOING IN TERMS OF THE IMPACT THEY COULD HAVE, UH, REALLY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, UH, FROM THERE.
BUT I DON'T WANNA MAKE A DECISION BASED ON EXCITEMENT.
AND SOMETIMES I THINK WE GET INTO A POINT WHERE WE MOVE AND WE WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS THING BECAUSE IT'S SO BIG AND IT'S SO EXCITING THAT SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU MENTIONED IN SOME OF THOSE STUDIES, THE, THE DIFFERENT FLAWS.
YOU THINK YOU HAD DIFFERENT, ABOUT 50 DIFFERENT ROUTES AND THE FLAWS, UH, FOR ALL OF THEM.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO ENCOURAGE US TO DO IS TO CONSIDER THE FLAWS AS WE DESIGN THIS, CONSIDER THE FLAWS THAT IMPACT THE ENTIRE CITY AND THE REGION AS WELL.
UH, FROM THERE, THIS IS A REALLY EXCITING PROJECT, BUT IT JUST SEEMS DISCOMBOBULATED RIGHT NOW.
AND I DON'T WANT THIS TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALL SAY WE'RE VOTING FOR AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT ONLY TO DISCOVER FIVE YEARS LATER BECAUSE OF TECHNOLOGY AND ALL THESE THINGS.
IT'S ONE OF THOSE, DANG, I WISH WE WOULD'VE DONE THIS.
SO I JUST WANT US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING THIS DECISION BASED ON PRACTICAL APPLICATION AND MOVEMENT THROUGHOUT EACH ONE OF THESE STOPS, BUT ALSO, UH, FROM THE FLAWS PERSPECTIVE, THAT IT ALSO IMPACTS ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS IN A WAY THAT WE CAN ALL BE EXCITED ABOUT IT.
AND IT'S NOT GONNA BE SOMETHING, AGAIN, FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, TECHNOLOGY'S CHANGING.
HELL, IT COULD PROBABLY BE TWO YEARS FROM NOW THAT IT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT'S, WE COULD END UP WITH THE REGRET.
SO AS WE'RE MAKING THESE DECISIONS, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ARE MAKING THESE, BECAUSE AGAIN, AS A STAFFER, I WAS INVOLVED WITH THE HIGH SPEED RAIL SIDE AND I NEVER HEARD A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE FORT WORTH PIECE.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE MISSING EACH OTHER.
SO I WANT US TO ALIGN AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S SOMETHING YEAH.
AND WE CAN ALL BE EXCITED AND HAPPY AND PROUD OF.
IF YOU, IF YOU TURN THE CLOCK BACK AND COUNCILMAN SUPPORTING YOUR POINT, YOU HAVE A HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION, NOT REAL MOVEMENT ON A CONVENTION CENTER, UH, SOMEWHAT DYSFUNCTIONAL UNION STATION.
THAT, THAT WAS THE VISION 10 YEARS AGO.
WHAT, WHAT I'M ASKING YOU TO DO IS TO THINK WHAT MAY BE SOMETHING NO ONE ELSE WILL HAVE IS A HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION, A BRAND NEW CONVENTION CENTER, A HIGH SPEED RAIL CON, UH, A HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION CONNECTED TO A CONVENTION CENTER.
A CONVENTION CENTER THAT IS NOW CONNECTED TO A HUB, A HIGH SPEED RAIL STATION THAT NOW HAS AIR CONDITIONED ACCESS TO A HUB, INCLUDING THE NEW AMTRAK LINE TO ATLANTA WITH EQUAL ACCESS TO SOUTHWEST AIRLINES AND DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
I, I, I THINK THE VISION OF 10 YEARS AGO NOW HAS SOME INGREDIENTS THAT MAKE IT CONFUSING.
BUT I THINK IF YOU STOP AND LAYER THOSE ONION SKINS TOGETHER, I BELIEVE MY MY OPINION IS YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT NO ONE ELSE IN THE WORLD WILL, WILL HAVE.
IF, IF COUNCIL MEMBER, IF I MIGHT JUST ADD TO THAT, MY, MY ADVICE WOULD BE, AND YOU MAKE A REALLY VALID POINT ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T WANT TO DO IS MAKE A DECISION BASED ON EMOTION, BUT EQUALLY YOU MAKE A A VERY VALID POINT.
WHAT YOU, YOU EQUALLY DON'T WANT TO DO IS MAKE A DECISION NOW THAT IN 10 YEAR, WELL SAY 10 YEARS TIME, YOU'RE LIKE, DAMN IT, I WISH WE'D DONE, WE, WE'D GONE WITH THAT SEAMLESS INTERCHANGE, UM, WHERE WE TALK ABOUT A 20 MINUTE, UM, A JOURNEY TIME.
IT'S NOT THAT THE ELEVATOR TAKES 20 MINUTES, OF COURSE IT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, ELEVATORS ARE SUPER FAST THESE DAYS.
THEY CAN DO THAT PRETTY QUICKLY.
BUT WHEN YOU ADD TOGETHER ALL OF THE FACTORS OF GETTING
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OFF THE TRAIN, GETTING YOUR STUFF TOGETHER, GETTING ON THE ELEVATOR, DOING THE WALK, THE MORE, UM, UNPLEASANT YOU MAKE THE INTERCHANGE, THE LESS PEOPLE ARE LIKELY TO DO IT.IT'S A BIT LIKE IF I CAN DO A DIRECT FLIGHT RATHER THAN CHANGE SOMEWHERE, I'LL ALWAYS CHOOSE THE DIRECT FLIGHT, EVEN IF I HAVE TO PAY A BIT MORE.
'CAUSE IT'S SUCH A PAIN TO HAVE TO CHANGE TERMINALS OR DO THIS AND THAT.
SO, SO THAT, SO MY ADVICE WOULD BE, IF IT DOES MAKE SENSE, I APPRECIATE THERE'S LOTS OF FACTORS, BUT IF YOU CAN ACHIEVE THAT EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN WHERE IT REALLY IS AN, AN INTEGRATED TRANS TRANSIT, UM, OR TRANSPORT SYSTEM, RATHER THAN AN ORGANIC ONE, WHICH HAS BITS ADDED ON OVER TIME, YOU WILL HAVE A STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY.
AND THEN JUST A COUPLE OF MORE QUESTIONS REAL QUICK.
WITH THE OTHER STATIONS ALL OVER, I MEAN, THE OTHER HIGH SPEED RAILS ALL OVER THE WORLD, CAN YOU JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CONSISTENCY OF THE STATIONS IN BETWEEN? ARE THEY ALL THE SAME IN TERMS OF ELEVATED AND ALL OF THAT? OR ARE THEY DIFFERENT? BECAUSE I THINK YOU MENTIONED KIND OF THE U OF ULTIMATELY TRYING TO, TO CREATE THIS U FROM ONE CITY TO ANOTHER.
AND RIGHT NOW IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE INCONSISTENT IN TERMS OF WHAT THE STATIONS LOOK LIKE.
AGAIN, TRYING TO VISION OUT WHAT IS IT, WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING LIKE IN, IN THE OTHER COUNTRIES? ARE THEY ALL THE, THE SAME? SURE.
GENERALLY, YES, BECAUSE TYPICALLY, UNLESS SOMETHING, UNLESS SAY A STATION WAS ADDED AT A MUCH LATER STAGE, TYPICALLY, UH, A HIGH SPEED RAIL PROJECT IS THE WHOLE PROJECT END TO END WITH THE INTERMEDIATE STATION.
SO TYPICALLY WHERE EVEN IF YOU USE DIFFERENT CONTRACTORS, YOU, YOU TEND TO USE THE SAME ARCHITECTS.
WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO IS CREATE SOMETHING THAT, AGAIN, EASY TO USE.
SO THE MORE THE STATIONS LOOK SIMILAR, THE SIGNAGE IS CONSISTENT.
THE, THE, THE, THE PASSENGER EXPERIENCE IS THE SAME.
AND CERTAINLY YOU SEE THAT IN PLACES I CAN THINK OF IN ON THE EURO STAFF, FOR EXAMPLE, IN GERMANY, IN JAPAN, ITALY, AND THE OTHER, UH, LOCATIONS.
SO THAT'S WHAT YOU SHOULD BE AIMING TO ACHIEVE.
UH, AND THE ONE SEAT, UH, ONE SEAT RIDE IS ABSOLUTELY THE NORM.
UM, YOU WOULDN'T, YOU WOULDN'T TYPICALLY CHANGE, THE ONLY TIME YOU WOULD CHANGE IS IF, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU CAME IN FROM BERLIN TO PARIS AND THEN YOU WANTED TO GO ONTO, UM, BORDEAUX.
YOU MIGHT CHANGE AT THE, UH, GUARDIAN OR WHICHEVER PARIS STATION YOU COME IN AT.
UH, BUT AGAIN, THE, THE AIM WOULD ALWAYS BE TO KEEP IT, UM, ONE SEAT FROM, UH, ONE SEGMENT AND THEN ONTO ANOTHER WITH VERY, VERY SIMPLE INTERCHANGE.
I'M SORRY, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
UM, I'M GONNA ASK THIS FIRST QUESTION A DIFFERENT WAY REGARDING THE, THE, THE, THE, THE LEVELS, UM, THE ELEVATIONS COMING FROM FORT WORTH, OR I'LL JUST SAY FROM ARLINGTON TO DALLAS.
IF THOSE ARE UNDERGROUND, JUST FROM THE TIME YOU GET ON THE TRAIN TO DALLAS, WOULD THERE CREATE A DELAY BECAUSE OF THE ELEVATION, BECAUSE OF THE INCLINE GOING UP? OR I'M GONNA ASK IT A DIFFERENT WAY.
IF IT WERE ELEVATED, WOULD THAT REDUCE THE TRAVEL TIME? DO YOU MEAN IN TERMS OF THE CUSTOMER, WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO? OR THE ACTUAL TRAIN? THE TRAIN, THE TRAIN ITSELF, IF IT WERE HERE VERSUS HERE, TO ME, GOING THIS WAY UP CREATES A DELAY VERSUS IF IT WERE HERE, I MEAN, A MODERN, A MODERN HIGH SPEED CHAIN OPERATING UNDER FIT FOR PURPOSE, MODERN CATY, IN OTHER WORDS, THE ELECTRICAL OVERHEAD WIRES, A, A, A REASONABLE INCLINE DOESN'T REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
BUT ONE HUGE DIFFERENCE WOULD BE IF YOU HAVE TO HAVE A TRAIN, LET'S SAY COMING FROM FORT WORTH, TERMINATING IT DALLAS, AND THEN CUSTOMERS HAVE TO GO UP IN AN ELEVATOR TO GO AND GET ON THE TRAIN, THEN TO GO FROM DALLAS TO HOUSTON.
THAT DEFINITELY WILL ADD A DELAY TO BOTH THE CUSTOMER, BUT ALSO THE TRAIN.
THE REASON FOR THAT IS THE TRAIN WILL BE ENTERING A TERMINAL STATION.
SO THERE ARE SPECIFIC SAFETY IMPLICATIONS FOR ENTERING A TERMINAL STATION RATHER THAN A THROUGH STATION, LITERALLY.
'CAUSE YOU ARE APPROACHING A DEAD END.
MAYOR PROAM, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'M GOING TO CHANGE THE, THE QUESTION A LITTLE BIT.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT SINCE 2015.
I DON'T HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH DALLAS TO HOUSTON.
I KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UH, MY CONCERN IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UH, WE HAVE NOT DID A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STUDY, A STUDY, UH, FROM DALLAS TO FORT WORTH.
WHAT IS THE ECO ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THE CITY OF DALLAS? WHEN YOU GOING 30 MILES FROM DALLAS TO FORT WORTH, IF YOU TALKING ABOUT HIGH SPEED RAIL AND YOU'RE NOT HIM, YOU'RE NOT TAKING THE SPEED OF A HIGH SPEED RAIL TO GET TO DALLAS, TO FORT WORTH.
WELL, IN MY PARTICULAR OPINION,
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YOU'RE PUTTING UNDUE PRESSURE ON THE AMOUNT OF PARKING YOU'RE GONNA BE BUILDING AT AN END STATION BETWEEN DALLAS AND HOUSTON.SO OVER TIME, AS YOU GO FROM 8 MILLION PEOPLE, FIRST OF ALL, AT 8 MILLION PEOPLE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO BUILD A WHOLE BUNCH OF PARKING GARAGES NEAR, NEAR THE STATION.
AND IF YOU'RE BUILDING PARKING GARAGES, YOU'RE NOT BUILDING MORE, UH, UH, IMPORTANT OR MORE ECONOMIC VALUE LAND USE.
AND THEN OVER TIME, WHEN YOU APPROACH 12 MILLION PEOPLE, YOU'RE GONNA BE BUILDING MORE PARKING.
SO THE CLOSER YOU CAN GET THE INDIVIDUALS TO THEIR FINAL DESTINATION, UH, WITHOUT THEM HAVING TO EITHER DRIVE ON THE ROADWAY SYSTEM IN 12 MILLION PEOPLE AND COMPETE WITH THEM, UH, YOU HAVE A MUCH BETTER OPPORTUNITY, UH, BOTH IN ARLINGTON AND IN FORT WORTH.
YOU ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY OF GETTING TO DFW AIRPORT AND THIS EQUAL ACCESS, UH, THAT WE DESIRE.
BUT, BUT I THINK MAYOR, MAYOR PRO TEM, YOU SHOULD ASK YOUR STAFF WHAT IS THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF A DALLAS STATION AND WHAT IS THE ONLY DALLAS TO HOUSTON, AND WHAT IS THE ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT CAN BE INTRODUCED IN DALLAS OF HAVING A HIGH-SPEED RAIL EXTENSION THAT GOES TO ARLINGTON AND FORT WORTH.
YOU HAVE TWO DIFFERENT SCENARIOS THERE.
AND, UH, I, I THINK WHEN YOU MAKE A TRADE OFF OF PARKING AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, YOU CAN GET AROUND UNION STATION AND THE DISTANCE THAT CAN TAKE YOU BECAUSE YOU DO NOT HAVE A SEAMLESS CONNECTION OF LIGHT RAIL TO HIGH SPEED RAIL, YOU DO NOT HAVE A SEAMLESS CONNECTION OF REGIONAL RAIL TO HIGH SPEED RAIL, AND YOU DO NOT HAVE A SEAMLESS CONNECTION OF AMTRAK INNER CITY ACT GRADE RAIL TO HIGH SPEED RAIL.
CAN CAN I SPEAK TO MAGIC WHEN YOU PRESENT THIS TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPER COMMITTEE, YOU DID NOT TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC IMPACT.
WHY, UH, HONORABLE MAYOR AND, AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS MAD JANELLE GAFFEY, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
UH, WE, WE DID TALK ABOUT IT, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY IN, IN VERY, UH, SHORT, SUCCINCT SLIDES.
THERE WAS THREE SLIDES THAT TALKS ABOUT PARTNERS AND INVOLVEMENTS WITH PARTNERS.
IT DIDN'T GO INTO THE DETAILS THAT YOU SEE HERE WITH, WITH THE PRESENTATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR PEREZ HAD, UH, ENGAGED WITH THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE TO DO THIS.
BUT THIS IS PART OF THE DUE DILIGENCE THAT WE'RE DOING, UH, IN IN OUR CONTINUED EFFORT TO, UH, WITH THE HIGH SPEED RAIL, AS WELL AS THE K BAILEY HUTCHINS CONVENTION CENTER.
I ALSO WANNA MENTION THAT, UH, OUR DIRECTOR OF CONVENTIONS AND EVENT SERVICES HAS ENGAGED WITH A CONSULTANT TO FOCUS ON, UH, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT, UH, TO THE DALLAS STATION, AS WELL AS, UH, THE SURROUNDING AREA OF, UH, OF THE HIGH SPEED RAIL.
SO ROSA, UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE CONVENTION CENTER, THE ALIGNMENT, IS THERE AN ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THE HOTELS BASED ON ALIGNMENT? WELL, THE ALIGNMENT, DEPENDING ON, ON WHERE IT'S STOPS AND WHERE IT, WHERE IT STARTS AND WHERE IT, UM, BEGINS TO TRAVERSE TO, OBVIOUSLY THERE IS AN IMPACT.