[00:00:02] GOOD MORNING. IT IS NOW 9:14 AND I AM CONVENING THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING OF THE TRANSPORTATION [Transportation and Infrastructure on January 8, 2026.] AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE ON JANUARY 8TH, 2026. AS WE HAVE NO MINUTES TO APPROVE, OUR FIRST ITEM IS BRIEFING ITEM A. STATUS OF NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS HIGH-SPEED RAIL CORRIDOR IDENTIFICATION DEVELOPMENT. DOCTOR KHANKARLI, THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US THIS MORNING. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR PRESENTATION. HONORABLE CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS DOCTOR KHANKARLI, DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS. THIS MORNING'S PRESENTATION IS ABOUT TO TRY TO PRESENT A STATUS OF THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS HIGH-SPEED RAIL CORRIDOR IDENTIFICATION AND DEVELOPMENT. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THE PURPOSE, BACKGROUND, EXISTING COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS, HIGH-SPEED RAIL ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY FINDINGS, FEDERAL TRANSIT AGENCY AND FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION HIGH-SPEED RAIL PROCESSES. AND THEN TALK ABOUT THE CORRIDOR ID PROGRAM A LITTLE BIT. AND THE NEXT STEP FOR THIS COMMITTEE. SO THE PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE SOME MATERIAL AND BACKGROUND TO INFORM THE DALLAS VOTE AT THE JANUARY 22ND, 2026 NCTCOG EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING REGARDING THE STEP ONE OF THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION CORRIDOR ID PROGRAM. NEXT SLIDE. SO SOME OF THE BACKGROUND IS, ON MARCH 6TH, 2024, CITY COUNCIL WAS BRIEFED ON MAJOR DOWNTOWN TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES, INCLUDING THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL. FOLLOWING THAT BRIEFING, CITY COUNCIL REQUESTED AN ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY ON THE IMPACTS OF THE DALLAS FORT WORTH HIGH-SPEED RAIL ALIGNMENT. ON JUNE 12TH, 2024, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE RESOLUTION CR24-80876 REGARDING HIGH-SPEED RAIL ALIGNMENTS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. ON JUNE 2ND, 2025, HIGH-SPEED RAIL ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY DEVELOPED BY THE BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP WAS SUBMITTED VIA A BRIEFING MEMO TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE. AND THEN FROM 2020 TO PRESENT, THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, OR NCTCOG HAS PARTICIPATED IN TWO FEDERAL PROGRAMS RELATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH-SPEED RAIL PROJECTS, ONE UNDER THE FEDERAL TRANSIT AGENCY, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE UNDER THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION. SO SOME OF THE GRAPHICS HERE. AND THIS ONE IS TAKEN FROM THE COUNCIL BRIEFING AND OTHER DOCUMENTS. SO THIS ONE SHOWS PRETTY MUCH WHAT THEY PRESENTED ON THAT MARCH 6TH PRESENTATION ON WHERE THEY ARE AS FAR AS THE PROGRESS. SO THE TOP LINE SHOWS THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION PROCESS. AND THEN THE OTHER ONE SHOWS THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION PROCESS, WHICH IS THE CORRIDOR ID. SO THE NEXT STEP. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO THE JUNE 12TH, 2024 RESOLUTION, AS A REMINDER, SAYS THAT BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DALLAS, SECTION 1, THAT AT THIS TIME, EXCEPT FOR STREETCAR EXPANSION PROJECTS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSIDERATION, CITY COUNCIL DOES NOT SUPPORT CONSTRUCTION OF ANY ABOVE GROUND RAIL LINES THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN, UPTOWN AND VICTORY PARK AREAS OF DALLAS, AND SECTION 3 SAYS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL COMMITS TO REVISIT THE DALLAS FORT WORTH HIGH-SPEED RAIL DISCUSSION AFTER IT RECEIVES THE ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY REQUESTED BY CITY COUNCIL AT THE MARCH 6TH, 2024, CITY COUNCIL MEETING. SO THIS IS TAKEN FROM THE COMBINATION OF WHAT THE CURRENT PROPOSED HIGH-SPEED RAIL ALIGNMENTS THAT NCTCOG IS CONSIDERING. THESE ALIGNMENTS ARE OVERLAID OVER WHAT THE PRELIMINARY FOOTPRINT OF THE CONVENTION CENTER DEVELOPMENT. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY, AS A REMINDER, IT WAS ON [00:05:03] OCTOBER 23RD, 2024. COUNCIL RESOLUTION 24-1586 AUTHORIZED THE CONTRACT WITH BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP TO CONDUCT THE ECONOMIC STUDY. THE SCOPE INCLUDED MODULES SUCH AS CUSTOMER PREFERENCE SURVEY, ECONOMIC MODELING SUPPLEMENTARY RESEARCH WITH DALLAS TO HOUSTON, DALLAS TO FORT WORTH, AND EXTENSIONS TO DFW AIRPORT AND DALLAS LOVE FIELD. IN SUMMARY, THE STUDY FINDINGS NOTED THE $6 BILLION CAPITAL INVESTMENT FOR EITHER THE WESTERN OR THE EASTERN ALIGNMENT, FOR THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL CONNECTIVITY FOR THE DALLAS FORT WORTH COMPONENT. THE WESTERN ALIGNMENT ELIMINATE ESTIMATED $600 MILLION AVERAGE INCREMENTAL ANNUAL GDP GROWTH AND 3400 MORE JOBS, AND THE EASTERN ALIGNMENT ESTIMATED A 1.1 BILLION LOWER AVERAGE ANNUAL GDP AND NET 7100 FEWER JOBS CREATED. THIS ALIGNMENT PREVENTS THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT AND NEGATIVELY IMPACT LOCAL EXPENDITURES AND EMPLOYMENT. AND THEN LASTLY, IT ALSO LOOKED AT THE TUNNEL, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER COST AND STRUCTURAL CHALLENGES GIVEN THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL STATION LOCATION AND ELEVATION. AND IT MAY NOT BE IN LINE WITH ITEM FIVE OF THE MOU BETWEEN TEXAS CENTRAL PARTNERS AND REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL TO SUPPORT THE ONE SEAT, ONE RIDE FROM FORT WORTH TO HOUSTON. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO AGAIN, THIS IS THE SAME SLIDE THAT JUST A REMINDER ON WHERE WE ARE. AND SO THAT WE CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CORRIDOR ID PROGRAM. NEXT SLIDE. SO THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION CORRIDOR ID PROGRAM IS A FEDERAL INITIATIVE THAT WAS INITIATED BY THE IIJA, AND IT IS AIMED AT ENHANCING THE INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. THE CORRIDOR ID PROGRAM ALSO HELPED GUIDE THE INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE COUNTRY AND CREATE A PIPELINE OF INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL PROJECTS READY FOR IMPLEMENTATION. THE CORRIDOR ID PROGRAM MAY FUND PLANNING AND PROJECT FOR SELECTED CORRIDOR. THE FUNDING AVAILABILITY. FROM THE 2022 FEDERAL SELECTION, FRA AWARDED GUARANTEED 500K FOR ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE INITIATION OF THE CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCOPE, SCHEDULE AND COST ESTIMATE FOR PREPARING A SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PLAN. SO ALLOW ME TO STOP HERE FOR A SECOND TO KIND OF TRY TO CLARIFY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION WORK AND THE CORRIDOR ID. SO FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION WORK IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DO ON FEDERAL HIGHWAY FUNDED PROJECTS ,WHEREBY YOU'RE LOOKING AT ONE PROJECT AND THEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF DOING THE PUBLIC OUTREACH AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE, WHETHER IT BE IN A CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION, ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OR AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, DEPENDING ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT AS WELL AS ANY POTENTIAL ISSUES WITH IT. SO IT'S A PROJECT SPECIFIC ITEM. WHEREAS ON THE CORRIDOR ID, THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION IS SAYING, OKAY, LET'S TRY TO DEVELOP A POTENTIAL GROUP OF PROJECTS THAT WOULD FIT INTO THE NATIONAL PASSENGER RAIL PROCESS. AND IT GOES THROUGH THREE STEPS. STEP NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING, IS THE $500,000 SO THAT THE RECIPIENT CAN DEVELOP A SCOPE, BUDGET, AND SCHEDULE OF WHAT THEY WANT TO STUDY. AND IT IS NOT NECESSARILY A ONE ALIGNMENT OR ONE PROJECT. IT IS A FAMILY OF STUFF. AND THEN AFTER THAT FIRST STEP, THEN YOU GO INTO THE NEXT STEP, WHICH IS THE SERVICE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS THE EVALUATION OF HEY, WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR THIS TO BE PUT IN CHARGE OF IT. AND THEN THE LAST STEP WOULD BE THE PROJECT SPECIFIC ITEM. SO, FOR THE PURPOSE OF WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING IS JUST THE FIRST STEP OF WHAT SHOULD THAT SCOPE BE, [00:10:02] AS FAR AS THE PLANNING CONCERNED? SO CONTINUING ON. SO WERE NCTCOG IS. SO IN 2022, THEY APPLIED FOR AND WERE AWARDED THE 500K GRANT IN 2024. IN MAY 2024, NCTCOG EXECUTED THE GRANT AGREEMENT WITH FRA FOR THE STEP ONE. OCTOBER 2024, NCTCOG ISSUED A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL REQUESTING PROPOSALS FOR CONSULTING FIRMS TO SUBMIT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE STEP ONE. OCTOBER 23RD, 2025, EXECUTIVE BOARD REFERRED THE AWARD AND NOVEMBER 15TH, 2025, THE RTT MEETING. RTT REQUESTED NCTCOG BOARD TO APPROVE THE AWARD OF STEP ONE FOR THE 30. NEXT SLIDE. THIS IS JUST AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT I JUST DESCRIBED OF WHAT THE PROCESS IS. AND THIS IS TAKEN FROM THE FEDERAL USDOT FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION WEBSITE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO WHAT'S NEXT IS, FRA WILL WORK WITH THE SPONSORS TO TAILOR EITHER ALREADY SUBMITTED SCOPE OR SOON TO BE SUBMITTED ONES TO REFLECT THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF PLANNING. AND THEN AFTER THAT IS APPROVED AND DONE, THAT'S WHEN THEY WILL ALLOW THE SPONSOR TO GO INTO STEP TWO. OKAY. NEXT SLIDE. SO THE COMMITTEE'S DISCUSSION TODAY IS POTENTIALLY TO INFORM THE CITY OF DALLAS VOTE AT THE NCTCOG EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING ON JANUARY 22ND, 2026 RELATED TO STEP ONE OF THE FRA CORRIDOR PROGRAM. AND THEN WITH THAT, HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, DOCTOR KHANKARLI. BEFORE I OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM THE COMMITTEE, I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE COUNCIL BRIEFING THAT WAS HELD ON MARCH 6TH, 2024, BY THE DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION OF RTC AND YOURSELF, WHICH EVALUATED THE REPORT BY TXDOT AND THE FEDERAL RAILWAY ADMINISTRATION THAT EVALUATED VARIOUS CORRIDORS FOR A RAIL LINK BETWEEN DALLAS AND FORT WORTH. DO YOU RECALL THAT? VAGUELY. AND I'M ASSUMING YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE DALLAS FORT WORTH FOR EXPRESS SERVICE REPORT OF 2017? YES. AND I BRING THAT UP BECAUSE I THINK IT'S RELEVANT TO YOUR PRESENTATION, PARTICULARLY THE RESULTS THAT IT ARRIVED AT, WHICH CONCLUDED THAT THE I-30 CORRIDOR WAS DROPPED FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION AND DID NOT PROCEED INTO THE STEP TWO REFINED SCREENING, BECAUSE THE RESULTS INDICATED THAT THE I-30 CORRIDOR POSSESSES CONSIDERABLE OBSTACLES TO IMPLEMENTATION, INCLUDING HAVING THE GREATEST ENGINEERING CHALLENGES, THE HIGHEST DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION COMPLEXITY AND CONSTRUCTION RISKS, AND THE HIGHEST CAPITAL COSTS. DO YOU RECALL THOSE CONCLUSIONS FROM THAT STUDY? YES, SIR. SIR, SHORTLY, YOU KNOW, THIS SCOPE OF THIS MEETING IS ABOUT THE CORRIDOR ID PROGRAM, AND SO THAT'S WHAT'S BEEN POSTED. SO I JUST NEED FOR US TO KEEP ON THAT TOPIC. AND SO I'M NOT CLEAR ON HOW THIS DISCUSSION IS RELEVANT TO THE CORRIDOR ID STEP ONE PROCESS. WELL, I BELIEVE IT IS RELEVANT IN THAT IT PERTAINS TO WHAT THE COUNCIL MAY CONSIDER IN DECIDING WHETHER TO SUPPORT THIS CORRIDOR ID PROJECT, WHICH WOULD IDENTIFY, AT LEAST GENERALLY, WHAT CORRIDORS TO CONSIDER. SO I THINK IT IS RELEVANT. BUT AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO THE COMMITTEE FOR ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT DOCTOR KHANKARLI'S PRESENTATION. YES, MISS BLACKMON. THANK YOU AND THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION. I GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. SO IF THIS GRANT ISN'T USED, WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT GRANT? I MEAN, I CANNOT SPEAK ON BEHALF OF NCTCOG. SO MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH THE FRA ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ALTERNATIVES AND OR WHAT TO DO WITH IT. [00:15:01] OKAY. SO IT IS ONLY SPECIFIC FOR THIS PROJECT? YES, MA'AM. IT IS AS DESCRIBED IN THE CORRIDOR ID PROGRAM. OKAY. AND SO WHERE DOES OTHER MONIES COME FROM? YOU'VE ONLY GOT $500,000. SO. AND SO IS THAT STEP TWO? CORRECT. SO THIS IS FOCUSED ON STEP ONE. AND THE PROGRAM THAT THE FRA HAS IS $500,000 FOR ALL THE RECIPIENTS. AND THE RECIPIENTS THAT WERE LISTED IN THE FY 2022 RECIPIENT LIST. AND CERTAINLY THIS PROJECT WAS LISTED. AND I CAN READ TO YOU INTO THE RECORD BASICALLY WHAT THE AWARD IS. SO IT SAYS FORT WORTH TO HOUSTON HIGH-SPEED RAIL CORRIDOR, UP TO 500,000 NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS AND IT SAYS HERE THE PROPOSED CORRIDOR WOULD CONNECT FORT WORTH, DALLAS AND HOUSTON, TEXAS, WITH A NEW HIGH-SPEED RAIL PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE. THE PROPOSED CORRIDOR WOULD PROVIDE NEW SERVICE ON A NEW ALIGNMENT WITH STATION STOPS IN FORT WORTH, ARLINGTON, DALLAS, [INAUDIBLE] AND HOUSTON. THE CORRIDOR SPONSOR WOULD ENTER STEP ONE OF THE PROGRAM TO DEVELOP A SCOPE, SCHEDULE, AND COST ESTIMATE FOR PREPARING, COMPLETING, OR DOCUMENTING ITS SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PLAN. OKAY, SO YOU BROUGHT UP HOUSTON. CORRECT. I THOUGHT THIS WAS ALL KIND OF CONNECTED. AND IN THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, ITS CONSTRUCTION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN 29. THAT'S NEXT YEAR. THAT'S DALLAS TO HOUSTON. THAT'S THE BASE ROUTE. DO WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON THAT? WE DON'T. THIS IS BASED ON THE EXISTING INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE. OKAY. SO IF DALLAS TO FORT WORTH IS BASED ON DALLAS TO HOUSTON, CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHY WE'RE CONTINUING THE DALLAS TO FORT WORTH DISCUSSION? I WILL HAVE TO DEFER THAT QUESTION TO NCTCOG. I CANNOT ANSWER ON THEIR BEHALF. HAS THERE BEEN ANY INDICATOR I DON'T GO TO RTC? LIKE, WHY, I THINK THERE WAS A MEETING ON IT. LIKE, WHAT'S THE URGENCY? I MEAN, IS IT BECAUSE THE GRANT RUNS OUT OR IS IT. WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING HERE? SO I THINK FOR STEP ONE ONLY OF THE CORRIDOR ID, THEY HAVE TO BE DELIVERING BY APRIL 26TH, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. AND THIS IS THE REASON WHY, YOU KNOW, THE DISCUSSION IS ONLY ABOUT STEP ONE. AND WHAT STEP ONE IS WITHOUT GOING BEYOND THAT. I GET THAT, BUT I'M KIND OF CONFUSED ON IF HOUSTON TO DALLAS IS IN FLUX, WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THIS ONE TICKET SEAMLESS TRANSITION, BUT YET WE'RE LOOKING AT DALLAS TO FORT WORTH WAY. WHEN WE HAVE A DALLAS TO FORT WORTH WITH A GRE THAT ALREADY HAS RIGHT OF WAY, THAT HAS, AS IT SAYS, IT'S $5 BILLION LESS. THERE'S NO MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS PLAN. I'M TRYING TO AND IT'S FIVE MINUTES LEFT. SO MAYBE LET ME GO BACK TO THE VERY BEGINNING. DEFINE WHAT IS HIGH-SPEED RAIL. SO THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IS A RAIL THAT WILL HAVE A SPEED OF HIGHER THAN 220MPH, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. SO WE'RE GOING TO GO 220 MILES PER HOUR BETWEEN DALLAS AND FORT WORTH? AGAIN, JUST. I'M NOT TRYING TO DO A GOTCHA. WHAT I'M TRYING TO SHOW IS, WE CALL THIS HIGH-SPEED RAIL, AND IT'S NOT. IT'S A COMMUTER TRAIN BETWEEN DALLAS AND FORT WORTH. SO LET'S JUST CALL IT WHAT IT IS. DALLAS TO HOUSTON IS HIGH-SPEED RAIL BECAUSE IT'S GOING FAST. IN A METRO SECTION, I THINK THE FRA SAYS YOU CAN'T GO BEYOND A CERTAIN AMOUNT, OKAY? BUT WE ALREADY HAVE A COMMUTER RAIL THAT IS HALF BUILT OUT, WHICH IS A STRATEGY THAT HAPPENED MANY YEARS AGO. IT'S GOT RIGHT OF WAY. YOU'RE LOOKING AT A FIVE MINUTE DIFFERENTIAL BUT A $5 BILLION PRICE TAG DIFFERENCE. I'M CONFUSED ON WHY IS IT COG AND MAYBE SOMEBODY WHO'S ON RTC, WHY ISN'T THAT IN THE MIX? AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION. I'M JUST PUTTING IT OUT THERE LIKE, I'M REALLY CONCERNED AND WE'RE CUTTING THROUGH A PARK THAT WE'VE BEEN INVESTING IN FOR, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS. IT'S NOT GOING THROUGH THE PARK ANYMORE. I THOUGHT IT WAS. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A JAIL THAT IS FUTURE ON OUT. BUT THERE'S NO STOP THERE. AND IT'S PRIMO LAND. I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT. WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO SOLVE HERE? ARE WE GOING THROUGH THIS RAIL LINE, BECAUSE ARLINGTON WANTS TO STOP? AND I'M JUST GOING TO PUT IT OUT THERE. AND THEN MY NEXT QUESTION IS, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO PAY FOR IT? BECAUSE I HAVE NO MORE MONEY. WE HAVE NO MONEY HERE. OKAY. HOW ARE THEY GOING TO PAY FOR BUILDING IT AND MAINTAINING IT? [00:20:03] BECAUSE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, WE'VE REALIZED, IS KEY TO ANY SUCCESS TO ANY ORGANIZATION. BUT YET WE HAVE A RAIL LINE IN THE TRE THAT IS ESTABLISHED WITH A COUPLE OF WHAT IS IT, $1 BILLION TO BUILD OUT VERSUS $6 BILLION TO BUILD A WHOLE NEW. I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING THIS. AND IF IT IS TO SATISFY ARLINGTON AND THAT ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, THEN JUST TELL ME. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? THEN PONY UP. I DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY. REGIONALISM IS KILLING DALLAS. I'M JUST GOING TO PUT IT OUT THERE. AND SO IT'S TIME NOW THAT WE FOCUS ON DALLAS AND WE PRESERVE PARKS, WE PRESERVE OUR DOWNTOWN AND OUR ADJACENT AREAS, WE BUILD OUR TRAIN STATION IN THE SOUTH. WE KEEP DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE PLANNED. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND. AND SO MY QUESTION, I GUESS TO MY FOLKS ON RTC IS, IF YOU CONTINUE DOWN THIS STEP ONE PATH, DO YOU. AND MAYBE YOU TOO. DO YOU COMMIT TO STEP TWO AND THREE? THIS ONE AT THIS POINT IS ONLY STEP ONE. SO SAYING YES WILL CONTINUE DOWN THIS PATH DOES NOT COMMIT US TO THE NEXT STEPS. LET ME ANSWER THAT IF YOU DON'T MIND. YES, THAT IS CORRECT. THEY'VE ONLY BEEN ACCEPTED INTO STEP ONE OF THE PROGRAM. OKAY. TO GET INTO STEP TWO, THERE IS A REQUIRED LOCAL MATCH. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL NOT PAY 100% OF THE STEP TWO PROCESS. AND SO TO YOUR POINT, COUNCIL MEMBER, THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE LOCAL REGIONAL FUNDING FOR THAT. OKAY. SO STEP ONE IS THE DECISION POINT THAT WE'RE AT TODAY. OKAY. AND SO IT DOESN'T. BUT WE WILL PROBABLY LOSE THE GRANT. YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TRANSFER THE GRANT. MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S ON THE TABLE AT THE COMMITTEE IS TO AWARD THE CONTRACT TO A CONSULTANT TO PERFORM THE WORK FOR STEP ONE. WITHOUT HAVING THE BASE ROUTE IN PLACE. THE SCOPE. THE BASE ROUTE IS THERE, BUT THE FUNDING AND PLAN IS NOT THERE. THE STEP ONE PROCESS IS ABOUT DEVELOPING A SCOPE OF WORK SCHEDULE. I GET THAT. BUDGET. I GET THAT. AND SO THERE'S NO PRECONCEIVED. AND THAT'S MY QUESTION. I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WOULD CONTINUE DOWN A PATH OF WHEN WE ALREADY HAVE A REGIONAL TRAIN THAT NEEDS UPGRADE STRATEGIC THINKING. IT'S GOT A MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS PLAN IN PLACE WITH A FUNDING MECHANISM. WHY DON'T WE BUILD THAT OUT? THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. SO I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT. BUT SO I DON'T THINK THIS IS NEEDED RIGHT NOW IN MY OPINION, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE OTHER PARTS TO THE WHOLE PUZZLE. AND SO AND I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, DO YOU HAVE TO GO BACK AND REAPPLY IF THAT HOUSTON TO DALLAS PIECE HAPPENS? WELL, AGAIN, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR NCTCOG. JUST IN THE REALM OF FUNDING. IT GOES AWAY AND IF IT COMES BACK, WE WOULD HAVE TO GET BACK IN LINE. THAT WOULD BE THE LOGICAL APPROACH. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND ALLOW ME TO CORRECT MYSELF ON THE DEFINITION OF HIGH-SPEED RAIL. WHAT I MEANT IS 220 KILOMETER PER HOUR, OR ALMOST 125MPH. THAT IS THE TECHNICAL DEFINITION OF HIGH-SPEED RAIL. WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM? I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY HAVE. BUT FOR THE LAW, I THINK IT IS FOR LAW. THERE IS A CEILING. YEAH. IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO FOR THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL, THAT IS THE EXPECTATION ON WHAT THEY WILL HAVE. SO BUT I'M ASKING IS, DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR FRA IS IN A METROPOLITAN AREA FOR A PASSENGER RAIL CAN ONLY NOT EXCEED THIS AMOUNT OF. AND SOMEBODY´S GOT. THANK YOU. JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON COUNCILPERSON BLACKMO´S COMMENTS, I THINK THAT IT SOUNDS TO ME THAT THE ISSUE REALLY IS WE WANT TO MAKE THE REQUEST THAT WHEN THEY'RE DOING THE STUDY THAT WE MAKE IT, THAT WE INCLUDE IN, IN THAT OPPORTUNITY THE RECOGNITION AND THE CONSIDERATION OF OTHER THINGS, WE WANT TO LOOK AT MULTIPLE OF ALTERNATIVES. WE ALSO, I WOULD THINK THAT THE TRE PORTION OF THIS SHOULD BE ABSOLUTELY [00:25:07] CONSIDERED AS AN ECONOMIC AND ALSO EXISTING BENEFIT TO US. I WOULD THINK THAT WE WANT TO ALSO MAKE SURE THAT IN CONSIDERATION OF THEIR REPORT ANALYSIS AND THEIR DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES IS THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON'T GO THROUGH PARKS AND THAT THEY'RE NOT IMPOSING ON OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IN OUR MARKET. SO I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING IS MAKING SURE THAT IT'S CLEAR THAT OUR POSITION IS AS A CITY, THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S MULTIPLE ALTERNATIVES THAT ARE BEING CONSIDERED. THAT, IN FACT, THE TRE IS PART OF THAT CONSIDERATION PROCESS AND THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE AWARE THAT WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE THINGS COMING THROUGH THE PARK, AND THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT THESE CONSIDERATIONS ARE BAKED INTO WHATEVER ANALYSIS IS THAT'S BEING COVERED. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP. I THINK THESE ARE IMPORTANT ISSUES. COUNCILWOMAN MENDELSOHN. THANK YOU. WELL, FIRST I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER BLACKMON. I 100% AGREE WITH YOU. EVERYTHING YOU SAID ARE THINGS I HAVE REPEATEDLY SAID AT RTC AND COG MEETING. EVERYONE AT THIS MEETING, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF OUR NEWEST COUNCIL MEMBERS, HAVE ALREADY VOTED FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE JUST ARTICULATED. YOU DID ASK THE QUESTION. WELL, THERE'S ONE THING THAT YOU DON'T HAVE AN UPDATED NUMBER ON, WHICH IS THE COST IS NOT 6 BILLION, WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY GIVEN IN THE 2017 STUDY, NOW ESTIMATED AT $12 BILLION. $12 BILLION THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE ABLE TO FUND PROJECTS IN OUR REGION. SO REPEATEDLY, THE VOICE OF WHAT DALLAS CITY COUNCIL HAS SAID ARE EXACTLY THE THINGS THAT I HAVE SAID AT THESE MEETINGS, QUESTIONING EVEN THE NEED FOR THIS. NOT ONLY IS THE TRE A DUPLICATE OF THE TRANSITION BETWEEN DALLAS AND FORT WORTH LITERALLY PARALLEL, IT'S BEEN STUDIED TO SHOW THAT THIS IS AN EFFECTIVE MEANS TO GET PEOPLE IN A FAST WAY. IT'S COMPARABLE IN SPEED, BUT ALSO THE BUSSES ON I-30 IN THE EXPRESS LANES AT 70MPH ARE ALSO ANOTHER WAY, BUILDING NO EXTRA INFRASTRUCTURE TO MOVE MASS NUMBERS OF PEOPLE IN A FAST WAY. THE ISSUE IS THERE'S NOT EVEN THE RIDERSHIP. THE TRE IS SO UNDERPERFORMING IN RIDERSHIP. THEY KEEP LOWERING THE PROJECTIONS AND NOT MEETING THEM. SO THE DEMAND IS ALSO IN QUESTION. AND SO YOU POSE THE QUESTION OF WHY ARE WE EVEN DOING THIS? WELL, THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT IS COLLOQUIALLY KNOWN AS THE KLEINMAN AMENDMENT AT THE RTC, WHICH IS, HE MADE A BIG POINT OF SAYING ARLINGTON SHOULD NOT EVEN HAVE A STOP BECAUSE THEY DON'T PARTICIPATE IN TRANSIT AUTHORITY. NOW THEY HAVE SOME TRANSIT SERVICES THAT THEY CONTRACT WITH OR WITHIN THEIR OWN CITY AS MICRO TRANSIT, BUT THEY ARE NOT GIVING UP THEIR PENNY LIKE WE DO AND THE OTHER DART MEMBERS, WHICH OBVIOUSLY IS A WHOLE OTHER ISSUE NOT GOING THERE. BUT WITHOUT THAT, THEY ARE NOT EVEN SUPPOSED TO GET A STOP. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW OFTEN YOU GUYS GO TO FORT WORTH. WE DO TAKE PEOPLE TO THE ZOO. WE GO TO SOME OF THE MUSEUMS, BUT IT'S NOT THAT OFTEN. AND I'VE RIDDEN THAT TRE. IT NEEDS TO BE STRAIGHTENED OUT, THE COG HAS BEEN PAYING FOR SOME OF THAT. NEEDS TO BE DOUBLE TRACKED IN ALL PLACES, THE COG HAS BEEN PAYING FOR THAT. AND WE NEED TO FURTHER INVEST IN A FASTER STRAIGHTER BECAUSE THE RIDE´S A LITTLE BIT LIKE A SUBWAY. IT'S A LITTLE BIT JARRING. IT ALSO IS FILLED WITH HOMELESS. I WILL SAY THAT THE REASON THIS GOT HELD ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU JUST ARTICULATE. AND BECAUSE OUR COUNCIL HAS REPEATEDLY SAID WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR DOWNTOWN, WE HAVE THIS RESOLUTION UNANIMOUSLY PASSED. YOU KNOW, I THINK RECENT EVENTS HAVE SHOWN US HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO PROTECT OUR DOWNTOWN. SO REGIONALISM IS GOOD, BUT THERE'S ALSO A TIME FOR US TO MAKE SURE WE'RE TAKING CARE OF. THE ALIGNMENTS TO BE CONSIDERED NEED TO BENEFIT DALLAS, NOT HARM DALLAS. AND WHAT WE HAVE NOW IS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STUDY, WHICH WE HAVE NOT BRIEFED AT COUNCIL. [00:30:04] WE'VE HAD SEVERAL FULL COUNCIL BRIEFINGS THAT HAVE BEEN CANCELED. I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA FOR US TO GO THROUGH THAT, BECAUSE WHAT IT SHOWS IS EXACTLY THE THINGS THAT WE'VE INSTINCTIVELY KNOWN, WHICH IS THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY HARMFUL TO DALLAS AND HELPFUL TO ARLINGTON AND FORT WORTH. AND THAT'S WHY THEY WANT IT SO BADLY. AND FRANKLY, THEY CAN OUTVOTE US AT RTC AND THEY WILL, AND THEY'LL DO IT WITH THE THREAT OF THEIR PROJECTS BEING CANCELED IF THEY DON'T SUPPORT THINGS. AND SO EVEN MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES, NOT DALLAS, ARE GOING TO VOTE A CERTAIN WAY TO ENSURE THE VIABILITY OF THEIR OTHER PROJECTS USED AS LEVERAGE. AND WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT REALITY. BUT BY HAVING THIS DISCUSSION AND BY HAVING RESOLUTIONS THAT OPPOSE IT, THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS, THIS IS AN FRA CORRIDOR ID, BUT THE FTA IS GOING TO AUTHORIZE A FEDERAL ENVIRONMENT IMPACT STATEMENT. THEY WILL NOT GET THAT STATEMENT IF WE OPPOSE THE RAIL. SO THEY NEED TO DO SOMETHING WHERE IT'S WIN WIN FOR ALL OF US. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? IN FORT WORTH, THEIR STATION IS UNDERGROUND. NO IMPACT ON THEIR COMMUNITIES. IN ARLINGTON, UNDERGROUND. IN DALLAS, SEVEN STORIES UP. TODAY, IT'S SUPPOSED TO CROSS HAROLD SIMMONS PARK. IT'S SUPPOSED TO CLIP THE JAIL. JUST WAIT FOR US TO GET AT RTC THE INFORMATION THAT WE NOW NEED TO FUND DALLAS COUNTY'S JAIL. BECAUSE WE CLIPPED IT WITH A HIGH-SPEED RAIL. OUR HIGH-SPEED RAIL STATION IS BELOW I-30. THERE'S NO REASON THIS TRAIN EVER SHOULD CROSS 30 INTO OUR DOWNTOWN OR HAROLD SIMMONS PARK. WE'RE GOING TO GET A $200 MILLION PARK, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO PUT A TRAIN THROUGH IT? NO, I THINK THIS IS A TERRIBLE IDEA. SO WE HAVE THE MOST UNIQUE, AMAZING DOWNTOWN IN TEXAS. I LIVE THE FURTHEST OF ANYBODY AND REPRESENT THE AREA FURTHEST. I STILL THINK IT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT FOR DALLAS TO INVEST IN DOWNTOWN AND HAVE THAT ALTERNATIVE. IT'S WHAT MAKES US DISTINCT, AND I WOULD HATE TO SEE, IN THE NAME OF COOPERATION REGIONALLY, THAT WE BOW TO SOMETHING THAT WILL HARM OUR LONG TERM VIABILITY. SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING THIS DISCUSSION AGAIN. IF YOU WEREN'T HERE, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU GO BACK TO THAT MARCH BRIEFING. IT WAS A VERY LONG, DETAILED BRIEFING. READING THAT 2016 OR 17 REPORT, VERY IMPORTANT. BUT IT'S NOT JUST DALLAS ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS. SO I THINK IT WAS LAST MONTH OR TWO MONTHS AGO, TJ GILMORE, WHO IS THE MAYOR OF LEWISVILLE, ALSO SAID THIS AT RTC. LIKE, WHY ARE WE EVEN DOING THIS PROJECT? LIKE, IT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE. SO I FELT IT WAS INCUMBENT UPON ME TO DEFER THIS ITEM AT THE COG BOARD, BECAUSE IT WASN'T IN DALLAS´ BEST INTEREST AND ASKED FOR CHAIRMAN TO HAVE THIS COMMITTEE MEETING. SO THANK YOU FOR DOING IT SO THAT I COULD REFLECT DALLAS´ WISHES AND DALLAS´ INTERESTS. SO I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THIS TO EVERYBODY. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN CADENA. YES. I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. WAS THE COG INVITED TO THIS, PRESENTED THIS MEETING JUST. AND I'M ASKING BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT MAYBE THEY COULD HAVE ANSWERED. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS AN OPEN MEETING, ANYONE CAN. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEN, IF WE DON'T APPROVE THIS, WOULD. DO YOU THINK THAT THIS MAY STILL MOVE FORWARD, LIKE WITH THE CONSULTANTS FOR COG STILL BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD. I THINK MISS MENDELSOHN ADDRESSED THAT AND I WILL. SO IT HAPPENED AT THE COG. AND THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT'S IN THE PRESENTATION. IT IS NOT AUTOMATICALLY ON THE AGENDA FOR THE JANUARY COG MEETING. THE MOTION WAS ACTUALLY TO TABLE IT. THERE WAS NO TIME FOR IT TO COME BACK. THERE WAS A SEPARATE DISCUSSION OF I WOULD ASK OUR CHAIR OF TRANSPORTATION TO HAVE THIS MEETING. I WOULD ASK FOR IT TO GO TO THE FULL COUNCIL TO GET CONSENSUS. BUT THE MOTION ITSELF WAS JUST TO TABLE IT, AND THERE'S SUPPORT ON THE COG FOR WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. WELL, AND I THINK MY QUESTION IS BECAUSE, I'M WONDERING IF THIS IS THE TIME, JUST LIKE WE DID WITH THE PROPERTY THAT IS IN DOWNTOWN, TO SAY THESE ARE SOME AREAS THAT WE DON'T WANT THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL TO GO THROUGH IF THEY'RE STILL ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT IN, [00:35:06] YOU KNOW, THOSE INTO PLACE. BECAUSE DEFINITELY I WANT MY NEIGHBORHOODS PROTECTED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'M JUST WONDERING. THE EXISTING RESOLUTION SAYS NOT DOWNTOWN, NOT VICTORY, NOT UPTOWN. YEAH. THAT'S WHAT I'M WONDERING IF, YOU KNOW, WHEN'S THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO INCLUDE THAT AND IF WE NEED TO DO THAT. YEAH. AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION IS, IF WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS DOES IT COMMIT ANYTHING TO THE REGION? NO I THINK THE QUESTION THAT COUNCIL MEMBER BLACKMON WAS ASKING ABOUT THE DOLLARS, WE WOULD FORFEIT THE HALF MILLION DOLLARS. IT'S 500,400 FOR THE CONSULTANTS. AND THERE WAS A BIG DISCUSSION AT THE COG, WHICH YOU'RE ALL ABLE TO WATCH, OF COURSE, THAT. WELL, JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE TAX DOLLARS AVAILABLE, DO WE ACTUALLY NEED TO SPEND THEM IF IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE WANT TO DO? AND THERE WAS KIND OF A HORRIFYING DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW THE STRATEGY WHEN AN ENTITY DOESN'T WANT TO DO SOMETHING IS YOU JUST KEEP LAYERING ON REPORTS UNTIL THEY ACCEPT IT. AND MY CONCERN IS, I DON'T WANT TO PUT A CORRIDOR ID REPORT THAT SAYS, HERE'S VIABLE ALTERNATIVES AND PUT IT ON A SHELF, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S NO FUNDING TODAY, BECAUSE WE'LL BE LONG GONE AND MAYBE THAT FUNDING WILL BE THERE. WE NEED TO HAVE THEM DO THE CORRIDOR ID THEN. BECAUSE THINGS ARE GOING TO CHANGE. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A CONVENTION CENTER THAT HOPEFULLY WE UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE ORIENTATION OF IT. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS $5 BILLION HUNT DEVELOPMENT. THINGS ARE GOING TO BE DIFFERENT. I WOULD RATHER THEM DO THAT IN TIME, NOT NOW WHERE THINGS ARE SO IN FLUX. SO I'M NOT LOOKING TO HAVE SOMEBODY STACK UP REPORTS TO FORCE SOMETHING DOWN OUR THROATS. AND I'M GOING TO TELL YOU THAT'S EXACTLY HOW IT WORKED WITH THE SILVER LINE COTTON BELT. AND THAT'S HOW I BECAME SO INVOLVED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE, FRANKLY, ABOUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS IS BECAUSE I SAW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. THANK YOU. MR. [INAUDIBLE]. COUNCILMAN GRACEY. THANK YOU. A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS HERE. ONE, CAN THIS STEP ONE INCLUDE THE TRE LINE? THIS IS, I THINK IF I'M READING, THE AWARD IS THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL. SO THE CORRIDOR ID IS FOR THE STEP ONE OF THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL. AND HOW DO YOU DEFINE THE, I GUESS, CORRIDOR? SO THE CORRIDOR COULD BE A MULTIPLE OPTIONS WITHIN THE. INCLUDED IN THOSE GEOGRAPHIC POINTS? SO. FOR EXAMPLE, IF THAT CORRIDOR WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GOING TO FROM ARLINGTON TO FORT WORTH AND THE TRE IS IN THAT, COULD THAT INCLUDE THE TRE LINE AS PART OF THIS STUDY? BECAUSE WHAT IT'S SOUNDING LIKE NOW IS, AT LEAST FROM THE DALLAS PERSPECTIVE, THIS 500,000 IS GOING TO BE A WASTE OF MONEY, AND IT'S GOING TO BE, WHICH BRINGS IT TO MY OTHER QUESTION, IS GOING TO BE POTENTIALLY EXTRA COSTS FOR THE DALLAS STATION POTENTIALLY. YEAH. SO I'LL TRY TO ANSWER IT FROM A TWO PRONGED APPROACH. NUMBER ONE IS WHAT THE FRA DEFINES WHAT SHOULD BE IN THE SCOPING AND THEY LIST SEVEN ITEMS IN THE SCOPING. ONE OF THE FIRST ONE IS THE BACKGROUND, THE HISTORY, AND THE TECHNICAL PLANNING, COORDINATION AND OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION. THE GOAL IS BASICALLY THE NEEDS OF THE SPONSOR FOR WHEN THEY GO TO STEP TWO. NUMBER THREE IS THE STAKEHOLDER´S ENGAGEMENT. NUMBER FOUR IS THE CURRENT EFFORT, WHICH IS WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CORRIDOR AND THE DISCUSSION THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE. WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT ITEM IN HERE THAT SAYS CHALLENGES THAT MAY PREVENT THE CORRIDOR FROM ADVANCING, WHICH IS PRIMARILY CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS THAT COULD CAUSE DELAYS IN CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT FUNDING, PUBLIC SUPPORT AND SO ON. FEASIBILITY IN THIS, WHICH INCLUDES THE MULTIPLE, YOU KNOW, FAMILIES OF ALTERNATIVES. AND FINALLY, THE FINANCIAL CONSIDERATION. AND IF YOU ALLOW ME ON THE SECOND PRONG TO MENTION IN THE NOVEMBER 13, 2025 [00:40:08] RTC MEETING, THERE WAS A LETTER ISSUED BY THE HONORABLE RICK BAILEY, CHAIR OF THE RTC, TO THE HONORABLE MICHAEL LESTER, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, ABOUT THE I-20 CORRIDOR PASSENGER RAIL PROJECT BETWEEN THE DALLAS FORT WORTH REGION AND MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI. AND IN THAT LETTER, THE RTC CHAIR CLEARLY STATED THAT, QUOTE, THIS IS A DYNAMIC SITUATION THAT REQUIRES ACTION IN THE PLANNING STAGE BEFORE IT REACHES THE NEXT STEP TO SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PLAN. AND HE WAS REFERRING TO THE CORRIDOR ID FOR THAT PARTICULAR CORRIDOR THAT WAS AWARDED. SO IN OUR CASE, I THINK WE HAVE A DYNAMIC SITUATION, AND I THINK THAT ALLOWS FOR THE GROUND, IF YOU WILL, FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE FAMILY OF OPTIONS, AS THEY LOOK INTO THE SCOPING WITHIN THE STEP ONE OF THE CORRIDOR ID OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER GRACEY, IF I COULD JUST ADD TO WHAT GUS WAS TALKING ABOUT. SO WHAT THOSE ITEMS THAT HE REFERRED TO ARE ALL DELIVERABLES THAT ARE PART OF STEP ONE. SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WOULD GO INTO THE DOCUMENT THAT WOULD CONCLUDE THE STEP ONE PROCESS. IT WOULD INCLUDE ALIGNMENTS. IT WOULD INCLUDE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, AND WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN THE STEP TWO PROCESS IS NOT IDENTIFY CORRIDORS PER SE OR ROUTES PER SE IN STEP ONE. IT COULD INCLUDE A FAMILY OF POTENTIAL ROUTES. I'M NOT SURE IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE RESPONDING TO YOUR QUESTION RELATED TO THE CROWDS. YEAH. YES. LET ME ASK THIS QUESTION AND THEN JUST TELL ME IF I'M OUT OF BOUNDS. RIGHT NOW, THE WAY IT'S PROPOSED, ARLINGTON AND FORT WORTH WOULD BE UNDERGROUND, AND DALLAS STATION WOULD BE SEVEN STORIES UP, CORRECT? YOU SAID, AND THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A HIGH-SPEED RAIL AND, NOT AN ENGINEER, I´M FAIRLY GOOD AT MATH, BUT GOING UNDERGROUND TO SEVEN STORIES UP, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY STORIES THAT WOULD BE, BUT THAT'S NEVER GOING TO REACH AND THAT DISTANCE, IT'S NEVER GOING TO REACH ITS MAXIMUM SPEED, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. AND AT THAT ANGLE, WOULDN'T IT ALSO CREATE ADDITIONAL COSTS TO DEVELOP FOR IT NOT TO MEET ITS PURPOSE OF BEING A HIGH SPEED? FROM DALLAS TO FORT WORTH.? YES. YEAH. I THINK THE ALIGNMENT FOR DALLAS TO HOUSTON HAS AN ALIGNMENT WHERE THE STATION IN DALLAS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN ELEVATED STATION. AND SO, TO TAKE THAT AND MOVE IT TO FORT WORTH IS PART OF THAT CONCERN. SO, AGAIN. AND I GUESS. I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD. AND SO THE THAT'S THE CONNECTIVITY OF THE ENTIRE PROJECT IS THAT THAT WAS THE WAY THE DALLAS TO TO HOUSTON WAS DEVELOPED. AND SO THAT´S WHERE IF YOU'RE TAKING IT FROM DALLAS TO FORT WORTH, YOU'RE STARTING AT A HIGHER ELEVATION. RIGHT. OKAY. THIS SEEMS LIKE A WASTE OF MONEY, GIVEN WE ALREADY KNOW THE MATH ON JUST THE SCIENCE OF HOW TRAINS AND MOTION WORKS. OKAY, I THINK I'M DONE. AND I SEE WE HAVE SOME VISITORS TO THE COMMITTEE MEETING TODAY. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM MORENO, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A LITTLE DEJA VU. WE'VE HAD THIS RESOLUTION I GUESS A YEAR AGO OR SO, AND IT SEEMS THAT DALLAS´ POSITION REMAINS THE SAME. DALLAS´ POSITION REMAINS THAT WE NEED AN ALIGNMENT THAT IS EFFECTIVE, THAT IS NON-DISRUPTIVE. AND THIS ALIGNMENT, QUITE FRANKLY, IS NOT GOOD FOR DALLAS. THIS ALIGNMENT GOES THROUGH OUR DOWNTOWN. AS CHAIR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, I HAVE GREAT CONCERN ON THE IMPACTS THAT THIS WILL HAVE. AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ON THAT TRAJECTORY TO CONTINUE OUR GROWTH. [00:45:01] AND I JUST DO NOT SEE AN ALIGNMENT THAT I WOULD SUPPORT OUTSIDE OF THE TRE MODERNIZATION. THOSE ARE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD AT THE RTC MEETING ON HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THOSE ALIGNMENTS, TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S MORE EFFICIENT, SOMETHING THAT WILL SHAVE OFF A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. AND ACTUALLY THE TIME DIFFERENCE WILL BE ONLY A FEW MINUTES AT THE COST OF, YOU KNOW, BILLIONS, RIGHT? AND, YOU KNOW, WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THIS GRANT. THIS GRANT IS ONLY $500 MILLION. 500,000. YES. THANK YOU FOR THAT. $500,000, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT A PROJECT AT $12 BILLION, THAT PERCENTAGE IS REALLY LOOKING AT PENNIES, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FUTURE OF DALLAS IS NOT WE DON'T MAKE A DECISION BASED ON HALF $1 MILLION. WE CAN FIND OTHER WAYS TO FUND THOSE STUDIES DOWN THE ROAD. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND I'LL CLOSE WITH THIS IS, DALLAS IS STILL SUPPORTIVE FROM DALLAS TO HOUSTON, WHICH IS STILL YEARS IN THE MAKING. AND UNTIL WE HAVE SOME MORE FINALIZATIONS AND DEFINITE ON HOW THAT'S GOING TO PROCEED, IT'S PREMATURE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS. AND SO I STAND BY THE RESOLUTION THAT THIS COUNCIL ADOPTED AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE LOOKING OUT FOR THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR CITY. AND AGAIN, WE WANT TO BE A REGIONAL PLAYER, BUT NOT AT THE DETRIMENT OF THE CITY OF DALLAS. SO THANK YOU, CHAIR, FOR PUTTING THIS ON. AND I LOOK FORWARD. LET ME ASK YOU THIS ONE LAST THING, IF YOU DON'T MIND. WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP AFTER THIS? IS THERE A. DO WE REVISIT THE RESOLUTION? HOW DO WE FORMALIZE DALLAS´ POSITION? WELL, SUBJECT TO THE WILL OF THE COMMITTEE IN TERMS OF MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNCIL, THIS COULD BE PLACED ON THE NEXT COUNCIL AGENDA FOR CONSIDERATION. WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT INSTRUCTIONS THE COUNCIL WISHES TO GIVE TO THE RTC TO THE COG, RATHER, WITH REGARD TO THE HIRING OF THIS CONSULTANT WITH THE GRANT MONEY THROUGH OUR REPRESENTATIVE ON THE COG AS MENDELSOHN. AND SO THAT WOULD BE THE NEXT STEP, IS GOING TO THE FULL COUNCIL TO DISCUSS THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE ALREADY BROACHED TODAY, AS WELL AS THIS COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION FOR ACTION. CHAIR, MAY I ADD ONE THING? YES. THANK YOU. I THINK THAT WAS A GREAT EXPLANATION. THE ITEM I'D LIKE TO ADD IS THAT THE RTC HAS ALREADY APPROVED THE CONTRACT TO MOVE FORWARD AND INSTRUCTED THE COG TO RATIFY THAT. AND THEN WHEN THE MOTION WAS MADE TO TABLE IT AT THE COG MEETING, THE RTC WAS ASKED TO SEND A LETTER TO THE COG SAYING, NO, WE REALLY WANT YOU TO DO THIS, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN ACTED ON BY THE COG, BECAUSE OF COURSE WE TABLED IT. AND SO I JUST WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND POLITICALLY WHAT'S HAPPENING. WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO SAY IT AGAIN? YES. SO AT THE RTC, THE BOARD WAS ASKED, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCEPT THIS GRANT TO DO THE CORRIDOR ID PROGRAM? OBJECTIONS WERE RAISED BY DALLAS. WE WERE OUTVOTED AND IT WAS APPROVED AND SENT TO. AND THEN, ITEMS GO TO THE COG AS THE FISCAL AGENT TO RATIFY. WHEN IT CAME TO THE COG, I RAISED THE OBJECTION THAT THIS IS NOT GOOD FOR DALLAS THAT WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PENDING ISSUES, INCLUDING THERE IS AN ISSUE ABOUT THE AIRPORT. I NOW HAVE HEARD THAT THIS HAS BEEN WORKED OUT WITH THE AIRPORT. I WILL BELIEVE THAT THE LARGER ISSUE OF THE ENTIRE LINE ITSELF IS STILL IN PLAY. BUT HAVING BROUGHT THAT UP, MY COLLEAGUES ON THE COG BOARD UNDERSTOOD THAT AND UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE FOR DALLAS AND SAID, YES, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GO BACK AND CONSULT WITH YOUR CITY AND GET AN OFFICIAL OPINION, THEN DO IT. AND BY THE WAY, THAT WAS A UNANIMOUS VOTE. SO THERE WAS A LOT OF SUPPORT AND FRANKLY, PUSHBACK FROM STAFF, BUT A LOT OF SUPPORT OF THE MEMBERS TO SAY YES, YOU DESERVE TO HAVE A SAY. AND SO YOU HAVE GRACIOUSLY BROUGHT THIS FORWARD. WE'RE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION. BUT IF THE COG BOARD THEN CONSIDERS IT AND VOTES DOWN THIS CONTRACT, THE POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS ARE THE RTC WILL BE VERY MAD THAT THE COG IS OVERRIDING THE WILL OF THE RTC. AND THERE'S ALREADY EXISTING POLITICAL DYNAMICS BASED ON THE STATUS OF THE TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR. [00:50:08] SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT BECAUSE THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF FIRE WITH THIS, BUT THERE'S A REASON THAT THERE IS A FISCAL AGENT. AND THE CONVERSATION THAT THE COG BOARD IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN IF RTC. AND IT'S VERY MUCH EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT ANY MUNICIPALITY'S TAX DOLLARS, LIKE, DO WE ACTUALLY NEED TO SPEND TAX MONEY JUST BECAUSE WE GOT THE GRANT IF WE DON'T ACTUALLY WANT THAT REPORT RIGHT NOW? SO YEAH, WE CAN APPLY FOR IT AGAIN AND THERE'LL BE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES, ASSUMING THERE'S EVEN A PATHWAY FORWARD. AND WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS SAID NO TO HIGH-SPEED RAIL. OUR GOVERNOR, WHILE SITTING ON A HIGH-SPEED RAIL TRAIN IN JAPAN, SAID THERE WILL BE NO STATE MONEY. AND EVERY OPERATOR HAS SAID WE CANNOT MOVE FORWARD WITH HIGH-SPEED RAIL WITHOUT FEDERAL AND STATE MONEY. SO THIS ISN'T REALLY GOING ANYWHERE TODAY. BUT THE PROBLEM IS WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE. AND HAVING THAT REPORT SITTING THERE AS A CLEARED CORRIDOR PUTS US AT RISK FOR THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENING, WHEN THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE RIGHT ALIGNMENT SHOULD THAT PROJECT WANT TO GO FORWARD. AND I HAVE REPEATEDLY SAID, DALLAS IS NOT OPPOSED TO HIGH-SPEED RAIL. WE LIKE HIGH-SPEED RAIL. THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL HAS BEEN WE SUPPORT DALLAS TO HOUSTON. WE HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT DALLAS BEFORE. THANK YOU. MR. GRACEY. THANK YOU. AND JUST AS A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER. BUT I JUST WANT TO. THIS CAN'T BE AMENDED BECAUSE IT WAS ALREADY VOTED ON. IS THAT WHAT I UNDERSTAND? SO COULD IT BE AMENDED. ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE 24 RESOLUTION? I'M SORRY. NO, THE STEP ONE. THIS WHOLE STEP ONE MOVING FORWARD PIECE. I'M TRYING TO GET SOME CLARITY. COULD IT BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE THE TRE LINE? THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING. WELL, I THINK THAT WE HAVE THE OPTION TO, IN WHATEVER RECOMMENDATION WE MAKE TO THE FULL COUNCIL TO ADD CONDITIONS THAT MIGHT INCLUDE CONSIDERATION OF UPGRADING THE TRE LINE. OKAY. AND THEN AND I GUESS THAT'S THE PART. SO AS WE DO THAT THEN DOES THAT MEAN. AND I'M ASKING COUNCILWOMAN MENDELSOHN. DOES THAT CARRY WEIGHT AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL AND AT THE RTC LEVEL? IT CARRIES WEIGHT, BUT I'M GOING TO SAY I'M NOT SURE HOW THE CONTRACT IS SET UP. AND IF, LET'S JUST SAY THERE WAS A MOTION OR AN AMENDMENT TO THE RESOLUTION, THEN I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT MEANS IN TERMS OF THE CONTRACT. I'M NOT IN THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIS. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING THIS MEETING BECAUSE NOT SITTING ON THE RTC OR EVEN ON THIS COMMITTEE ANYMORE, I FEEL LIKE I'M AT A BIT OF A DEFICIT. HOWEVER, I ALSO FEEL LIKE I'M BRINGING THE WAY SOME OF OUR OTHER COLLEAGUES WILL FEEL ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY LAYERS TO THIS ONION THAT ARE BEING DISCUSSED. I HOPE IN MY LIFETIME I STEP ON A HIGH-SPEED RAIL FROM DALLAS, TEXAS TO HOUSTON, TEXAS. I BELIEVE IN THAT. I THINK THIS COUNCIL BELIEVES IN THAT AND WANTS THAT TO HAPPEN. AND SO WHEN I INITIALLY LOOKED AT THIS REPORT, I THOUGHT, THIS IS ABOUT OPTIONS AND KEEPING DOORS OPEN ON PROJECTS THAT TAKE DECADES TO FULFILL. AND SO THIS IS ABOUT OUR CITY'S FUTURE AND FUTURE COUNCILS AND DECISIONS WHERE THERE MAY BE A DIFFERENT FUNDING MECHANISM THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO EXECUTE SOMETHING. I ALSO, BEFORE MY MOTHER MOVED BACK TO DALLAS, THE WAY SHE GOT FROM FORT WORTH TO DALLAS WAS ON THE TRE. SO IT WORKS. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THAT TRAIN. SO I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE COMPLETE RESOLVE ON ANYTHING HERE EXCEPT TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING THAT OUR POSITION LEADS TO A CASCADE OF LEVERAGE THAT COULD HELP OR HURT OUR CITY IS VERY MUCH SOMETHING THAT IS NOT ON THIS PAPER, IN THIS DECK, BUT IS VERY CRITICAL IN WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW THESE DOMINOES COULD FALL. YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE CITY AND OUR CONVENTION CENTER AND OUR DOWNTOWN THAT WILL THRIVE AND WILL BE GREAT. AND THE IMPACT OF HAVING THIS MECHANISM TO BRING PEOPLE TO OUR CITY, MAYBE NOT JUST FROM HOUSTON TO DALLAS, POSSIBLY FROM FORT WORTH, ALTHOUGH I'M JUST NOT AS BIG A BELIEVER IN THAT. I AM ALL ABOUT THE OPTIONS ON THIS. HOWEVER, I DO THINK THAT SOMETHING OF THIS MAGNITUDE IS SOMETHING THAT OUR COLLEAGUES SHOULD BE ABLE TO CONSIDER. I'M GLAD TO HEAR THIS WAS TABLED, AND NOT NECESSARILY THAT WE HAVE THIS, THAT WE'RE TIME BOUND ON THIS JANUARY 22ND. IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THERE IS A LOT MORE TO CONSIDER HERE THAN JUST WHAT HAS BEEN POSTED ON THIS ITEM THAT NEEDS MORE EXPLORATION. [00:55:08] AND AM I HEARING THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE COULD APPLY FOR IN THE FUTURE? YEAH. LET ME TRY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THAT. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE DELIVERABLE TO THE FRA FOR STEP ONE HAS A DEADLINE, AS DOCTOR KHANKARLI MENTIONED, OF APRIL. AND SO THAT'S WHAT'S BEEN COMMUNICATED TO US. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S WHAT PRECIPITATED THE TIMELINE THAT WE HAVE HERE. AGAIN, I THINK THAT THE DISCUSSION AND DEBATE THAT YOU GUYS ARE HAVING IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO INFORMING OUR POSITION ON PROCEEDING FORWARD WITH STEP ONE. YOU KNOW, AGAIN, STEP ONE GETS YOU TO A SCOPE, SCHEDULE AND BUDGET THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY GO INTO STEP TWO. SHOULD THERE BE FUNDING, SHOULD THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PROVIDE FUNDING FOR STEP TWO, AND SHOULD WE BE ABLE TO, AS A REGION, FIND THAT LOCAL MATCH?¿. SO IT'S NOT COMMITTING TO ANYTHING BEYOND STEP ONE AT THIS POINT IN TIME. AND THAT'S WHAT I WOULD WANT TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT, IS THERE HARM IN THAT? IS IT HELPFUL WITH OUR OTHER MEMBERS OF THE RTC TO GO ON AND MOVE FORWARD ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS, KNOWING THAT WE CAN EJECT FROM IT IF IT'S NOT GOOD FOR DALLAS WHEN WE GET TO THAT NEXT STEP? AND I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER ON THAT RIGHT NOW, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT NEEDS EXPLORATION. JUST, IF I MAY, JUST A SHORT COMMENT, I THINK MISS MENDELSOHN MENTIONED THAT RTC HAS ALREADY TAKEN ACTION. AND IN MY OPINION, AND I THINK IN LINE WITH CHAIR RIDLEY'S APPROACH IS, I THINK WE NEED TO ARTICULATE WHAT DALLAS WANTS. AND TO ME, THAT SHOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION ON THE FOCUS OF, OKAY, IF THIS MOVES FORWARD, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE AS THE CITY OF DALLAS EXPECT AND REQUEST TO INCLUDE. AND AS I MENTIONED, AND I'M OPERATING AGAIN WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK THAT EVEN THE RTC CHAIR REQUESTED ON ANOTHER CORRIDOR ID PROGRAM THAT WAS APPROVED IN THE SAME SENATE. IF THIS IS A DYNAMIC SITUATION AND FROM OUR POSITION IS, IF A CORRIDOR IS TO BE CONSIDERED, IT NEEDS TO INCLUDE MULTIPLE ALTERNATIVES OR MAYBE RESURRECTING SOME OF THE ALTERNATIVES THAT WERE INITIALLY DEVELOPED FOR THE CORRIDOR, BUT THEN LATER ON ELIMINATED AND NOT CONSIDERED. THANK YOU, CHAIR. COUNCILWOMAN STEWART. DO YOU HAVE ANY. YES. QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THANK YOU. JUST A FEW COMMENTS AND I'LL MAKE THEM BRIEF. I THINK A LOT HAS BEEN SAID THIS MORNING THAT IS VERY HELPFUL. FIRST OF ALL, I AM A BIG SUPPORTER OF HIGH-SPEED RAIL. SECONDLY, I DO ALSO WANT TO BE A GOOD REGIONAL PARTNER, BUT WE ARE AT A SITUATION WHERE THE NEEDS OF DALLAS, THE CONCERNS OF DALLAS, OUR PARKS, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND OUR BUSINESSES AND PROPERTY OWNERS ON THAT SOUTHWESTERN SIDE OF THE CITY, ALL OF THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT, PROTECTED. AND I THINK WE CAN DO THAT, RIGHT? WHAT I THINK WE SHOULD ASK FOR IS TO HAVE THIS CORRIDOR ID STUDY, LOOK AT A GROUP OF OPTIONS, A FAMILY OF OPTIONS. AND I LIKE THE WORD FAMILY, I HEARD DOCTOR KHANKARLI USE, BECAUSE THOSE ARE SOME MEANS THEY'RE RELATED. THEY'RE CONNECTED IN SOMEHOW, BUT SOME OF THEM WILL MAKE MORE SENSE, WILL GIVE US MORE PROTECTION. AND I JUST DON'T KNOW WHY WE STILL JUST HAVE THOSE TWO CORRIDOR OPTIONS. THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS. THERE MUST BE OTHER OPTIONS. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR AT THIS POINT, IS TO HAVE THOSE OTHER OPTIONS LOOKED AT IN LIGHT OF LOOKING AT THE TRE AND THAT OPTION, IN LIGHT OF PROTECTING OUR PARKS AND IN LIGHT OF PROTECTING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS NEED TO BE CONSIDERED. AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS ABUNDANTLY CLEAR. THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MENDELSOHN. THANK YOU. THERE WERE ACTUALLY MORE THAN 100 FAMILIES OF OPTIONS, AND I GUESS THEY CALL IT A FAMILY BECAUSE IT'S LIKE A ROUTE. BUT THEN IT MIGHT BE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT JUST AT, LIKE THIS INTERSECTION. THEY'RE VERY MINOR DIFFERENCES. THAT'S WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IN FAMILY MEANS, WHICH I DIDN'T REALIZE. BUT MORE THAN A HUNDRED DIFFERENT OPTIONS WERE CONSIDERED. [01:00:02] AND I THINK, MR. GRACEY, YOU WERE SORT OF GETTING TO THAT POINT, AND THEY HAVE SLOWLY ELIMINATED LOTS OF THEM THAT PROBABLY NEED TO BE LOOKED AT AGAIN. THIS GRANT, I THINK, WAS AWARDED A YEAR AND A HALF AGO? 2020. FY 2020 CORRIDOR ID PROGRAM SELECTION. YEAH. A LONG TIME AGO. AND IN FACT, IT WAS PASSED BY THE RTC A LONG TIME AGO, BEFORE IT WAS EVER BROUGHT TO THE COG. MORE THAN A YEAR. SO THIS IS AT THE VERY LAST SECOND AND THE FUNDS EXPIRE IN APRIL. AND THE REASON I THINK THAT YOU´RE HEARING STAFF TALK ABOUT, OH, IT NEEDS TO GO TO THE BOARD IN JANUARY IS BECAUSE THE CONSULTANT HAS SAID IF THEY DON'T HAVE APPROVAL AND AUTHORIZATION BY THEN, THEY CAN'T GET THE WORK DONE IN TIME. SO THAT'S THE ANSWER FOR THAT PART. I THINK WE SHOULD COME UP WITH WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS FOR, YES, IF IT'S EVEN APPROPRIATE TO BUILD. RIGHT? IT'S NOT JUST NO FOR EVERYTHING. IT'S, WELL, AS LONG AS THIS IS ALL PROTECTED, WE'RE OKAY, IF THIS PROJECT EVEN MAKES SENSE, WHICH I THINK IS A DIFFERENT QUESTION. I WILL SAY THERE'S TWO OTHER THINGS. ONE IS THIS IS THE PRINTOUT. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE HOW THICK IT IS. THESE ARE ALL THE LEGAL LETTERS THAT HUNT HAS SENT TO THE RTC. THE FIRST ONE THAT I HAVE IS OCTOBER 2024. I THINK THEY'RE EVERY SINGLE WEEK. CHAIR, I THINK WE GOTTA STAY ON THE CORRIDOR ID TOPIC. OH, I AM, BECAUSE THE CORRIDOR ID HAVING GOTTEN DOWN FROM THE HUNDRED TO THE TWO, BOTH OF THESE ARE UNACCEPTABLE. THEY'RE UNACCEPTABLE BECAUSE OUR MASTER AGREEMENT ABOUT REUNION WITH HUNT FROM 1973, 04, 5, DOESN'T ALLOW FOR IT. WE'RE GOING TO GET SUED. LIKE, IT'S LEGALLY NOT ALLOWED. AND SO, GUS, WHEN YOU JUST SAID, WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS TO THE CORRIDOR ADVANCING? WELL, HELLO, THERE'S A LEGAL BARRIER. IT'S NOT EVEN POSSIBLE. SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS, THEY WANT TO DO A CORRIDOR ID ID FOR JUST TWO ALIGNMENTS. ONE OF THEM IS THE EASTERN ALIGNMENT, WHICH WE FLAT OUT SAID THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE OR ACCEPTABLE AT THAT COUNCIL MEETING. AND THEN THE SECOND ONE, THIS WESTERN ALIGNMENT IS ALSO IN VIOLATION OF THIS AGREEMENT WE HAVE. SO WHY WOULD WE WANT TO HAVE THEM DO THIS CORRIDOR ID FOR CORRIDORS THAT ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE? I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GIVE FRIENDS AND FAMILY A CONTRACT, BUT THIS IS NOT IN OUR BEST INTEREST. AND SO I THINK NOW A LOT OF THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT SOME OF THESE POTS OF INFORMATION HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED. THERE IS A BIGGER QUESTION OF IF THIS IS EVEN SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE, BUT IN TERMS OF THE CORRIDOR ID, I JUST DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S WISE FOR US TO PROCEED. THANK YOU. AT THIS POINT, I BELIEVE WE'RE READY FOR A MOTION. I DO, I HAVE A MOTION. COUNCIL MEMBER BLACKMON. I MOVE TO RECOMMEND THIS ITEM TO FULL COUNCIL WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS. REAFFIRM COUNCIL'S JUNE 12TH, 2024 RESOLUTION THAT EXCEPT FOR STREETCAR EXPANSION PROJECTS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSIDERATION, CITY COUNCIL DOES NOT SUPPORT RECONSTRUCTION OF ANY ABOVE GROUND RAIL LINES THROUGH DOWNTOWN, UPTOWN AND VICTORY PARK AREAS IN DALLAS, AND THAT THE SCOPE FOR THE CORRIDOR ID CONSIDERS A FAMILY OF MULTIPLE ALIGNMENTS THAT COMPLY WITH THE JUNE 12TH, 2024 RESOLUTION. SECOND. OKAY. ANY DISCUSSION OF THIS? VICE CHAIR ROTH. IS IT APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT? CERTAINLY. I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT WE ADD TO THAT MOTION THAT THE UPGRADE TO THE TRE BE CONSIDERED AS PART OF THE EVALUATION, AND THAT ANY ABOVE GROUND RAIL ALIGNMENTS NOT GO THROUGH ANY DALLAS PARK LINE. SECOND. OKAY. I'M SORRY. THE OTHER THING IS I WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A A DEFINITION AND IT MAY BE ALREADY BAKED INTO THAT WE HAVE A DEFINITION OF WHAT THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT IS, WHAT THE DALLAS AREA IS. BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE DEFINITION OF DOWNTOWN IS DEFINED AS THE AREA INSIDE OF I-30, US75, WOODALL RODGERS, AND I-35 LOOP. AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S CLEAR. [01:05:07] DOCTOR KHANKARLY, DO YOU KNOW IF THAT DEFINITION OF THE CBD WAS INCLUDED IN THE 2024 RESOLUTION? THE RESOLUTION INCLUDED DOWNTOWN, BUT DID NOT REFERENCE THE CBD. OKAY. AS DEFINED IN CHAPTER 51, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. WHAT IS THAT DEFINITION IN CHAPTER 51? I'LL DEFER TO THE ATTORNEY. I DON'T THINK I HAVE A COPY OF THAT. I MAY HAVE IT HERE. SO AT LEAST I HAVE ONE THAT SAYS SECTION 51 57 DEFINITIONS. AND IT DEFINES THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT TO MEAN THE AREA OF THE CITY BOUNDED BY WOODALL RODGERS FREEWAY ON THE NORTH, CENTRAL EXPRESSWAY ELEVATED BYPASS ON THE EAST, R.L. THORNTON FREEWAY ON THE SOUTH, AND STEMMONS FREEWAY ON THE WEST. AND THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT INCLUDES THE ARTS DISTRICT, THE CBD CORE DISTRICT, AND THE WEST END DISTRICT. AND CITY ATTORNEY, IS THAT STILL A CURRENT ORDINANCE OR DEFINITION? IT IS. OKAY. THANK YOU. WELL. CHAIR, CAN I JUST CLARIFY? YES, MISS MENDELSOHN. IN THE CITY CODE, THERE'S ACTUALLY OTHER DEFINITIONS OF CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICTS. SO I APPRECIATE AND THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO INCLUDE THIS IN THE MOTION. BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT WHICH DEFINITION WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. OKAY. THANK YOU. VICE CHAIR ROTH, IS THAT INCLUSION? YEAH. ACCEPTABLE TO YOUR AMENDMENT? I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT WE REFERENCE THE SECTION 51 57. I THINK THAT WOULD ENCOMPASS THE DEFINITION THAT WE'RE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT. OKAY. IS THE SECOND OKAY WITH THAT? YES. YES. WE'RE GOING TO ADD THAT ALL. BASICALLY CLARIFY AS REFERRED TO IN THAT WAY THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHERE TO GO TO AS FAR AS THE DEFINITION. RIGHT. THAT MAKES SENSE. CAN I ADD? JUST ONE ONE QUICK COMMENT IS, IF WE'RE REFERRING TO IT CURRENTLY THE. IT IS NOT SECTION 51 57 REFERENCE IT AS THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. SO IF THE INTENT TO SAY THAT WHEN THE DOWNTOWN DEFINITION, AS NOTED IN THE RESOLUTION IS REFERENCING THAT CBD DEFINITIONS, I MEAN TO CLARIFY THAT PIECE, TO LINK THE DEFINITION BETWEEN THE DOWNTOWN THAT IS LISTED IN THE RESOLUTION VERSUS WHAT IS IN THE DEFINITION. YES, PLEASE. I THINK THE CURRENT RESOLUTION REFERS TO DOWNTOWN AND DOESN'T REFERENCE THE CBD. AND SO IF THE INTENT OF THIS BODY IS TO CHANGE THAT, YOU KNOW, BOUNDARY, THOSE BOUNDARIES, THEN I THINK WE NEED TO CLARIFY THAT IN THIS RESOLUTION. SO I THINK THAT WHAT I HEARD WAS YOU WANTED TO REAFFIRM THE RESOLUTION, BUT PERHAPS YOU WANT TO SLIGHTLY MODIFY THAT. I THINK YOU GUYS NEED TO SORT OF CONFIRM HOW YOU WANT TO. YES. MR. ROTH. WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE TO SAY WHICH WOULD INCLUDE THE DEFINITION IN CITY CODE SECTION 50-157? OR THAT DOWNTOWN IS DEFINED AS THE CBD, AS REFERENCED IN CODE SECTION. YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT AS DEFINED. OKAY. SO MR. ROTH, DO YOU WISH TO INCLUDE THAT IN YOUR AMENDMENT? YES, PLEASE. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S AN ACCEPTABLE AMENDMENT. YES, MISS CADENA. AND THE RESOLUTION, IT SAYS HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT PARKS. SO WOULD THAT BE CHANGED TO JUST PARKS? AND THEN ALSO IT DOES TALK ABOUT RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS IN DOWNTOWN, UPTOWN AND VICTORY. CAN WE ADD WEST DALLAS AS WELL? DEB, DOES WEST DALLAS HAVE A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC DEFINITION? I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE MORE CLEAR THAN JUST WEST DALLAS, BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE THAT THERE IS A CLEAR DEFINITION FOR THAT. SO IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER THEY'RE COMPLYING WITH THAT OR NOT WITHOUT SOME FURTHER DEFINITION. SO USUALLY IT'S I-30 BORDERED BY CANADA UP TO 35 STEMMONS. [01:10:02] AND THEN LOOP 12 IS THE BORDER OF WEST COAST. YEAH. I THINK YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT WHERE THE CURRENT HIGH-SPEED RAIL STATION IS TO FURTHER ALIGNMENT, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT PROHIBITING THAT, GIVEN THE DEFINITIONS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. COULD WE HAVE THIS DISCUSSION ON THE RECORD? WELL, MY FEAR IS, I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TRE, BUT THE TRE IS AT GRADE. IT WOULD BE MORE DETRIMENTAL RIGHT NOW. WE EVEN HAVE UP RAILROAD WHERE WE CANNOT HAVE EMERGENCY VIEWS ACROSS. AT WESTMORELAND, THE UPL ROAD IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST UP LINES IN THE ENTIRE STATE. AND SO THERE'S TIMES WHEN OUR EMERGENCY VEHICLES CANNOT EVEN GO THROUGH. SO IF WE ADD ANY MORE RAIL ALONG THERE, IT'S GOING TO HAVE A REAL IMPACT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. SO WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL THAT ACTUALLY THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL HAS LESS IMPACT BECAUSE IT'S ABOVE GRADE OR ABOVE GROUND. SO THAT'S MY ONE FEAR BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY HAVING HUGE IMPACTS BECAUSE OF UPL AND WEST DALLAS. SO THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT LATER THIS AFTERNOON, THE RTC WILL VOTE TO APPROVE FUNDS FOR THE PROJECT FOR WESTMORELAND TO BECOME GRADE SEPARATED, SO IT WILL NOT BE AT GRADE AND IT WILL BE ABOVE GROUND. I THOUGHT THAT WE HAD APPLIED FOR A GRANT. I THOUGHT IT WAS DENIED. SO WE APPLIED FOR FEDERAL AND THAT WAS DENIED. HOWEVER, THE STATE, IF YOU RECALL, IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, CREATED SOMETHING CALLED THE STATE OF RAILROAD GRADE SEPARATION. AND THERE IS AN INTEREST FROM THE STATE IN THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT, ALONG WITH NORTH PRAIRIE CREEK. AND THOSE TWO ITEMS ARE ON THE COUNCIL. I APPRECIATE THIS DISCUSSION, BUT I KNOW WE GOT OFF TOPIC. WE GOTTA GET BACK TO THE POSTING THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON. OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OF MR. ROTH´S AMENDMENT? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES. WELL, OBVIOUSLY. CAN WE RESTATE THE PROPOSED RESOLUTION FOR THE RECORD? PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY, WERE WE JUST VOTING ON THE AMENDMENT OR THE FULL? GOT IT. THAT'S WHY I IDENTIFIED MR. ROTH´S AMENDMENT. ALRIGHT, SO WE HAVE AN AMENDED MOTION THAT IS NOW ON THE FLOOR FOR CONSIDERATION. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MAIN MOTION MADE BY MISS BLACKMON, AS AMENDED? SEEING NONE, ALL THOSE COMMITTEE MEMBERS IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU, DOCTOR KHANKARLI, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU, SIR. AND OUR NEXT ITEM IS REVIEW OF UPCOMING. WELL THE FORECAST ITEM B ON THE AGENDA. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THE FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO MEETINGS? SEEING NONE, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE UPCOMING AGENDA ITEMS C, D, E, F, G, H, AND I. COUNCIL MEMBER, I JUST NEED TO LET THE COMMITTEE KNOW THAT ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE SHOW ON THE UPCOMING AGENDA ITEM HAS BEEN DELETED. ITEM F HAS BEEN DELETED AND WILL NOT BE UP FOR CONSIDERATION AT THE 14TH MEETING. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THAT NOTE. SO ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING ITEM C, D, E, G, H OR I, WHICH ARE UPCOMING AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE JANUARY 14TH COUNCIL MEETING? SEEING NONE. AT 10:29, THE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE SPECIAL CALLED COMMITTEE MEETING IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENDANCE. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.