Accelerated Cotton Belt plans draw attention of Plano, Richardson

Plans for a new rail line along the Cotton Belt Corridor have caused a difference of opinion between Plano and Richardson about the final planned stop of the rail.

Alan Upchurch, director of public works and engineering in Plano, said DART has begun preliminary engineering and the ultimate decision rests with the organization.

However, he and other Plano officials have advised DART that running the proposed rail through the Bush Turnpike Station as Richardson officials have suggested would create an extra burden on riders and cost more money.

Upchurch said creating new tracks from the Bush Turnpike Station, which would run alongside existing light-rail tracks parallel to K Avenue north of the turnpike, would create conflicts with existing buildings that don't have much space between them.

"Anything can be done with enough money and time and engineering," he said. "I'm not saying that the Richardson option can't be done - it can be done. We think it's easier to go along the Cotton Belt alignment."

The Cotton Belt Corridor Rail Line is a proposed line that would travel from southwest Fort Worth, passing by DFW Airport and making a final stop in Plano. Tracks already are in place should the final plans include them, but the line may deviate from existing tracks if officials believe it is necessary or beneficial.

The line is part of DART's long-term transportation plans, but will be forced out of the 20-year plan because of a lack of financial feasibility before 2028. By attempting to finance the rail line through outside sources, the North Central Texas Council of Governments is attempting to accelerate the project.

Bill Keffler, city manager in Richardson, said although he respects Plano's desire for a 12th Street station, the situation does not have to be a choice of one station or the other.

"It's going to provide a great opportunity for yet another rail stop (at the Bush Station) with the Red Line," he said. "Not including Bush in that alignment serves to mitigate a desirable development option."

Because about 300 acres of land are undeveloped in the area around the station, Keffler said, it would be more viable for revenue generation and should be a "highly desirable" option for the COG.

The area underneath the George Bush Turnpike is in such a difficult spot for construction, he said, the only other possible developments to complement the existing station would be retail.

Because of the turnpike and the already existing Red Line, the station also would promote DART's plans to incorporate more multi-modal transportation stations, he said.

However, he said he understands the multiple variables that go into the planning, including the decision of whether to use the free right of way and taking lines out of service for construction.

Frank Turner, deputy city manager in Plano, said the city's goal is to best serve the riders of any rail lines that go through the city.

Because creating a 12th Street Station would keep stops to a minimum and also open up the possibility for a more natural pathway to expansion farther east in Collin County, it makes more sense for the rail to make a direct stop through Plano, he said.

The city already gives about $55 million to DART in taxes, Turner said, but the council also approved a resolution during its April 26 meeting agreeing to acquire and reserve land necessary for the development of a station at 12th Street.

In the same resolution, the authors of the resolution express the support from Plano of the Cotton Belt Corridor Rail Line and give several reasons why the line should follow the original corridor path without making a stop at the Bush Turnpike Station - including the economic benefits and redevelopment in downtown Plano.

Turner said the development is a positive to building a new station, but ultimately the development complements the system and is not the ultimate goal or driving factor when proposing a new station.

The benefits of a new station are more pronounced with the light rail system, he said. But as a different type of rail line, economic benefits and redevelopment are not expected to be as great with the Cotton Belt Corridor Rail Line.

Michael Morris, director of transportation with the NCTCOG, said the council is looking into innovative strategies to fund the rail line - for example, raising fares and working with the University of North Texas to bring in more money with a mixed-use development.

About half a dozen different pathways could be used for the rail line, he said, but the engineers working on figuring out costs and feasibility will not have a full report for another six to nine months about what works best.

The possibility of mixed-use development is not a driving factor of where the line will go, Morris said, but it will factor in because those developments could help fund the rail line.

He said he is cautiously optimistic about the outlook of being able to construct the rail line before the end of DART's 20-year plan, but people still need to be realistic that it is a difficult project.

"If we don't do the study and we don't try," he said, "what are the odds of it being built? None."

Current Rating: 0 of 0 votes!

Rate File: Select Rating: * ** *** ****

 Plano Apartments
 Plano Attorneys
 Plano Auto Dealers
 Plano Auto Parts
 Plano Auto Repair
 Plano Beauty Salons
 Plano Car Rental
 Plano Dentists
 Plano Doctors
 Plano Flowers
 Plano Hotels
 Plano Insurance
 Plano Loans
 Plano Mortgages
 Plano Movers
 Plano Pizza
 Plano Realtors
 Plano Restaurants
 Plano Storage
 Plano Tax Preparation
 Plano Travel
 Featured
 More...