DALLAS-FORT WORTH (WBAP/KLIF News) – President Obama’s new budget could benefit the Metroplex. The spending plan announced this week includes $49 million for the Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s Red and Blue Line Platform Extensions Project. “It would let us lengthen the platforms from about 300 feet to 400 feet,” said Morgan Lyons, a spokesman for DART. “It will allow us to run three-car train sets with super light-rail vehicles, which means more room for commuters in Plano, Garland and Dallas.”
The platform project is expected to receive $60 million from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and $9.6 million in funds that have already been appropriated by Congress (Core Capacity funds). The money earmarked in the President’s FY 2017 budget would be the final portion of the nearly $120 million project. It is expected to get underway within the next year or so, according to Lyons.
In addition to the platform extensions, a plan for a second light-rail line in downtown Dallas is closer to qualifying for federal funds. “We are still very early in development and need to finalize some things. We are under 10% designed. We were told, however, that the project received a medium-high rating, which makes it very competitive for funding. They also said if we were able to find elements of the projects that we could advance this year – like the purchase of rail, real estate or material for the canopies at the rail station – they would consider providing some funding for that.”
Meanwhile, the President is also steering $125 million to the Tex Rail project that would connect downtown Fort Worth to Terminal B at Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport.
The $4.1 trillion budget still requires Congressional approval. The Republican-led House and Senate budget committees declined to hold formal hearings on the spending plan this week.
Press release from the Federal Transit Administration:
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced that President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2017 budget includes $49 million for construction of Dallas’s Red and Blue Line Platform Extensions Project. The project is one of 31 transportation projects in 18 states recommended to receive a share of $3.5 billion in federal funding through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Capital Investment Grant (CIG) Program.
“Since 2009, the Obama Administration has funded nearly 100 new and expanded mass transit projects in Texas and across the country,” said Secretary Foxx. “These projects transform communities, improving mobility and access to jobs, education and other important opportunities for millions of residents. Public transit is an important ally in the effort to ensure that hard-working Americans are offered a chance to succeed in the 21st century economy.”
In Dallas, ridership has been increasing on the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) rail network, resulting in crowding downtown during peak periods. The Red and Blue lines currently are limited to two-car train lengths because platforms at 28 of the existing stations on these lines are only long enough to accommodate two-car trains. The Red and Blue Line Platform Extensions Project will expand the platforms at these stations to accommodate three-car trains, resulting in increased capacity and reduced crowding for passengers.
“FTA is proud to partner with communities in Dallas and across the country to bring more transportation options to residents and help accommodate our nation’s growing population,” said FTA Acting Administrator Therese McMillan. “This investment in Dallas’s public transportation network will improve the mobility and quality of life for thousands of residents, provide an alternative to traffic congestion, and spur more economically vibrant communities.”
In addition to the Fiscal Year 2017 funding recommendation, the DART Red and Blue Line Platform Extensions Project is receiving nearly $9.6 million in prior year Core Capacity funds.
FTA’s highly competitive CIG Program is the federal government’s primary grant program for funding major transit capital investments that are locally planned, implemented and operated. It provides funding for investments such as new and expanded heavy rail, commuter rail, light rail, bus rapid transit and streetcar projects. The program includes funding for three categories of eligible projects, as defined by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act: New Starts, Small Starts and Core Capacity.
Funding recommendations for Fiscal Year 2017 include:
$1.4 billion for 10 New Starts projects already under construction in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Denver, Orlando, Honolulu, Boston, Charlotte and Portland, with additional funds recommended to accelerate completion of these projects;
$950 million for seven New Starts projects not yet under construction in Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Ana, National Capital Area in Maryland, Minneapolis, Fort Worth and Seattle;
$458 million for 10 Small Starts projects not yet under construction in Tempe, Sacramento, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Grand Rapids, Kansas City (Missouri), Albuquerque, Everett and Seattle, Washington;
$599 million for four Core Capacity projects to improve capacity on existing, heavily used transit lines in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, New York City and Dallas; and
$75 million for the Expedited Project Delivery for Capital Investment Grants Pilot Program — a new pilot program outlined in FAST that allows FTA to select up to eight projects seeking 25 percent or less in Federal funding and using a public-private partnership approach.
FTA’s Annual Report on Funding Recommendations for the Fiscal Year 2017 CIG Program, including links to individual project profiles, is available on FTA’s website.
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