In June the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, known as The T, received permission from the Federal Transit Administration to begin construction in July on TEX Rail.
TEX Rail is a 27-mile commuter rail line that will extend from downtown Fort Worth, through Colleyville and Grapevine, and into Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
The project, which has been in the planning stages and a discussion piece among transportation entities and governments throughout Tarrant County since 2005, is expected to begin servicing passengers in late 2018.[totalpoll id="165043"]
Grapevine and Colleyville officials have opposing views on whether TEX Rail is a viable project.
Colleyville Mayor Richard Newton said he does not support the rail project because it does not make sense financially, and he feels The T has not been transparent about project details.
“It’s a billion dollars just to build [TEX Rail], and that’s not counting what it costs to operate it,” Newton said. “Contrast that with [the DFW Connector], which was also a billion-dollar project—but has huge advantages and a huge return on the money that was spent—and I can’t see the justification. Thousands and thousands of people every single day use [the DFW Connector] and it does wonders for this area and nobody can debate the benefits of it, but a billion dollars for a project that maybe 8,000 people [per day] will use isn’t worth it.”
In contrast, the city of Grapevine is looking to capitalize on TEX Rail by creating economic development opportunities around its future station, which will be located at the corner of Dallas Road and Main Street.
“You want the hustle and bustle; you want more people as it’s going to help the city continue to thrive,” Grapevine City Manager Bruno Rumbelow said. “[TEX Rail] can become something that either costs you money or makes you money, and the whole idea here is that the proximity [of the station] to Main Street will certainly help drive even more business to Main Street but also open up the whole Dallas Road corridor to development.”
Although Tarrant County has the Trinity Railroad Express, which is a commuter line that connects Fort Worth to Dallas and is also operated by The T, Bob Baulsir, vice president of railroads and procurement for The T, said “it just makes sense” to add a rail line in the northeast part of the county.
“Public transportation is a good thing for any growing community,” he said. “Most big employers won’t move to a city that doesn’t have a good transportation system.”
The T projects TEX Rail will serve more than 8,000 daily riders at nine stations by the end of the first year of operation, with that number increasing to nearly 14,000 daily by 2035.
Financial hurdles
The rail project, which will run along the existing Cotton Belt Railroad line, will cost about $1 billion to construct and $11 million per year to operate and maintain, according to The T.
Although the FTA gave the green light to start construction on the rail project, The T has yet to receive approval from the United States Department of Transportation for a Full Funding Grant Agreement for the project. The agreement accounts for a vast majority of the federal funding needed to finish the project.
The project has, however, already secured about $500 million in local funding—a majority of which comes from Fort Worth and Grapevine sales tax revenue.
The city of Grapevine has contributed more than $70 million in sales tax revenue since residents approved a 3/8 cent sales
tax to fund the commuter rail in November 2006.
Since Colleyville is not participating in the TEX Rail project, it does not contribute sales tax revenue.
State Sen. Konni Burton, R-Colleyville, among other officials in Colleyville, has been very vocal about her opposition to TEX Rail.
Burton has said if TEX Rail is not fully funded by the next legislative session she will likely make some effort to delay the project.
“One of the most pressing issues I have with TEX Rail is the citizens of Tarrant County were never asked outright if they wanted the rail line and were not given the opportunity to voice their opinion via a countywide vote,” she said. “Close to $540 million will be coming from the federal government, which is almost $20 trillion in debt. A rail line with a price tag of $1 billion in taxpayer money is not only outrageous, it is unethical because the taxpayers at all levels never OK’d such a project.”
Baulsir said to date a countywide vote has not been needed for any transportation projects of this caliber.
“I would imagine that all of the cities that are contributing [to funding TEX Rail] took a vote on the rail already,” he said. “A majority of folks support this, or we wouldn’t have the funding to do this.”
Baulsir he expects the federal money will arrive by November.
“We don’t have the contract yet, but I suspect that [the FTA] is fairly confident that we are going to get it, or they wouldn’t be telling us to start construction,” he said.
If The T does not receive the federal grant by November, Baulsir said TEX Rail has enough funding to continue construction until April because the Regional Transportation Council voted in May to lend the project up to $80 million to ensure construction would continue into next spring.
TEX Rail stations
Although cities cannot control whether TEX Rail will pass through their cities because federal laws govern railroad tracks, cities do have the ability to decide if they want a station.
Colleyville City Council passed a resolution at its May 17 meeting that prevents the city’s participation in the construction of any rail station within the city limits and states the city’s opposition to TEX Rail.
Newton said in 2009, Colleyville council members were debating about putting a station at John McCain Road and SH 26. Residents reacted by circulating a petition against a station. Instead of sending the issue to a public vote, the council worked with residents to pass a resolution banning a train station.
Newton said the original resolution had a five-year limit on it, which was why another resolution without limits was passed in May.
Baulsir said if Colleyville decided later to add a station—which Netwon said the city has no intention of doing—it would be possible.
In neighboring Grapevine, city officials and planners are working on plans for not only a TEX Rail station, but also transit-oriented development around it.
Grapevine Economic Development Director Bob Farley said the city has acquired 4 acres of land at the corner of Dallas Road and Main to build a station.
He said the site will not be a typical train station; instead it will feature a small boutique hotel, an open courtyard, and retail and public space.
“Council didn’t want to have just a kiosk and a platform; they wanted to accommodate the traveler and see if they couldn’t use the city’s history to build another iconic destination along Main Street that people would want to see,” Farley said.
Although construction on the rail line will be underway this summer, Rumbelow said construction on the station will not begin until late this year or early next year.
Additionally, City Council approved a 250-unit multifamily project, Aura Grapevine, which will be located down the street from the future TEX Rail station on Dallas Road. The project will include a public dog park, retail space and possibly a restaurant. Construction on the project is expected to start in September.
Colleyville’s economic argument
In Colleyville where a majority of the city’s revenue comes from property taxes, Newton said from a local economic standpoint, TEX Rail does not make sense.
“We’re a residential community, and we are never going to be an urban community,” he said. “The citizens don’t want the character to change, so money means nothing to me. More money could come in, but if it changes the character of Colleyville, I’m not interested. It’s not a fit for Colleyville.”
Baulsir said if Colleyville residents are worried about their home values declining, they should not be because The T is not building a new rail line; instead it is replacing the tracks along the Cotton Belt line.
“[Property value] depends on where you are,” Baulsir said. “Obviously there are increased property values when you are by a commuter rail station because you don’t have to drive to work, but I guess it depends on where you are and how you look at it.”
Colleyville real estate broker and Realtor Sophie Diaz said based on the information she has gathered so far, TEX Rail could have a negative effect on Colleyville home values.
“It seems only properties backing to the tracks may be affected, but it is too early to know,” Diaz said.
Newton said although Colleyville has differing opinions than neighboring cities about the rail line, he has every intention of having an amicable relationship with The T.
“We are not the enemy,” he said. “We are just taking a position and we will advocate for our position, but that’s not to say we aren’t going to work with [The T]. It may be a done deal, but it doesn’t let those of us off the hook that are in positions that can speak. We should speak up and ask legitimate questions that make you think.”
