Billions in federal money sought for N. Texas Transit

06/13/2009
Associated Press

Some North Texas lawmakers are lining up huge transportation money requests as a congressional committee readies a highway bill.

The Dallas Morning News reported Saturday U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, the highest-ranking Texan on the House Transportation Committee, is asking for nearly $2.5 billion for 25 projects.

Eighty percent of the Dallas Democrat's request would be for a dozen transit and rail projects. The remainder is for road and highway improvements.

Of some $660 million sought by Waco Democrat Chet Edwards, nearly two-thirds is for transportation or rail projects.

Arlington Republican Joe Barton is an exception. Of his nearly $116 million in project requests, only $3 million is for a public transportation purpose — the addition of a stop on the Trinity Railway Express between Dallas and Fort Worth.

A Barton aide told the newspaper while he supports public transportation, Barton believes it's less useful for people in places like Ennis and Waxahachie. Barton's request includes a $53.6 million expansion of the U.S. Highway 287 Ennis bypass and $42 million for improvements to Interstate 35E.

Johnson's largest request — $593 million — is for engineering and construction of the Cotton Belt Corridor commuter line, an east-west rail project involving Dallas Area Rapid Transit and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority. Another Dallas Area Rapid Transit Project costing $483 million would extend rail to the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport.

Johnson said those projects and others won't be decided on until committee members see how much money is available. Some $8 billion in federal stimulus money is allocated for high-speed rail projects nationally.

"That is, for Texas, one of the best investments we can make," she said. "Our distances are such that Amtrak is just not fast enough."

One of Edwards' requests is money for a portion of a high-speed rail line, known as the Texas T-Bone, to connect Waco with DFW Airport.

The transportation bill, which could reach $450 billion, undergoes committee scrutiny later this month and would include money for projects over a six-year period