By Samantha Smith
Central Texas could bid farewell to the Lone Star Rail project after the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) board of directors opted to take it off its long-term transportation plan.
The CAMPO board voted 17-1 Monday to remove the project from its 25-year transportation plan over the course of two months, according to a report from the Austin American-Statesman.
For the past 13 years, the Lone Star Rail District (LSRD) has been working to build a passenger rail system through the Interstate 35 corridor from Georgetown to San Antonio.
But the CAMPO board made its decision on LSR after Union Pacific pulled out of the project, according to the Statesman.
Union Pacific was involved in funding negotiations with the Lone Star Rail District about the construction of a new rail line would be used for freight travel, while the existing track would become a passenger rail.
CAMPO board members are now exploring other options to fund such a project without the Lone Star Rail District. While the board voted to phase out LSR Monday, a final vote won’t be taken until October.
Buda Mayor Todd Ruge said he was “disappointed” about the Lone Star Rail District’s demise, but he is confident that a light rail in Central Texas is still possible just with a different organization than LSRD.
“I hope moving forward that elected officials see the need for a light rail system in Central Texas,” Ruge said.
Buda City Council member Angela Kennedy said one of the main reasons she ran for city council was to help the citizens of Buda with water and transportation, including the realization of a regional commuter rail.
“We need to get cars off roads and reduce emissions,” said Kennedy.
Kennedy said she was going to hold out hope that Union Pacific would reconsider its involvement in the project. She added allocated funds for the project should only be used for transportation solutions that don’t involve building more roads.
“I think it (money allocated for Lone Star) should be invested into a transportation project that will get cars off of roads, not go towards paving more of our landscape,” Kennedy said.
Kyle Mayor Todd Webster said he wasn’t surprised by CAMPO’s decision to dissolve the Lone Star Rail District. Webster said he was “skeptical about the project from the start.”
“A regional rail system is needed in this area, but not with this entity,” Webster said of the Lone Star Rail District’s inability to produce results on the project.
“The shame of it is that the idea (regional rail system) shouldn’t be thrown out, but CAMPO made the right decision regarding Lone Star Rail. It wasn’t an easy decision, but it was the right one,” said Webster.
According to the Statesman, CAMPO and its San Antonio counterpart want the two transportation planning groups as well as TxDOT to work on finding a viable rail plan.
A possible decision to move forward with an alternate passenger rail system could be voted on in San Antonio as early as August 22, 2016.
