October 20, 2025 - TRA Newswire -

The Texas Department of Transportation said it best in one sentence.

"Transit in Texas is at a crossroads."

In the first ever comprehensive study of urban, rural and intercity travel corridors to carry Texans without stepping on the pedal, the agency showed in a 91-page draft report that Texas right now lacks the critical ways and means to transport people by bus, rail and other non-highway modes that will be needed by 2050.

But that could change if elected leaders pay attention. The draft Statewide Multimodal Transit Plan (SMTP) will require extensive planning to connect Texas cities by intercity passenger rail and bus services and offers some strategies to change that in our fast-growing state.

"This is a great start and we do have a pressing need to address how to move Texans in the future," according to Texas Rail Advocates President Peter LeCody. "TxDOT is now pointing to the folks under the dome in Austin and saying to them that these are the needs and the ball is in your court. How are you going to go about finding funding sources for urban, rural and intercity travel corridors so we don't end up in highway gridlock in 10, 20, 30 years."

Public input is welcome both online and at in person events through mid-November. This is your chance to voice your support for urban, rural and intercity transit options. Virtual public meetings will run through November 20th and there are in-person events scheduled through November 13rd in select cities.

Traditional metropolitan area systems are struggling to respond to growth beyond existing service boundaries and outside of existing sales tax collection areas, according to the draft SMTP report. "Additionally, travel patterns and travel demand are rendering traditional fixed route service networks increasingly unresponsive to regional and community mobility needs. Addressing these issues and utilizing transit as a key strategic asset to address Texas’ growing mobility needs and economic opportunities will require unprecedented levels of consensus, coordination, and cooperation among all levels of government, transit agencies, employers, healthcare and workforce organizations, and customers."  

The study showed that transportation agencies "are grappling with rising costs, workforce shortages, and declining local revenues needed to sustain essential services and maintain critical assets such as vehicle fleets. These issues are most prominent in the rural and smaller urban areas." 

The SMTP points to 15 rail corridors with existing freight rail connections between Texas metro areas. The study showed that upgrading these to passenger rail service would require improving more than 3,000 miles of track and would provide passenger rail connectivity across the state. Where rail does not make financial sense, intercity bus corridor connections can provide people with the ability to move seamlessly across the state to those rail hubs or other bus hubs. 

"It's hit or miss right now if you want to travel between most cities in Texas by rail or bus. Outside of the largest metro regions that offer intrastate air service to other major Texas cities there are few to infrequent to no choices for travel by rail or bus.," according to LeCody. "Many midsize towns in Texas are land-locked for travel unless you drive." 

Intercity rail connectivity will require extensive planning and collaboration with the public and private sector service providers, as stated in the draft report.  

The intercity rail corridor strategy suggests different levels and types of services to connect regions with intercity rail; the cost per mile increases with speed. ▪ Double tracking existing freight railroad to allow service that is not impeded by freight train interference at an estimated cost of $25 million per mile, with speeds up to 79 miles per hour (mph) ▪ Higher-performing rail using a general freight railroad corridor (with improved track geometry at the slowest locations) to increase average speeds up to 110 MPH at an estimated cost of $38 million per mile ▪ High-speed rail that is completely grade-separated from all other crossings with speeds between 111 and 186 MPH at an estimated cost of $65 million per mile ▪ Ultra high-speed technologies that include hyperloop and maglev with costs that cannot currently be estimated; speeds for this type of rail travel can top 186 mph.

"If you look at what a major Texas highway overhaul between Austin and San Antonio costs in just the first stages, it's over $7 billion dollars, that's 7 with a big B", said LeCody. If you developed regional rail between Austin and San Antonio and ran fast, frequent trains you can build the entire system for much less than half the cost and you wouldn't be fighting construction and accidents on Interstate 35 for years to come." 

Pointing to a travel time comparison chart in the SMTP, LeCody said "There's low-cost low hanging fruit at present that could shave a lot of time off intercity rail travel time between Austin and San Antonio which right now is just pathetic. This could be accomplished with some basic infrastructure improvements if only the legislature would appropriate funding. It would be a rounding error compared to what the state will spend on highway construction between the two major metro areas for years to come."

The SMTP points to developing a Statewide Transit Network and Hub Plan that is TxDOT-led and -facilitated. It would provide a framework for improved mobility and connectivity that provides Texans with an accessible and seamless way to travel across Texas without a car. Determining what agency would govern statewide and intercity services and using technology to enable seamless travel throughout the state would be key considerations.

According to the study, the network and hub plan should identify: ▪ Key corridors needed to connect priority transit destinations statewide ▪ Key hub locations providing local, regional, and first- and last-mile connections ▪ Transit priority corridors within each region where transit treatments to improve safety, speed, and reliability should be considered in the planning, design, and construction processes Each of these identified elements should align with local transit agency plans.

The strategies in the 2050 vision for transit in Texas will require an unprecedented level of planning and cooperation among all levels of government, and, in some cases, the private sector. TxDOT indicates that strategies include: 1. Research and document statewide transit benefits 2. Integrate transit through local, regional, and statewide planning 3. Incorporate transportation technology 4. Prioritize safety and resiliency 5. Enhance research, reporting, and knowledge sharing.

The SMTP embraces the goals of the adopted Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan (Connecting Texas 2050) and recommends transit-specific strategies to sustain and expand transit’s role in achieving those goals. This plan also closely aligns with a concurrent plan development effort, the Texas Statewide Active Transportation Plan (SATP).