TEMPO – Project UpdateTEMPO – Project Update

Joseph Black — Rail Operations Manager

February 12, 2011

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• Overview of intercity regional passenger rail project

• Project history

• Near Term Rail District objectives

• Amtrak

AgendaAgenda

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What Is the Lone Star Rail District?What Is the Lone Star Rail District?

• Independent agency established by its partnering members to solely focus on planning, building, and operating the LSTAR intercity regional passenger rail service.

• Members include cities, counties, and transportation agencies in the five-county corridor region.

• Accountable to citizens through the local jurisdictions that appoint the 20 members of the Board.

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Lone Star Rail District — Members and Service AreaLone Star Rail District — Members and Service Area

• Cities: Georgetown, Austin, San Marcos, New Braunfels, Schertz, San Antonio

• Counties: Williamson, Travis, Hays, Bexar

• Transit agencies: Capital Metro, CARTS, VIA, ART

• MPOs: CAMPO, SA-BCMPO

• Board also includes:

Austin and San Antonio business community representatives

General public members appointed by Texas Transportation Commission

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• City of Austin Sheryl Cole – Elected Official Sid Covington* – Business Representative

• City of San Antonio John Clamp – Elected Official Carroll Schubert* – Business Representative

• Travis County Karen Huber – Travis County Debbie Ingalsbe – CARTS

• Bexar County Tommy Adkisson* – Bexar County Gloria Arriaga – ART

• Transportation Commission Tullos Wells* – General Public, SA Mariano Camarillo* – General Public, Austin

• Hays County Will Conley

• Williamson County Dan A. Gattis

• City of Georgetown Patty Eason

• City of New Braunfels Mike Ybarra

• City of San Marcos Kim Porterfield

• City of Schertz Hal Baldwin

• Capital Metro (Austin) John Langmore

• VIA Metropolitan Transit (SA) Mary Briseño

• San Antonio-Bexar Co. MPO Jeff Wentworth*

• Capital Area MPO (CAMPO) TBD

* Initial members

Board of Directors – 20 Members appointed by 15 EntitiesBoard of Directors – 20 Members appointed by 15 Entities

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What is the LSTAR?What is the LSTAR?

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Basic Facts about the LSTAR Proposed ServiceBasic Facts about the LSTAR Proposed Service

• 117 miles of passenger rail from Georgetown to south San Antonio.

• Up to 16 stations at full service, linking communities and destinations all along the corridor.

• 15 to 20 trains a day at full service, seven days a week, in each direction, including midday and evening service.

• Express service of 75 minutes or less at full service between downtown San Antonio and downtown Austin.

• Primarily routed in existing rail right-of-way upon relocation of Union Pacific’s through freight operations to urban bypass line.

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• Provide Predictable, Reliable Travel Choice

• Improve Mobility Throughout Corridor

• Improve Safety Throughout Corridor

• Maintain Air Quality Status

• Create Seamless Multi-Modal Transportation System

• Create Economic Development Opportunities

Why Are We Doing This?Why Are We Doing This?

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Forecast Through 2030:

•Personal income: cumulative increase of $20.4 billion

•State tax revenues: increase of $1.02 billion

•Regional and local tax revenues: increase of $1.31 billion

•City/County/Ad Valorem tax revenues: increase of $578 million

•Local and school district property tax revenues: increase of $915 million

•Sales tax revenues: increase of $415 million

•Station area property values: increase between $445 million to over $4.4 billion

Billions of dollars of savings by decreasing travel times, congestion costs, fuel costs, highway maintenance costs, and accident costs.

* Sources: 2004 Austin-San Antonio Commuter Rail Project Feasibility Report Update (Texas Perspectives)

2006 Economic Impact Analysis (Carter Burgess & Capitol Market Research)

Financial and Economic Benefits of LSTAR *Financial and Economic Benefits of LSTAR *

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Raised $7.7 million in federal funding, $8.7 million state

appropriation, $182 million in Texas Rail Relocation Fund*, and

secured $20 million SA-BC MPO and $10 million CAMPO funds

Completed feasibility, ridership, preliminary revenue/cost studies,

and financial benefits/economic impact studies

Evaluated and rejected FTA New Starts process

Developed local funding concepts

Conducted public meetings

Conducted jurisdictional meetings

Initiated branding program for Rail District

Signed Union Pacific Memorandum of Understanding in late 2010

* Not yet certified by State Comptroller

What’s Happened So Far?What’s Happened So Far?

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What’s Happening Now?What’s Happening Now?

• Working on environmental & engineering on passenger route

• Station location studies

• Updating financing plan

• Updating ridership studies (in cooperation with State Rail Plan for I-35 corridor)

• Beginning urban bypass rail studies with Union Pacific

• Initiating local funding discussions for annual Operations & Maintenance (O&M) costs

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What Happens Next?What Happens Next?• Engineering and environmental studies

are expected to take 2+ years

• After federal approval, move to final design and construction

• Freight rail relocation studies, financing plan, passenger rail environmental and engineering studies going on concurrently

• Solicit interest from potential private sector partners

• Federal funding requests (e.g. HSIPR, RRIF, appropriations, reauthorization)

• Establish local funding mechanisms by end of 2011

‒ Partner to evaluate funding approaches‒ Establish interlocal agreements with LSRD

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• Primary benefit comes from increased reliability, achieved though these methods:

Dispatching

Track configuration improvements

Signal system improvements

Systems maintenance focus

• Secondary benefit comes from coordination:

Ticketing / Fares

Schedules

Transfers

What Does LSTAR Mean for Amtrak?What Does LSTAR Mean for Amtrak?

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Lone Star Rail District’s Pledge to the RegionLone Star Rail District’s Pledge to the Region

• LSTAR will give Central and South Texans independence from congested highways:

by providing a reliable, predictable and safe regional transportation alternative that allows people to improve their lives and expand their horizons.

• We will also deliver benefits to those Central and South Texans who choose not to ride the LSTAR with:

Improved safety, mobility, and environmental quality

Positive economic impact at the local and regional level

New opportunities for community vitality, prosperity, and quality of life

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Thank youThank youfor your support!for your support!

www.LoneStarRail.com