BEXAR COUNTY, Texas — Five corridors in Texas were recently designated for rail expansion by federal officials as part of a grant award. But the exclusion of one in particular has some county leaders, including Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai, frustrated.
Sakai expressed disappointment over last week's White House announcement over how millions in federal funds would be used—or, in this case, wouldn't. He says the money set aside to develop new lines around the Lone Star State – including the Brazos Valley and from Dallas to Houston – could have been used to put Bexar County on the map for a daily commuter rail between San Antonio and Austin.
He cites the region's constant and continuing growth.
"Last time I went to Austin, it took me two hours," Sakai said. "We can't keep building lanes of traffic to Austin through I-35. Even if we do, it is never going to be enough."
Travis County Judge Andy Brown joined Sakai in supporting the idea of a daily commuter rail between the two cities.
"Not necessarily high-speed rail, (but) commuter rail," Sakai said. "What we need is people to go up and down in a couple of hours, minimal stops. This is a crucial piece in economic development."
Brown and Sakai say the Travis-Bexar super-region is the fastest-growing in the country. By 2050, leaders have said, the population of the Austin-San Antonio metro will grow by more than 3 million to top 8.3 million Texans.
"I am really focused on this Austin-San Antonio area as part of this megacorridor," Sakai said. "How do we link the two communities together?"
The Federal Railroad Administration's recent announcement means that, for now, it won't be by rail.
"Obviously we had some federal funds, and we didn't make it," Sakai said. "We weren't listed as high-priority."
In a joint statement, the two county leaders said they were disappointed.
"The FRA's failure to include the Travis-Bexar County corridor is a significant missed opportunity to support responsible growth and investment across Central Texas," Brown said. "We live in one of the most dynamic and booming regions in the world without passenger rail. We will work closely with the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization to make this a priority for the next round of investments."
Sakai said that, despite what he considered a setback, he promises to keep the conversation going and on track.
"It is not an endgame," he said. "It is just the start of the beginning. We have planted the seed. We have moved from 'We can't do rail' to 'Rail is a possibility,' and the next step is making it a reality."
Meanwhile, Congressman Joaquin Castro said some funds were secured for rail service heading from San Antonio in a different direction: east, to Houston.
The awards, which are authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that Castro worked to pass in 2021, will allow the Texas Department of Transportation to develop scopes, schedules and cost estimates for preparing, completing or documenting service development plans for intercity passenger rail service connecting San Antonio to Houston (San Antonio-Seguin-Flatonia-Rosenberg-Houston) and Houston to Dallas-Fort Worth (Houston-Navasota-College Station-Hearne-Corsicana-Dallas-Fort Worth).
"Two years ago, I was proud to fight for the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) – the largest investment in passenger rail in half a century," said Congressman Castro in a release. "As the federal government allocates IIJA funding to states and local communities, I've been working across the aisle to bring that money home to Texas. The funding announced today will create good-paying jobs, grow our economy, and help more San Antonians get where they need to go. Investments in high-speed rail are investments in cleaner air and faster travel and I'm excited about the prospect of expanded rail service for San Antonio."
>MORE LOCAL STORIES: