Can High-Speed Rail Help Dallas Build a Great Transit System?

The big Texas plan to link Dallas and Houston by high-speed rail just got a little more promising. Last week, the Dallas News reported that project developer Texas Central Railway will choose a downtown terminal for the bullet train, rather than a stop somewhere outside the city. That means thousands of new travelers a day will pass through town once the line opens for business (in 2021, by the current schedule)—not counting the many more that would come if the line were extended to Fort Worth, let alone Austin or San Antonio.

That promise brings with it a new problem: The local transit system, run by DART, will have to be ready to handle the passenger spike. To that end, riding the wave of high-speed rail enthusiasm, city council members have announced their support for a transit expansion plan expected to cost more than $983 million. DART has also called for public input for an analysis of its bus system, as part of an update to its 2040 master plan.