Editors Note : Alan Sadler was elected to MCAD 01/01/2014
High-speed rail a potentially devastating project for region
By Alan B. SadlerGuest columnist | Posted: Tuesday, January 27, 2015 4:05 pm
High-speed rail a potentially devastating project for region
Alan B. Sadler
As many of you have heard or read in local newspapers, a private company in Dallas is proposing a high-speed rail between Houston and Dallas. The Grimes County judge recently wrote an excellent editorial, but I wanted to emphasize certain aspects of this project if in fact the Montgomery County route is chosen.
There are only two routes under consideration … here and Grimes County. Below are some realities and repercussions if our beautiful county is selected for this HSR train project:
1. The average speed will be in excess of 200 mph and sound like a 737 jet as it passes. There will be one train approximately every 30 minutes throughout the day. In short, residences near this project will be for all practical purposes uninhabitable.
2. According to two local appraisers, property values in the affected area will be decreased 75-100 percent of assessed value for residential property. Also, commercial property values will be affected 40-70 percent depending on the proximity to said rail,
3. The proposed Montgomery County route will navigate almost the entirety of West County. It will enter north of Texas 105 West and exit on the way to Tomball,
4. The safety barricades will be unsightly, to the say the least. These structures will be approximately 8 feet high and will follow the route throughout Montgomery County. Additionally, these barricades will prevent many property owners from accessing major portions of their property when this train bisects ranches and smaller tracts of land.
5. Even when reaching the ultimate destination of Houston, this city is not known for its public transportation infrastructure. Multiple cab fares, rental cars and other costly options only further affect this project’s minimal economic viability.
6. The HSR group states that this project will cost approximately $10 billion. Based on a similar project in California, realistic projected costs are in the $20 billion to $30 billion range with no one committing to these cost overruns. Is the Washington, D.C., Department of Transportation so eager to make this happen that it will fund the balance? Yes, that would be taxpayer dollars from private enterprise. Also, the estimated ridership and round-trip fee of $278 per rider is suspect, to say the least. Again, that would be taxpayers to the rescue.
7. The Montgomery County route cuts through much of the Lake Creek Wildlife Habitat, endangering multiple endangered species.
In closing, this is not just a West Montgomery County problem. Once a large swath of property values are decreased by between $500 million and $1 billion, taxing jurisdictions will be forced to increase taxes countywide to make up for the loss of revenue.
Please attend the next meeting of interested Montgomery County citizens and taxpayers at the Lone Star Community Building on the Lone Star Parkway Loop in Montgomery at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 2.
Thank you for your interest in this potentially devastating project.
Alan B. Sadler served as Montgomery County judge from 1991 to 2015.
