Richardson | July 2022

TRANSPORTATION UPDATES Eminent domain power upheld for Texas Central

ONGOING PROJECTS

BY JISHNU NAIR

The Texas Supreme Court issued a 5-3 ruling June 24 that upheld Texas Central’s right to use eminent domain for its planned high-speed railroad between Houston and Dallas. Justice Debra Lehrmann delivered the court’s majority opinion with input from Chief Justice Nathan Hecht, Justice Brett Busby, Justice Je Boyd and Justice Evan Young. Justice Rebeca Huddle delivered the dissenting opinion with input from Justice Jimmy Blacklock and Justice John Devine. Justice Jane Bland did not participate. Katharine Barnes, listed on LinkedIn as Texas Central’s counsel and director of right-of-way, said in an email to Community Impact Newspaper that the company was “appreciative” of the decision. “We are appreciative to the Texas Supreme Court for their time and consideration of this important issue as we continue work on this

ALL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED AS OF JULY 18. NEWS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE OR OTHER LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS? EMAIL US AT RICNEWSCOMMUNITYIMPACT.COM. Funding sources: 2015 bonds, 2021 bonds, Dallas County Major Capital Improvement Program funds McKinney Street construction in CORE District Parts of McKinney Street will see temporary road closures as construc- tion and rehabilitation takes place in Richardson’s Core District. The work will mostly take place just north and south of Main Street. It is one of many projects intended to revitalize the dis- trict, ocials said. The project includes repaving the street and replacing utili- ties while also providing new landscap- ing and trees. Timeline: July-August Cost: $1.3 million

“IT’S ABOUT IF TEXAS CENTRAL HAD THE AUTHORITY TO PURCHASE A STRIP OF LAND.” PETER LECODY, TEXAS RAIL ADVOCATES PRESIDENT

The groundbreaking for Texas Central’s high-speed railway from Houston to Dallas remains delayed. (Rendering courtesy Texas Central)

high-speed passenger train rail,” Barnes said in a statement. The project would use a system modeled after Japanese Shinkansen bullet trains to transport passengers between the two cities. Peter LeCody, the president of the Dallas-based nonprot Texas Rail Advocates— which led an amicus brief in support of Texas Central—said the decision opened doors to new rail companies

wanting to lay tracks in Texas but that there was still some uncertainty. “It wasn’t about if high-speed rail is good or bad; it’s [about] if Texas Central had the authority to purchase a strip of land for the rail,” LeCody said. “[However], with the pandemic in place for two years and six months of diddling from the Supreme Court, where does this leave Texas Central?”

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RICHARDSON EDITION • JULY 2022