Tag Archives: commuter rail

The Travis County study for an alternate Austin-to-San Antonio passenger rail line

Posted on August 29, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

We have two not great choices for something that would be really really useful if it could ever be made to happen. A passenger rail link between Austin and San Antonio, long dreamed about by local officials and commuters who would … Continue reading →

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TxDOT’s proposal for Austin-San Antonio passenger rail

Posted on July 19, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I’m actually kind of impressed. It still seems like a longshot, for reasons explained in the article, but it also feels like the most plausible and realistic scenario I’ve seen. If improvements are made to existing rail tracks between San … Continue reading →

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Time for another Lone Star Rail update

Posted on December 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Because I will always write about Lone Star Rail updates. As Travis County Judge Andy Brown runs for reelection, one of his top campaign priorities is building a train between Austin and San Antonio. “You want trains; I want to … Continue reading →

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A different approach to Austin-San Antonio commuter rail

Posted on October 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting. Deeply flawed, as far as I can tell, but interesting. Travis County leaders are exploring new ways to connect Austin to San Antonio. On Tuesday morning, county commissioners approved a $124,953 study from HNTB, an engineering company, to … Continue reading →

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Twenty years later, we’re still studying rail into Fort Bend

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Everything old is new again. More than 120,000 people work at the Texas Medical Center – many of whom commute from Sugar Land and the surrounding areas in Fort Bend County. The Houston-Galveston Area Council is studying ways to help … Continue reading →

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Lone Star Rail revival

Posted on May 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe now is finally the time. Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai and Travis County Judge Andy Brown have jointly launched a committee of political heavyweights to explore the decades-old idea of connecting Austin and San Antonio via passenger rail. The … Continue reading →

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The Lone Star Rail idea never truly dies

Posted on July 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, it is a good idea, even if the obstacles seem to be impossible. San Antonio and Austin, two of the fastest-growing U.S. cities, sit just 80 miles apart. That’s too close for regular flights and just far enough … Continue reading →

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Texas Central and Lone Star Rail

Posted on December 1, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Noted for the record. In South Central Texas, 20 state legislators have revived talk of a San Antonio to Austin passenger rail line. Area lawmakers signed a letter in August asking Transportation Committee chair and state Rep. Terry Canales (D-Edinburg) to study … Continue reading →

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Will Lone Star Rail get resurrected?

Posted on September 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe! A coalition of San Antonio and Austin state representatives has asked the House Transportation Committee chair to study the possibility of passenger rail between the two cities ahead of the 2021 legislative session. Congestion between the two cities will … Continue reading →

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Metro referendum is set

Posted on August 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. Metropolitan Transit Authority board members voted Tuesday to ask voters in November for permission to borrow up to $3.5 billion, without raising taxes. The money would cover the first phase of what local leaders expect to be … Continue reading →

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What if we didn’t expand I-45?

Posted on June 24, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s an awful lot of money that comes with a ton of negative effects and which, if the I-10 expansion is any guide, will have short-lived positive effects. So maybe we should just, like, not do it? A massive remake … Continue reading →

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First look at Metro’s long range plan

Posted on August 2, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s big, with smaller components that could be done as lower-cost alternatives. After a bus system overhaul that garnered the attention of other cities looking to do the same, Houston’s transit agency is in the midst of creating its long-range plan, MetroNEXT, to take the … Continue reading →

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No Metro vote this year

Posted on May 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

One thing that won’t be on your ballot this fall. Voters will have to wait a few more months to decide Houston’s transit future, as Metro officials said Monday they are taking a more deliberative approach to developing a long-term … Continue reading →

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Lamenting the lost rail opportunity

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

What could have been. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett’s speech Tuesday may have included jabs at state lawmakers, but it was a hit with transit advocates for a single line. “We cannot go back in time and undo some poor … Continue reading →

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Help Metro figure out its Regional Transit Plan

Posted on June 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s your chance to get involved and shape the direction of transit in the greater Houston area going forward. What is your vision for transit service in the Greater Houston region? METRO needs your help in creating a bold vision … Continue reading →

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The long-term future of public transit

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

By “long-term” I mean by 2050 or so. For an agency that’s spent decades guiding freeway expansion, it was a stark admission for members of the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s transportation policy council. “Future growth and the resulting travel is expected … Continue reading →

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Coming back to the US90A rail extension

Posted on September 28, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of talk, and a case for action sooner rather than later. A Metro rail extension from southern Houston to Missouri City is gaining momentum, fueled by rare near-unanimous support from local, state and federal officials who represent the area. … Continue reading →

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RIP, Lone Star Rail

Posted on August 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This really does appear to be the end of the line. On a 17-1 vote late Monday, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization board decided to kick off a two-month process to remove from its official 25-year transportation plan the … Continue reading →

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More on commuter rail to Fort Bend

Posted on August 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron picks up the ball. In a blog post for Off the Kuff, a local progressive politics blog, former Fort Bend Democratic Party chairman Steve Brown said now is the time for local officials to form a commuter rail … Continue reading →

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Steve Brown: Why we need the US90A rail line

Posted on July 28, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: From time to time I solicit guest posts on various topics, from people who have a particular interest or expertise in a particular topic. Today’s post is by Steve Brown, on the newly revived US90A commuter rail line.) In … Continue reading →

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Metro revives US90A commuter rail line

Posted on July 23, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The possibility of it, anyway. No promises or commitments at this time. Metropolitan Transit Authority board members on Thursday approved a resolution authorizing transit officials to “place” the project in the “Federal Transit Administration process” and look for ways to … Continue reading →

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My vision for Metro: Expansion

Posted on June 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Part 1: Buses Part 2: Marketing itself One of the things that new Metro Chair Carrin Patman has been talking about is a regional transportation plan, to get everyone – including cities and counties not currently involved with Metro – … Continue reading →

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Lone Star Rail reboot: It’s all about the money

Posted on May 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Isn’t it always? The message was clear: If San Antonio-area officials aren’t willing to commit millions of dollars to planning a regional passenger rail line, Austin-area officials will reconsider their financial commitment to the project. The Capital Area and Alamo … Continue reading →

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Lone Star Rail: Not dead yet

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Just a flesh wound, actually. The decision by Union Pacific to end its working relationship with Lone Star Rail District (LSRD) in February, was a blow in efforts to develop a passenger rail line between San Antonio and Austin. But … Continue reading →

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The Purple City plan for I-45

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Check it out. Should a major freeway plan consider the needs of cyclists? Of transit riders? And if we’re going to tear down and reconstruct the entire downtown freeway network of the fourth-largest city in America, shouldn’t the final result … Continue reading →

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Lone Star Rail setback

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Bummer. Union Pacific dealt a major blow to a proposal to connect San Antonio and Austin with passenger rail by pulling one of its tracks from a possible plan. UP ended its agreement with the Lone Star Rail District to … Continue reading →

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More on the Gulf Coast Rail District and the high speed rail line

Posted on December 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron reports on the story. Officials with the Gulf Coast Rail District, Houston-Galveston Area Council, Texas Department of Transportation and Metropolitan Transit Authority are involved in a comprehensive planning study of rail, generally in the Washington Avenue and Interstate … Continue reading →

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More rail options being studied

Posted on December 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This caught my eye last week. The Gulf Coast Rail District says to make the system viable the train needs to come into downtown, or there has to be some sort of commuter rail option that would link downtown with … Continue reading →

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Lone Star Rail District to ask SA Council for funding

Posted on August 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Not so much for now, but over time there will be real money spent. Officials with Lone Star Rail District (LSRD) have asked City Council to allocate up to $500,000 in the city’s 2016 fiscal year budget to help fund … Continue reading →

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Lone Star Rail faces Council vote in San Antonio

Posted on August 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a big step. While there is little opposition to the idea of a commuter rail line (the LSTAR) between San Antonio and Austin, the City takes serious pause when confronted with the yearly costs of operation and maintenance. But … Continue reading →

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The future of Fort Bend transit

Posted on July 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Public transportation in Fort Bend County has grown quite a bit since its inception, and there’s a lot of potential for future growth if the pieces can be put into place. On Tuesday, county leaders, staff and transit partners gathered … Continue reading →

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The Chron on how Metro and Culberson came to an accord

Posted on May 29, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Read all about it. Houston’s buses don’t run at 2 a.m., but that’s when Metro and U.S. Rep. John Culberson began to see real movement toward a deal to improve area transit service. “We got really intense one night and … Continue reading →

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Now how much would you pay to drive on that toll road?

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

How about ten bucks each way at peak times, beginning on May 30? Toll rates on the I-10 lanes, also known as the Katy Managed Lanes, will increase as officials seek to ease congestion by reducing use of the lanes … Continue reading →

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Metro and Culberson announce the terms of their agreement

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Gotta say, this all sounds pretty good. First, Congressman Culberson supports METRO’s proposed legislation pending in the State Legislature that expands the size of the METRO Board, increases the eligible length of Board member service and allows the existing board … Continue reading →

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