The Bullet Train That Could Change Everything
In Texas, a new model for high-speed rail is hurtling forward. If successful, it could mark a turning point for the development of public transportation around the country. Full Story
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![The Japanese Shinkansen is a high-speed trail used by JR Central in Japan. A private company is planning to build a rail line between Dallas and Houston using the same trains.]()
Credit: Norihiro Kataoka -
Border Violence Prompts Railroad to Seek Waiver
The Federal Railroad Administration is seeking public comment on a request by Union Pacific to transfer some train safety inspections away from a rail yard in El Paso due to border violence. Full Story
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![Men work on the railroad tracks at the Union Pacific railyard in El Paso on Tuesday, May 6, 2014.]()
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TxDOT Plans to Research Self-Driving Cars and Other Futuristic Tech
The Texas Department of Transportation plans to partner with universities to research futuristic technologies like self-driving cars, hover cars and embedding solar panels in roads. Full Story
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Driver Program Relies on Lender Fined by Feds
Texas sends people who want to make cash payments under the Driver Responsibility Program to ACE Cash Express, which last week agreed to pay $10 million to settle allegations that it harasssed borrowers. Full Story
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As Texas Traffic Forecasts Worsen, Some Worry of a Drag on State Economy
The population of Texas could nearly double by 2050, prompting some to worry that not enough is being done to avoid a future traffic nightmare and the drag on the economy that could come with it. Full Story
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As Perry Exits, GOP Shifts Away From Toll Roads
At last month's Republican state convention, delegates approved a platform less amenable to toll roads, and Attorney General Greg Abbott vowed to build more roads "without raising a single penny in taxes, fees or tolls." Full Story
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In Central Texas, Easy Access to Airport PreCheck is on the Way
Many Texans have wondered why no application centers for the TSA’s PreCheck program exist within 100 miles of Austin or San Antonio. But the agency is now taking steps to change that. Full Story
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![The San Antonio International Airport has TSA PreCheck lines, but there is no place in the city — or in Austin — to apply for the program.]()
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Environmental Review Set for Proposed Dallas-Houston Rail Line
The Federal Railroad Administration published a document on its website Wednesday officially kicking off a highly anticipated environmental review of a proposed high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston. Full Story
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![The JR Central N700 Series, a Japanese Shinkansen bullet train developed by two railway companies in Japan.]()
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Report: Company Behind SH 130 Toll Road in Danger of Default
The company behind the 41-mile southern portion of State Highway 130 is low on cash and scrambling to get an upcoming payment deadline waived, according to a report released this week by Moody’s Investors Service. Full Story
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Firm Proposes Private Toll Road Northeast of Dallas
The Texas Turnpike Corporation of Dallas wants to build a private toll road in an area northeast of Dallas. If built, the road would be the only private toll road in the state and one of the only such facilities in the country. Full Story
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![Traffic on I-30 on the eastern side of Lake Ray Hubbard in Rockwall on June 6. A proposed private tollway to relieve traffic in the area appears to be dead.]()
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Uber, Lyft Are Rolling in 5 Texas Cities, but the Road Ahead Has Some Bumps
Uber and Lyft are now offering their tech-savvy transportation services in Austin, Corpus Christi, Houston, San Antonio and the Dallas area. But statements from officials in those cities say the company's drivers are technically violating local laws. Full Story
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![Uber and Lyft, two San Francisco-based transportation networking companies, have launched services in several Texas cities.]()
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Texas Road Funding Troubles Nab Spotlight
Funding for transportation could draw an unusual amount of attention in coming months as federal highway dollars threaten to dry up and Texans prepare to vote in November on a measure to increase road funds. Full Story
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Texas Gets Poor Marks on Pedestrian Safety
Houston is the seventh most dangerous city in the nation for people on foot, according to a new report. Texas ranked as the 10th most dangerous state for walking commuters, with nearly 4,200 pedestrian deaths between 2003 and 2012. Full Story
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In Lawsuit, County Raises Caution Sign Over New Road Funding Program
LaSalle County, which is in the heart of the Eagle Ford Shale, has sued the Texas Department of Transportation over a $225 million grant program aimed at repairing roads damaged by oilfield traffic. Full Story
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![A natural gas drilling boom in the Eagle Ford Shale area in South Texas is straining the area's rural roads as more than 1,000 loaded trucks are needed to bring a single well into production.]()
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Despite Help From State, Counties Still Struggling to Fix Roads
In 2013, state lawmakers approved millions of dollars in funding to help repair roads damaged by trucks transporting fracking materials. A year later, many of the affected counties say that money will cover only a fraction of what they need. Full Story
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Study: Most Texans Drive and Talk; Many Text
A new study from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute found that three out of four Texans at least occasionally speak on a cellphone while driving and nearly half sometimes read or text while driving. Full Story
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Despite Changes, Driver Surcharge Program Faces Continued Opposition
UPDATED: Lawmakers are unlikely to abolish the Driver Responsibility Program next year, but at a hearing Monday, they encouraged critics of it to submit recommendations for reform. Full Story
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Railroads Filling Void as Oil Pipeline Falls Short
As drillers produce millions of barrels of crude oil in shale plays in Texas and the Midwest, railroad companies are finding booming business in transporting the oil to Gulf Coast refineries. Full Story
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![The Jefferson Rail Transload Terminal at the Port of Beaumont on April 8, 2014. The terminal offloads oil from rail cars onto barges bound for refineries on the Gulf Coast. (Photo by Michael Stravato)]()
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TxDOT Suspends TxTag Payment Page Due to Security Concern
A blogger noticed that a page on the Texas Department of Transportation's TxTag site left customers' credit card information exposed. TxDOT says it has no evidence of any security breaches. Full Story
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![Interstate 45 Gulf Freeway's HOV and Toll lanes exit into Metro's Eastowood Transit Center in Houston Friday, October 19, 2012.]()
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Tax Relief or Targeted Spending Hikes? Surplus Projections Fuel Debate
With expectations that state lawmakers will have a budget surplus of several billion dollars, lawmakers, activists and business groups are already discussing what to do with the money. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Stuart Seeger
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