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Denton County
Transportation Authority
1660 South Stemmons
Suite 250
Lewisville, TX 75067
972-221-4600
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The Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) was authorized by local voters in 2002 and 2003 to begin the process of determining how passenger rail could help address the need for increased mobility in Denton County. Voters approved a half-cent local sales tax to help fund transportation improvements, including rail.
A study called an Alternatives Analysis (AA) was conducted in 2004 and 2005 and confirmed rail as a viable option for improving mobility in the county. The AA initiated a public involvement process and relied on community input to identify a preferred route location for the rail line, commonly called the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA), which was approved by the DCTA Board of Directors in May 2005. The preferred path or route for the LPA roughly follows along the eastern side of I-35E.
Get more information about the AA.
In September 2007, the draft environmental documentation (called a Draft Environmental Impact Statement or DEIS) was completed. The DEIS provides a report of existing natural, cultural and social conditions, potential project impacts, and proposed measures to avoid, minimize or mitigate the potential impacts.
The DEIS was made available for public review and comment, and two public hearings were conducted to share information contained in the DEIS, and to receive comments on the document. The comment period closed on September 17, 2007.
The DCTA Board of Directors decided in late 2007 to use only local funding sources to construct the proposed rail project. Because no federal funds for capital construction will be used, the local approving authority for the RailDCTA Final Environmental Impact Determination (FEID) was the DCTA Board of Directors. The Board approved the document at its regular meeting on April 24, 2008.
Local approval will allow engineering and design activities to be expedited, which will help keep the project on schedule to operate service by late 2010. Early completion of the project will provide travelers with options for dealing with construction related to congestion on I-35E.
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