Someday soon, Texans may have a way of traveling from Dallas to Austin to San Antonio that isn't driving, as one state representative has proposed a high-speed rail line along the I-35 highway, Newsweek reported.
John Bucy, a Democrat who represents an area that includes parts of Austin, proposed the legislation, which would allow the state's transportation department to partner with a private company to develop the new line.
"Texans and those visiting our great state deserve robust options for travel and commuting. The IH-35 corridor is a major hub for work and recreation, and it only makes sense that high speed rail is an option for this corridor," Bucy wrote in a statement to Newsweek.
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Although Bucy's proposal is certainly no sure thing — his written statement to Newsweek also mentioned that "state law currently prohibits spending on certain rail projects like this one" — the idea will hopefully at least get some more people excited about the idea of high-speed rail in the state.
Studies have shown that high-speed rail is the most efficient and planet-friendly form of long-distance travel that we are currently able to build, producing less planet-overheating air pollution per passenger than either planes or cars.
Anecdotally, social media posts show that people simply love the experience of traveling via high-speed rail, which allows them to get from point A to point B quickly, comfortably, and relatively cheaply — all without going through the various headaches associated with getting on a plane.
The more Texans who call for funding for high-speed rail projects, the more likely it is that such projects eventually do come to fruition.
"[I-35] is going to be in construction for our lifetime, and probably the lifetime of our kids and our kids' kids coming as well," Peter LeCody, president of Texas Rail Advocates, told KERA News. "We've got to look at some different modes of transportation, not only between Austin, San Antonio, but all the way down to Fort Worth and down to San Antonio and the [Rio Grande] valley."
Luckily for Texans, one high-speed rail project, a bullet train connecting Houston to Dallas, is in the works.
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