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HarveyK400 I am keen to understand the methodology you employed to gage the level of interest for passenger rail service in the Texas Triangle.  Did you take a valid statistical sample of the population?  How many people did you interview?  What level of confidence did you use?  What tolerance factor did you use?  What error rate did you accept?  Did you stratify the population?  Did you use a questionnaire followed by a structured interview or did you rely exclusively on one or the other?NARP, amongst others, claims that Americans want more passenger trains.  They cite several surveys to support their claims.  But when one looks at them closely, most of the surveys were conducted by telephone.  They are very high level.  And they are shallow.  Drilling down would probably produce a different response pattern.Many Americans say that they want to see more passenger trains, but when asked whether they ride them, outside of a few corridors, the answer is no.  Moreover, if the interviewers had performed in-depth follow-up interviews, i.e. explained the cost (direct or indirect), locations, etc., they probably would have gotten a different response.  For example, many people say that they want better public schools.  But when they are told honestly how the increased funding requirements will impact their taxes, many of them have a change of heart.  The DART Board meets in the same building that houses DART's headquarters.  They park in a garage underneath the building.  Most of the executives and many of the professional staff park in the same garage.  The DART red and blue light rail lines run right past the building.  In fact, the Ervay Street Station is in front of the building.  On occasion I have watched the board members and staff depart their meetings.  I did not see many of them jump on the train.   The DART Board plays an active role in planning.  It usually outlines a broad plan.  The staff fills in the many details required to make it happen.  They also make recommendations for the board to consider.  After a suitable period of exchange a decision is made.  Planning is an interactive process, but the Board approves the plan and authorizes the funding to make it happen.  DART's light rail line is an expensive solution to traffic problems in the Dallas Metroplex.  It is so expensive that the expansion has run into a major stumbling block.  The project is more than a billion dollars over budget.  Moreover, at the end of the day, only a small percentage of the Metroplex population is able to use public transport.  The DART light rail system and the TRE were certainly a worthwhile investment for the people who use it.  They get a nice fat subsidy, which is paid by millions of Metroplex residents who don't use it because it would be impracticable to do so.    I am all for commuter rail where it makes sense.  I am all for light rail where it is a cost effective solution.  I actively campaigned for passage of the DART referendum.  But in many instances planners have jumped on rail or light rail as an optimum solution when in fact there are better alternatives.  There are all kinds of maybes.  One could argue the issue until the cows come home.  If there is a market for intercity rail in Texas, the best way to determine it is to open it up to private investors.  This is the best way to allocate scarce resources.  If it is doable, investors will jump at the opportunity to turn a buck on it.  To date there have been no takers.  And there won't be until congestion reaches a point that compels an alternative to driving and flying.  And we are a long way from that point, even in the Texas Triangle.
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