The public recently had several opportunities to weigh in on plans to connect Fort Worth, Arlington and Dallas with high-speed rail service. The North Central Texas Council of Governments held a series of four open houses in August and September to gauge the opinions of potential users of the system.

There is still time for the public to weigh in on the project before the end of the 30-day comment period. Comment here by Oct. 10 to provide feedback on the Fort Worth-to-Dallas line.

The formal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process of the Dallas-Fort Worth High-Speed Transportation Connections Study is set to kick off soon, during which the environmental and social impacts of the proposed route, which mostly follows Interstate Highway 30, will be evaluated. The NEPA process must be completed within a year of its start date. Once the line has been environmentally cleared, it will be easier to begin discussing funding mechanisms. Ultimately, the project could include some combination of public- and private-sector funds.