Just this year, state lawmakers flirted with defunding light rail systems in Dallas and Houston. Houston, which also has a light rail system, has invested more heavily in freeway systems. There needs to be a population base that can support the cost of investing in light rail infrastructure. Using those could make a lighter financial lift for the city to establish the light rail system. The city of Tyler in early 2025 paid $150,000 to Kimley-Horn to conduct a study on a light rail system.