2018 Call for Projects Application List

Who is Completing the Application?

Please provide contact information for the person who will complete the online application for this project. The email address and password entered here will be used to complete and submit both Pre-Applications and Applications.

Primary Agency Information

Please provide contact information for the agency official who is representing the project sponsor. This individual will be considered the official applicant and must be authorized by their agency to submit this request for funding and make necessary assertations and representations on the agency’s behalf.

Additional Agency Information

1. Is this project being developed and/or implemented in partnership with another agency?

Project Information

1. Project Title

Port Road Total Crossing Railroad Overpass

2. Project County

Harris County

3. Facility/Street Name

Port Road

4. Project limits (from, to) or location (Address)

From FM 146 to Cruise St.

5. Describe the primary problems to be addressed by the project (Project Need).

Port Road is the main entrance to the Bayport Container Terminal. As such, approximately 950,000 trucks travel this road every year that is 1,900,000 opportunities that trucks are put at risk or delayed by a train. In 2018, Bayport Terminal average 7,534 truck trips per day. By the year 2045 this opportunity for crossing dangers, delays, and increased emissions is projected to double. These numbers do not consider additional vehicles for the port employees, residential community tucked behind the gate or the six industrial facilities that operate on Port Road. The railroad at this location currently operates once a day during terminal off hours and there are infrequent conflicts between rail and road traffic today. Once Port Houston’s container capacity reaches the amount that necessitates the need to open the terminal for longer hours or the rail operator need to operate more than today the frequency of conflict will increase. Port Houston has gaged the impact to traffic by delay of truck moving through the terminal. Based on projections, the potential truck queue length caused by a train blocking Port Road during current peak hours would be 8,750 ft. of arrivals and 8,960 ft. of departures. This will back up traffic onto Hwy 146 and stall the processing of trucks within the container terminal creating an unsafe environment.

6. Describe the proposed improvement/activity (Description).

Port Houston proposes to build a grade separation over the railroad to minimize future projected delay. The proposed improvement will allow for continuous flow of vehicles even during rail movement. Port Houston has already completed two improvements to Port Road including approximately $30 million federally funded flyovers to access Hwy 146 and a bridge to remove an intersection that separated the road from the gate entrance traffic. There is a current project to expand the roadway funded by the Texas Rider 45, in the amount of $9.675 million, that will expand the lanes from four to six lanes. The grade separation is the final phase of the expansion of Port Rd. to make the movement of freight more efficient. Port Houston requests assistance from H-GAC to complete the design and construction of this phase.

7. Describe the primary outcomes to be achieved by the project (Project Purpose)

The grade separation, when warranted, will reduce emissions, delay and improve safety. Benefits based on weekly conflict: According to the safety benefits template provided there would be significant safety benefits. Based on the calculation of the Benefits template discounted safety benefits at 7% are $103,630. According to the Intersection Improvements for Emission benefits the proposed grade separation will reduce NOx by .17 tons per year and VOC by .02 tons per year. The total discounted emission benefit is $373,000. The proposed grade separation will decrease delay for trucks by 142,808 hours over the course of 2028 to 2050. The calculations of the Benefit Cost Analysis represent the discounted delay benefit at $6,402,000. This brings the total benefit ratio close to a 1:1. With estimated BCA of $6.9 million to the cost of the project estimated at $7.4 million. Benefits based on daily conflict: According to the safety benefits template provided there would be significant safety benefits. Based on the calculation of the Benefits template discounted safety benefits at 7% are $5,389,000. According to the Intersection Improvements for Emission benefits the proposed grade separation will reduce NOx by 8.75 tons per year and VOC by 1.17 tons per year. The total discounted emission benefit is $19,375,000. The proposed grade separation will decrease delay for trucks by 856,854 hours over the course of 2028 to 2050. The calculations of the Benefit Cost Analysis represent the discounted delay benefit at $38,415,000. This brings the total benefit ratio to 10:1. With estimated BCA of $72.46 million to the cost of the project estimated at $7.4 million.

8. Have any MPOID numbers been assigned to this project?

No

9. Have any TxDOT Control-Section-Job (CSJ) numbers been assigned to this project?

No

10. What is the estimated total capital investment required for the project?

Less than $100 million

A. Investment Category & Strategy

(Manage) Access Management/Safety/Grade Separations

11. Please provide the federal funding amount requested.

5928806

12. Please upload the funding commitment letter or letters of support from the local government.

POHA signed Letter.pdf

Project Development/Readiness

1. Please select the level of engineering completed.

Schematic

2. What is the completed or anticipated level of environmental documentation required for the proposed project?

Categorical Exclusion (CE)

A. What was/is the anticipated completion date of the environmental clearance?

05/29/2026

B. Type of Categorical Exclusion (CE)? (Optional)

Actions which qualify under 23 CFR 771.117(d)

3. Will any of the following be required to implement the project? US Army Corps of Engineers Permits

No

US Coast Guard Permits

No

Railroad Agreements

No

None of the Above

Yes

4. Will the acquisition of Right of Way or an easement be required to implement the project?

No

5. Has utility coordination been initiated for the project?

No

6. Will the project improve or significantly affect infrastructure owned or operated by another agency?

Yes

A. If Yes, please provide appropriate documentation showing interagency consultation (e.g, interagency agreements, coordination documentation).

BAY_Port_Road_Harris_County_Summary_of_Agreement_2005-Feb.pdf

8. Please provide any additional project development/readiness information relevant to the proposed project. (6000 characters max) (Optional)

Harris County has been involved in the grade separation. They will be submitting a letter of support for this project to enter the Regional Transportation Plan. When the grade separation is warranted Port Houston will work with Harris County to amend the Port Road agreement.

Map/Location

1. Please provide a clear and concise GIS coverage or PDF map for the proposed project. (MPK ESRI Map Package file preferred)

PortRd_TOTAL_Rail_Crossing.pdf

Project Budget

1. Please attach a completed project budget worksheet. Templates are available on the 2018 Call for projects website.

Copy of project-budget-worksheet-template.xlsx

2. Are Transportation Development Credits (TDCs) being requested?

No

Benefit/Cost Analysis

1. Safety Benefits

Roadway-Safety-Benefits-Template.xlsx

2. Delay Benefits

1030201873630AM.xlsx

3. Emissions Benefits

Intersection-Improvements-Emissions-Benefits-Template.xlsx

6. Please provide a brief narrative describing the methodology, input data and results. (Optional)

As this is an RTP application we use different calculation to show delay based on truck volume and potential train conflict. The totals were broken into daily, weekly, and monthly NPV. This shows that the grade separation will be needed at the time there is weekly conflict before we move to daily.

Planning Factors - Connectivity to Employment/Eliminates At-Grade Railroad Crossings

1. Does the facility directly connect to or is located within 1/2 mile of employment?

Yes

A. If yes, please indicate number of jobs the facility directly connects to or is within a 1/2 mile?

1 - 500 Jobs

2. Does the proposed project eliminate or prevent at grade railroad crossing?

Yes

Planning Factors - Environmental Justice

1. Is the proposed project located in or is adjoining an environmental justice sensitive area (census block groups) identified by HGAC?

No

Planning Factors - Improves Corridor Level of Travel Time Reliability (LOTTR)

1. The proposed project will reduce Planning Time Index (PTI) by:

0.11 - 0.20

2. Please upload your completed LOTTR template.

lottr-estimation-template.xlsx

Planning Factors - Improves Multimodal LOS

1. Does the proposed project improve highway/freight LOS?

Yes

2. Does the proposed project improve transit LOS?

No

3. Does the proposed project improve bike/pedestrian LOS?

No

4. Please provide a brief narrative explaining how proposed project improves multimodal LOS (Auto, Bike/Ped, and Transit).

The efficient movement of freight improves the transfer of goods to the customer. The overpass would create a grade separation, so freight could be moved from ship to truck to customer efficiently without delay from a train crossing.

Planning Factors - Planning Coordination

1. Is the proposed project recommended in a regional/sub regional/or locally adopted plan including regional thoroughfare plans? Or Has the sponsor conducted interagency coordination with other local or state agency affected by the proposed project?

No

Planning Factors - Roadway Hierarchy/Freight System Priority/Evacuation Route

1. Please select the functional classification of the roadway on which the proposed project is located, based on the characteristics of the roadway after the project is implemented. The FHWA Highway Functional Classification Concepts, Criteria and Procedures is provided in the link below.

Minor Arterial

2. Is your project located on one of the following? Greater Houston Freight System

Yes

Locally Designated Freight Corridor

No

State Designated Evacuation Route

No

None of the Above

No