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

Hamblen Road

2. Project County

Harris County

3. Facility/Street Name

Hamblen Road

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

From Loop 494 to Laurel Springs Lane

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

Hamblen Road is a two-lane undivided Major Collector that connects Loop 494 in the west with River Bend Drive in the east. Currently, Hamblen Road does not provide pedestrian or bicycle facilities. The City of Houston Major Thoroughfare and Freeway Plan (MTFP) envisions Hamblen Road as a Major Collector with a four-lane segment from Loop 494, realigned to connect to the Sorters-McClellan Road / Loop 494 intersection to Laurel Springs Lane. In March 2015, the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority published the Kingwood Area Mobility Study, which concluded that an improvement and realignment of Hamblen Road should be a priority to improve the mobility and safety in the Kingwood Area. Hamblen Road has an at-grade railroad crossing between Laurel Springs Lane and Loop 494, which has proven to be unsafe and interrupts the flow of traffic creating delays. In May 2014, a pedestrian was killed after she was hit by a train at the rail crossing. A safety analysis was conducted for a 5-year period starting from 2013 to 2017. Crash data was collected from the TxDOT Crash Records Information System (C.R.I.S) Query. A total of 28 crashes involving 57 vehicles and 74 people were recorded in the 5-year period within the project limits (Loop 494 to Laurel Springs Lane). A crash frequency and trend analysis for the study period indicated that crashes have been rising in the past five years. The crash rate by roadway mileage indicates 10.29 crashes per mile in the project limit. The estimated study segment crash rate (258.30 VMT) was higher than the rural average but slightly lower than the urban average. Crash patterns indicated that a cluster of 13 out of 28 crashes were reported adjacent to the intersections of Hamblen Road and Loop 494 and Hamblen Road / Hamblen Road Underpass. These two intersections are 100-feet apart. The proximity of these intersections may cause confusion for drivers and present safety hazards based on the reported crash patterns. The proposed realignment would improve safety by connecting Hamblen Road directly to a signalized intersection at Sorters-McClellan Road / Loop 494. Therefore, with the proposed realignment the closely spaced intersections mentioned above would be closed to traffic. The realignment would increase capacity by expanding Hamblen Road from a two-lane undivided cross section to a four-lane undivided cross section. The proposed grade separated crossing of the railroad will eliminate the possibility of train-pedestrian and train-vehicle collisions and reduce delays associated to vehicle stopping and waiting until a train pass through. This project also includes the construction of a hike and bike trail parallel to the realignment, satisfying the need for pedestrian and cyclist accommodations along Hamblen Road.

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

The Hamblen Road Project consist of a improving the existing roadway from a two-lane undivided facility to a four-lane urban roadway. It would also realign Hamblen Road to connect directly to the Sorters-McClellan Road / Loop 494 intersection and construct a grade separated railroad crossing, allowing uninterrupted access to the surrounding neighborhoods. The improvement will include construction of a 12-foot hike and bike trail, running parallel to the roadway.

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

The purpose of the proposed project is to improve mobility, connectivity, and capacity by realigning Hamblen Road and upgrading from a two-lane undivided roadway to a four-lane undivided cross section. • Improve Mobility and Connectivity: This realignment would improve mobility and connectivity by connecting directly to Sorters-McClellan Road. Sorters-McClellan Road crosses IH 69, and provides access to the southbound Eastex Freeway Service Road. • Increase Capacity, Improve Safety and Reduce Delays: The construction of a grade separated railroad crossing would provide uninterrupted flow of traffic and eliminate conflict points at the existing closely spaced intersections on Hamblen Road near Loop 494. It would also eliminate the potential threat of vehicle-trains and pedestrian-train collisions. The three primary advantages of the grade separated railroad crossing would be the increase of capacity by having uninterrupted flow, improvement of safety by eliminating the possibility of train-vehicle collisions and reduction in delays associated with vehicle stoppage for train crossings. Upgrading the cross section from a two-lane undivided roadway to a four-lane undivided cross section would also improve capacity. • Improve Travel Time: The elimination of intersections and grade separation of the rail crossing along the route would also improve the travel time and safety along Hamblen Road, including emergency response time.

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.

10176000

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

Hamblen Road support-and-funding-letters.pdf

Project Development/Readiness

1. Please select the level of engineering completed.

Not Started

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

Environmental Assessment (EA)

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

12/01/2021

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

Yes

US Coast Guard Permits

No

Railroad Agreements

Yes

None of the Above

No

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

Yes

A. What was/is the estimated completion date for Right of Way/easement mapping?

04/30/2018

B. What was/is the estimated start date for Right of Way/easement acquisition?

09/22/2016

C. What was/is the estimated completion date for Right of Way/easement acquisition?

05/01/2018

D. How many parcels must be acquired to implement the project?

5

E. How many parcels have been acquired to date?

5

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).

Hamblen Rd_TxDOT Letter of Acknowledgment.pdf

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

This project has been included in 2017 Houston Major Thoroughfare and Freeway Plan and in the Kingwood Area Mobility Study. The Kingwood Area Mobility Study created a Capital Improvement Plan with the purpose of providing mobility options for the Kingwood area residents. The realignment and improvement of Hamblen Road was prioritized as an alternative to improve mobility and safety to the Kingwood Area Residents. The 2017 Houston Major Thoroughfare and Freeway Plan classifies Hamblen Road as a major collector. It envisions a widening with a minimum right of-way of 100-feet width and the acquisition for a realignment connecting Hamblen Road directly to Sorters-McClellan Road.

Map/Location

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

Hamblen Road location-map.pdf

Project Budget

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

Hamlen Road project-budget-worksheet.xlsx

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

No

Benefit/Cost Analysis

1. Safety Benefits

Roadway-Safety-Benefits-Template - Hamblen Road Application.xlsx

2. Delay Benefits

10262018125811PM.xlsx

3. Emissions Benefits

Intersection-Improvements-Emissions-Benefits- Hamblen Road Application.xlsx

4. Additional BCA Documentation (Optional)

BCA Template Data Methodology.docx

5. Additional BCA Documentation (Optional)

Intersection-Improvement-Emissions-Benefits Calculations.zip

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

The Attached Word document "BCA Template Data Methodology" describes the source of all data input to the safety, delay, and emission benefit templates. Additionally, it describes the process for calculating/estimating Average Vehicle Delay and Daily Travel Demand for the intersection emissions template.

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:

0.21 – 0.30

2. Please upload your completed LOTTR template.

lottr-estimation-template - Hamblen Road Application.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?

Yes

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

The construction of a grade separated railroad crossing would provide uninterrupted flow of traffic and eliminate conflict points at the existing closely spaced intersections on Hamblen Road near Loop 494. For all vehicles (automobile and freight) traveling east-west on Hamblen Road, delays associated with train crossings would be eliminated. Upgrading the cross section from a two-lane undivided roadway to a four-lane undivided cross section would also add capacity. The benefit cost analysis also shows that the redesigned Loop 494 / Sorters McClellan / Hamblen Road intersection would operate more efficiently with the improvements. This project also includes the construction of a hike and bike trail parallel to the realignment. Because no pedestrian or bicyclist facilities currently exist along the current Hamblen Road alignment, this improvement provides a significant upgrade to nonmotorized safety and comfort. Hamblen Road is a key part of the future walking/biking network in the area. Future projects will provide nonmotorized connections extending from Hamblen Road to the Bevil Jarrel Memorial Bridge, providing a biking/walking route across the San Jacinto River.

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?

Yes

A. If yes, please provide the title of the regional/sub regional or local plan in which the proposed project is recommended.

Houston Major Thoroughfare & Freeway Plan (MTFP)

B. If yes, please provide a link to the regional/sub regional or local plan in which the proposed project is recommended.

https://www.houstontx.gov/planning/transportation/MTFPMap/MTFP_MAP_17.pdf

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

No

Locally Designated Freight Corridor

No

State Designated Evacuation Route

No

None of the Above

Yes