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

FM 2920 Access Management

2. Project County

Harris County

3. Facility/Street Name

FM 2920

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

Kuykendahl Rd to Lexington Rd

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

The problems to be addressed are heavy congestion, high crashes, and connectivity.  This 5.29 mi. section of FM 2920 is a heavily utilized, east/west, four- to five-lane rural and urban section corridor with a CTWLTL (note, east of Holzwarth, the EB lanes is two lanes, after Holzwarth, it's three lanes).  It is functionally classified as a principal arterial with posted speeds that vary from 40 - 55 mph and traffic counts vary > 50,000 near IH 45 to <34,000 near Kuykendahl.  No other E/W corridor in the area connects IH 45 to US 290, making it a vital connection in north Harris County. FM 2920 is flanked by retail/commercial development as well as heavy single-family and multi-family residential development. This section of the corridor has a driveway density of 36/mi., which is the second highest density in the corridor according to the 2008 Access Management Study (Study). Crashes are higher than the statewide average.  According the Study; the corridor has a V/C ratio of 1.5, which is Level of Service (LOS) F. In addition, the intersections of FM 2920 and IH 45 and Kuykendahl both have an intersection LOS F. 

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

Add approximately 18,000 linear feet of raised median/channelization, add dedicated right turn lanes on FM 2920 at four locations including: WB lane at IH 45 frontage road, EB lane at IH 45 frontage for exclusive right, EB and WB right turns at Falvel Rd., EB right turn at Rhodes Rd., WB right turn at  Kuykendahl Rd., reduce some driveway widths, and other minor access management treatments including enhanced and advanced warning signage and signal timing. 

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

The primary purpose of the project is to reduce crashes and improve throughput thereby maintaining a high level of connectivity by reducing conflict points and better planning and coordinating how traffic moves through the corridor and interacts with land use. The improvements will smooth traffic flow, improve travel times, decrease delays at traffic signals, improve air quality, and provide for a less stressful commute thus improving public health, a key goal of the FHWA.  The project is anticipated to not only reduce the rate of crashes but also the severity of crashes. According to the Study, expected VHT savings is 213 hours for implementation of access management in the entire corridor (FM 2920 from IH 45 to US 290).  Many of the access management improvements proposed in the study have already been or are being implemented. Improvements are being performed in phases due to the length of the corridor. The Study reports, $12.5M in crash cost savings, and $2.6M in annual travel time savings for the entire corridor.  Empirical evidence documents the benefits of Access Management treatments.  For instance, FHWA's Benefits of Access Management (FHWA-OP-03-066) reports, "raised medians reduce crashes by 40 percent in urban areas and over 60 percent in rural areas." Medians provide pedestrian refuge and better plan how vehicles move through a corridor. The same document indicates left turn lanes substantially reduce rear-end crashes and substantially increase capacity. H-GAC's Evaluation of Access Management report confirms national documentation. The report indicates, access management reduced travel time and delay and reduced driveway-related crashes by 40 to 70 percent, while maintaining economic competitiveness. 

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.

965080

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

TXDOT_HOU_HGAC2018CFP.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?

10/01/2019

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

C-22

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?

No

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

http://www.h-gac.com/taq/access-management-studies/fm2920.aspx

Map/Location

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

Map_HOU_25_AM_FM2920.pdf

Project Budget

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

HOU_25_AM_FM2920 Project Budget Worksheet.xlsx

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

No

Benefit/Cost Analysis

1. Safety Benefits

HOU_25_AM_FM2920 Roadway Safety Benefits Template - Editable.xlsx

2. Delay Benefits

1031201880058AM.xlsx

3. Emissions Benefits

HOU_25_AM_FM2920 Roadway Emissions Benefits Template - Editable.xlsx

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?

901 - 1000

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

No

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:

0.01 – 0.10

2. Please upload your completed LOTTR template.

HOU_25_AM_FM2920 Level of Time Travel Reliability LOTTR Estimation Template - Editable.xlsx

Planning Factors - Improves Multimodal LOS

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

Yes

2. Does the proposed project improve transit LOS?

Yes

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).

FM 2920 is a designated on-street bike facility. The improvements in this project will make biking more safe because it will limit conflict points thus creating a higher comfort activity. In some locations, we are proposing improved cross walks and the addition of a raised median will provide much needed pedestrian refuge in a high speed, multi-lane corridor.

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.

FM 2920 Access Management Study

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

http://www.h-gac.com/taq/access-management-studies/fm2920.aspx

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.

Principal 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