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

Hillcroft Park and Ride Pedestrian Accessibility

2. Project County

Harris County

3. Facility/Street Name

US 59/I 69

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

Westward St/ Entrance to Hillcroft Park and Ride

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

The need for the proposed project is demonstrated by the following conditions: • Sidewalks and median refuges have gaps and are in poor condition. •The intersection of the I 69 and the Westpark Tollway forces pedestrians to cross up to four freeway frontage roads, depending on their direction of travel •Many pedestrians unsafely cross the freeway frontage roads to avoid this intersection and arrive at the Hillcroft TC. • Currently, families and residents South of Westpark Tollway and East of I 69 walk along I 69. This heavily car-traveled road frontage road combined with heavy foot traffic, and low automobile ownership and higher number of crashes indicates a need for safer transportation alternative to connect to transit.

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

• ADA-compliant Improve median refuge area and pork chops for pedestrians, replace signals and update pedestrian signals. • Strip high visibility crosswalks. • Widened sidewalks to accomodate heavy foot traffic • ADA-compliant pedestrian ramps • Refresh striping for the length of the project limits. • Possible mid-block crossing pending results of traffc study.• Landscape/Hardscape

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

The proposed project meets the transportation needs of low- income community with low automobile ownership by providing safer and expanded access between METRO’s fixed route service at the Hillcroft Park & Ride, improving connectivity for alternative modes of transportation to and from and the high density residential neighborhood surrounding the Park & Ride and nearby/adjacent schools, and encourage mode shifts from driving to walking and transit for work and non-work trips.

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

Active Transportation

11. Please provide the federal funding amount requested.

1733012

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

HOU_101_HILL - Letter of Commitment.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?

Categorical Exclusion (CE)

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

09/01/2020

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

(c)(3) Construction of bicycle and pedestrian lanes, paths, and facilities

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).

HOU_101_HILL - Interagency Consultation.docx

7. Please upload project development timeline. A sample of Best-Case Scenario project development timeline can be downloaded here for your review. (Optional)

HOU_101_HILL - Timeline.pdf

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

No Advanced Funding Agreement (AFA) will be needed for this project since TxDOT will provide the 20% match, which reduces the project timeline by 6-12 months for the AFA process. No permits from the Army Corps of Engineers, US Coast Guard, and railroad are expected to be required before the project can be constructed. No documentation is needed from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). TxDOT’s Houston District Environmental Section has reviewed the project and indicated that the criteria for FHWA Categorical Exclusion Action (c)(3) Construction of bicycle and pedestrian lanes, paths, and facilities would be appropriate for this project. This project does not require additional acquisition of right-of-way (ROW), no ROW acquisition and/or easements is needed.

9. Additional Project Development/Readiness Attachment (Optional)

HOU_101_Project Readiness.zip

Map/Location

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

HOU_101_HILL - Location Map.pdf

Project Budget

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

HOU_101_HGAC_Template.xlsx

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

No

Benefit/Cost Analysis

1. Safety Benefits

Ped Roadway Safety Benefit - Hillcroft Park & Ride.zip

2. Delay Benefits

10302018103833PM.xlsx

3. Emissions Benefits

Ped Emission Benefits - Hillcroft Park & Ride.xlsx

4. Additional BCA Documentation (Optional)

HOU_101_HILL_Additional Information.zip

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

Hillcroft Park and Ride Daily User Methodology Generation Methodology A Bicycle and Pedestrian Demand Sketch methodology (Greg Griffin) was utilized to generate daily bicycle and pedestrian volumes for the Hillcroft Park and Ride Facility. This methodology utilizes American Community Survey commuting mode share data (Subject Table “S0801 Commuting Characteristics by Sex”) to estimate mode shares along the facility for both bicycle and pedestrians. A multiplier was generated to account for additional bike and pedestrian travel outside of the commuting periods. To develop the most accurate estimate of mode share for each project, buffers were utilized to account for surrounding land uses and area types. A 1.5-mile buffer was utilized for pedestrian projects and a 5-mile buffer for bike projects. ACS data within these buffers was averaged to generate a likely mode share for both bike and pedestrian modes. This data was then applied to traffic volumes generated from the regional travel demand model to estimate daily user bike and pedestrian trips. For the Hillcroft Park and Ride Facility, only an estimate for daily pedestrian users was calculated. The specific process utilized to develop daily user estimates is outlined below: Assemble mode share and roadway network data • ACS data collection for city/county/MPO bike and pedestrian commute share • Pull ADT information from regional model for appropriate network links parallel or nearby project facilities • Load data into GIS • Identify ACS Block Groups within buffer range to generate ACS mode share estimates Estimate total trips by mode (multiplier) • Calculate total mode pedestrian mode share using the following formula: total pedestrian mode share = 2.2 x pedestrian commute share Apply pedestrian rates to roadway segments • Apply ped rates as proportion of current and/or projected vehicular volumes along specific roadway segment to develop estimated daily users Interpolate to Estimate Build Year Daily Users • The HGAC Model Years are 2018, 2025, and 2045. To estimate the “build year” daily users, an interpolation was applied to develop estimates for 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. Reasonableness Check • A reasonable check was conducted by reviewing local information and transit ridership information to assess the reasonableness of user estimates generated in the previous steps. This methodology resulted in reasonable estimates of potential pedestrian users in the year open to traffic.

Planning Factors - Barrier Elimination (Active Transportation)

1. Does the proposed facility provide safe and convenient routes across barriers such as freeways, railroads, and waterways?

Yes

2. Does the proposed bicycle/pedestrian facility close a gap in the existing bicycle network that aligns with a regional bikeway?

Yes

Planning Factors - Emissions Reductions

1. Please provide the air quality improvements (estimated NOX tons/year) the proposed facility provides.

1.17 tons/year NOx Estimated Daily Volume Reduced in Year Open to Traffic: 799 Estimated Daily VMT Reduced in Year Open to traffic: 2,398 Estimated NOx Reductions In Year Open to Traffic (in gms/day) 122.6891709

2. Please provide the air quality improvements (estimated VOCs tons/year) the proposed facility provides.

0.28 tons/year VOCs Estimated Daily Volume Reduced in Year Open to Traffic: 799 Estimated Daily VMT Reduced in Year Open to traffic: 2,398 Estimated VOC Reductions In Year Open to Traffic (in Gms/day) 29.78407178

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?

Yes

A. If Yes, Will the project incorporate measures that reduce, minimize or avoid adverse effects environmental justice sensitive areas (census block groups) identified by HGAC?

Yes

Planning Factors - Expands or Improves Bicycle & Pedestrian Connectivity to Employment/Schools/Medical Facilities/Transit Stops/Other Points of Interest

Does the facility directly connect to or within 1/4 mile of employment?

Yes

A. If yes, please indicate number of jobs the facility directly connects to or is within a 1/4 mile.

901 - 1000

2. Does the facility directly connect to or within 1/4 mile of a school or university?

Yes

3. Does the facility directly connect to or within 1/4 mile of medical facility?

Yes

4. Does the facility directly connect to or within 1/4 mile of Transit Center or Transit Stop?

Yes

5. Does the facility directly connect to or within 1/4 mile of other points of interest?

Yes

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.

H-GAC’s Gulfton Pedestrian & Bicycle Special District Study and METRO’s Hillcroft Transit Center Bike and Pedestrian Study

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

http://videos.h-gac.com/ce/pedbike/gulfton_study.pdf