Transportation Project Questionnaire

Regional Goods Movement Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	TxDOT Houston District
Project Title	FM 3083 Widening
Facility/Street/Highway	FM 3083
Limits	From SH 105 W to IH 45
Description	Widen from 2-lane to a 4-lane divided roadway.
Timeframe	Medium Term (6-10 Years)
Estimated Cost	$33,750,000.00

Investment Category-Focused Criteria

1. Is the proposed project recommended in a statewide, regional, or local freight plan?

Yes

1a. If the project is recommended in a freight plan, please provide the plan or study name.

H-GAC 2023 Regional Goods Movement Study

1b. If the project is recommended in a freight plan, please provide a link to the plan or study website.

https://engage.h-gac.com/regional-goods

1c. If yes, please select the project priority/ranking identified in the freight plan.

Low

2. Is the proposed project located on a Critical Urban/Rural Freight corridor (CUFC/CRFC)?

Yes

3. What is the estimated percentage of daily truck volume on the existing project facility? H-GAC staff can provide assistance in gathering the truck data from our website.

5.5%

4. What is the estimated percentage of daily truck volume on the project facility after the proposed project implementation?

9.3%

5. Does the project facility provide new or improved connectivity to a port/airport?

Yes

6. Does the project facility provide new or improved connectivity to other freight generators?

Yes

6a. If yes, what is the estimated warehouse capacity of the other freight generators?

7. Please provide a narrative explaining how the project improves regional goods movement within and through the region. In the narrative, please mention if the project scope includes grade separations at at-grade railroad crossings or implementation of ITS technologies.

Description: The project consists of widening FM 3083 from a 2-lane to a 4-lane divided roadway from SH 105 W to IH 45 in Montgomery County. The project is included in the Montgomery Thoroughfare Plan, the H-GAC 2023 Regional Goods Movement Study List, and included in the Critical Urban Freight Corridors List. Although not part of the National Freight Network or the Texas Highway Freight Network, this project connects to both IH 45 and SL 336 which help to complete both networks and serves as a bypass for vehicle and truck traffic needing to access SH 105 to the West and East. The corridor also serves as tributary road to the IH 45 evacuation route for the region. The project will allow for an increase in capacity, increasing accessibility and connectivity, and improving congestion by providing delay relief while at the same time improving safety through various access management techniques (e.g., raised roadway medians treatments, openings, intersection, and driveway improvements). The project also includes ped/bike improvements via sidewalks and intersection improvements. This project is incorporating three large detention basins to mitigate flooding along the corridor. The corridor also serves as tributary road to the IH 45 evacuation route for the region. Need: The need for congestion relief and delay reduction as well as increased accessibility and connectivity are factors supporting this project. The current daily volume of traffic on the segment is roughly 16,000 vehicles per day of which 5.5 percent is truck traffic. The estimated increase in volume from 2021 to 2041 is estimated to be 22,400, an increase of about 40 percent. The total crash rate for all crash types over the past five years was 148.3 crashes per 100 million vehicle miles (average statewide crash rate of 240.7 for similar facilities for years 2017-2021. There were no fatalities in the past five years, but the serious injury crash rate was 4.68 crashes per 100 million vehicle miles of travel.? Purpose and Contribution: The purpose of the project is to reduce congestion on FM 3083 and to improve the capacity, connectivity, level of service and safety of the project segment and the Critical Urban Freight Network in the region. This improvement, in conjunction with the other adjacent proposed improvements, will improve freight access to many major freight generators in the region including the region’s seaports, airports, manufacturing facilities and many freight warehouses. The project will improve operations for the regional network by reducing congestion on FM 3083 and improving the connections between other parts of the freeway network. The added capacity will improve regional connectivity for all modes while also improving safety by reducing primary and secondary crashes due to congestion and by bringing the segment of FM 3083 up to TxDOT and FHWA safety standards. Safety is also improved through various access management techniques (e.g., raised roadway medians treatments, openings, intersection, and driveway improvements). Because of its central location in the regional network, the project will also produce improvements in mobility and connectivity to schools and medical facilities for the regional population. This project connects directly to IH 45 which is classified as a state evacuation route.

8. Is the project sponsor’s jurisdiction considering strategies to promote off-peak and overnight freight delivery?

9. Is the proposed project located on a State designated hurricane evacuation route?

9a. If no, is the proposed project located on a facility identified as a hurricane evacuation route in any regional or local plans?

9b. If no, is the proposed project located on a facility that functions as an alternate to a hurricane evacuation route?

Yes

i. If yes, please explain in a narrative.

FM 3083 (and this project) connects directly to IH 45 N which is classified as a State Evacuation route.

Other Investment Category Focused Criteria

1. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project improves traffic operations. Within the narrative, please include if the proposed project includes construction of truck only lanes or managed truck only lanes, construction of an interchange, or intersection improvements.

The need for congestion relief and delay reduction as well as increased accessibility and connectivity are factors supporting this project. According to TTI’s 2022 100 Most Congested Roadways in Texas Report, the segment had 19,010 annual person hours of delay per mile for all traffic and 1452 annual person hours of delay per mile for truck traffic. The current daily volume of traffic on the segment is roughly 16,000 vehicles per day of which 5.5 percent are trucks. The estimated increase in volume from 2021 to 2041 is estimated to be 22,400, an increase of about 40 percent. The purpose of the project is to reduce congestion on FM 3083 and to improve the capacity, connectivity, level of service and safety of the project segment and the Critical Urban Freight Network in the region. The added capacity will improve regional connectivity for all modes while also reducing congestion and improving safety by reducing primary and secondary crashes due to congestion and by bringing the segment of FM 3083 up to TxDOT and FHWA safety standards.

2. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project benefits high growth areas. Within the narrative, please explain if the proposed project improves or provides access to new residential developments, retail stores, other land uses, or if the proposed project alleviates future congestion due to potential economic development activity such as expansion of warehouses or other freight generators.

This segment of FM 3083 indirectly connects to Conroe Park North (Multiple warehouses and industrial developments on 1,045 acres), Conroe's Deison Technology Park (248 acre Industrial Development), and Conroe-North Houston Regional Airport. Route is used as a bypass for SL 336 to get onto SH 105 and head to Bryan-College Station.

3. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project improves walking and biking conditions. Within the narrative, please explain if the proposed project scope includes construction of a new or improved existing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure on a project facility or in the vicinity of the project.

Reconstructing the roadways to current standards provides the opportunity for already designed continuous pedestrian/bicycle connectivity and widened sidewalks. Ped/bike safety is also improved through various access management techniques (e.g., raised roadway medians treatments, openings, intersection, and driveway improvements).

4. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project improves traffic conditions for transit services (local, express, signature, or commuter).

There are no transit services currently operating on FM 3083 but future service could use the main lanes (and/or frontage roads) in the future.?

5. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project will reduce inoperability for significant periods due to infrastructure damaged by a collision with vehicles such as trucks, ships, and barges.

The project will add lanes and improve the shoulders to allow more space to move disabled vehicles and to better maintain flow on the facility when there are vehicle collisions.

6. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project will improve state of good repair and extend the service life of the project facility.

All current projects are being designed to meet and/or exceed ATLAS-14 drainage standards. This project is incorporating three detention basins to mitigate flooding along the corridor.

Planning Factors Criteria

1. What is the existing fatality crash rate at the project location? Regional crash data is available online on the crash data viewer. H-GAC staff will provide assistance in calculating the crash rates upon request.

2. What is the existing serious injury crash rate at the project location? Regional crash data is available online on the crash data viewer. H-GAC staff will provide assistance in calculating the crash rates upon request.

4.68%

3. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project reduces expected fatality and serious injury crashes. Narrative must include specific improvements (work types) included in the project scope. Crash reduction factors associated with specific work types can be found in the safety benefits calculation template. H-GAC staff can provide assistance in gathering the crash reduction factors upon request.

The total crash rate on the segment was 148.3 crashes per 100 million vehicle miles of travel for the past five years. There were no fatalities in the past five years, but the serious injury crash rate was 4.68 crashes per 100 million vehicle miles of travel. The added capacity will improve regional connectivity for all modes while also reducing congestion and improving safety by reducing primary and secondary crashes due to congestion and by bringing the segment of FM 3083 up to TxDOT and FHWA safety standards. The project is also improving safety through various access management techniques (e.g., raised roadway medians treatments, openings, intersection, and driveway improvements).

Resiliency

1. Please select the vulnerability to flooding score at the project location based on the Regional Resiliency tool. H-GAC staff can provide assistance with the regional resiliency tool upon request.

Medium

2. Please select the criticality score at the project location based on the Regional Resiliency tool. H-GAC staff can provide assistance with the regional resiliency tool up on request.

Low

3. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project reduces vulnerability to flooding. The narrative must include specific improvements such as drainage improvements that are included in the scope.

The segment has a resiliency score of medium vulnerability. The enhanced drainage system that results from the reconstruction will improve regional resilience by reducing the risk of flooding on this critical freeway link. This project is incorporating three detention basins to mitigate flooding along the corridor. All current projects are being designed to meet and/or exceed ATLAS-14 drainage standards.

Access/Connectivity

Please enter the household population located within a quarter mile buffer of the project location: 1a. Low-Income

2,902

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

5,228

2. Does the proposed project improve or provide new connectivity to a medical facility within a quarter mile buffer of the project location?

Yes

3. Does the proposed project improve or provide new connectivity to a school/college/university within a quarter mile buffer of the project location?

Yes

4. Does the proposed project improve or provide new connectivity to a social services facility within a quarter buffer of the project location?

Environmental Justice

Please enter household population located within quarter mile buffer of the project location. H-GAC staff can assist in gathering the data. 1a. Low-Income

2,902

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

5,228

1c. Household Population Under Poverty

647

1d. Disabled Persons

589

1e. Elderly Persons

634

1f. Limited English Proficiency

2. What is the average Livable Center Need Index within quarter mile buffer of the project location? H-GAC staff can assist in gathering the data.

10.70

3. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project provides benefits to vulnerable populations. Benefits include safety improvements, construction of or improvements to ped/bike facilities, or improvements to transit stops.

Because of its location in the regional network, the project will also produce improvements in mobility and connectivity for vulnerable populations as well as connectivity to schools, medical facilities, and social services for the regional population. The raised medians will provide the opportunity for another agency to plant/maintain landscaping in the median to mitigate air pollution and improve aesthetic values.

4. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project avoids or mitigates adverse effects to vulnerable populations. A list of adverse effects was provided in detailed criteria document.

All current projects are being designed to meet and/or exceed ATLAS-14 drainage standards (reduce flooding).? This project is incorporating three detention basins to mitigate flooding along the corridor. Any sound walls that are identified prior during the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process will be constructed on this project, otherwise the corridor is mostly urban area and mostly residential and some commercial land uses that front the corridor’s ROW.?

Impacts on Natural and Cultural Resources

1. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project avoids or mitigates impacts to natural (flood plains, wetlands) and cultural (historic and archeological sites) resources. H-GAC staff can provide assistance in identifying natural and cultural resources located within a quarter mile buffer of the project location.

No Cultural or Natural resources that could be impacted have been identified on this segment at this time.

2. Please provide Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) reductions provided by the project. H-GAC staff can provide assistance in calculating NOx and VOC reductions.

H-GAC Staff, Please calculate Emissions reductions for us per email instructions 4/26/23

Innovation

1. Does the project propose to implement new infrastructure technologies to enhance accessibility, mobility, multimodalism, resiliency, reliability, or traffic operations?

Yes

1a. If yes, please explain.

The project will implement new infrastructure and autonomous/ connected vehicle technologies to enhance accessibility, mobility, multimodalism, resiliency, reliability, and traffic operations and will implement new autonomous/ connected vehicle technology. Brand new Signal Phasing and timing (SpAT) signals will be installed on this segment of the project (Related to CSJ 0912-00-701 that will install 1,100+ of these signals on all traffic lights on TxDOT HOU district roads). This simply broadcasts red, green, and yellow times ahead of signalized intersections to connected vehicles (model year 2021 or newer) or if you have the apps (Traffic Safely and ConnectSmart) downloaded on your cell phone for older vehicles. This provides ample time for you to slow down before intersections because of the timing and also to adequately adjust with flow of traffic- platooning. The advantages are improved safety because of a reduction of red-light-running crashes and carbon emission reductions resulting from better traffic platooning.

2. Does the project propose to implement new autonomous/connected vehicle technology?

Yes

2a. If yes, please explain.