Transportation Project Questionnaire

Regional Goods Movement Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	TxDOT Houston District
Project Title	IH 10 Resiliency
Facility/Street/Highway	IH 10
Limits	From Studemont Street to Houston Avenue
Description	Reconstruct the existing IH-10 W mainlanes and HOV lanes to raise the roadway out of the White Oak Bayou floodway and Construct a new shared use path along White Oak Bayou.
Timeframe	Short Term (0-5 Years)
Estimated Cost	$347,000,000.00

Investment Category-Focused Criteria

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

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.

15.2

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

16.1

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

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?

200,000 plus

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.

The project consists of reconstructing IH 10 W main lanes and HOV lanes to raise the roadway out of the White Oak Bayou floodway and construct a new shared use path along White Oak Bayou. The project spans IH 10 W from Studemont Street to Houston Avenue in Harris County. It is an essential link on the Critical Urban Freight Network, as it lies on the National Highway Freight Network and the Texas Highway Freight Network. The project is part of the H-GAC’s RTP and is included in the list of RTP projects (18709). This segment of IH 10 connects directly to other projects on IH 45, which involve widening and realigning lanes. To the west, IH 10 is designated as a state hurricane evacuation route, and this segment is directly connected to IH 45, also a state evacuation route. In addition to reconstructing the lanes and adding the shared use path, the project will include improvements in the safety, drainage, and pavement condition of the roadway. This section of IH 10 is ranked on the H-GAC Regional Resilience Tool as an area with a high vulnerability score and medium criticality. This segment was underwater during Hurricane Harvey. According to TTI’s 2022 100 Most Congested Roadways in Texas, the segment that contains the project has an average daily volume of 220,292 vehicles per day, 15.2 percent of which are trucks. It is estimated that the volume with increase by 40 percent by 2041, for which truck traffic is expected to represent 16.1 percent after project implementation. The crash rate on this segment is 226.85 crashes per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. This is higher than the statewide average for similar roadways, which is 140,04. The fatality rate of the corridor is 0.78 and the serious injury rate is 2.61. Reducing risk of flooding on a highly traveled corridor is critical for reducing impact from flooding and maintaining connectivity and freight movement. Additionally, pieces of the pavement on this project segment are in fair condition (having International Roughness Index (IRI) between 95 and 170) and will need to be repaired before deteriorating further. The purpose of this project is to increase the flood mitigation capacity and improve resilience on IH 10 W and improve bicycle and pedestrian access. It will also improve accessibility and connectivity, capacity, and safety of the project segment. 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 up to TxDOT and FHWA safety standards. The enhanced drainage system that results from the reconstruction will further improve regional resilience by reducing the risk of flooding on this critical link. 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.

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.

This segment of IH 10 connects directly to IH 45 N that is a classified as State evacuation route, as well as IH 10 W and IH 10 E state evacuation routes.

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.

According to TTI’s 2022 100 Most Congested Roadways in Texas, the segment that contains the project has an average daily volume of 220,292 vehicles per day, 15.2 percent of which are trucks. It is estimated that the volume with increase by 40 percent by 2041, for which truck traffic is expected to represent 16.1 percent after project implementation. The purpose of the project is to reduce congestion 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 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 project is near a few small and medium sized warehouses south of IH 10 in this vicinity. Large retailers that receive freight are also in the vicinity. Project will provide access into Houston CBD and its redevelopment projects over the floodplain at White Oak Bayou.

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.

As required by state design guidelines, the capacity increase will also be balanced with improvements to improvements to the pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the corridor. The project will include constructing a high comfort White Oak Bayou bike/ped trail and associated landscaping.

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

The roadway improvement will improve operations for the transit services that use the link and connect to other parts of the region. METRO buses (Routes 160, 161, 162, 214, 216, 217, 219, 221, 222, 228, 229, and 298) not using the METRO Inner Katy BRT bridge could use these managed lanes to get downtown faster, increasing reliability of the transit service, and reducing emissions.

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.

This location was inundated with water during Hurricane Harvey and other major storm events making it impassable. Raising the roadway will reduce the risk of this happening again, ensure that the lanes are operable for logistics during major weather events thus protecting the traveling public and facilitating uninterrupted freight movement.

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.

Pieces of the pavement on this project segment are in fair condition (having International Roughness Index (IRI) between 95 and 170) and will need to be repaired. Flooding on this roadway further deteriorates pavement condition. Elevating the roadway out of the floodplain will extend the service life of the facility and ensure its operability during major events.

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.

0.78

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.

2.61

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 crash rate on this segment is 226.85 crashes per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. This is higher than the statewide average for similar roadways, which is 140,04. The fatality rate of the corridor is 0.78 and the serious injury rate is 2.61. The project will improve safety by reducing the risk of water over the roadway, as well primary and secondary crashes due to congestion and by bringing the segment up to TxDOT and FHWA safety standards.

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.

High

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.

Medium

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.

This section of IH 10 is ranked on the H-GAC Regional Resilience Tool as an area with a high vulnerability score and medium criticality. This segment was underwater during Hurricane Harvey. The IH 10 main lanes and HOV Lanes bridges will be raised above the White Oak Bayou floodplain, making the roadway more resilient. The enhanced drainage system that results from the reconstruction will also improve regional resilience by reducing the risk of flooding on this critical freeway link. All current projects are being designed to meet and/or exceed ATLAS-14 drainage standards. It is also on the state evacuation route.

Access/Connectivity

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

3,171

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

4,556

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

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

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

3,171

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

4,556

1c. Household Population Under Poverty

702

1d. Disabled Persons

607

1e. Elderly Persons

168

1f. Limited English Proficiency

259

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.

11.40

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.

The improvement will allow for vulnerable populations to have easy access to this critical link on the evacuation route system and reduce risk of the adverse effects of flooding. It will ensure that the roadway remains operable for logistics during major events and the project will provide enhanced bike/ped facilities.

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.

This project does not need to avoid or mitigate adverse effects because it's being performed in order to mitigate adverse effects of the current facility, which becomes inundated with water during major storm events this rendering the facility inoperable. It is in the public's best interest, including vulnerable populations, to raise the roadway out of the floodplain helping to ensure the use of the facility regardless of conditions. This will also facilitate freight movement.

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.

Again, by its very natures, this project's purpose is to mitigate natural occurrences such as flooding, hurricanes, etc. by raising the roadway out of the floodway.

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 autonomous/ connected vehicle technology. Brand new Signal Phasing and timing (SpAT) signals will be installed on this segment of the project. This is related to CSJ 0912-00-701 that will install 1,100+ of these signals on all traffic lights on TxDOT HOU district roads. The project will implement new infrastructure 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 service roads on this segment of the project as applicable (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 newer than model year 2021 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 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.