Transportation Project Questionnaire

Regional Goods Movement Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	TxDOT Houston District
Project Title	SH 146 Widening and other improvements
Facility/Street/Highway	SH 146
Limits	From Ferry Road to Chambers C/L (Cedar Bayou)
Description	Reconstruct and widen from 4 to 6 lanes, median, bicycle/pedestrian facilities and intersection improvements.
Timeframe	Medium Term (6-10 Years)
Estimated Cost	$90,000,000.00

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)?

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.

19.0%

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

25.0%

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?

Project has frontage with 2 large concrete batching plants (CEMEX and SRM).

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 and widening SH 146 in Harris County from 4 to 6 lanes and adding a raised median, bicycle/pedestrian facilities, and intersection improvements. The project fronts on 2 large concrete batching plants and will provide access to development of residential, retail, and other land uses. The project also includes construction of new bicycle and pedestrian facilities. It will include measures to improve safety, add capacity, and increase connectivity. Additionally, drainage, pavement and bridge conditions will be improved in line with TxDOT guidelines. The project is featured in the H-GAC's SH 146 Subregional Study. It is on SH 146, a major hurricane evacuation route, and it connects to Spur 330 and IH 10 E, which are both also hurricane evacuation routes. SH 146 is a link on the Critical Urban Freight Network, sitting on the National Highway Freight Network, Texas Highway Freight Network, and H-GAC Highway Freight Network. According to the H-GAC resilience tool, the project segment is highly vulnerable to flooding (as it did flood during Hurricane Harvey) and moderately critical for its connectivity to evacuation facilities and emergency and port operations. The purpose of this project is to increase safety, reduce congestion, and improve accessibility on SH 146. This improvement will improve freight access to many major freight generators in the region including the region’s seaports, manufacturing facilities, and many freight warehouses. The project will improve operations for the regional network by reducing congestion on SH 146 and improve the connections between other parts of the roadway network. 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 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 SH 146 up to TxDOT and FHWA safety standards. The enhanced drainage system that results from the reconstruction will improve regional resilience by reducing the risk of flooding on this critical freeway link.

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?

Yes

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 project roadway average daily traffic volume is 37,832 vehicles per day, 19% of which is trucks. This is estimated to increase by 40% by 2041, 25% of which is expected to be trucks. 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 SH 146 up to TxDOT and FHWA safety standards. A raised median is being constructed on this project and is known to reduce crash rates.

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.

Project has frontage with 2 large concrete batching plants (CEMEX and SRM). The project will increase accessibility to these plants and connect them to the freight network. The proposed project improves or provides access to new residential developments, retail stores, other land uses in the vicinity.

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 includes the addition/improvement of bicycle and pedestrian improvements.

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

No existing or planned transit service is provided on this facility.

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 vehicle collisions. If this segment of SH 146 was to be shut down, a nearby by pass route could be SH 99 to east or Sjolander Rd/Crosby-Cedar Bayou Rd to the west, minimizing the amount of inoperability.

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.

Much of the pavement on the segment is in fair condition, with an International Roughness Index (IRI) score of between 95 and 170. The project will reconstruct and widen the roadway to FHWA and TxDOT design standards. This will lead to an improvement in the state of good repair and extend the service life of the facility.

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.

9.88

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 of the segment is 281.56 crashes per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, higher than the statewide average for similar roadways, 218.68. The serious injury rate is 9.88, also higher than the statewide average of 5.95. The added capacity will improve safety by reducing primary and secondary crashes due to congestion and by bringing the segment of SH 146 up to TxDOT and FHWA safety standards. Raised medians will reduce dangerous left turns and reduce points of conflict.

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.

High

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.

According to the H-GAC resilience tool, the project segment is highly vulnerable to flooding (Cedar Bayou flooded during Hurricane Harvey) and moderately critical for its connectivity to evacuation facilities and emergency and port operations. The project will include drainage infrastructure that meets and/or exceeds ATLAS-14 drainage standards.

Access/Connectivity

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

2,746

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

5,308

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

2,746

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

5,308

1c. Household Population Under Poverty

1,619

1d. Disabled Persons

823

1e. Elderly Persons

640

1f. Limited English Proficiency

624

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.

23.00

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 central location in the regional network, the project will also produce improvements in mobility and connectivity for vulnerable populations as well as connectivity to jobs, schools, medical facilities, evacuation facilities, and social services for the regional population.

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). 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 commercial and retail land uses that front on SH 146.

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 resources have been identified on this segment at this time. Cedar Bayou (natural) will have Best Management Practices (BMP) done during construction to prevent sediment pollution.

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 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 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. While it might be part of CSJ 701 right now, this type of work could easily be done on these construction/reconstruction projects.

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

Yes

2a. If yes, please explain.