Transportation Project Questionnaire

Regional Goods Movement Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	Chambers County
Project Title	NEEDLEPOINT RD
Facility/Street/Highway	Needlepoint Rd
Limits	From IH-10 south to FM 565
Description	Reconstruction widen from 2 to 4 lanes
Timeframe	Short Term (0-5 Years)
Estimated Cost	$8,000,000.00

Investment Category-Focused Criteria

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

No

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

No

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.

This is low but several warehouses totaling about 3 M SF are being constructed on the route

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

Truck volume will be approx 6000 adt with percents most likely exceeding 50 percent

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?

3 M SFT of warehouse being constructed along the route that will most likely be traveling to the port. This roadway will improve the safety of this route

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.

No RR crossings and no ITS. This roadway is currently only 18 to 20 ft wide asphalt roadway. The new road will be expanded to 2 12 FT lanes with shoulder and be constructed as reinforced 9 inch concrete pavement to accommodate heavy truck traffic. The route currently ties IH 10 Frontage road to FM 565 near SH 99 and crosses Kilgore Parkway and future Chambers Parkway.

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

No

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

No

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

No

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

No

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.

This roadway is currently only 18 to 20 ft wide asphalt roadway. The new road will be expanded to 2 12 FT lanes with shoulder and be constructed as reinforced 9 inch concrete pavement to accommodate heavy truck traffic. The route currently ties IH 10 Frontage road to FM 565 near SH 99 and crosses Kilgore Parkway and future Chambers Parkway. As a part of the project the County will add a traffic signal at FM 565, lumination at intersections, turn lanes and enhanced signage.

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.

The growth rate is west chambers is very high and has not slowed through COVID nor much during recent economic and financial challenges. There are several residential developments within 1 mile of this project and millions of SFT of warehousing being developed.

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.

There will not be any walking or biking trails on this route.

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

The existing route is narrow and needs upgrades to improve safety. Once these warehouses and new subdivisions are completed, the ADT will increase by several thousand and a roadway that meets current design standard will be critical for mobility and safety.

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.

Most likely this route will not be used for this purpose

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.

This roadway is currently only 18 to 20 ft wide asphalt roadway. The new road will be expanded to 2 12 FT lanes with shoulder and be constructed as reinforced 9 inch concrete pavement to accommodate heavy truck traffic. The route currently ties IH 10 Frontage road to FM 565 near SH 99 and crosses Kilgore Parkway and future Chambers Parkway. The new reinforced concrete pavement will greatly improve the state of good repair of this 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.

The crash rate is very low along the route but will increase a great deal if the roadway is not improved along with the rapid growth.

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.

Same as above

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 roadway will be improved for safety by widening to 12 ft lanes, adding shoulders, improved signage, illumination a intersections and traffic signal at FM 565.

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.

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.

The County is currently completing a TWDB FIF drainage study. The roadway will be designed to meet atlas 14 drainage standards to reduce flooding risk for this area.

Access/Connectivity

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

423

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

1400

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

No

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

No

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

No

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

423

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

1400

1c. Household Population Under Poverty

423

1d. Disabled Persons

11

1e. Elderly Persons

11

1f. Limited English Proficiency

183

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.

Please assist with this data set

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 subdivision along FM 565 West of SH 99 is low income with a large minority population. Many of these individuals current work at warehouses. The FM 565 corridor is quickly expanding with industrial traffic. Just East of the subdivision is Toll 99. The Needlepoint project provides one option to get North to IH10 avoiding heavier traffic along FM 565 SH 146 and FM 3180. Additionally this route provides a free option in lieu of SH 99 toll facility. Upgrading this to current design standards will help provide safety to this underserved community. The route does not have ped/bike or transit stops in the current design.

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.

The subdivision along FM 565 West of SH 99 is low income with a large minority population. Many of these individuals current work at warehouses. The FM 565 corridor is quickly expanding with industrial traffic. Just East of the subdivsion is Toll 99. The Needlepoint project provides one option to get North to IH10 avoiding heavier traffic along FM 565 SH 146 and FM 3180. Additionally this route provides a free option in lieu of SH 99 toll facility. Upgrading this to current design standards will help provide safety to this underserved community.

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.

This route sits just East of a CWA canal thus sits as a high point within the watershed. There are no known wetlands, nor flood plains, historical are archeological sites however we will perform extensive studies and mitigate any issues found in the area. Additionally the County is completing a TWDB FIF drainage study to find any issues. We will ensure the project meets Atlas 14 drainage standards to minimize potential flooding in this.

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.

Please assist with this data

Innovation

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

No

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

No

Additional Documents