Transportation Project Questionnaire

Regional Goods Movement Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	PORT OF HOUSTON AUTHORITY
Project Title	Port Houston Barbours Cut Terminal Container Yard 6 Upgrade
Facility/Street/Highway	BARBOURS CUT CONTAINER YARD
Limits	AT BARBOURS CUT
Description	RECONSTRUCT CONTAINER YARD 6 AT BAYPORT TO INCLUDE STRENGTHEN INFRASTRUCTURE.
Timeframe	Short Term (0-5 Years)
Estimated Cost	$42,250,000.00

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.

Port Houston 2040 plan.

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

https://porthouston.com/infrastructure/development/2040-plan/

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

High

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.

Approximately 4,000 and 8,000 trucks were counted in a day

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

Approximately 4,000 and 8,000 trucks were counted in a day

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?

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.

When fully redeveloped, the terminal will have consistent yard space to maximize efficiency and enable growing volumes; the Port Authority container volumes have increased 50 percent in four years, and expectations of continued growth underscore the need to upgrade the facilities quickly. The restoration and upgrade are needed to handle the current and future demand of cargo calling at Barbours Cut. This project will reduce delays in the movement of freight across the region. If the initial point of cargo movement is impacted due to aging infrastructure it will only slow already struggling supply chains.

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

Yes

8a. If yes, please explain in narrative.

The Port Authority continues to evaluate options for efficiencies at their terminals. When the strategies become viable for port operations the port would consider implementation.

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?

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 container yard improvements will include efficiency requirement to reduce traffic in the terminal. Some of these efficiencies include by -pass lanes for trucks to move around other waiting on a container. This greatly improves the traffic operations with in the yards.

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 alleviates future congestion due to economic development by increasing the speed at which trucks can process through the gates. This reduces traffic on the roadways leading into the terminal.

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.

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

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 container yard reduces inoperability of the terminal. In the case of infrastructure being damaged by a collision or force on nature this yard rehabilitation will allow the capacity needed to adjust around the damaged area. If capacity is reached in all yards and this yard fails there will be no where to put containers when a portion of the terminal is out of service due to an accident.

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 project will improve the current condition of the existing terminal and upgrade it to a state of good repair by reconstructing the remaining 50 percent of the terminal which was initially constructed between 1975 and 1985. Transforming the terminal from the dilapidated wharf and yard space to a highly-productive terminal will be a significant change and a necessary move into the future of container cargo, and at a savings when contrasted with the costs if the project is delayed much longer.

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.

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.

This project is a significant transformational improvement for Barbours Cut Container Terminal as its condition, at this time, may soon be an occupational hazard. In 2015, Barbours Cut Container Terminal sustained one collapse due to failing yard and recorded a loss of $1,767,788. Restoration and strengthening efforts, like the one in this application, can assist in the reduction in these events and reduce the potential for loss of life or injury during a collapse.

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.

Low

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.

Houston is prone to flash flooding, and in fact, endures flooding each year. This flexibility in use also allows the Port Authority to effectively manage higher-than-optimal volumes or in preparation for emergency situations. Being able to direct ships to different berths to evenly distribute cargo can significantly reduce bottlenecks, delays, and congestion at the wharves and yards.

Access/Connectivity

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

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

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

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

1c. Household Population Under Poverty

1d. Disabled Persons

1e. Elderly Persons

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.

NA-Industrial within a quarter mile. There is potentially 1 house on the boarder of the quarter mile radius.

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.

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.

• Reduction of emissions by reducing turn times for processing containers totals $48.6 million in undiscounted benefits. o 1,550 short ton reduction of NOx o 92 short ton reduction of PM2.5 o 71 short ton reduction of VOC o 105,000 short ton reduction of CO2 o 880 short ton reduction of SO2

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.

Due the rehabilitation of the project goals, this does not impact natural or cultural resources. The project has already completed NEPA for Department of Transportation. This project is the rehabilitation of current infrastructure.

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.

Due to efficiency improvements this project anticipates 1,550 short ton reduction of NOx and 71 short ton reduction of VOC.

Innovation

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

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

Additional Documents

BCT Container CY6 Upgrade.pdf

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