Transportation Project Questionnaire

Regional Goods Movement Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	TxDOT Houston District
Project Title	FM 1488 Widening and Access Management
Facility/Street/Highway	FM 1488
Limits	From FM 2978 to IH 45 N
Description	Widen from 4 to 6 Lanes
Timeframe	Medium Term (6-10 Years)
Estimated Cost	$67,800,000.00

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.

3.8

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

5.6

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?

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 widening FM 1488 from 4 lanes to 6 lanes, in a high growth area of Montgomery County. It spans along FM 1488 from FM 2978 to IH 45 N. FM 1488 connects to SH 249, which is an essential link in H-GAC’s Critical Urban Freight Network for the region. To the east, it connects to IH 45 N, which serves as a major hurricane evacuation route in the Houston-Galveston area. It is a part of the H-GAC RTP and is included in the list of RTP projects (MPOID 17203). It is also featured in the FM 1488 Access Management Study (recommended Truck Loons [turnarounds] be constructed), and Montgomery County Precinct 2 Mobility Study. In addition to the widening of the roadway, the project will include improvements in the safety (raised medians and hood left turn lanes), bike and pedestrian facilities (10 Ft shared use paths), and drainage/flood control (ATLAS-14 design standards - pipe sizes and detention ponds to name a few). ITS improvements will be installed too at the intersections (SpAT Traffic signals and CAV/Phone Applications).

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.

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.

According to TTI’s 2022 100 Most Congested Roadways in Texas Report, the annual total delay per mile on the segment was 116,043 person-hours per mile, and truck delay was 3,308 person hours. The current daily volume of traffic on the segment is roughly 51,000 vehicles per day, of which trucks represent 3.8 percent. It is estimated that volume will increase by 40 percent by 2041. The purpose of the project is to reduce congestion and to improve the capacity, connectivity, level of service, and safety of the project segment. 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. This project in particular will be constructing raised medians/hooded left turn lanes (as recommended by the FM 1488 Access Management Study from 2020 which have been shown to lower crash rates) and reconstructing/redesigning multiple intersections along the corridor. The study also recommended truck loons be constructed along with hooded left turn lanes for trucks to U- turn easier without going off road.

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 project is in a high growth area with many retail locations and businesses located along this segment of FM 1488. There are also new subdivisions (Fosters Ridge, River's Edge, and Del Webb's The Woodlands to name a few) under development along this segment too that will direct traffic onto FM 1488. Furthermore, the added capacity will be necessary as there are numerous new subdivisions and retail locations (H-E-B anchored shopping center near FM Spur 149 intersection on FM 1488) going in further west on this same corridor that will direct traffic onto FM 1488 as they make their way to IH 45 N to Houston.

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. A 10-foot shared use path is being constructed on both sides of the entire length of this project.

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 1488 but future service could use the main lanes 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 1 lane in each direction and improve the shoulders to allow more space to move disabled vehicles and to better maintain flow on the facility during vehicle collisions. In the event this segment of FM 1488 were to shut down, multiple bypass options are in the vicinity (SH 242, Research Forest Drive, and Woodlands Parkway) and the inoperability period would be minimized.

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.

The project includes reconstruction of the roadway which will lead to an improvement in the state of good repair and extend the service life of the facility by implementing the latest FHWA/TxDOT design standards.

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.

0.98

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.

5.09

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 201.61 crashes per 100,000,000 vehicle miles traveled. This is higher than the rate for similar types of roadways, 192.32. The fatality rate is 0.98 and the serious injury rate is 5.09. 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. Raised median and hooded left turn lanes will be constructed on this segment of the project which has been confirmed to reduce these crashes.

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.

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.

The enhanced drainage system that results from the reconstruction will improve regional resilience by reducing the risk of flooding on this critical link. 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

3,460

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

9,279

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

3,460

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

9,279

1c. Household Population Under Poverty

1,429

1d. Disabled Persons

1881

1e. Elderly Persons

2478

1f. Limited English Proficiency

431

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.

10.90

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 the project’s 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, and social services for the regional population. In addition to the widening of the roadway, the project will include improvements in the safety (raised medians and hood left turn lanes), bike and pedestrian facilities (10 Ft shared use paths), and drainage/flood control (ATLAS-14 design standards - pipe sizes and detention ponds to name a few).

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 to minimize noise pollution, otherwise the corridor is mostly commercial and retail land uses that front on FM 1488. 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.

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. The WG Jones State Forest (natural) and the Texas Forest Service will be coordinated with throughout this project to minimize impact to the forest and avoid Section 4(f) issues with regard to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations. This project will also implement Best Management Practices (BMP) during construction to minimize sediment pollution in local water ways.

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 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. While it might be part of CSJ 701 right now, this type of work could easily be merged/installed on these construction/reconstruction projects at the same time.

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

Yes

2a. If yes, please explain.