Transportation Project Questionnaire

Operational Improvements and Congestion Management Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	TxDOT Houston District
Project Title	SL 8 Frontage Road Pedestrian Improvements
Facility/Street/Highway	SL 8
Limits	From Woodforest Blvd to Wallisville Road (SL 8 NB) and from Wallisville Road to Dalton Oaks Drive (SL 8 SB)
Description	The project includes a -5 to 6- foot wide sidewalks, high visibility crossing striping, ADA ramps, pavement markings, and signage as well as other associated intersection improvements. The project also includes a pedestrian bridge.
Timeframe	Short Term (0-5 Years)
Estimated Cost	$2,000,000.00

Investment Category-Focused Criteria

1. Is the project located on a facility listed on Texas 100 most congested roads list?

1b. If no, please provide the existing peak period travel time index (TTI) of the facility where proposed project is located.

1.0 – 1.25

1b-i. Provide a narrative describing the existing congestion where proposed project is located and describe narrative to explain methodology to calculate existing TTI.

Travel Time Index (TTI) is a ratio that compares peak period travel times along a corridor to average travel times, thus estimating a relative level of rush hour congestion. Current TTI for the project area is 1.10, indicating that it takes 1.10 times as long to travel this corridor in the peak period than average, which is mildly congested.

2. What is the estimated TTI after project is implemented?

1.0 – 1.25

2a. Provide a narrative describing the existing congestion where proposed project is located. Within the narrative explain the methodology and data used to calculate existing Travel Time Index (TTI).

3. Please provide a narrative to describe congestion management strategies and improvements (work types) proposed to reduce congestion on facility where the proposed project is located.

The addition of pedestrian facilities will reduce congestion by giving commuters and travelers in the area a viable and safe option for non-motorized trips. These facilities will also connect people to transit, providing a safe solution for first mile/last-mile connections. In addition to reducing congestion, increased pedestrian trips lead to lower single-occupied vehicle trips, lower VMT, and improvement of regional air quality. The construction costs of pedestrian facilities tend to be low to moderate and work well when grouped with transit and other strategies as part of the complete streets concept.

4. Is the proposed project located on a facility identified as a hurricane evacuation route in any regional or local plans?

Yes

Other Investment Category Focused Criteria

1. Was the project scored under Regional Goods Movement Category?

1a. If no, please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project improves regional goods movement. Within the narrative, please include if the proposed project is designated as a critical freight corridor or a local/regional/state truck route.

The project is not located on a Critical Urban Freight Corridor. The project is located on the TxDOT Freight Network. The project improves regional goods movement by intersection improvements which will facilitate more efficient traffic flow and reducing congestion caused by intersection-related crashes.

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 not located in a high growth area. The population is projected to grow by 32.7% and jobs are projected to increase by 33.8%. Some residential land use changes announced or modeled. However, the area did experience high growth since BW 8, in that segment, was built. Many new developments both residential and commercial are present now that were not present when BW 8, in that segment, was built.

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.

The project includes a -5 to 6- foot wide sidewalks. The addition of sidewalks will create transportation alternatives and allow pedestrians access to goods and services and improve quality of life.

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

The 5 to 6 foot sidewalks will improve safe first-last mile access to 2 Harris County Transit Critical Bus Stops for the community on the Channelview Route 12 that service locally important destinations for the community including major local employers such as Walmart, Galena Park ISD and Sam Houston Elementary School. Walmart is a locally significant transit destination for the community as whole, beyond the project limits, in an otherwise food dessert. An increase in short-distance non-car trips may reduce local traffic.

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.

Research indicates that 52% of all daily trips are three miles or less in length. This project includes sidewalks and intersection improvements that may encourage users to divert these short trips from vehicle trips to active transportation trips, reducing the number of vehicles on the roadway and the corresponding risk of vehicle collisions that cause significant periods 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.

Pavement Score: Fair Bridge Score: Fair Narrative: Segments of the project have pavement in Fair condition, according to TxDOT and FHWA guidelines. The project segment contains 1 bridge in Fair condition. It was built in 1988. It is rated as Poor condition overall, with a superstructure condition score of 7, substructure condition score of 7, and a deck condition score of 6. The project includes pedestrian accomodations across culvert and creek, where current bridges lack sidewalks which will lead to an improvement in the state of good repair, pedestrian accessibility, 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.

2.714

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.

24.43

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.

Crash rates for this segment are per 100 million VMT. The fatality rate is 2.714, higher than the regional average (1.23), and the serious injury rate is 24.43, higher than the regional average, (6.18). This project will improve intersection design and operation, reducing intersection-related crashes. The addition of pedestrian infrastructure will allow pedestrians to safely use the facility and reduce points of conflicts with vehicles, thus improving the overall safety of the segment. The consolidated crash reduction factor for this project is 109%, as a result of installing pedestrian signals (WC 119), installing pedestrian crosswalks (WC 403), and installing sidewalks (WC 407).

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.

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

11,249

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

20,915

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?

Yes

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

11,249

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

20,915

1c. Household Population Under Poverty

4,374

1d. Disabled Persons

1,507

1e. Elderly Persons

739

1f. Limited English Proficiency

2,803

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.

41.60

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 area surrounding the project segment has a higher lower-income population (18.91%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5%. The area surrounding the project segment has a higher minority population (90.41%) as compared to the regional average of 65% minority. Sam Houston Elementary (SHE) has 96.6% minority enrollment and 94% economically disadvantaged enrollment. The proposed sidewalks will provides a safe route to school for children and employees of SHE. The sidewalks will also benefit people living at the Section 8 housing Lafayette Village Apartments. In addition, the proposed sidewalks also provide continuous ADA access to regionally significant 250 acre Gene Green Park (tennis, basketball, splash pad, trails, etc.) by connecting to existing sidewalks north of Wallisville. As well as access to this part to the broader community via first-last mile connection to transit. FIrst-last mile connection to transit in the Walmart stop will also provide access to jobs, food and goods, in an otherwise food dessert. Acess to jobs via other major employers include Galena ISD and Sam Houston Elementry School. Because of its central location in the regional network, the project will produce improvements in mobility and connectivity for vulnerable populations as well as connectivity to schools, medical facilities, and social services for the regional population. SL 8 is an evacuation route. The project will improve drainage to ATLAS-14 standards, which reduce flooding events and their impact on vulnerable populations.

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.

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 project is in conceptual development. If required, the appropriate Environmental Document (Categorical Exclusion, Environmental Assessment, or Environmental Impact Statement) will be conducted to identify, avoid or mitigate potential impacts to the natural or human environment. The anticipated level of environmental documentation required is a Categorical Exclusion (C-3).

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.
(Optional)

NOx: 0; VOC:0

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?