Transportation Project Questionnaire

Operational Improvements and Congestion Management Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	TxDOT Houston District
Project Title	ITS Equipment Support
Facility/Street/Highway	VA
Limits	Various locations district-wide
Description	Provide ITS support
Timeframe	Short Term (0-5 Years)
Estimated Cost	$5,000,000.00

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

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

Not applicable (ITS project, no specific location)

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

< 1.0

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).

Not applicable (ITS project, no specific location)

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 project includes the following Congestion Management Strategy: ITS expansion. ITS projects help disseminate information to the traveling public ahead of time, e.g., where traffic backups, incidents, and other issues are located, allowing commuters to avoid those areas, reducing further congestion. These same systems can warn users of other eminent events, e.g., silver/amber alerts, wrong way drivers, weather events, or special events. Depending on the project and the ITS systems they can be used as Over height Warning System (WC 112, 119), Overhead Guide Signs (WC 119), or Advanced Warning Signs (WC 110, 130).

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

4a. If no, is the proposed project located on a facility that functions as an alternative to an evacuation route?

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.

Not applicable - no specific location

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.

N/A

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 addition of ITS infrastructure will give drivers advance warning of slowdowns ahead and divert traffic. The corresponding reduction in congestion and slow-moving traffic will make conditions more pleasant for nearby active transportation users, who will be exposed to less congestion and resulting effects such as heat and emissions from idling cars.

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

TranStar is the traffic management center (command center) helping keep freeways and arterials run efficiently and smoothly by ensuring agencies and ITS systems are working together under one roof. TranStar houses several agencies, including METRO the largest transit agency in the region. ITS support keeps Transtar operational. As such METRO and other transit agencies can track their vehicles using the latest technology. In addition, agencies work together to more efficiently clear crashes and other incident quicker lessening the impact to transit vehicles, permitting unimpeded operations, thus increase reliability of the service.

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.

Current and new ITS equipment housed at TranStar allow for many programs to be operated such as the regions Tow and Go™ that allows users to request free cost tow in qualifying freeway segments in order to keep shoulders clear and maintain better flow on the facility after traffic incidents. TranStar’s technologies allow for other technologies such as the TranStar and ConnectSmart app to extend the reach of TranStar’s operation and management (O&M) of systems. TranStar’s O&M depends on ITS technology that allows Transtar operators to have eyes on the highway system, which result in quicker response to clear incidents and keep good flow on facilities after vehicle incidents. ITS enables fast detection and response to traffic incidents, accidents, stalls, and other road hazards. During emergencies or evacuations, ITS plays a critical role in managing regional resources effectively. By utilizing ITS systems, regional partners can implement evaculanes or contraflow to evacuate citizens from affected areas. This ensures efficient evacuation routes to enhance public safety during emergency situations.

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 will include the incorporation of ITS infrastructure that will help maintain efficient traffic flows on facilities after various types of incidents, e.g., vehicle collisions. This will help reduce congestion’s stop-and-go traffic that result in asphalt/concrete wear down (e.g., rutting and pitting). Pavement Score: N/A Worst Bridge Score: N/A

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.

N/A

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.

ITS Projects are not applicable to drainage standards.

Access/Connectivity

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

2749057

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

4597055

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

2749057

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

4597055

1c. Household Population Under Poverty

928330

1d. Disabled Persons

520300

1e. Elderly Persons

283305

1f. Limited English Proficiency

576428

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.

32.80

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.

N/A

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.

N/A

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 qualifies for a “Categorical Exclusion” (CE) as it is not expected to have a significant effect on the human and natural environment. If through the environmental analysis process TxDOT determines that the proposed action does not qualify as a CE, then an Environmental Assessment (EA) would be prepared to identify, mitigate, and avoid impacts to natural and cultural resources.

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)

N/A

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.

If funded, this project will contribute to TranStars operations and keeping traffic operations flowing efficiently and smoothly by giving real time information to travelers about traffic conditions. This information is collected by the latest technology and equipment (CCTV, DMS, etc.) operational from TranStar. With such equipment, TranStar also collects data that helps inform how our systems are operating, e.g., travel times, speeds, that then help regional studies and innovation as well as travel demand models and traffic models used scenario/alternatives analysis.

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