Transportation Project Questionnaire

Operational Improvements and Congestion Management Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	Fort Bend County
Project Title	E Dallas St Widening
Facility/Street/Highway	E Dallas Street
Limits	FM 521 to county line
Description	Widening of existing 2-lane undivided asphalt roadway to 4-lane divided concrete Blvd. with roadside ditches and storm sewer.
Timeframe	Medium Term (6-10 Years)
Estimated Cost	$14,200,000.00

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.

Existing Congestion: The proposed project is located in residential area with significant commercial activity, and the Southlake subdivision is situated on the subsequent section of the proposed project. The project segment near FM 521 experiences significant delay because of the intersection with FM 521. Travel Time Index: To calculate Travel Time Index for existing conditions, COMPAT tool by TTI was used for the year 2022.

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).

"Travel Time Index: Distance, free flow speed and travel time during peak period from H-GAC Travel Demand Model are used to calculate Travel Time Index for after improvements conditions."

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.

Added capacity: The proposed project would provide added capacity by reconstructing and widening the existing 2-lane undivided roadway to 4-lane divided roadway with 12-foot-wide travel lanes in each direction and a raised median. Intersection improvements: At the designated locations, left-turn lanes would be provided. Access management: The proposed project includes a raised median, which would provide the access management and would improve the safety on the corridor.

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?

Yes

4a-i. If yes, explain.

The proposed project is directly connected to FM 521 which runs parallel to TxDOT designated evacuation route SH 288 in Fort Bend County. The connected County Road 59 is connected to SH 288 in Brazoria County.

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 proposed project is connected to TXDOT designated freight corridor FM 521. The subsequent road section in Brazoria County is designated as freight corridor in TxDOT Texas Highway Freight Network interactive map. Therefore, the proposed project would alleviate the congestion on freight corridor as well as on the facility that provides first-to-last mile connectivity to freight corridors FM 521 and SH 288.

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 proposed project would improve the access to predicted residential developments and would alleviate the future congestion caused by potential commercial and industrial growth. The daily traffic is expected to increase by 147% in 2045 according to H-GAC Travel Demand Model.

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 proposed project would provide 10-foot-wide shared use path in Westbound direction, which will improve the safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.

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

The Fort Bend County Demand Response Service can be benefited from the proposed project for future rides on the corridor by improved travel time and safety and also, Park and Ride service and METRO transit facility are located near the proposed project.

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 proposed project would reconstruct and widen the existing 2-lane undivided roadway to 4-lane divided roadway with a raised median. The reconstructed and widened facility would be designed with current safety standards, which improves safety on the corridor. The new facility would have a less chances of damage and inoperability due to collision. However, in worse conditions, the mobility would not be stopped by ability to detour the traffic by having openings in the median. Due to improved accident management ability, the proposed project would significantly reduce the 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.

The proposed project would reconstruct and widen the existing FM 762 from 2-lane undivided roadway to a 4-lane divided roadway. The new facility will serve the system for next 30 years.

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 crashes/ 100 million VMT

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.

10.57 crashes/ 100 million VMT

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: The fatality crash rate is 0, lower than the H-GAC regional average 1.21, and the serious injury crash rate is 10.57, higher than the H-GAC regional average 6.20. Work types: The Proposed improvements would provide following work types (work code, CRF): Install Warning/Guide Signs (101, 20%) Install advance warning signals and signs (132, 10%) Install raised median (203, 25%) Convert 2-lane facility to 4-lane divided (538, 45%) Install Pavement Markings (401, 20%) Install edge markings (402, 25%) Install sidewalks (407, 65%) Install pedestrian crosswalk (403, 10%) Add left turn lane (519, 25%) The proposed improvements together would reduce potential crashes by 96%. Crash reduction impact: The reconstruction and widening of the roadway would provide additional capacity to the roadway and reduce primary and secondary crashes caused by congestion.

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.

The proposed project is out of FEMA floodplain and FEMA observed Harvey flood area. The proposed improvements include curb and gutter storm sewer and roadside ditches along the the roadway.

Access/Connectivity

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

350

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

3533

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

350

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

3533

1c. Household Population Under Poverty

304

1d. Disabled Persons

398

1e. Elderly Persons

1f. Limited English Proficiency

430

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.

11.6

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.

Ped/bike facility: The proposed improvements include a 10-foot-wide shared use path away from travel lanes which can be used by both pedestrians and bicyclists with safe distance. Safety improvements: The proposed project would be designated to achieve current highway safety standard by analyzing all horizontal and vertical clearances, and by providing a divided 12-foot-wide 4-lane roadway. Transit: The proposed project would improve Demand Response Transit service provided by Fort Bend County. Connectivity: Because of its location in the road network, the project will produce improvements in mobility and connectivity for vulnerable populations and freight corridors. This will strengthen the regional goods movement.

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 proposed improvements include a 10-foot-wide shared use path away from travel lanes which can be used by both pedestrians and bicyclists with safe distance.

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.

Natural resources: A total of 9.79 acres of wetland and 11.92 acres of floodplain areas are present within a quarter mile buffer. The proposed project directly does not impact wetland areas. Cultural resources: There is no historical sites located within a quarter mile buffer of a project.

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 - 0.13 tons, VOC - 0.47 tons

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?