Transportation Project Questionnaire

Operational Improvements and Congestion Management Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	Fort Bend County
Project Title	SH 99 Frontage Rd (20301)
Facility/Street/Highway	SH 99
Limits	SB Cinco Ranch Blvd to Bay Hill
Description	Construction of a two lane concrete curb and gutter frontage road and SH 99 Ram reversal.
Timeframe	Short Term (0-5 Years)
Estimated Cost	$8,600,000.00

Investment Category-Focused Criteria

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

Yes

1a. If yes, please provide link to the list.

https://mitigation.tti.tamu.edu/roadways/grand-parkway-sh-99-between-s-fry-road-and-morton-ranch-road/

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).

Existing Congestion: The proposed project is a new alignment project, located on SH 99 roadway. The traffic conditions in morning and evening gets worse on weekdays. Discontinuous frontage roads direct the traffic onto mainlanes and causing more traffic. Travel Time Index: The proposed project is listed on Texas 100 most congested roads list.

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 builds new frontage road which adds capacity to SH 99 corridor. The congestion due to local traffic onto SH 99 mainlanes will be reduced and traffic flow will improve. Intersection improvements: The proposed project include adding new right turning lanes at the intersections. Ramp reversal and access management: The proposed project includes ramp reversal which would reduce congestion and would improve safety by strategic access management.

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.

SH 99 is designated freight corridor under TxDOT Texas Highway Freight Network. The proposed project would provide added capacity to the corridor which will help alleviating congestion on SH 99 as the traffic is expected to grow by nearly 87% in southbound direction in 2045 as per H-GAC conformity year 2045 (Build conditions) Travel Demand Model. Also, the proposed project would improve the freight and shipping connectivity to local businesses and residences.

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 is located in Cinco Ranch area and the corridor is connected to high growth areas such as Fulshear, Katy, Sugar Land, and Richmond. The project improves connectivity to school, residences in surroundings of the project, and retail stores north of the project. The proposed project would provide continuity for discontinued frontage roads. The proposed project would help in alleviating the congestion on State designated freight corridor and evacuation route.

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 will provide new 10-foot-wide continuous shared use path in each direction. The sidewalk is 6 feet away from frontage road lanes, which improves safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. This provides another mode of transportation and safe accommodation for active transportation.

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

This project will fill the connectivity gaps of the frontage roads and provides continuity, thereby transit can be accommodated. It can help expand METRO bus routes 229 / 222 from I-10 and bus route 075 from Westpark Tollway. Alternately, it can establish a new route to connect areas around Grand Parkway and complete a loop. Also, Demand Response Service by the Fort Bend County would benefit from improved traffic operations.

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 frontage roads serves as alternate route to SH 99 mainlanes. Therefore, if mainlanes become inoperable due to damaged infrastructure caused by collision of vehicles with trucks, other traffic can be diverted to frontage roads.

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 is a new facility. The new frontage road will serve for next 30 years with state of good repair. The proposed facility will address the population growth in the area and surroundings. The project will provide relief route during the time of widening/maintenance of SH 99 mainlanes in the future.

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.

0.63 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.

1.90 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.

Design: The fatality crash rate for the corridor is 0.63, lower than the H-GAC regional average of 1.21, and the serious injury crash rate is 1.90, lower than the H-GAC regional average 6.20. Work types: The Proposed improvements would provide following work types (work code, CRF): Install Pavement Markings (401, 20%) Install sidewalks (407, 65%) Add through lane (517, 28%) - New one-way frontage road Add right turn lane (521, 25%) The proposed improvements together would reduce potential crashes by 85% on SH 99 within project limits. Crash reduction impact: The construction of the new frontage roads will provide additional capacity to the roadway and reduce primary and secondary crashes caused by congestion. The proposed design brings the corridor up to latest highway safety standards.

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 would meet to the minimum federal standard. The proposed improvements include ditches between mainlanes and frontage roads, and curb and gutter storm sewer on the outer side of the frontage roads. The detention pond will be created in southbound direction near off-ramp at Cinco Ranch Blvd. which could potentially elevate the flooding in the area.

Access/Connectivity

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

175

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

4734

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?

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

176

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

4734

1c. Household Population Under Poverty

274

1d. Disabled Persons

401

1e. Elderly Persons

323

1f. Limited English Proficiency

364

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.

9.4

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 project includes new 10-foot wide sidewalk on the curb. This accommodates the active transportation mode. This will improve drainage for roadway and pedestrians. Safety improvements: The grade difference between sidewalk and the road makes pedestrians more visible, meaning higher safety. Transit stops: Additionally, wide shared use path could better accommodate a future transit stop.

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.

Noise pollution: The proposed improvements mainly focus on congestion mitigation and reduction of noise pollution by installing sound wall, hence lowering the adverse effect to nearest neighborhood. Displacement: The proposed project would not displace any person or property (chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.fortbendcountytx.gov/sites/default/files/2023-10/5.-Handout_ENG_Approved_SH99FR_ENG_Handout-_10_2_23.pdf). Congestion, air pollution, safety, travel time, economy: Reduced congestion will improve air quality by lowering the emmisions, minimize the congestion related crashes, and improved travel time can benefit in lowering the delivery cost and bringing business. Mental health and community cohesion: Apart from that, congestion reduction can diminish the stress, fatigue, irritability and rage. Proposed shared use path in each direction improve community cohesion and quality of public realm. Aesthetic value: The proposed project would improve aesthetic value of the area by providing new sidewalks and new landscape.

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: The proposed improvements include detention pond in southbouind direction near Cinco Ranch Blvd. The proposed project is located in the area where no wetlands are present currently within a quarter mile buffer. Cultural resources: The project does not affect any cultural resources within a quarter mile buffer.

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)

Not applicable (New alignment)

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?