Transportation Project Questionnaire

Operational Improvements and Congestion Management Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	Brazoria County
Project Title	CR 59 widening
Facility/Street/Highway	County Road 59
Limits	from the Fort Bend County Line to CR 48
Description	Widening existing 2-lane asphalt roadway to a 4-lane concrete Blvd. with roadside ditches, storm sewer and a detention pond.
Timeframe	Medium Term (6-10 Years)
Estimated Cost	$20,000,000.00

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.

1.25 – 1.50

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

CR 59 is a county road located in the northwest segment of Brazoria County. It is an east-west corridor that connects Pearland and Manvel to FM 521 and SH 288. Currently, the next east-west corridor south of CR 59 is State Highway 6, three miles south of CR 59. This further channelizes vehicular demand along this corridor as land uses change in the region. Existing peak period travel times were calculated as part of the Mobility Plan completed for Brazoria County in 2022. Non-peak travel times were calculated based on the posted speed and field visits completed in 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).

The projected Travel Time Index assumes that improved pavement added lane capacity added shoulders, improved lane widths, and a raised median to separate opposing flow would result in a peak period travel time slightly less than the travel time experienced in the non-peak period. These assumptions are based on methodologies outlined in the Highway Capacity Manual issued by the Transportation Research Board.

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.

Congestion management strategies include Roadway/Mobility strategies, including access management, restriction of turns, road signage improvement, acceleration/deceleration lanes, and intersection improvements. The project also falls under roadway capacity expansion with the addition of capacity lanes to meet existing and future demands and intersection improvements to manage conflict points and improve safety.

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.

The project widens an existing major thoroughfare from two lanes undivided to four lanes divided. There is a capacity need associated with the lack of additional existing east-west thoroughfares south of CR 59. The proximity of this project to the suburban development associated with Pearland the proposed project is important to sub-regional freight movement.

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 existing facility has a two feet shoulder width with no sidewalk. This leaves no room for pedestrian use, and bike use must share the one through lane. The proposed project will provide a continuation of the 10-foot shared-use path. This will provide connectivity to the shared use path proposed along FM 521 by TxDOT.

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.

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

There is no current transit service offered in this segment of Brazoria County.

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.

Not applicable to this project

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.

Existing CR 59 has pavement that is rated as poor, including rutting and spalling. Maintenance improvements to the CR are going to be required in the near term and full depth replacement of the pavement is recommended as per the Brazoria County Mobility Plan completed in 2022.

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.

The crash rate for CR 59 was calculated as part of the Brazoria County Mobility Plan as 242.7 crashes per 100-million vehicle miles traveled and is well over the statewide average for similar facilities of 101.9 crashes per 100-million vehicles miles.

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.

Between 2015 and 2019, severe crashes per mile were 1.85, which ranked the highest of the twenty corridors studied in the 2022 Brazoria County Mobility Plan.

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.

Reduction in crashes will be related to the following improvements. Improving from two foot wide shoulder with open ditch to curb and gutter, improving from two lane undivided to multi-lane divided, adding a shared use path for peds and bikes.

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.

Reduction to flooding vulnerability include conversion of the roadway from open ditch to curb and cutter.

Access/Connectivity

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

2033

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

6058

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

2033

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

6058

1c. Household Population Under Poverty

395

1d. Disabled Persons

545

1e. Elderly Persons

170

1f. Limited English Proficiency

579

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.

14.8

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.

Pavement conditions along existing CR 59 in this segment are deteriorating. With increased vehicular demand in the region, the widening and existing pavement replacement is a high priority for Brazoria County to address safety and mobility in the region. Also, improving from two foot wide shoulder with open ditch to curb and gutter, improving from two lane undivided to multi-lane divided, adding a shared use path for peds and bikes.

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.

CR 59 has been experiencing a significant increase in traffic volumes. This growth is attributed to changes in land use along CR 59 and general population growth in the area. LOS will improve from a peak period condition of E to LOS C after the proposed improvement. The proposed improvements will decrease traffic congestion.

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.

H-GAC to provide the data.

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)

H-GAC to provide the data.

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?

Additional Documents

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