Transportation Project Questionnaire

Operational Improvements and Congestion Management Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	City of Galveston
Project Title	Avenues O & P: 53rd to Seawall Corridor Safety Improvements
Facility/Street/Highway	Avenue O & Avenue P
Limits	53rd Street to Seawall Blvd
Description	Install curb extensions, sidewalks and/or a multi-use trail, install ADA ramps, perform traffic signal upgrades, construct storm sewer improvements to accommodate drainage modifications due to improvements made, improve roadway signage and striping for enhanced visibility and safety.
Timeframe	Short Term (0-5 Years)
Estimated Cost	$31,545,000.00

Investment Category-Focused Criteria

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

No

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.

Comparison of data available for the City of Houston compiled by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

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).

Comparison of data available for the City of Houston compiled by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

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 Avenue O & Avenue P Corridors serve as the major one-way corridors for residents of the island to navigate from midtown to the east end of the island, all year long, but especially during times of heavy tourism. These corridors provide relief from Broadway or Seawall which are major tourist thoroughfares and serve as local emergency evacuation routes to gain access to the state transportation system on the island. These corridors run through residential neighborhoods, and safety is a primary concern, due to access to individual residences, the presence of Ball High School and other amenities on the island. The infrastructure along these corridors is aging and there are several sags, dips, ruts, etc. translating to the surface due to existing and repaired infrastructure beneath the roadway.

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?

No

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.

This project focuses on two major one-way collector streets through residential neighborhood. Commercial goods and heavy truck traffic is discouraged due to this geographic setting.

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 land adjacent to these corridors is currently built out since the roadways traverse the some of the older neighborhoods on the island. Therefore, mass redevelopment is not anticipated along either corridor.

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 will improve parking configurations along the corridor and enhance visibility to all users that each corridor is a designated one-way route. The project will also seek to improve safety along the corridor by including traffic calming measures that serve the characteristic of the adjacent neighborhoods.

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

Pedestrian and bicycle facilities are important aspects of this project. Currently, there are discontinuous sidewalks along the entire corridor, which reduces walkability and bicycling activities. Additionally, there is parallel parking along both sides of the street and numerous residential driveways. These present many hazards for pedestrians and bicyclists alike along the corridor. This desired outcome of this project will enhance mobility and safety for all users of these corridors.

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.

By improving pedestrian accessibility and mobility along these corridors, the City anticipates seeing increased ridership on its municipal transit services directly resulting from the improved accessibility.

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.

By improving the quality of the infrastructure, users of the road system will no longer have to dodge ruts and potholes in the existing road surface reducing their tendency to swerve down the road to avoid these features, reducing the potential of striking objects in the adjacent travel lane or parked objects off to the edge of the roadway.

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.

2784 crashes per 100 milliion vehicle miles traveled

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.

R = 1055/(5*2.519) = 83.76 crashes per mile

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.

Completing the corridor and creating alternate places for pedestrians and bicyclists to be outside of the roadway will improve safety and reduce potential conflict points where fatalities and incapacitating crashes occur. Additionally, the inclusion of bulb outs, and/or curb extensions at intersections will reduce the length pedestrians need to cross the street. These improvements will also act as a traffic calming device to encourage lower speeds along the corridor.

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.

Medium

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.

This project will include upgrades to the underground drainage conveyance system as well as improvements at the intersections to provide larger inlets to accommodate a greater inflow of water into the system. Given the island’s unique geographic constraints, inclusion of sluice gates or other closure type apparatuses are being considered at the outfall to prevent the system from being inundated dure to tidal backflow.

Access/Connectivity

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

2850

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

2516

2. Does the proposed project improve or provide new connectivity to a medical facility within a quarter mile buffer of the project location?

No

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?

No

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

2850

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

3834

1c. Household Population Under Poverty

1243

1d. Disabled Persons

1110

1e. Elderly Persons

488

1f. Limited English Proficiency

468

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.

70

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 proposed corridor improvements will improve accessibility for all users along the corridor by reducing delays due to traffic and congestion.

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.

This project will incorporate greater accessibility to existing municipal services offered by the City to all residents.

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 will include upgrades to the underground drainage conveyance system as well as improvements at the intersections to provide larger inlets to accommodate a greater inflow of water into the system. Given the island’s unique geographic constraints, inclusion of sluice gates or other closure type apparatuses are being considered at the outfall to prevent the system from being inundated dure to tidal backflow.

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)

Innovation

1. Does the project propose to implement new infrastructure technologies to enhance accessibility, mobility, multimodalism, resiliency, reliability, or traffic operations?

No

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

No

Additional Documents