Transportation Project Questionnaire

Operational Improvements and Congestion Management Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	TxDOT Houston District
Project Title	FM 1097 at IH 45 N Construct New Interchange
Facility/Street/Highway	FM 1097
Limits	At IH 45 N
Description	This project proposes interchange improvements based on the results of the feasibility study.
Timeframe	Long Term (More than 10 Years)
Estimated Cost	$25,000,000.00

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.

1.75 – 2.0

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

Travel Time Index (TTI) is a ratio that compares peak period travel times along a corridor to average travel times, thus estimating a relative level of rush hour congestion. Current TTI for the project area is 1.81, indicating that it takes 1.81 times as long to travel this corridor in the peak period than average, which is heavily congested.

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

1.75 – 2.0

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).

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: Intersection Improvement. This project will construct interchange improvements that will improve design and operation, facilitating more efficient traffic flow and reducing congestion caused by intersection-related crashes.

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.

FM 1097 connects directly to IH 45 which is identified as 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 is not located on a Critical Urban Freight Corridor. The project is located on the TxDOT and FHWA Freight Networks. The project improves regional goods movement through intersection improvements which will facilitate more efficient traffic flow and reduce congestion caused by intersection-related crashes.

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 project is not located in a high-growth area. The population is projected to grow by 158.6% and jobs are projected to increase by 53.3%. No notable land use changes were announced or modeled.

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.

Shared-use shoulders could be constructed on this project. This project will construct shoulders on the roadway. Wide shoulders will provide room for cyclists and pedestrians to utilize the facility and maintain a safe distance from vehicle traffic.

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

No existing or planned transit service is provided on this facility.

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.

This project will improve intersection design and operation, reducing intersection-related crashes. The reduction in crashes will reduce periods of inoperability due to vehicle collisions.

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.

Pavement Score: Fair Bridge Score: Good Narrative: This segment contains pavement in Fair condition, according to TxDOT and FHWA guidelines. In a widening/reconstruction project like this project, pavement is removed, and new pavement is constructed, thus increasing the state of good repair and extending the service life of the facility.

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.

49.826

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 for this segment are per 100 million VMT. The fatality rate is 0, lower than the regional average (1.23), and the serious injury rate is 49.826, higher than the regional average, (6.18). This project is designed to enhance interchange design and operation, leveraging insights derived from the feasibility study to effectively decrease intersection-related crashes. As part of the proposed improvements, shared-use shoulders could be implemented. The addition of pedestrian infrastructure will allow pedestrians to safely use the facility and reduce points of conflicts with vehicles, thus further providing an additional layer of safety to the project. Adding shoulders to the facility may reduce head-on, sideswipe, and pedestrian crashes, among others. Shoulders will allow vehicles to move off the roadway after collisions, reducing further crashes caused by congestion. The consolidated crash reduction factor for this project is 90% as a result of installing pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure (WC 407) and installing shoulders (WC 504).

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.

High

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.

All current projects are being designed to meet and/or exceed ATLAS-14 drainage standards.

Access/Connectivity

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

1,843

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

2,644

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

1,843

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

2,644

1c. Household Population Under Poverty

788

1d. Disabled Persons

850

1e. Elderly Persons

358

1f. Limited English Proficiency

193

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.

19.80

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.

The area surrounding the project segment has a lower low-income population (12.12%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5%. The area surrounding the project segment has a lower minority population (40.66%) as compared to the regional average of 65% minority. Because of its central location in the regional network, the project will produce improvements in mobility and connectivity for vulnerable populations as well as connectivity to schools, medical facilities, and social services for the regional population. FM 1097 is an evacuation route. The project will improve drainage to ATLAS-14 standards, which reduce flooding events and their impact on vulnerable populations.

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 area surrounding the project segment has a lower low-income population (12.12%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5%. The area surrounding the project segment has a lower minority population (40.66%) as compared to the regional average of 65% minority. TxDOT’s Environmental Process is designed to ensure compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Executive Order on Environmental Justice. Standard practice is to implement projects that provide user safety and operational efficiency while taking into account environmental quality and impacts to surrounding communities. In practice this means identifying and assessing potential project impacts, then proposing measures to avoid, minimize and/or mitigate disproportionately high and adverse effects to Environmental Justice Populations. For example, the project will improve drainage to ATLAS-14 standards, which will mitigate impacts from added capacity to vulnerable populations.

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 is in conceptual development. If required, the appropriate Environmental Document (Categorical Exclusion, Environmental Assessment, or Environmental Impact Statement) will be conducted to identify, avoid or mitigate potential impacts to the natural or human environment.

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; VOC:0

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.

Brand new Signal Phasing and timing (SpAT) signals will be installed on this segment of the project intersection (Related to CSJ 0912-00-701 that will install 1,100+ of these signals on all traffic lights on TxDOT HOU district roads)

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

Yes

2a. If yes, please explain.