Transportation Project Questionnaire

High Growth Area Needs Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	Montgomery County
Project Title	SH 99 Eastbound Frontage Road Improvements
Facility/Street/Highway	SH 99 Eastbound Frontage Road
Limits	Rayford to east of Birnam Woods
Description	Add frontage road lanes (one-lane to two-lane) and add right turn lanes
Timeframe
Estimated Cost	$3,000,000.00

Investment Category-Focused Criteria

1. Define High Growth Area Need: Provide a narrative to explain how proposed project is needed to serve a high growth where project is located. (Please provide quantifiable data that demonstrates high growth in population, employment, commercial development or daily traffic.)

The proposed eastbound off ramps along SH 99 at Rayford Road and Birnham Woods Drive controls traffic flow and access management in the project area. Adding the additional FR lane and adjusting the off-ramps will alleviate current merge conditions, reducing conflicts and ease regional goods movement. The proposed improvements to SH 99 EBFR improvements will: 1. Improve Safety: Widening FR from two to three lanes and re-aligning ramps is anticipated to reduce crashes by 28% over the service life of 20 years. Additional safety benefits include adding dedicated right turn lanes for safer vehicle turn movements and reduction of collisions/conflicts. 2. Achieve and Maintain a State of Good Repair: The proposed project would add new FR travel lane, rehabilitate existing frontage road lanes and reconstruct the EB SH 99 ramps, requiring minimal maintenance for at least 20 years after completion. 3. Move People and Goods Efficiently: As a proposed multimodal facility, SH 99 EB ML and EB FR would be able to efficiently move vehicles, goods, and pedestrians/cyclists in a safe manner. The additional capacity will also improve mobility by reducing travel time delay and improving incident response time. 4. Strengthen Regional Economic Competitiveness: The widening of SH 99 EBFR will provide congestion relief for automobile users. The proposed widening of SH 99 EBFR is needed to support future residential development. Within this TAZ, population is expected to increase by nearly 34%, from 2018 to 2045, and jobs are expected to increase by 126%. Within a quarter mile of the SH 99 EBFR project limits, there are currently 11,983 housing units; 2045 projections estimate 16,529 housing units which is a 38% increase from existing. Non-residential building square footage is expected to increase by 7.2% in 2045 and lane use dedicated to residential is expected to increase by 160%.

2. Is the proposed project recommended in a statewide, regional, or local plans?

Yes

2a. If yes, please provide link to the plan.

https://www.txdot.gov/projects/projects-studies/houston/sh99-grand-parkway/overview.html

3. Please provide proposed project description (detailed project scope).

The proposed project includes an addition of one eastbound frontage road lane and an alignment/merge condition adjustment of the SH 99 off-ramps at Rayford Road and Birnham Woods Drive.

3a. Does the project provide access to new planned land use development (residential or commercial), or connects existing discontinuous networks?

Yes

3a-i. If yes, explain.

Adjusted ramps connecting to the widened frontage roads, lead to a number of new housing and commercial developments.

3b. Does the project expand existing networks to alleviate anticipated congestions?

Yes

3b-i. If yes, explain.

Adding the new frontage road travel lane eliminates the current bottleneck conditions. (SH 99 Off Ramps force the existing 2-lanes FR to a single lane, creating back ups and dangerous merging conditions. Congestion often builds up into intersections. Project is also adding dedicated right turn lanes off the frontage road to remove potential conflicts.

3b-ii. What is the estimated Level of Service after the project is completed.

A/B

4. Does the proposed project provide an alternative route to existing corridor (Road or commuter transit)?

No

5. 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.

The proposed eastbound off ramps along SH 99 at Rayford Road and Birnham Woods Drive controls traffic flow and access management in the project area. Adding the additional FR lane and adjusting the off-ramps will alleviate current merge conditions, reducing conflicts and ease regional goods movement. SH 99 is designated as a freight corridor within the TxDOT Texas Highway Freight Network.

2. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project improves traffic operations. Within the narrative, please include if the proposed project includes construction of truck only lanes or managed truck only lanes, construction of an interchange, or intersection improvements.

The proposed eastbound off ramps along SH 99 at Rayford Road and Birnham Woods Drive will be adjusted to have separate exit lane on the FR. Adding the additional FR lane will eliminate and alleviate current ramp and FR merge conditions. Additional lane will reduce conflicts and allow additional FR lane capacity. Traffic on SH 99 and the EBFR will encounter better traffic flow and safer travel patterns. New subdivision and expanding existing subdivisions line the EBFR 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.

Limited pedestrian ramp and crosswalk improvements are planned at Rayford Road and Birnham Woods Drive intersections. Modifications will facilitate safer vehicular turn movements and facilitate safer pedestrian crossings.

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

N/A – no transit in this area of Montgomery 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.

New frontage road lane will provide passing lane should one become inoperable. The proposed ramps would facilitate truck/freight movement in this region of significant growth. The ramps also provide access to or from SH 99 if an incident occurs that hinders travel, the ramps provide a way off of the facility.

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.

New ramp construction would require minimal maintenance for at least 20 years after completion.

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.

Project has had 275 Crashes with 0 Fatal. Total Fatality Crash Rate: 0

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.

Of the 275 crashes, 46 had injuries and 0 fatal injuries. Total Serious Injury Crash Rate: 30.741

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.

The proposed ramp configuration allows for lane changes to occur along the frontage road, where speeds are lower and the spacing between the ramps is greater. The additional through frontage road lane eliminates bottleneck/merge condition.

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.

Model.HighGrowthAreaNeedsQuestionnaire.Resiliency2

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.

Profiles will be evaluated to determine the hydraulic impact on existing drainage conditions. During the detailed design phase, drainage analysis modeling will be completed and any impacts would be mitigated within TxDOT's ROW to ensure stormwater drainage would not adversely impact existing conditions outside TxDOT's ROW.

Access/Connectivity

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

2015 weighted % of low to moderate income = 20.1%

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

2021 Hispanic = 23.9% (5,475 out of 22,861). 2021 Non-Hispanic = 17.1% (3,920 out of 22,861)

12. 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

20.1%

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

41%

1c. Household Population Under Poverty

2.7%

1d. Disabled Persons

5.1%

1e. Elderly Persons

2.8%

1f. Limited English Proficiency

3.5%

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.

4.6%

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.

The benefits of the proposed project such as improved mobility and increased operational efficiency would be experienced by all populations, including vulnerable communities. The proposed ramps would facilitate truck/freight movements within the region, limiting interactions of trucks/freight vehicles with local traffic utilizing the frontage roads. Additionally, the ramps will provide increased access to SH 99, likely improving emergency response times.

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 design will take into account the locations of community resources, especially those serving vulnerable populations and wherever possible avoid impacts to these resources. In addition, low-income and environmental justice communities will be identified using U.S. Census data and field verification; the design will avoid taking ROW from these communities.

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.

A categorial exclusion will be prepared for the project. While alternatives for the proposed project are limited, environmental resources and constraints will be assessed and the alignment and footprint of the ramps will be designed to avoid, minimize and mitigation sensitive environmental resources (natural and cultural) wherever possible.

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

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

SH 99 EBFR ADT MPH Sheet.pdf

SH-99 EBFR CBA Anaylis Report.pdf