Transportation Project Questionnaire

High Growth Area Needs Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	TxDOT Beaumont District
Project Title	FM 1960 Widening
Facility/Street/Highway	FM 1960
Limits	From SH 321 to SH 99
Description	Widen from 2 to 4 lanes
Timeframe	Short Term (0-5 Years)
Estimated Cost	$27,500,000.00

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 number of households in Dayton and it's surrounding areas have been growing at a rate of almost 10% since 2018 and are projected to continue that growth rate. The added capacity to FM 1960 will help convey that new growth onto SH 99 as a major feeder into the job centers in Houston. This widening will help improve LOS and reduce congestion as daily traffic and trips increase.

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

No

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

Widen roadway from 2 to 4 lanes with center turn lane, new pavement with reconstruction, review and update signage and pavement markings. Update drainage to meet Atlas 14 design criteria

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

No

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

Yes

3b-i. If yes, explain.

Widening helps to alleviate congestion by providing additional capacity. Traffic operations will be improved to also help with congestion at intersections

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

LOS B

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

Yes

4a. If yes, explain.

FM 1960 is an east-west corridor that connects SH 99 to the City of Dayton. US 90 is an alternate route from SH 99 to Dayton adding approximately 3.5 miles to the trip using FM 1960.

5. Is the proposed project located on a facility identified as a hurricane evacuation route in any regional or local plans?

No

5a. If no, is the proposed project located on a facility that functions as an alternative to an evacuation route?

Yes

5a-i. If yes, explain.

Model.HighGrowthAreaNeedsQuestionnaire.InvestmentCategory5ai

Other Investment Category Focused Criteria

1. Was the project scored under Regional Goods Movement Category?

Yes

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.

This project will improve connectivity, ease congestion, and reduce travel time on this segment of FM 1960. The additional capacity and turn lanes will improve access to businesses along the route. The additional lanes will help truck traffic to more safely operate alongside local traffic.

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.

Pedestrian and bike accommodations will be included in accordance with TxDOT's Roadway Design Manual. This would include sidewalks at a minimum as well as 10'-minimum width shoulders.

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

Brazos Transit's route in Dayton includes a segment of FM 1960 within this project's limits. The additional capacity provided by this project will improve the level-of-service on FM 1960 (reducing congestion) and should improve safety. This will directly benefit all roadway users including those using this transit service.

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 proposed project will reduce inoperability from vehicular crashes or potential storm damage by providing additional lanes of travel. The proposed facility will be less prone to complete closure because of the added capacity. The increased capacity should also help reduce the number of accidents and improve the response time of emergency responders.

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.

This project will improve the state of good repair and extend and improve the service life and resiliency of the facility by adding newly constructed sections and reevaluating any existing pavement that may remain to bring it up to the current standards. The pavement design for the new sections and any existing sections will be based on the latest traffic data and design standards. The drainage facilities for the project will be designed to meet or exceed ATLAS-14 standards. With this newly constructed / reconstructed section minimal maintenance work should be required for several decades.

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.

4.479

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.

15.227

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 project reduces expected fatality and serious injury crashes by building to current design standards with 12' travel lanes and 10' outside shoulders and a 14' - 16' center left turn lane. The proposed design would include additional through lanes, a continuous turn lane, and edge line rumble strips or profile pavement markings as appropriate.

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.

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.

The proposed project would reduce the vulnerability to flooding as it would be built to current hydrologic and hydraulic design standards. It would be designed to meet or exceed ATLAS-14 drainage standards. Specific improvements may include additional cross drainage capacity and possibly raising the proposed roadway profile if determined necessary by the hydraulic analysis.

Access/Connectivity

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

2670

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

5161

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?

No

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

2670

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

5161

1c. Household Population Under Poverty

1173

1d. Disabled Persons

856

1e. Elderly Persons

331

1f. Limited English Proficiency

739

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.

21.2

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.

By adding capacity, the proposed project should reduce traffic congestion and help minimize travel delays. This added capacity project should improve connectivity to and from the employment opportunities along this corridor. The additional through lanes and center turn lane should help improve safety along this stretch of roadway. The project would provide accommodations for pedestrian and bike traffic in accordance with TxDOT's Roadway Design Manual as needed. Widening the facility, adding a center turn lane, and including 10' shoulders will provide a safety benefit to employees entering and exiting the roadway from businesses along the corridor. Providing full shoulders will provide a safer bicycling area within corridor.

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 footprint of the proposed roadway improvements would be minimized to help prevent impacts to adjacent properties, thus reducing any possible displacements of persons, businesses, etc. The current roadway usage would not change with the proposed construction project. The addition of through lanes would maintain access to adjacent properties including public and private facilities and services with less impact to the flow of traffic than currently occurs. Any sound walls that are identified prior/during the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process will be constructed on this project.

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.

Floodplains present in the project vicinity include the 100 year, 500 year, and a floodway. In addition, some wetlands are present. During project development, wetland information is provided to the design team to determine where the project might impact Waters of the U.S. (WOUS). The design is adjusted if possible to avoid and minimize impacts to WOUS. Any unavoidable impacts are mitigated through USACE approved mitigation banks. With regard to the floodplains present, the project would be designed to have no negative impact to the floodplain and we would coordinate with the floodplain administrator concerning these.

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

NOx - .69 tons ; VOC .91 tons

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