Transportation Project Questionnaire

High Growth Area Needs Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	TxDOT Houston District
Project Title	36A Planning Studies
Facility/Street/Highway	36A
Limits	From IH 10 W to US 290 /SH 6 near Hempstead
Description	Preliminary engineering study in preparation for a possible DEIS
Timeframe	Medium Term (6-10 Years)
Estimated Cost	$7,500,000.00

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 project is located in a high growth area. The population is projected to grow by 114.9% and jobs are projected to increase by 76.4%. While land use changes have not yet been announced or modeled, additional residential land uses will be needed in the future to accommodate the projected growth. This project is a preliminary engineering study in preparation for a Draft EIS for a new 21 mile 4-lane highway connecting IH 10 W to US 290/SH6. The project has been identified in prior planning studies to create an alternative to the already congested corridors of IH 10 W to US 290/SH6. The preliminary engineering study will establish the operational benefits that the project is anticipated to provide, including reducing daily traffic volume and delay on adjacent North-South routes. The added capacity will improve regional connectivity and reduce primary and secondary crashes due to congestion.

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.h-gac.com/getmedia/3bb31f66-1e79-4fdd-ac21-3e9240e2ad43/waller-county-transportation-plan.pdf

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

Preliminary engineering study in preparation for a possible DEIS for 36A (CONSTRUCT FOUR-LANE DIVIDED ON NEW LOCATION)

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.

The project is located in a high growth area in Waller County. The population is projected to grow by 114.9% and jobs are projected to increase by 76.4%. Tons of new residential developments surrounding the project study area and industrial/warehousing projects closer to the IH 10 W corridor.

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

Yes

3b-i. If yes, explain.

This project is a preliminary engineering study in preparation for a Draft EIS for a new 21 mile 4-lane highway connecting IH 10 W to US 290/SH6. The project has been identified in prior planning studies to create an alternative to the already congested corridors of IH 10 W to US 290/SH6. The preliminary engineering study will establish the operational benefits that the project is anticipated to provide, including reducing daily traffic volume and delay on adjacent North-South routes. The added capacity will improve regional connectivity and reduce primary and secondary crashes due to congestion.

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

LOS A

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

Yes

4a. If yes, explain.

This proposed highway would provide redundancy to existing north-south roads in the western part of the H-GAC service area, such as FM 359 and FM 362 and certainly SH 99.

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

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?

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 not located on the TxDOT or FHWA Freight Networks, but it would connect roads that are. The project improves regional goods movement by adding capacity which will relieve congestion.

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.

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.

Sidewalks or shared use paths could be recommended on the frontage roads for 36A. Shared use paths provide a low-stress experience for active transportation users, increasing user safety and health while improving regional connectivity. The addition of sidewalks will create transportation alternatives and allow pedestrians greater access to services and improve quality of life.

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.

36A facility could act as a backup if SH 99 to the east is closed.

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.

Project is on new Location, state of good repair would be brand new and service life is not applicable yet.

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.

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.

N/A

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.

Project is on new location but all roads around the region of this project are Low Vulnerability and Low Criticality. 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

7410

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

15772

12. 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?

Yes

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

7410

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

15772

1c. Household Population Under Poverty

2627

1d. Disabled Persons

1031

1e. Elderly Persons

544

1f. Limited English Proficiency

1247

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.

36.60

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.

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 higher low-income population (21.06%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5%. The area surrounding the project segment has a lower minority population (60.02%) 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.

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. It is anticipated to proceed as an Environmental Impact Statement to evaluate, avoid and 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

N/A

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 - proposed frontage roads (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.