Transportation Project Questionnaire

Transit Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	TxDOT Houston District
Project Title	FM 521 Sidewalks
Facility/Street/Highway	FM 521
Limits	From West Airport Blvd. to South SL 8
Description	The project includes a 5- to 6- foot wide sidewalks, high visibility crossing striping, ADA ramps, pavement markings, bus stop pads, and signage as well as other associated intersection improvements.
Timeframe	Short Term (0-5 Years)
Estimated Cost	$1,700,000.00

Investment Category-Focused Criteria

1. Is the proposed project recommended in a regional, subregional, local, transit, livable centers or other plans?

2. Does the proposed project provide transit service or expand transit service to locations which do not currently have a transit service?

Yes

2a. If yes, please provide narrative describing the proposed transit expansion (Local bus, commuter, etc.).

METRO Route 11 uses this segment and it could use the new bus stops pads to increase accessibility and reliability of the transit service. The METRO Hiram Clarke Transit Center is nearby this project.

3. Does the proposed project provide connectivity to other transit services?

Yes

3a. If yes, please provide narrative describing the proposed transit provides connectivity to other transit services (service operated by other transit agency, fixed route, commuter bus, rail, etc.).

METRO bus route 54 cross this segment of Almeda Rd at W Fuqua St.

4. Does the proposed project improve or provide transit connectivity to jobs?

Yes

4a. Please provide # of jobs located within 1/4 mile distance of transit stops.

2,627

5. Please provide daily ridership served by the proposed transit project.

METRO: 82

6. Please provide narrative explaining how the transit agency (sponsor) helps to evacuate people during severe weather events (Hurricanes).

FM 521 connects directly to both SL 8 and SH 6, both of which are identified as evacuation routes.

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, though it is adjacent to corridor #20. The project is located on the TxDOT Freight Network. The project improves regional goods movement by intersection improvements which will facilitate more efficient traffic flow and reducing 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 53.4% and jobs are projected to increase by 35.0%. Some new residential and commercial land use changes announced or modeled.

3. 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 not directly improve automobile traffic capacity or operations, but by making short-term non-car trips more feasible, it may reduce local traffic on nearby roadways.

4. 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 project includes 5 to 6-foot sidewalks, high visibility crossing striping, ADA ramps. The addition of sidewalks will create transportation alternatives and allow pedestrians greater access to services and improve quality of life.

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.

Research indicates that 52% of all daily trips are three miles or less in length. This project includes sidewalks and intersection improvements that may encourage users to divert these short trips from vehicle trips to active transportation trips, reducing the number of vehicles on the roadway and the corresponding risk of vehicle collisions that cause significant periods of inoperability.

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: Good Worst bridge score: Good Narrative: This segment contains pavement in Good condition, according to TxDOT and FHWA guidelines. The project includes reconstruction of the roadway which will lead to an improvement in the state of good repair and extend 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.

5.906

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.

9.597

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 5.906, higher than the regional average (1.23), and the serious injury rate is 9.597, higher than the regional average (6.18). This project will improve intersection design and operation, reducing intersection-related crashes. The addition of pedestrian infrastructure will allow pedestrians to safely use the facility and reduce points of conflicts with vehicles, thus improving the overall safety of the segment. The consolidated crash reduction factor is 105%, as a result of installing a pedestrian crosswalk (WC 403), installing sidewalks (WC 407), installing pavement markings (WC 401), and improving pedestrian signals (WC 131).

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.

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. However, this may not apply to Sidewalk/Bike Path Projects.

Access/Connectivity

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

18,339

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

30,839

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?

Yes

4. Does the proposed project improve or provide new connectivity to a social services facility within a quarter buffer of the project location?

Yes

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

18,339

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

30,839

1c. Household Population Under Poverty

4,733

1d. Disabled Persons

2,076

1e. Elderly Persons

594

1f. Limited English Proficiency

3,579

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.

53.10

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 (14.84%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5%. The area surrounding the project segment has a higher minority population (96.66%) 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, 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.
(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?

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