Transportation Project Questionnaire

Transit Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	METRO
Project Title	Missouri City Park & Ride Capitalized Lease
Facility/Street/Highway	SH 6
Limits	@ Vicksburg
Description	Private partner to develop parking garage to service site; METRO to enter into extended lease for use of garage for P&R service
Timeframe	Short Term (0-5 Years)
Estimated Cost	$52,000,000.00

Investment Category-Focused Criteria

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

Yes

1a. If yes, please provide link to the plan.

https://www.h-gac.com/regional-transportation-plan https://www.ridemetro.org/about/metronext/moving-forward-plan

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.).

This service will be a permanent location for a Park & Ride in Missouri City.

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.).

Connections will be provided to other service including METRORail and METRO bus routes at the Texas Medical Center Transit Center.

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.

Opportunities at the Texas Medical Center (TMC) and other destinations that have transit access from the TMC Transit Center.

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

Normal mid-week transit ridership is expected to use up to 90% of the available parking capacity with daily boardings of over 1,550 riders. Assuming those boarding Park and Ride buses make a return trip and an average 16-mile driving distance from the Park and Ride to the TMC, over 50,000 vehicle miles of travel will be reduced on normal, midweek day. This does not include the potential for transit patrons who are nearby residents and will have the ability to walk or take a very short bicycle ride to access Park and Ride services.

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

The agency is the primary provider of buses during severe weather events and helps evacuate people from weather threats. In addition, METRO provides drivers to other agencies to help evacuate people. METRO provides support for the transportation of people to shelter areas both before and following hurricane or other severe weather events. METRO also has agreements with some coastal communities to provide buses for the evacuation of their residents. Coordination of these activities will also be supported by the ECS.

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.

This project is not located on a critical freight corridor. However, this facility will reduce vehicular travel demand on two heavily traveled routes with significant truck travel. Fort Bend Toll Road from SH6 to US90A and US90A to Main Street.

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 Park & Ride is located in Missouri City which is defined as one of the fastest growing communities in the Houston region. The facility will be located on a mixed use site that contains multi-family residential as well as retail. In addition, the Park & Ride is located near new developments both residential and retail.

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.

The P&R faculty will provide commuter bus service from Missouri City to the Texas Medical Center. This will reduce traffic congestion by reducing vehicles along the corridors from Missouri City to the Texas Medical Center. The shortest one-way driving distance between the P&R facility and the Texas Medical Center is 16 miles. At 90% occupancy on peak travel days, the P&R will eliminate over 50,000 vehicle miles of travel (round trip). The VMT reduction will be even greater for those connecting to other METRO services to reach destinations such as Downtown Houston. Since significant residential housing will be within walking distance of the P&R, transit patronage could easily exceed 100% of the parking capacity of the facility, further reducing VMT on critical 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 P&R facility is located within a mixed-use joint development between METRO and NewQuest. The mixed-use development includes high density residential and commercial uses. By nature, in a joint development, walking is encouraged and provides the best means for mobility. Bicycle use is also encouraged within the mixed-use development. The developer will include convenient, accessible sidewalk and path connections from and to planned residential development.

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 project will remove vehicles from the road therefore reducing the likelihood of collisions. Any reductions in vehicular travel demand will also support rapid response to and recovery from traffic incidents on the facilities used by P&R transit patrons.

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.

The P&R will be a new facility designed and constructed to METRO’s high standards. The facility will be properly maintained by METRO through their quality process.

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.

From the year 2018 to 2022, there were a total of 232 crashes found in the study area. There was no fatal crash out of the 232 crashes.

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.

There were 12 serious injuries found in the study area during the years between 2018 and 2022. The average serious injury crash rate on Highway 6 between 2018 and 2022 is 4.98 per 100 VMT, compared to the 2022 Texas statewide average serious injury crash rate of 5.28 per 100 VMT. There was no serious injury found on Fort Bend Parkway Toll Road during the last 5 years. The average serious injury crash rate on Trammel-Fresno Road between the years of 2018 and 2022 is 11.5 per 100 VMT, which is higher than the state average rate.

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 P&R facility will encourage commuters to use the bus as opposed to personal vehicle travel, reducing the number of vehicles on the road. In addition, the P&R is in a mixed-use joint development that includes multi-family housing and commercial uses. Residents have the option to eliminate their vehicles by taking the bus as well as walking to commercial establishments in the mixed-use development.

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.

The proposed project location is not located in a designated floodplain. It will be connected to the City of Missouri City’s storm sewer system. The improvements will not substantially alter the existing impermeable surface, so drainage and flooding are not expected to be an issue. Flooding and associated impacts were addressed in a CE approved by FTA on December 27, 2022. The P&R facility will have associated detention ponds to help reduce flooding.

Access/Connectivity

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

2029

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

5517

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

2029

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

5517

1c. Household Population Under Poverty

1d. Disabled Persons

504

1e. Elderly Persons

233

1f. Limited English Proficiency

100

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.

According to H-GAC Activity- Connectivity Explorer, the weighted livable center need index is 13.7

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 P&R is in a mixed use-development which includes commercial and multi-family residential uses. This mixed-use development encourages walking, biking and transit use. Residents that reside in the mixed-use development have the ability to not own a vehicle reducing their overall monthly cost for vehicle ownership. The mixed-use joint development encourages transit use

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 P&R encourages transit use and the mixed-use development allows for persons to not be required to own a vehicle to access employment, housing or commercial uses . The project does not displace any existing residences and impacts no residential properties, low-income or otherwise.

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.

The proposed P&R facility location is not located in a designated floodplain. It will be connected to the City’s storm sewer system. The improvements will not substantially alter the existing impermeable surface, so drainage and flooding are not expected to be an issue. No designate nor eligible historic features will be impacted by this project. Flooding, Cultural Resources, and other resource areas were addressed in a CE approved by FTA on December 27, 2022.

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)

Annual NOx reduction: 10.72M vmt reduced x .06 gm/mi / 907,185 gm/ton = 0.71 tons per year reduced. Annual VOC reduction: 10.72M vmt reduced x .01 gm/mi / 907,185 gm/ton = 0.12 tons

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.

The P&R facility enhances mobility by providing commuter bus service to the Texas Medical Center which is a high employment center and major destination in the Houston region. Since the P&R facility is in a mixed-use development that contains commercial and multi-family residential uses, it encourages multi-modalism through biking, walking and transit use.

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