Transportation Project Questionnaire

Major Projects Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	TxDOT Houston District
Project Title	FM 521
Facility/Street/Highway	FM 521
Limits	SH 6 to Brazoria C/L (CR 56)
Description	WIDEN FROM 2 LANES TO 4 LANES DIVIDED
Timeframe	Short Term (0-5 Years)
Estimated Cost	$70,000,000.00

Regional Transportation Plan Goals

1. Please provide narrative describing how the proposed project supports all goals established in the Regional Transportation Plan (2045 RTP).

The project consists of widening FM 521 from 4-lanes to 6-lanes divided from State Highway 6 to County Road 56 in a high growth portion of Fort Bend County. The project includes a railroad grade separation improvement over BNSF line. The area has and continues to rapidly develop with new subdivisions and new high school adjacent to the road. The project will allow for an increase in capacity, increasing accessibility and connectivity, and improving congestion by providing delay relief while at the same time improving safety through various access management techniques (e.g., raised roadway medians treatments and openings). This project is included in the RTP 2045 (MPOID 18501) and H-GAC 2023 Regional Goods Movement Study. The project is part of the Critical Urban Freight Network; included directly on the National Freight Network and the Texas Highway Freight Network. The project runs parallel and serves as an alternate route to SH 288 which is classified as a state evacuation route. In addition to the widening of the existing roadway, the project will include improvements in safety, 9-ft bike-ped facilities, drainage, pavement and bridge condition, and ITS elements. According to the 2045 RTP, this project falls under H-GAC’s Manage, Maintain, and Expand strategies, which collectively and directly support all five of H-GAC’s goals of improving safety, achieving/maintaining a state of good repair, moving people and goods efficiently, strengthening regional economic competitiveness, and protecting cultural and natural resources. [1] Improve Safety: This project will provide additional capacity (from 4 to 6 lanes) to the roadway and reduce primary and secondary crashes caused by congestion and traffic queuing. Creating a railroad grade separation will reduce a point of conflict between trains, cars, and pedestrians, improving the overall safety of the segment. The project is also implementing various access management techniques (e.g., raised roadway medians treatments and openings) that will help with traffic flow and reduction in conflict points. [2] Achieve & Maintain State of Good Repair: In a widening/reconstruction project, old pavement is removed and new pavement is constructed, thus increasing the state of good repair. This project will reduce stop and go traffic, reducing wear and tear and extending the service life of the facility. [3] Move People and Goods Reliably and Efficiently: This project will reduce congestion by adding capacity and eliminating a point of conflict between cars and trains, significantly increasing the reliability of the facility. [4] Strengthen Regional Economic Competitiveness: This project will reduce congestion and resulting crashes, increasing the truck travel time reliability of the facility, boosting regional and economic competitiveness. [5] Conserve and Protect Natural and Cultural Resources: This project will include improved drainage, which will benefit the natural resources abutting the facility. This project will reduce emissions caused by idling and congestion.

Regional Significance

1. Is the project a Roadway Project or a Transit Project?

Roadway

1a. For Roadway projects, this project is located on a facility functionally classified as a:

Minor Arterial

Potential Crash Reductions

1. What is the existing fatality crash rate at the project location? Regional crash data is available online at crash data viewer. H-GAC staff will provide assistance in calculating the crash rates upon request.

0.503

2. What is the existing serious injury crash rate at the project location? Regional crash data is available online at crash data viewer. H-GAC staff will provide assistance in calculating the crash rates upon request.

4.531

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 total crash rate for this segment is 182 per 100 million VMT, compared to 207 for average statewide crash rate for similar type roadways (2017-2021). The fatality rate is 0.503, lower than the regional average (1.23), and the serious injury rate is 4.531, lower than the regional average (6.18). Crash rates are reported per 100 million VMT. This project spans from State Highway 6 to County Road 56 in Fort Bend County, encompassing a railroad grade separation as part of the initiative. Creating a railroad grade separation will reduce a point of conflict between trains, cars, and pedestrians, improving the overall safety of the segment. The reconstruction and widening of the roadway from an existing two-lane to a four-lane divided roadway with channelized raised medians will provide additional capacity to the roadway and reduce primary and secondary crashes caused by congestion and due to the reduction of conflict points. The inclusion of channelized medians reduces the number of conflict points resulting in the reduction of the quantity and severity of crashes at intersections and provides refuge to crossing pedestrians. As an access management strategy in corridors, medians reduce mid-block left turn-related crashes. They enhance traffic flow and can be used as part of a traffic calming strategy to reduce speed. The addition of pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure like 10-ft shared-use sidepath will allow pedestrians and bicyclists to safely use the facility and reduce points of conflict with vehicles, thus improving the overall safety of the segment. This benefits pedestrians and bicyclist from new subdivisions and new schools located adjacent to the road. The consolidated crash reduction factor for this project is 190%, as a result of installing 10-ft shared-use sidepath (WC 407), constructing a railroad grade separation (WC 514), and converting a 2-lane facility to a 4-lane divided (WC 538).

Potential Congestion Reductions

1. Is the project located on a facility listed on Texas 100 most congested roads list?

1b. If no, please provide the existing peak period travel time index (TTI) of the facility where proposed project is located.

1.0 – 1.25

1b-i. Provide a narrative describing the existing congestion where proposed project is located and describe narrative to explain methodology to calculate existing TTI.

Current TTI for the project area is 1.12, indicating that it takes 1.12 times as long to travel this corridor in the peak period than average, which is mildly congested.

2. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project reduces congestion. Narrative must include specific improvements (work types) included in the project scope.

This project proposes to widen from 2-lanes to 4-lanes (adding two new lanes) and incorporate channelized raised medians, shared-use sidepath, and bicycle/pedestrian accommodations. This project will construct a railroad grade separation where one does not currently exist. The segment will be brought up to TxDOT and FHWA safety design standards as well as addresses congestion from various new and numerous large subdivisions emerging in the area.

Connectivity to Jobs, Medical Facilities, and Activity Centers

1. Does the proposed project improve or provide new connectivity to jobs within a 1/4 mile buffer of the project location?

Yes

1a. Please provide the number of jobs located within 1/4 mile distance of the project.

290

2. Does the proposed project improve or provide new connectivity to a medical facility within a 1/4 mile buffer of the project location?

3. Does the proposed project improve or provide new connectivity to an activity center within a 1/4 mile buffer of the project location?

4. Provide narrative describing how proposed project improves or provides new connectivity to jobs, medical facilities, and activity centers.

The 2- to 4-lane widening will improve access from/to multiple new subdivisions and schools with shared-use sidepaths. Access to two concrete batching plants (Martin Marietta - Arcola Yard and CEMEX Rosharon Arcola Aggregates Yard) will also be provided. A railroad grade separation will be constructed to go over rail traffic, improving safety and improve travel time connectivity to the area.

State of Good Repair

1. What is the age of the facility where proposed project is located?

75 years (bridge)

2. What is the existing condition of the facility.

Fair

3. Please explain how the project improves state of good repair and extends the service life of the facility.

The improvement will include bringing all pavement to Good condition, according to FHWA standards. This segment contains bridges in Fair condition, according to FHWA guidelines. The worst bridge on this project segment was built in 1949. It is rated as being in Fair condition overall, with a superstructure condition score of 6, substructure condition score of 6, and a deck condition score of 6. 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.

Biking and Walking Conditions

1. 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 new or improve existing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure on project facility or in the vicinity of the project.

As required by state and federal design guidelines, the capacity increase will also be balanced with improvements to pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the corridor. A 10-foot shared-use sidepath will be constructed on the east side. Shared-use sidepaths provide a low-stress experience for active transportation users due to wider buffers from motorized traffic increasing user safety and health while improving regional connectivity. TxDOT is committed to working with partners to enhance bike and pedestrian connectivity for cross streets, improving overall connectivity on either side of IH10 including improved connectivity between trails and recreation facilities along White Oak Bayou north of IH 10 and Memorial Park on the south side of IH 10.

Impacts to Vulnerable Populations

1. Please enter the Low-Income household population located within 1/4 buffer of the project location. H-GAC staff can assist in gathering the data.

9,519

2. Please enter the Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities household population located within 1/4 buffer of the project location. H-GAC staff can assist in gathering the data.

14,357

3. Please enter the Household Population Under Poverty located within 1/4 buffer of the project location. H-GAC staff can assist in gathering the data.

1,245

4. Please enter the Disabled Persons household population located within 1/4 buffer of the project location. H-GAC staff can assist in gathering the data.

1,592

5. Please enter the Elderly Persons household population located within 1/4 buffer of the project location. H-GAC staff can assist in gathering the data.

392

6. Please enter the Limited English Proficiency household population located within 1/4 buffer of the project location. H-GAC staff can assist in gathering the data.

1,154

7. What is the average Livable Center Need Index within 1/4 buffer of the project location? H-GAC staff can assist in gathering the data.

30.70

8. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project provides benefits to vulnerable populations (benefits include safety improvements, or construction or improvements to ped/bike facilities, or improvements to transit stops.

The area surrounding the project segment has a lower low-income population (7.19%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5% and a higher minority population (82.91%) as compared to the regional average of 65% minority. Because of its central location in the regional network, the project will produce improvements in mobility and connectivity for vulnerable populations as well as connectivity to schools, medical facilities, and social services for the regional population. The facility runs parallel to SH 288, which is a hurricane evacuation route. As a result of the improvement, vulnerable populations will have increased resilience and evacuation capacity in the event of hazards. The project will improve drainage to ATLAS-14 standards, which reduce flooding events and their impact on vulnerable populations. As a result of the improvement, vulnerable populations will have increased resilience and evacuation capacity in the event of natural and man-made hazards.

9. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project avoids or mitigates adverse effects to vulnerable populations. List of adverse effects was provided in detailed criteria document.

The area surrounding the project segment has a lower low-income population (7.19%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5% and a higher minority population (82.91%) 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.