Transportation Project Questionnaire

Major Projects Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	TxDOT Houston District
Project Title	FM 529 Widening
Facility/Street/Highway	FM 529
Limits	From Waller County Line to Katy Hockley Cutoff
Description	Widen from 2-lanes to 4-lanes. This rural section will include widening FM 529 to a four-lane roadway, with a raised median between Katy Hockley Cut Off Road and the Waller County Line. The roadway will include an 18-foot median with openings, 12-foot outside shoulders, and 10-foot wide shared use path on each side of the roadway.
Timeframe	Short Term (0-5 Years)
Estimated Cost	$50,000,000.00

Regional Transportation Plan Goals

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

According to the 2045 RTP, this project falls under H-GAC’s Manage strategy, which directly supports 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 include improvements to bring the segment up to TxDOT and FHWA safety standards. This project will provide intersection improvements that reduce intersection-related crashes. [2] Achieve & Maintain State of Good Repair: This project will update the existing facility to an improved state of repair. [3] Move People and Goods Reliably and Efficiently: This project will include improvements to reduce congestion and resulting crashes, increasing the reliability of the network. This project will reduce intersection-related congestion and reduce resulting crashes. [4] Strengthen Regional Economic Competitiveness: This project will include improvements to 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 reduce emissions caused by idling and congestion. This project will include improved drainage, which will benefit the natural resources abutting the facility.

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:

Major Collector

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.

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.

18.056

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 0, lower than the regional average (1.23), and the serious injury rate is 18.056, higher than the regional average, (6.18). As part of the proposed improvements, the plan involves removing or realigning the dog leg on FM 529 along FM 362 and relocating FM 529 to a new position, which includes intersection enhancements at FM 362. These modifications are strategically intended to improve intersection design and operation, thus enhancing traffic flow and reducing intersection-related crashes. Furthermore, there is a strong likelihood of constructing sidewalks or shared-use paths, either on one side or both sides of this project. The addition of pedestrian infrastructure contributes to the accessibility and safety of the area for pedestrians and cyclists by allowing safe use of the facility and reducing points of conflict with vehicles. The consolidated crash reduction factor for this project is 65%, as a result of installing sidewalks (WC 407).

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.

Travel Time Index (TTI) is a ratio that compares peak period travel times along a corridor to average travel times, thus estimating a relative level of rush hour congestion. Current TTI for the project area is 1.06, indicating that it takes 1.06 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 will improve intersection design and operation, facilitating more efficient traffic flow and reducing congestion caused by intersection-related crashes. The segment will be brought up to TxDOT and FHWA safety design standards.

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.

353

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.

This project will increase capacity and reduce congestion along a east-west major spine of Waller County that connects FM 362 and FM 359. This will smooth out the dog-leg of FM 529 and increase fluidity and improve traffic flow. There is also an unnamed industrial park that provides jobs on Sunset Lane and Wilson Road near the intersection FM 529 and FM 362.

State of Good Repair

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

Less than 30 years

2. What is the existing condition of the facility.

Good

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

The pavement on this facility is mostly in Good condition, according to TxDOT and FHWA guidelines. In a widening/reconstruction project like this project, pavement is removed, and new pavement is constructed, thus increasing the state of good repair and extending 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.

Sidewalks or shared use paths will most likely be built on one side or both sides of this project. 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.

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.

1205

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.

2029

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.

462

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.

174

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.

143

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.

348

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.

27.1

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 higher low-income population (14.63%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5%. The area surrounding the project segment has a lower minority population (64.25%) 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. As a result of the improvement, vulnerable populations will have increased resilience and evacuation capacity in the event of 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 higher low-income population (14.63%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5%. The area surrounding the project segment has a lower minority population (64.25%) 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.