Transportation Project Questionnaire

Major Projects Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	TxDOT Houston District
Project Title	IH 10 Inner Katy Reconstruction and Managed Lanes
Facility/Street/Highway	IH 10
Limits	From E of Patterson St to E of Studemont
Description	INNER KATY SEG 1: Reconstruct 10 mainlanes and two 3-lane frontage roads. Construct 4 new non-tolled managed lanes and drainage improvements
Timeframe	Long Term (More than 10 Years)
Estimated Cost	$275,000,000.00

Regional Transportation Plan Goals

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

This IH 10 W project is centrally located in Houston’s regional network with project limits from east of Patterson St to east of Studemont, connecting the heart of the Houston region with the west. The project involves reconstructing 10 main lanes and two 3-lane frontage roads, and constructing new non-tolled managed lanes (4 lanes), pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and lastly will provide drainage improvements to the flood prone facility and adjacent area. The project will improve safety and add capacity on the project segment. New ramp configurations and spacing will be updated to meet or exceed current geometric length standards reducing undesirable weave movements, reducing crashes, and improving operations and safety. In addition, some proposed elevated structures will remove lanes out of the floodplain area reducing the risk of flooding on this critical freeway link. According to the 2045 RTP, this project falls under H-GAC’s Manage, Maintain, and Expand strategies, which collectively 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, including shoulders and managed lanes, to the roadway and reduce primary and secondary crashes caused by congestion. [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 on the facility thus extending its service life. The project will also prevent flooding of the facility which lead to the facility’s concrete deterioration resulting in potholes. [3] Move People and Goods Reliably and Efficiently: This project will reduce congestion and reduce resulting crashes, increasing the reliability of the facility. In conjunction with other adjacent proposed improvements, this project will improve connectivity and access to both people and goods to the inner loop and overall region. The enhanced drainage system and some elevated structures, as a result from the reconstruction, will reduce the risk of flooding on this critical freeway link. [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. Elevating lanes from out of the floodplain and drainage improvements will ensure reliable travel by people and goods boosting the economic competitiveness of the region. [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:

Principal Arterial or Higher Functional Class

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.

0.923

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.

2.077

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 crash rate on the project segment is 117.36 crashes per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, where average statewide crash rate of 124.8 for similar facilities (2017-2021). The fatality rate is 0.923, lower than the regional average (1.23), and the serious injury rate is 2.077, lower than the regional average (6.18). Crash rates for this segment are reported per 100 million VMT. The reconstruction of the roadway will provide additional capacity to the roadway and reduce primary and secondary crashes caused by congestion. Managed lanes are vital for reducing congestion by offering drivers more reliable timeframes for getting to their destinations, adjusting lane strategies as needed to maximize roadway efficiency, and improving traffic flow on both the managed and general-purpose lanes. Frontage roads along this project, which act as alternate routes when main lanes are affected or shut down on IH 10 or other neighboring facilities, will be improved resulting in reduced primary and secondary crashes caused by congestion. These improved frontage roads will be accompanied by pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvements like sidewalks and 10-ft shared-use sidepath, allowing pedestrians and bicyclists to safely use the facility, reducing conflict points with vehicles, improving the overall safety of the segment. Drainage improvements will reduce potential flooding and subsequent weather-related crashes. The consolidated crash reduction factor for this project is 143%, as a result of adding lanes to the facility (WC 517), drainage improvements (WC 209), and installing sidewalks (WC 407).

Potential Congestion Reductions

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

Yes

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

Rank #7, https://www.txdot.gov/apps/statewide_mapping/StatewidePlanningMap.html (Top 100 Layer)

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 be reconstructing the frontage roads/shared use paths and main lanes to extend/construct 4 new elevated managed lanes east along IH 10 to address congestion. The segment will be brought up to TxDOT and FHWA safety design standards. This segment of IH 10 W is heavily congested and in need of additional capacity to meet both person and good demands. In TTI’s 2022 100 Most Congested Roadways in Texas Report, the segment that contains the project was ranked the segment that contains the project was ranked 13th highest in all delay and 4th highest in truck delay statewide. The annual total delay per mile was 481,429 person hours, and truck delay was 46,098 person hours. The current daily volume of traffic on the segment is roughly 220,292 vehicles, of which 15.2 percent are trucks. The volume on this segment is estimated to increase by 40 percent by 2041 to approximately 308,400 vehicles. To begin, the segment’s lanes and shoulders will be brought up to TxDOT and FHWA safety design standards, improving their widths and adding shoulders where missing. Shoulders will allow for a safe “harbor” and more space for disabled vehicles to move from mainlane traffic and to maintain better flow on the facility during vehicle collisions. The improved frontage roads provide an alternative route when main lane operations are blocked. This project will not only reconstruct the frontage roads but will also provide sidewalks, 10-ft shared-use sidepaths, and frontage road lanes to allow for continuity of them where gaps exist. Additionally, the project will extend continuity of the 4 managed lanes east along IH 10 W into this segment to address daily recurring congestion.

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.

7563

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?

Yes

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

This project will be reconstructing the main lanes and frontage roads to extend the 4 managed lanes east along IH 10 to address congestion. The project will improve access from/to multiple existing neighborhoods, schools, and new homes/apartments with shared-use sidepaths This corridor is heavily commercial (with some industrial warehousing/distribution centers) and retail oriented providing thousands of jobs for the region. The METRO Northwest Transit Center and future METRO Elevated BRT Bridge is next to this corridor providing connections to jobs for thousands of people (including a BRT Station at Studemont St/IH 10). METRO transit services that will benefit from this roadway improvement project are routes 160, 161, 162, 214, 216, 217, 219, 221,222, 228, 229, and 298 and any additional routes that will not be using the METRO Inner Katy BRT parallel bridge facility. This is due to allowing those routes to use the managed lanes to get downtown faster, thereby increasing reliability of the transit service and reducing emissions. Drainage equipment upgrades will also be conducted to reduce flooding risks on this critical freeway segment allowing people and goods to reach jobs, medical facilities, and activity centers.

State of Good Repair

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

1967 (57 years)

2. What is the existing condition of the facility.

Poor

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

Heavy and stop and go traffic leads to rapidly deteriorating pavement conditions, as seen on this segment with the majority of pavement in Poor condition, according to TxDOT and FHWA guidelines. This segment contains bridges in Fair condition, according to FHWA guidelines. The worst bridge on this project segment was built in 1967 and last rehabilitated in 2011. It is rated as being in Fair condition overall, with a superstructure condition score of 7, substructure condition score of 6, and a deck condition score of 7. 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. This project will be reconstructing the IH 10 main lanes and part of the managed lanes which will improve the pavement scores. Some segment improvements will update 1990’s designed sections up to TxDOT and FHWA standards and improve the state of good repair of the segment and overall system 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. Newly constructed frontage roads will accommodate sidewalks and 10-ft shared-use sidepaths reconstructed or built on them per the recent schematic. 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. The addition of both sidewalks and shared-use sidepaths will create transportation alternatives and allow pedestrians greater access to services and improve quality of life. TxDOT is committed to working with partners, e.g., the City of Houston, 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.

2,556

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.

4,599

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.

804

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.

551

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.

114

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.

241

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.

5.80

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 (6.04%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5% and a lower minority population (45.95%) 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. TxDOT is committed to working with partners to enhance bike and pedestrian connectivity for cross streets, improving overall connectivity on either side of IH 10 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. This project segment connects to an IH 10 section designated as a state hurricane evacuation route as well as to several other key safety, capacity, and interchange projects on the corridor. 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 hazards. According to HGAC’s Regional Resilience Tool, the project segment sits on a facility that is rated as having high vulnerability to flooding and is ranked as moderate criticality for accessing key facilities. The enhanced drainage system that results from the reconstruction will improve regional resilience by reducing the risk of flooding on this critical freeway link. All current projects are being designed to meet and/or exceed ATLAS-14 drainage standards. This project is on a state’s hurricane evacuation route. The project will increase access to and reliability of transit services for vulnerable populations, who generally rely more on these services. The roadway may improve transit services for Houston METRO buses (Routes 160, 161, 162, 214, 216, 217, 219, 221,222, 228, 229, and 298) and other routes that will not be using the METRO Inner Katy BRT parallel bridge facility, by allowing them to use the managed lanes to get downtown faster, thereby increasing reliability of the transit service and reducing emissions.

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 (6.04%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5% and a lower minority population (45.95%) 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. This project will construct/install new storm sewer pumps, a new detention pond, and increased sized boxes/trunklines that meet and/or exceed ATLAS-14 standards, which will mitigate flooding impacts from added capacity to vulnerable populations. These will drain into Buffalo Bayou and White Oak Bayou. The enhanced drainage system that results from the reconstruction will improve regional resilience by reducing the risk of flooding on this critical freeway link. According to the H-GAC Resilience Tool, the project segment is classified with a High criticality score and a Moderate rating for 500-year flooding. Any sound walls that are identified prior or during the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process will be constructed on this project, otherwise currently the corridor is mostly in a rural area and vacant land uses with a few residential developments emerging along the current segment. This project will improve regional connectivity for all modes while also improving safety, connectivity, and access to regional opportunities.