Transportation Project Questionnaire

Major Projects Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	TxDOT Houston District
Project Title	IH 610 N Reconstruction
Facility/Street/Highway	IH 610 N
Limits	From IH 45 N to IH 69 N
Description	Safety, operational and mobility improvements to IH 610 N mainlanes and frontage roads, based on results of IH 610 North Feasibility Study
Timeframe	Long Term (More than 10 Years)
Estimated Cost	$100,000,000.00

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. [2] Achieve & Maintain State of Good Repair: This project will include improvements to bring the existing facility into a state of good 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. [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 to prevent flooding.

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.

0.635

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.

4.321

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 vehicle miles travelled. The fatality rate is 0.635, lower than the regional average (1.23), and the serious injury rate is 4.321, lower than the regional average, (6.18). The project will include safety improvements, operational, and mobility improvements based on the results from the IH 610 North Feasibility study. Additional lanes will provide additional capacity to the roadway and reduce primary and secondary crashes caused by congestion. 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. Managed lanes are vital for reducing congestion and 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. The consolidated crash reduction factor for this project is 158%, as a result of installing sidewalks (WC 407), providing additional travel lanes (WC 517), and constructing new interconnecting ramps (WC 515).

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 #33, 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.

The project will be reconstructing and widening from 8 to 12 lanes (adding 4 managed lanes - WC 517) while also constructing Safety (restriping crosswalks at frontage road intersections), operational (intersection improvements on the frontage roads), and mobility improvements (interchange reconfigurations - WC 515) to IH 610 N main lanes and frontage roads. The segment will be brought up to TxDOT and FHWA safety design standards. The managed lanes will most likely be elevated in some areas (WC 514) and sidewalks will be re/constructed on the frontage roads (WC 407).

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.

17,397

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 corridor is increasing capacity to address traffic congestion and improving connectivity to jobs in the area. The area includes multiple commercial and retail shops along IH 610 N and there is a Houston METRO - Kashmere Bus Operating Facility that provides jobs. This segment of IH 610 N is next to the Settegast UPRR yard (Exit 23A to Kirkpatrick Blvd), where many trucks go to pick up or off load containers, generating hundreds if not thousands of jobs. There are many warehouses along the eastern segment of this project that employ thousands of people as well. The Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital is also along this project corridor.

State of Good Repair

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

1979 (45 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.

Segments of the project have pavement in Poor condition, according to TxDOT and FHWA guidelines. This segment contains bridges in Fair and Poor condition, according to FHWA guidelines. The worst bridge on this project segment was built in 1979 and last rehabilitated in 1993. It is rated as being in Poor condition overall, with a superstructure condition score of 4, substructure condition score of 7, and a deck condition score of 5. 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.

Frontage roads will have sidewalks/shared use paths on them per the IH 610 N Feasibility Study. 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.

19,399

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.

14,492

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.

6,498

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.

3,200

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.

1,311

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.

3,484

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.

65.80

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 higher low-income population (19.68%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5%. The area surrounding the project segment has a higher minority population (89.52%) 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. According to HGAC’s Regional Resilience Tool, the project segment sits on a facility that is ranked as moderate criticality for accessing key facilities.

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 (19.68%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5%. The area surrounding the project segment has a higher minority population (89.52%) as compared to the regional average of 65% minority. TxDOT’s NEPA 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. A noise analysis will be conducted on a project such as this to determine if sound walls are needed, if necessary they will be constructed on this project.