Transportation Project Questionnaire

Major Projects Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	TxDOT Houston District
Project Title	IH 610 West Express Lanes
Facility/Street/Highway	IH 610 W
Limits	From IH 69 S to IH 10 W
Description	This project proposes to construct four express lanes from IH 10 W to IH 69 S and connect to existing and proposed managed lanes along IH 10 W and US 290.
Timeframe	Long Term (More than 10 Years)
Estimated Cost	$350,000,000.00

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 H-GAC 2045 RTP, this project type falls under the Expand strategy. Because it will provide additional capacity to the roadway and reduce primary and secondary crashes caused by congestion (#1 most congested freeway segment in Texas). Projects falling under the Expand strategy directly support two of H-GAC’s goals: moving people and goods efficiently and strengthening regional economic competitiveness. Expand projects also indirectly advance H-GAC’s goals of improving safety, achieving a state of good repair, and protecting cultural and natural resources. [1] Improve Safety: This project will provide additional capacity 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. [3] Move People and Goods Reliably and Efficiently: This project will reduce congestion and reduce resulting crashes, increasing the reliability of the facility. This project will essentially make IH 610 W IH 610 W again by separating local Galleria area, IH 69 S, and Westpark Tollway (WPT) traffic from IH 610 W traffic that is using IH 610 as a bypass around Houston. [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:

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.

0.744

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.

3.645

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 0.744, lower than the regional average (1.23), and the serious injury rate is 3.645, lower than the regional average (6.18). Construction of additional lanes will provide additional capacity to the roadway and reduce primary and secondary crashes caused by congestion. 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 28%, as a result of providing additional travel lanes (WC 517).

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 #1, 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 is constructing an elevated 4 lane expressway with no exit ramps between north of IH 10 W and south of IH 69 S, also known as the #1 Congested Segment in the TTI Top 100 of Texas for 2023 (and many other years). This bridge will bypass all the local traffic on IH 610 W near the Uptown/Galleria area, improving traffic flow/air quality and separating IH 610 W traffic from local Uptown/Galleria/IH 69 S/WPT Traffic, effectively making 610, 610 again as its original purpose of being a bypass around Houston. 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.

81,920

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

Yes

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 separate the local Galleria/Uptown/Memorial Park area Traffic and those trying to get on IH 69 S on IH 610 W from the traffic using IH 610 W as a bypass, thus increasing mobility.

State of Good Repair

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

62 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.

The pavement on this facility is mostly in Good condition, according to TxDOT and FHWA guidelines. The project segment contains 7 bridges in Fair and Poor condition. The worst bridge on this project segment was built in 1962 and last rehabilitated in 2004. It is rated as being in Poor condition overall, with a superstructure condition score of 6, substructure condition score of 6, and a deck condition score of 5. 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 already exist on the frontage roads, and they will be reconstructed to TxDOT and FHWA standards as necessary. The improvement of sidewalks will allow pedestrians greater access to services and improve quality of life. Access to Memorial Park could be improved as well.

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.

7,297

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.

12,434

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.

2,353

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.

1,900

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.

2,463

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.

351

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.

14.30

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 (7.85%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5%. The area surrounding the project segment has a lower minority population (41.49%) 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. The facility serves Houston METRO routes 33, 84, and 283. The project will increase access to and reliability of transit services for vulnerable populations, who generally rely more on these services. The region in which this project sits is scored 14.3 out of 100, according to the H-GAC Livable Centers Index. The improvement will improve the area’s Livable Index score by contributing to creating an area easily accessible by multimodal transportation opportunities.

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 (7.85%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5%. The area surrounding the project segment has a lower minority population (41.49%) 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. Sound walls could be considered on a project such as this if it meets the criteria as part of the NEPA process.