Transportation Project Questionnaire

Major Projects Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	TxDOT Houston District
Project Title	SH 87 Bolivar Bridge
Facility/Street/Highway	SH 87
Limits	From Ferry Rd to SH 108
Description	Construct 4 lane Bridge on new location to replace ferry operations
Timeframe	Long Term (More than 10 Years)
Estimated Cost	$1,200,000,000.00

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 project will construct a new bridge which will replace current ferry operations. According to the H-GAC 2045 MTP, 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: N/A [2] Achieve & Maintain State of Good Repair: This project will add a bridge in Good condition, improving the overall deck area in Good condition. [3] Move People and Goods Reliably and Efficiently: This project will create a bridge that will move people and goods more efficiently than the current ferry system. [4] Strengthen Regional Economic Competitiveness: This project will create a bridge that will move people and goods more efficiently than the current ferry system, and allow more access to Galvestion, making it more economically competitive. [5] Conserve and Protect Natural and Cultural Resources: N/A

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.

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.

3.761

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.

N/A

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 1.09, indicating that it takes 1.09 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 be constructing a 4 lane bridge on or around the Ike Dike and over the ship channel between the Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston Island, replacing ferry service. With ferry service gone, there will no longer be a need for traffic to queue up waiting for their ferry to arrive. The segment will be built 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.

10,757

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 be constructing a 4 lane bridge on or around the Ike Dike and over the ship channel between the Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston Island, replacing ferry service, and improving connectivity to jobs between the two sides of the ship channel since the ferry does not run constantly. UTMB Hospitals are nearby this project corridor.

State of Good Repair

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

N/A - new project

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.

No HPMS condition data is currently available for this project, but the improvement will include bringing all pavement to Good condition, according to TxDOT and FHWA guidelines. Additionally, the new bridge will increase the overall deck area in good condition.

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.

Shared use shoulders could be constructed on this bridge. Wide shoulders will provide room for cyclists and pedestrians to utilize the facility and maintain a safe distance from vehicle traffic.

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.

2,076

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.

1,422

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.

1,424

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.

480

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.

381

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.

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.

37.70

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 higher low-income population (28.97%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5%. The area surrounding the project segment has a lower minority population (52.95%) 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. 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 Moderate to High vulnerability to Flooding and Storm surges.

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 (28.97%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5%. The area surrounding the project segment has a lower minority population (52.95%) 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.