Transportation Project Questionnaire

Major Projects Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	TxDOT Houston District
Project Title	Magnolia Bypass (currently given an FM 1488 control number)
Facility/Street/Highway	FM 1488
Limits	From Business FM 1488-P to SH 249
Description	Construct 4-Lane on New Location Roadway (Magnolia Bypass)
Timeframe	Short Term (0-5 Years)
Estimated Cost	$70,650,000.00

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 roadway which will act as an alternative if main lanes are shut down on other facilities. According to the H-GAC 2045 RTP, 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 network and reduce primary and secondary crashes caused by congestion. [2] Achieve & Maintain State of Good Repair: This project will add pavement in Good condition, improving the overall number of lane miles in Good condition. [3] Move People and Goods Reliably and Efficiently: This project will reduce congestion by providing an alternative facility, and reduce resulting crashes, increasing the reliability of the network. [4] Strengthen Regional Economic Competitiveness: This project will reduce congestion by providing an alternative facility, and reduce 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:

None of the Above

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. 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.

According to the TxDOT Crash Records Information System from August 2022, Montgomery County had the tenth highest number of crashes in the state. The at-grade crossing with the UPRR tracks is problematic and contributes to safety issues at this location. Between the years 2017 – 2021 there were 34 crashes at this location. The rail crossing at the intersection currently operates at LOS F and results in delays of approximately 142 seconds/vehicle in the peak hour. The bypass will construct a railroad grade separation (WC 514) and avoid this area. 10 Ft wide shoulders are being constructed as well.

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, indicating that it takes 1 times as long to travel this corridor in the peak period than average, which is moderatly 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.

The area around the proposed project is growing quickly with major mixed-use developments being planned. The proposed project will connect The City of Hempstead and Waller County to the Woodlands and Lake Conroe. Presently, there is no direct route connecting these two major areas without crossing the congested and dangerous intersection of the FM 1774/FM 1488 at-grade crossing of the UPRR tracks (WC 514). The project will be constructing a railroad grade separation and on new location 4 lane highway around the City of Magnolia. The segment will be brought up to TxDOT and FHWA safety design standards. A new interchange (WC 515) with SH 249 will be constructed as well. 10 ft wide shoulders (WC 537) will be constructed on this project, it can be used by the bike/ped community.

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.

585

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.

The project will relieve congestion around Downtown Magnolia by creating a bypass for FM 1488 (Railroad grade separation included). Magnolia West High School is nearby this project which employs hundreds of staff and teaches thousands of students. The FM 1488 Magnolia Relief Route will provide improved connectivity from the rural areas of Waller County to the medical facilities (Memorial Hermann Hospital and Methodist Hospital in The Woodlands), as well as the Woodlands Pavilion, Lake Conroe, and retail shopping in The Woodlands.

State of Good Repair

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

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 FM 1488 Magnolia Relief Route is a new facility that will extend the state of good repair of the surrounding network including FM 1488 and FM 1774. Since the proposed facility is new, its life will extend through the 20-year design life period and beyond, minimizing maintenance requirements for this section of highway and extending the service life of the network.

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.

10 ft wide shoulders are being provided on this project. 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.

2,970

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.

1,945

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.

370

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.

846

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.

537

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.

12.00

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 (4.04%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5%. The area surrounding the project segment has a lower minority population (21.23%) 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. The project will include 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 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 lower low-income population (4.04%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5%. The area surrounding the project segment has a lower minority population (21.23%) 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 will also be installed to mitigate the effects of noise pollution that result from increased traffic.