Transportation Project Questionnaire

Resiliency and State of Good Repair Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	TxDOT Houston District
Project Title	IH 610 S Reconstruction and Widening
Facility/Street/Highway	IH 610 S
Limits	From IH 45 S to SH 35 (SS 5/Mykawa)
Description	RECONSTRUCT AND WIDEN FROM 8 TO 12 LANE (ADD 4 MANAGED LANES)
Timeframe	Medium Term (6-10 Years)
Estimated Cost	$129,950,000.00

Investment Category-Focused Criteria

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

2. Please provide a narrative explaining how proposed project reduces inoperability for significant periods of time due to damaged infrastructure.

There are 11 bridges in the I-610S corridor that are over 50 years old and 10 bridges that do not meet vertical clearance requirements. Reconstruction of these bridges would reduce the likelihood of inoperability due to damage caused by age or impact. The project will reconstruct and widen lanes to allow more space to move disabled vehicles and to better maintain flow on the facility after vehicle collisions.

3. Please provide total estimated daily users served by the proposed project. AADT for roadway project (total users=AADT*vehicle occupancy) or daily total ridership for transit project.

260,760

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

+/-50 years

4a. What is the existing condition of the facility.

Poor

5. Does the project sponsor maintain an approved and regularly updated asset management plan?

Yes

5a. If yes, please provide a link to the existing asset management plan.

https://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/brg/tamp.pdf

6. Is the proposed project located on a facility identified as a hurricane evacuation route in any regional or local plans?

No

6a. If no, is the proposed project located on a facility that functions as an alternative to an evacuation route?

Yes

6a-i. If yes, explain.

IH610 connects directly to IH45 which is identified as an evacuation route.

Other Investment Category Focused Criteria

1. Was the project scored under Regional Goods Movement Category?

No

1a. If no, please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project improves regional goods movement. Within the narrative, please include if the proposed project is designated as a critical freight corridor or a local/regional/state truck route.

This section of IH 610 S is heavily congested and part of a critical freight network. In the 2022 report 100 Most Congested Roadways in Texas by the Texas Transportation Institute, the segment that contains the project is ranked 58th highest in all delay and 56th in truck delay. The annual total delay per mile on the segment is 162,928 person hours. The current daily volume of traffic on the segment is roughly 170,467, of which 8.3 percent are trucks. By 2041 daily traffic volume is expected to increase by 40 percent. The purpose of the project is to improve capacity, connectivity, level of service, and safety of the project segment. The added capacity will improve regional connectivity for all modes while also reducing congestion and improving safety by reducing primary and secondary crashes due to congestion and by bringing the segment of IH 610 S up to TxDOT and FHWA safety standards.

2. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project benefits high growth areas. Within the narrative, please explain if the proposed project improves or provides access to new residential developments, retail stores, other land uses, or if the proposed project alleviates future congestion due to potential economic development activity such as expansion of warehouses or other freight generators.

The project is located in a high growth area. The population is projected to grow by 31.2% and jobs are projected to increase by 16.7%. Some new retail space announced nearby on Cullen Blvd.

3. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project improves traffic operations. Within the narrative, please include if the proposed project includes construction of truck only lanes or managed truck only lanes, construction of an interchange, or intersection improvements.

This section of IH 610 S is heavily congested. In the 2022 report 100 Most Congested Roadways in Texas by the Texas Transportation Institute, the segment that contains the project is ranked 58th highest in all delay and 56th in truck delay. The annual total delay per mile on the segment is 162,928 person hours. The current daily volume of traffic on the segment is roughly 170,467, of which 8.3 percent are trucks. By 2041 daily traffic volume is expected to increase by 40 percent. The purpose of the project is to improve capacity, connectivity, level of service, and safety of the project segment. The added capacity will improve regional connectivity for all modes while also reducing congestion and improving safety by reducing primary and secondary crashes due to congestion and by bringing the segment of IH 610 S up to TxDOT and FHWA safety standards.

4. 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 a new or improved existing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure on a project facility or in the vicinity of the project.

Sidewalks exist already in some areas of the IH 610 S, sidewalks could be constructed along frontage roads in other areas. IH 610 Schematic & ENV (S&E) Study could recommend more. 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.

5. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project improves traffic conditions for transit services (local, express, signature, or commuter).

METRO (Route 297) uses this route and they could use the new managed lanes to increase reliability of the transit service. Routes 11 and 87 will continue to use reconstructed frontage roads. METRO Future Purple LRT Line will go under IH 610 S at Long Drive toward Hobby Airport.

Planning Factors Criteria

1. What is the existing fatality crash rate at the project location? Regional crash data is available online on the crash data viewer. H-GAC staff will provide assistance in calculating the crash rates upon request.

0.445

2. What is the existing serious injury crash rate at the project location? Regional crash data is available online on the crash data viewer. H-GAC staff will provide assistance in calculating the crash rates upon request.

3.563

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 rates for this segment are per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. The fatality rate is 0.445, lower than the regional average (1.23), and the serious injury rate is 3.563, lower than the regional average (6.18). The reconstruction and widening of the roadway from an existing eight-lane to a fourteen-lane roadway 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.

Resiliency

1. Please select the vulnerability to flooding score at the project location based on the Regional Resiliency tool. H-GAC staff can provide assistance with the regional resiliency tool upon request.

Low

2. Please select the criticality score at the project location based on the Regional Resiliency tool. H-GAC staff can provide assistance with the regional resiliency tool up on request.

High

3. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project reduces vulnerability to flooding. The narrative must include specific improvements such as drainage improvements that are included in the scope.

All current projects are being designed to meet and/or exceed ATLAS-14 drainage standards.

Access/Connectivity

Please enter the household population located within a quarter mile buffer of the project location: 1a. Low-Income

17,744

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

23,413

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

Yes

3. Does the proposed project improve or provide new connectivity to a school/college/university within a quarter mile buffer of the project location?

Yes

4. Does the proposed project improve or provide new connectivity to a social services facility within a quarter buffer of the project location?

No

Environmental Justice

Please enter household population located within quarter mile buffer of the project location. H-GAC staff can assist in gathering the data. 1a. Low-Income

16,739

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

21,940

1c. Household Population Under Poverty

7,809

1d. Disabled Persons

1,655

1e. Elderly Persons

845

1f. Limited English Proficiency

5,114

2. What is the average Livable Center Need Index within quarter mile buffer of the project location? H-GAC staff can assist in gathering the data.

74.00

3. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project provides benefits to vulnerable populations. Benefits include safety improvements, construction of or improvements to ped/bike facilities, or improvements to transit stops.

The area surrounding the project segment has a higher low-income population (34.91%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5%. The area surrounding the project segment has a higher minority population (98.09%) 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. According to HGAC’s Regional Resilience Tool, the project segment sits on a facility that is ranked as high criticality for accessing key facilities. 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 76 and 297. 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 74 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.

4. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project avoids or mitigates adverse effects to vulnerable populations. A list of adverse effects was provided in detailed criteria document.

The area surrounding the project segment has a higher low-income population (34.91%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5%. The area surrounding the project segment has a higher minority population (98.09%) 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.

Impacts on Natural and Cultural Resources

1. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project avoids or mitigates impacts to natural (flood plains, wetlands) and cultural (historic and archeological sites) resources. H-GAC staff can provide assistance in identifying natural and cultural resources located within a quarter mile buffer of the project location.

This project is currently classified as a type of action that qualifies as a “Categorical Exclusion” as it is not expected to have a significant effect on the human and natural environment. If through the environmental analysis process TxDOT determines that the proposed action does not qualify as a CE, then an Environmental Assessment (EA) would be prepared to identify, mitigate and avoid impacts to natural and cultural resources. Further, designing the project to Atlas 14 standards will ensure safe travel even during inclement weather events.

2. Please provide Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) reductions provided by the project. H-GAC staff can provide assistance in calculating NOx and VOC reductions.
(Optional)

Innovation

1. Does the project propose to implement new infrastructure technologies to enhance accessibility, mobility, multimodalism, resiliency, reliability, or traffic operations?

Yes

1a. If yes, please explain.

Brand new, innovative Signal Phasing and timing (SpAT) signals will be installed on this segment of the project - frontage road intersections (Related to CSJ 0912-00-701 that will install 1,100+ of these signals on all traffic lights on TxDOT HOU district roads). This technology facilitates Vehicle 2 Infrastructure communications for new and Autonomous Vehicles.

2. Does the project propose to implement new autonomous/connected vehicle technology?

Yes

2a. If yes, please explain.

Brand new Signal Phasing and timing (SpAT) signals will be installed on this segment of the project - frontage road intersections (Related to CSJ 0912-00-701 that will install 1,100+ of these signals on all traffic lights on TxDOT HOU district roads)

Additional Documents