Transportation Project Questionnaire

Resiliency and State of Good Repair Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	METRO
Project Title	82 Westheimer BOOST
Facility/Street/Highway	VA
Limits	Milam @ SP 527 to SH 6 (West Oaks Mall)
Description	Optimize bus operations using a toolbox of improvements - traffic sign al prioritization, real-time travel information, shelters, level boarding, etc.
Timeframe	Short Term (0-5 Years)
Estimated Cost	$42,546,000.00

Investment Category-Focused Criteria

1. Is the project a Roadway Project or a Transit Project?

Transit

1b. For Transit Projects, does this project serve commuter transit service?

1b-i. Please explain.

The 82 Westheimer is a local bus route that operates on the Westheimer Corridor.

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

The goal of our project is to keep buses moving. One way to achieve this is by placing stops on the far-side of the intersection as opposed to the near-side. It is our belief that this will help us minimize rear-end 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.

12,000 average daily riders served by the 82 Westheimer.

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

The 82 Westheimer operates on the Westheimer Corridor.

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

Good

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.

n/a

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

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

Other Investment Category Focused Criteria

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

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.

Westheimer is not a designated critical freight corridor. However, this corridor supports significant goods delivery by trucks serving the four major activity centers along this corridor (Downtown, Greenway, Uptown and Westchase) as well as the many other businesses and residents located on or just off this major roadway. This project will improve regional goods movement by: - Increasing transit ridership and reducing vehicle miles of travel; - Reducing vehicle crashes, particularly those involving pedestrians or cyclists. Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of congestion in the METRO area; and - Reducing vehicle delay at major intersections with improved traffic signal timing and transit priority treatments (which reduce vehicle delay for transit buses and adjacent traffic).

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 82 Westheimer is among the slowest of METRO’s highest-ridership lines. On weekdays, the bus is scheduled to travel at an average speed of 10.2 miles per hour, with some trips scheduled at even slower speeds. The low average scheduled speed can be attributed to closely-spaced stops, a lack of transit signal priority, and delays from traffic—especially in Uptown and Downtown Houston. Treatments such as the consolidation of transit stops and the relocation of transit stops to the far side of a signalized intersection applied through the BOOST corridor will increase operating speeds and reliability for both transit vehicles and autos and trucks. Transit Priority Treatments at signalized intersections will extend green time for approaching transit buses or shorten red times for stopped buses. In trail application to similar Houston streets, these treatments have been shown to increase throughput for all vehicles and reduce intersection travel dely. Reduced transit travel times and increased transit reliability will also stimulate higher transit ridership by creating a more attractive service. The more people we can encourage to leave their cars at home for transit the more we’re able to contribute to roadway capacity and improved traffic operations.

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 is a Transit project. The 82 Westheimer is the highest ridership bus route in the METRO System. While heavily utilized, the 82 faces several challenges including slow travel speeds and long travel times due to the length of the corridor and closely spaced bus stops. Persistent traffic congestion further decreases the speed and reliability of the service, discouraging prospective customers from choosing transit and limiting ridership growth opportunities. This program will improve the overall transit experience on the Westheimer corridor. The use of TSP and the optimization (repositioning of stops to the far side of the intersection) of stops along the corridor will improve transit operations by helping us move faster and maintain the bus schedule. A limited stop, express service (Signature Service) will be added to the Westheimer BOOST corridor providing expedited travel time to all four major activity centers located along this corridor.

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.

Nearly every transit trip involves walking at one or both ends of the ride; this can be challenging for customers as many streets in the METRO service area have missing or uneven sidewalks or lack accessible curb ramps. Crossing high-speed streets to safely reach the bus stop or a trip destination can be difficult and unsafe. The BOOST program addresses these issues by making improvements to the sidewalk and bikeway networks along and connecting to project corridors so more people can safely access transit service. Focus areas for BOOST access improvements include: New, wider sidewalks and accessible curb ramps connecting the bus stop to nearby intersections and destinations. Implementing elements of the Houston Bike Plan that provide meaningful connectivity to existing or programmed bikeways or destinations. Where feasible, this can include network segments of high-comfort bikeways to expand access to transit service to more people.

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

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.

In the year 2022, there were a total of 9,706 crashes that happened on the 19-mile Westheimer Road corridor. There were 11 fatal crashes. The fatality crash rate for the Westheimer corridor is 3.95 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT). The 2022 Texas statewide average fatality rate is 1.55 per 100 VMT.

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.

In the year 2022, there were a total of 41 serious injury crashes found on the 19-mile Westheimer Road corridor. The serious injury crash rate for the Westheimer corridor is 14.72 per 100 VMT. The 2022 Texas statewide average fatality rate is 5.28 per 100 VMT.

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.

METRO will implement high-visibility crosswalks and repaint stop bars at all signalized intersections adjacent to bus stops on BOOST corridors. In addition to improving ramps as described in the Sidewalks & Ramps section, METRO will modify medians as needed to ensure accessible, unobstructed crosswalks on all legs of signalized intersections. In addition, METRO will coordinate with the City of Houston (or any other agency responsible for signal timing) to implement an automatic pedestrian phase at all signalized intersections adjacent to stops and to consider leading pedestrian intervals on an intersection-by-intersection basis. Automatic pedestrian phases give pedestrians the green light to safely cross during every signal cycle, regardless of whether someone has pressed the pedestrian push button. The H-GAC crash reduction factor for improving pedestrian signals is 10%. H-GAC crash reduction estimator was used to estimate the safety benefit from the proposed project. The safety benefit over the next 20 years would be $354,653,000 (2018 dollars)

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.

The proposed project will not impact flooding vulnerabilities.

Access/Connectivity

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

56574

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

95738

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?

Yes

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

56574

1b. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities

95738

1c. Household Population Under Poverty

21037

1d. Disabled Persons

10244

1e. Elderly Persons

6693

1f. Limited English Proficiency

8685

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.

28.7

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.

i. The BOOST program addresses these issues by making improvements to the sidewalk and bikeway networks along and connecting to project corridors so more people can safely access transit service. These improvements benefit all people who are traveling along these corridors, not just transit riders. However, vulnerable populations including low income, minority and elderly or disabled persons are disproportionately dependent on transit services. ii. BOOST corridors will be planned to have improved shelters at every bus stop, providing shade and protection from the elements. Quality seating and lean rails will be included to make the experience more comfortable. Shelters will have integrated lighting to improve safety, security, and visibility for waiting passengers. Great attention has been given to accessibility both at transit stops and from connecting sidewalks and crosswalks providing access to the transit stops.

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.

This project will have no significant adverse impact on vulnerable populations but will greatly reduce the potential barriers to their use of transit services as described above.

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.

The project would not impact natural resources in the area since it will make improvements within a developed urban area. For cultural resources, the project would mitigate impacts to historic resources by either avoiding these resources or reducing the impacts on a case by case basis.

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)

Westheimer corridor is one of the transit corridors with highest ridership. The proposed project will improve transit service reliability and provide faster operations, and therefore will incentivize transit use. New riders generated from the proposed project will lead to a reduction in auto use and a reduction of Nitrogen Oxides, Volatile Organic Compounds. Additional emissions reductions will result from reduced auto delay at many intersections. Over the project life, more than 110 million vehicle miles of travel will be reduced, resulting in the following reduction of air pollutants: i. NOx reduction: 110M vmt x .06 gm/mi / 907,185 gm/ton = 7.3 tons reduced ii. VOC reduction: 110M vmt x .01 gm/mi / 907,185 gm/ton = 1.2 tons reduced

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.

Transit Signal Priority (TSP) will be utilized on the corridor to improve reliability and provide faster operations. Each stop will be equipped with solar powered shelters and digital lighting where feasible. Many stops will also be equipped with electronic “Next Bus Arrival” signage.

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