2018 Call for Projects Application List

Who is Completing the Application?

Please provide contact information for the person who will complete the online application for this project. The email address and password entered here will be used to complete and submit both Pre-Applications and Applications.

Primary Agency Information

Please provide contact information for the agency official who is representing the project sponsor. This individual will be considered the official applicant and must be authorized by their agency to submit this request for funding and make necessary assertations and representations on the agency’s behalf.

Additional Agency Information

1. Is this project being developed and/or implemented in partnership with another agency?

Project Information

1. Project Title

Waugh Drive/Heights Blvd./Yale Street

2. Project County

Harris County

3. Facility/Street Name

Waugh Drive/Heights Blvd./Yale Street

4. Project limits (from, to) or location (Address)

IH-10 to Nevada Street/Bomar Street

5. Describe the primary problems to be addressed by the project (Project Need).

The Waugh Drive corridor is a key north-south corridor within the inner West Loop area. The corridor connects the Heights neighborhood north of IH-10 to Montrose, providing a key connection between two of the most dense active urban centers of Houston. Waugh Drive is one of only three thoroughfares that crosses Buffalo Bayou within the inner West Loop (a five mile stretch), along with Montrose Boulevard and Shepherd Drive. These roadways provide key connections for all travel modes within one of the densest parts of Houston. The defining element of the corridor is the Waugh Drive at Memorial Drive clover leaf interchange. The interchange was constructed in 1955 and is a remnant of the historical Houston Freeway Plan that included Memorial Drive as a controlled access freeway. The footprint of the Waugh Drive at Memorial Drive interchange is over 22 acres. Traversing the Waugh Drive cloverleaf as a person walking or bicycling is challenging. The existing sidewalks are sub-standard, especially on the bridge where they are four feet wide next to high speed traffic. Crossing the merge points on either a bicycle or foot can be challenging. Existing traffic volumes along the corridor vary from over 40,000 vehicles per day at the Buffalo Bayou Bridge to 10,000 along Yale Street near Koehler Street on the north end of the study area. While the existing vehicular capacity is meeting demand, as the area around the corridor continues to transform and increase in density, corridor operations are projected to operate poorly and exacerbate challenged for multimodal users along the corridor. Existing corridor LOS is D but is projected to drop to E for some segments by 2040; many intersections are projected to operate at LOS F by 2040. Currently, substandard bicycle lanes are only located on two discontinuous segments of the corridor with a gap in the middle adjacent to Buffalo Bayou Park and Spotts Park. While sidewalks are present for the majority of the corridor, they are often narrow, in poor condition, and not ADA compliant. Despite the low comfort level bicycle facilities and missing segments, people are biking along the corridor. People walk along the corridor throughout the day to either reach adjacent land uses or to connect to Buffalo Bayou Park. There is a demand for the corridor to be transformed into an urban corridor that provides safer access and improved mobility for all modes. These issues were identified in the HGAC Inner West Loop Mobility Study and the HGAC Washington Avenue Livable Centers Study.

6. Describe the proposed improvement/activity (Description).

The candidate project recommends the redesign and reconstruction of significant segments of the corridor. The project included realigning Waugh Drive between Feagan Street and Allen Parkway. The new realigned corridor will intersect Memorial Drive at a Single Point Urban Interchange (SPUI). The corridor realignment and the more compact SPUI interchange will allow for reallocating 16 acres of right- of-way into urban park space and detention. The proposed realignment also supports improvements to all bridges along the corridor. The project will realign the intersection of Waugh Drive at Heights Boulevard so that Waugh Drive intersects Heights Boulevard at a right-angle. The project also recommends converting Waugh Drive between Washington Avenue and Heights Boulevard from a one-way street into a two-way street that will connect to two-way Yale Street north of Washington Avenue. Waugh Drive north of Feagan Street to Washington Avenue is recommended as a four-lane, two- way corridor with an improved pedestrian realm. The four-lanes provide an opportunity for on-street parking if that is desired. North of Washington Avenue, Waugh Drive turns into Yale Street. Roadway recommendations for Yale Street include the reconstruction of the roadway from Center Street to Washington Avenue, including the reconstruction of both signals, an overlay of the four-lane segment north of Center Street, and improvements to the sidewalks between Washington Avenue and Kohler Street. Heights Boulevard between Willia Street and Washington Avenue is proposed as a five to six-lane divided roadway with shared-use paths. The project includes the reconstruction of the Washington Avenue intersection. North of Washington Avenue, Heights Boulevard is proposed as a four-lane divided roadway with buffered bicycle lanes, improved sidewalks and enhanced transit stops. South of the Waugh Drive at Memorial Drive interchange the project proposess the reconstruction of Waugh Drive between Allen Parkway and West Gray Street as a four to six-lane divided corridor with improved bicycle facilities (including both bikeways and shared-use paths), sidewalks, and transit stops to match the urban context and strengthen connections for people bicycling and walking along the corridor. Detention pond(s) are also recommended for the segment of the corridor near the recommended interchange which would increase available detention in the project area. These improvements are consistent with recommendations in the HGAC Inner West Loop Mobility Study and the HGAC Washington Avenue Livable Centers Study.

7. Describe the primary outcomes to be achieved by the project (Project Purpose)

Improved LOS, travel times, reliablity and safety. Improved pedestrian safety. Improved Transit reliability. Improved storm drainage and detention. Improved Pavement Condition. Improved natural resources/park space and access to them.

8. Have any MPOID numbers been assigned to this project?

No

9. Have any TxDOT Control-Section-Job (CSJ) numbers been assigned to this project?

No

10. What is the estimated total capital investment required for the project?

More than $100 million

11. Please provide the federal funding amount requested.

87300000

12. Please upload the funding commitment letter or letters of support from the local government.

HPW PreAp letter.pdf

Project Development/Readiness

1. Please select the level of engineering completed.

Not Started

2. What is the completed or anticipated level of environmental documentation required for the proposed project?

Environmental Assessment (EA)

A. What was/is the anticipated completion date of the environmental clearance?

07/26/2024

3. Will any of the following be required to implement the project? US Army Corps of Engineers Permits

No

US Coast Guard Permits

No

Railroad Agreements

No

None of the Above

Yes

4. Will the acquisition of Right of Way or an easement be required to implement the project?

No

5. Has utility coordination been initiated for the project?

No

6. Will the project improve or significantly affect infrastructure owned or operated by another agency?

No

8. Please provide any additional project development/readiness information relevant to the proposed project. (6000 characters max) (Optional)

The Waugh project is proposed for the long-range Regional Transportation Plan. City of Houston conducted a pre-engineering study for this roadway. See attached report. HGAC Inner West Loop Mobility Study HGAC Washington Avenue Livable Centers Study

9. Additional Project Development/Readiness Attachment (Optional)

Waugh Heights - Pre_Eng.zip

Map/Location

1. Please provide a clear and concise GIS coverage or PDF map for the proposed project. (MPK ESRI Map Package file preferred)

Waugh Drive Project Map.docx

Project Budget

1. Please attach a completed project budget worksheet. Templates are available on the 2018 Call for projects website.

Waugh budget template.pdf

2. Are Transportation Development Credits (TDCs) being requested?

No

Benefit/Cost Analysis

1. Safety Benefits

Roadway-Safety-Benefits-Waugh.xlsx

2. Delay Benefits

1031201852155PM.xlsx

3. Emissions Benefits

Roadway-Emissions-Benefits-Waugh.xlsx

4. Additional BCA Documentation (Optional)

Waugh - Major Investment_submital_docs.pdf

5. Additional BCA Documentation (Optional)

project-budget-resolution Waugh.zip

Narrative Benefits

1. Please provide an additional description of the project benefits.

Refer to uploaded Major Investment Document. This proposed project will realign Waugh drive providing improved access and intersection interchange. The project will also allow for the creation of additional park space, regional detention, and natural resource protection.

2. Narrative Benefits Attachment

Planning Factors - Strengthen Regional Economic Competitiveness

1. Does the proposed project provide tangible economic benefits?

Yes

A. If yes, please provide a brief narrative describing how the proposed project provides tangible economic benefits, including: increased property values, jobs created, or retained, etc.

There are over 86,000 residents and 147,000 jobs within the inner West Loop and many of these residents and employees rely on the Waugh Drive corridor. This project provides an opportunity to transform the corridor into a multimodal corridor that supports adjacent development and continued residential growth downtown and the adjacent neighborhoods to the west.

Planning Factors - Enhances or Provides Intra/Inter-Regional Mobility

1. Does the proposed project enhance existing intra/inter regional mobility or provide new intra/inter regional mobility options? (Example: Roadway projects located on Arterials, NHS routes, State Highways or Freeways, High capacity transit projects including dedicated transit lanes, multimodal transit facilities)

Yes

A. If yes, please provide a brief narrative describing how the proposed project enhances or provides new intra/inter mobility options.

Waugh Drive is one of only three major north-south connectors between IH610 and Downtown. It provides critical north-south connections to major freeways (US-59/I-69 and IH-10). It is also a critical connector to the most densely developed and rapidly growth area the inner-loop area.

Planning Factors - Resiliency/Flood Mitigation Strategies

1. Does the proposed project improve transportation resiliency or include flood mitigation strategies?

Yes

A. If yes, please provide a brief narrative describing how the proposed project improves resiliency or includes flood mitigation strategies. (Example flood mitigation strategies may include: elevating facility above ground level, additional storm water detention, flood warning devices, or other flood control measures)

With the interchange improvement, parkland and regional detention space will be created that has tremendous benefit to the Buffalo Bayou Watershed and the Central Business District.

Planning Factors - Improves Multimodal LOS

1. Does the proposed project improve highway/freight LOS?

No

2. Does the proposed project improve transit LOS?

Yes

3. Does the proposed project improve bike/pedestrian LOS?

Yes

4. Please provide a brief narrative explaining how proposed project improves multimodal LOS (Auto, Bike/Ped, and Transit).

Despite the low comfort bicycle facility and missing segments there is a high volume of people that are biking along the corridor, walking along the corridor all day to reach adjacent land uses or connect to Buffalo Bayou Park. The proposed improvement will greatly improve safety, access, and connectivity to park space, trails, office buildings, residential, shopping and other amenities.

Planning Factors - State of Good Repair

1. Does the proposed project include asset management strategies to maintain the state of good repair?

Yes

A. If yes, please provide a brief narrative describing how asset management strategies will maintain the facility state of good repair and reduce maintenance costs.

The City of Houston has a standing maintenance program that includes bridge inspection with TxDOT. Houston Public Works also conducted a scheduled pavement assessment. Data is analyzed annual to plan maintenance rehab/repair and also to plan for capital investment.