2015 Call for Projects Application Listing

Project Information

Project Title Expansion of Houston Bike Share's B-cycle program Primary Agency Houston Bike Share Date Submitted 1/12/2015 11:32:09 AM

Project Narrative

Describe the primary problems to be addressed by the project (Project Need).
1000 characters max The City of Houston, and surrounding areas, will never be able to build enough roads to reduce the current congestion, nor satisfy the projected growth of our thriving city. Transportation alternatives must be considered and must be added to the transportation network. It is critical that we encourage and engage multimodal transportation as a tool to mitigate the traffic jams and parking issues. In addition to the congestion we must look at ways to reduce the pollution associated with the millions of vehicles that clog the freeways of Houston. The time has come to rely on bike share as a viable means of transportation. Bike share programs have proven themselves over and over again across the planet where they have become integral parts of urban transportation. What was perceived as an experiment six or seven years ago has exploded into a proven transportation alternative around the world. China alone has over 28,000 stations and 747,400 bikes on the streets. Worldwide, more than 600 cities have bike share programs in place today. Describe the primary outcome to be achieved by the project (Project Purpose).
1000 characters max The Houston Bike Share program currently has 29 stations, with approximately 220 bicycles, located in or just outside Houston Downtown CBD. The bike share program allows for the short term use of the system’s bicycles either through an annual membership or by purchasing a daily or weekly pass. Users are allowed to check out a bike at any of the 29 stations and then return the bike to the same or any of the other station in the system. As long as the checkout period for the ride is less than 60 minutes, there are no additional fees for use of the bike. The expansion of the program will enable an ever increasing number of people to integrate cycling into their multi modal commute or completely restructure their commute by leaving the car in the garage and create a new transportation model. The planned expansion will bring the bike share program into Midtown, Montrose, East Side, Near North Side, Fifth Ward, Third Ward, Heights, Washington Corridor, Galleria, Upper Kirby, Rice University, Rice Village and the Texas Medical Center. Each new station in the Bike Share system greatly expands the usefulness of the overall system as it provides a new destination to connect to each of the existing stations. This network effect creates a positive feedback loop as each new station makes all of the existing stations more useful and valuable to more potential riders, while expanding the reach of the overall network. Therefore the total use of the system will increase at a higher rate as more stations are added and the system becomes more useful to more people. The added stations will also connect more neighborhoods to job centers allowing more people to commute to and from the workplace than currently available. Describe the proposed improvement (Facility/Limits/Description).
1000 characters max The project will consist of adding 24 new stations and 192 Bikes in the TMC & Rice U areas in 2015 and then add 24 stations and 192 bikes in the Midtown, downtown, Washington Corridor and Memorial Park areas in 2016 and then add 23 stations and 184 bikes to Eado, Greater Eastside, UofH, TSU and Third Ward in 2017. Each of these phased expansions will be closely coordinated with area management districts, major employers and residents. The expansions will also be closely coordinated with METRO bus and light rail in an effort to better integrate the transportation options. Describe any alternatives to the proposed improvement which have been considered or will be evaluated.
2000 characters max Because of the unique nature of bike share, there are no comparative options or alternatives. It can be said that the bike share program will benefit from other improvements the city of Houston is planning, specifically dedicated bike lanes, new bike routes and the bayou trails. But all cyclists benefit when there are more bikes on the streets. Therefore we assert that the bike share program will further contribute to the greater awareness of cyclists in the city, and therefore making it safer for all cyclists.

Project Narrative

Has a scoping meeting been conducted with TxDOT or FTA?
Note: A brief scoping meeting will be scheduled during the application review period for any “Major Investment” project which has not already had one. No Please attach a completed scoping checklist or meeting summary.

What level of environmental documentation is required for the proposed project? Categorical Exclusion (CE) Which CE does the proposed project scope qualify for? (c)(2) Stand-alone recreation, pedestrian, or bicycle facilities, such as: a multiuse pathway, lane, trail, or pedestrian bridge; and transit plaza amenities Will any permits from the Army Corps of Engineers, US Coast Guard, railroad, etc. be required before the project can be constructed? No Please describe the permits needed and the timeline anticipated to acquire them.
1000 characters max Please provide an estimated completion date for the 30% Design/PS&E milestone. 10/02/2014 Will additional property, or interest in property (easement), be required to implement the project? No How many parcels or portions thereof remain to be acquired? Please provide an estimated date for the completion of property acquisition necessary for construction activities to begin. Has a utility evaluation been completed for the project? No Please describe the process for utility adjustments/relocations (entity responsible, financial responsibility, etc.). No utility adjustments will be requested or made. The stations are never placed in locations where this sort of process would be required. Any and all stations that are proposed to be placed in the Public Right Of Way will go through the CoH permitting process. This includes the diagram of the station, the subsurface, identification and sign off of any utilities and the eventual permit approval by the CoH Permitting Office. This process will also include encroachment agreements if necessary. Will the project improve or significantly affect infrastructure owned or operated by another agency? Yes Please describe the affect and supply evidence of support from the affected agency. The majority of the existing stations are in the Public Right of Way and it is anticipated that 60% to 70% of the expansion related stations will also be installed in the PRoW. This will require significant interaction and coordination with the CoH Permitting Office, which we are fully prepared to do. It is our opinion that the additional stations will significantly compliment current and future infrastructure and we can assure all parties concerned that this project will never adversely affect any existing or future infrastructure. Attached below is the Letter of Support from the COH. Evidence of Agency Support Attachment

COH Ltr of Support-2015 TIP Applicant projects.PDF

Please describe previous and upcoming public involvement activities related to the proposed project. The Houston Bike Share program has been extremely well received by all aspects of the city. (government, visitors, workers, residents, businesses, retail, dining and entertainment) We work closely with all businesses that are in close proximity to proposed stations to make sure there are no conflicts or concerns. Specifically referring to our proposed plan as it pertains to 2015, we have met with the top executives at TMC, Rice University and Rice Village and reached consensus of where the proposed stations will be placed. The locaitons for 2016 and 2017 have also been identified and will be vetted again as those installations are determined to be six months away from installation. We have letters of support from each and every geographic area we propose to work within and we are committed to continue dialogs witl all parties associated with the proposed expansions. Public Involvement Attachment

LOS_Complete.pdf

Please provide any additional project development/readiness information relevant to the proposed project. We have the complete list of proposed station locations for each of the three years included in this project. The list is attached below. As stated previously, we will continue to work very closely with the CoH, Houston Parks & Rec, all of the local management districts in the pertinent areas, METRO, property owners, merchants and any other affected parties to ensure that our stations are strategically placed. Additional Project Development/Readiness Attachment

Bcycle Station Maps and List of locations.pdf

Map/Location

Please provide a clear and concise GIS coverage or PDF map of the proposed project.
(*.mpk ESRI Map Package file preferred)

BCyclePlanPackage.mpk

Project Budget

Please attach a completed project budget worksheet.
Templates are available on the 2015 TIP Call Website
Uploaded files are limited to Word Documents, Excel Spreadsheets, PDFs, GIS files, and image files.
File size cannot exceed 30MB.

Financial Plan Summary.xlsx

Is this application for a transit project, ITS project, or other project that would have a significant ongoing operating/maintenance cost? No Please attach a completed 5-year annual operating budget worksheet.
Templates are available on the 2015 TIP Call Website
Uploaded files are limited to Word Documents, Excel Spreadsheets, PDFs, GIS files, and image files.
File size cannot exceed 30MB.

Are transportation development credits being requested? No Please attach a completed TDC application.
Templates are available on the 2015 TIP Call Website
Uploaded files are limited to Word Documents, Excel Spreadsheets, PDFs, GIS files, and image files.
File size cannot exceed 30MB.

Screening Questions

Will the project design meet or exceed AASHTO or equivalent guidelines?
FHWA Bicycle and Pedestrian Facility Design Flexibility No Please explain: Per TX DOT - AASHTO does not apply to this project

Design Standards

No Per TX DOT - AASHTO does not apply to this project

Connectivity

Barrier Elimination

Yes Project: • Provides access to safe and convenient routes across barriers, such as freeways, railroads, and waterways via streets, engineered bike paths and sidewalks • Closes gaps in the existing bicycle network that aligns with a regional bikeway shown on the Regional Bikeway Concept Map. This will further be accomplished with the ongoing integration and coordination with METRO bus and lightrail projects.

Pedestrian/Bicycle Facility Connections

Yes Project directly connects to existing pedestrian and bicycle facilities. The connections are numerous and will continue to increase over time as additional stations are installed and as the bike/ped facilities continue to develop within the areas associated with the program. 56 of the 71 proposed stations are located within 1000 feet of a shared-use path, bike lane, shared lane or designated bike route.

Transit Connections

Direct link to transit connection Three proposed stations are located at or adjacent to METRO Transit Centers. An additional seven proposed stations are located adjacent to METRORail stations (within 300 ft.). A further additional 36 proposed stations are located adjacent to METRO bus stops (within 300 ft.).

Connections to Regional Destinations

Provides a connection to or within activity centers*?

* Density thresholds for different types of activity centers are defined within the Livable Centers Benefits Calculator, which is available online at http://www.h-gac.com/livable-centers/tools.aspx. Project area is considered within a 1/2-mile radius of the project location.

Station locations will improve the network's connection to and within Downtown and the TMC which are both major activity centers.

Pilot Projects

No Bike share has operated in Houston since May of 2012. But it is important to point out that the project expansion will dramatically increase the number of new areas/neighborhoods/Wards/management districts that currently enjoy the benefits of the Houston bike share program.

Safety

Does proposed facility:

Yes Yes No No 14 of the proposed stations are located along shared-use paths which provide a bike facility that is separated from traffic. A least 5 of the proposed station locations are located within 1000 feet of a primary or secondary school. At least 12 additional proposed stations are located at or adjacent to colleges and universities. Studies have shown that increased numbers of cyclists on the street increase safety for all cyclists. Bike share increases the number cyclists on the streets.

Project will be awarded:
15 points if three or more of the aforementioned characteristics are met.
10 points if two of these characteristics are met.
5 points if one of these characteristics is met.

Existing Plans/Studies

Yes The H-GAC/METRO Bike & Ride Study recommended seven of the proposed station locations (Burnett TC, Central Station, EaDo/Stadium Station, Theater District Station, Quitman Station, UH Downtown Station, Wheeler TC) and improved links between transit and bike share in general.

Funding Leverage

Sponsor has committed to provide more than 20% of local match Houston Bike Share is committing a 21% local match.

Underserved Population Access

Is all or part of the proposed facility located within a Census Tract that has a higher proportion of the following populations than the regional average:
H-GAC to conduct analysis based on the GIS/map project location provided above

Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No 22 out of the 46 Census block groups with a proposed station have majority minority populations. The H-GAC region is 52% minority. 9 out of the 33 Census tracts with a proposed station have higher proportions of households below the poverty line than the regional average (13.4%). 15 out of the 33 Census tracts with a proposed station have higher proportions of elderly population than the regional average (7.4%) 13 out of the 33 Census tracts with a proposed station have higher proportions of zero-car households than the regional average (8.28% according to H-GAC EJ Index).

Project will be awarded:
3 points if one of the aforementioned indicators is above the regional average
7 points if two of the aforementioned indicators is above the regional average
10 points if three of the aforementioned indicators is above the regional average