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Phase 2: Landing Blvd. Extension/NASA Rd 1 Bypass Extension City of League City 1/12/2015 4:15:22 PMProject Narrative
Phase 2, the NASA Road 1 Bypass extension from the Landing Boulevard extension to FM 528, is needed to provide improved mobility, access and connectivity in a rapidly growing area of the Houston region. League City and Webster represent two communities that have experienced significant population growth since 2000. Between 2000 and 2010 Webster’s population increased 14.5% from 9,083 to 10,400. During the same period, League City’s population increased by 83.6% from 45,517 to 83,560 (population data from U.S. Census, CensusViewer). H-GAC’s regional forecast projects that League City’s population will reach 174,129 and Webster’s population will reach 18,438 - a combined population close to 200,000 - by 2040. In order to keep pace with the projected population growth and consequent growth in vehicle miles of travel, the cities will need to expand and enhance the existing roadway network. Phase 2 is a critical connector for the cities that will provide both east/west and north/south connectivity through the area as well as access to employment, schools, and shopping opportunities. It will improve mobility by providing a new intersection at IH 45S that will divert some traffic from the intersections at FM 518 and FM 528. League City and Webster have worked together for many years to develop transportation options that improve mobility, accessibility and connectivity within and through their jurisdictions. For over 20 years, the cities and Harris County have planned for alternative routes that, if constructed, would provide a continuous north/south route that would connect FM 518 to BW 8 S. In order to accomplish this objective, League City and Webster would need to complete the Landing Boulevard extension from FM 518 to the NASA Road 1 Bypass extension (described in Application #300438). Subsequently, Webster would need to complete the NASA Road 1 Bypass extension from Landing Boulevard to FM 528. Harris County, Precinct 3, has plans for the construction of Beamer Road from FM 528 to Dixie Farm Road. A section of Beamer Road, from west of Tall Ships Road to Bay Area Boulevard, was let to construction in September 2014. It is anticipated that this new road section will be open to traffic in 2016. A subsequent section from Tall Ships to Dixie Farm Road is included in the 2015 Transportation Improvement Program (MPO ID 16181). The remaining section, from Bay Area Boulevard to FM 528, is included in the 2035 RTP Update (MPO ID 7655). Once all of these improvements are completed, motorists will have a continuous alignment parallel to IH 45S between FM 518 and BW 8S. This alternative will improve access to the Texas Medical Center and the Houston central business district, as well as destinations in the local area. Phase 2, NASA Road 1 Bypass Extension from the Landing Boulevard Extension to FM 528 is a critical component of the City of Webster’s future road network. The City’s Comprehensive Plan (updated in 2014) describes the following roadway plan: “A local and regional mobility project that has been planned since 2000 is Webster’s connection to Beamer Road via the NASA Road 1 Bypass Extension. This corridor would join NASA Road 1 Bypass to the west side of I-45, connect to the north to Beamer Road, and intersect with NASA Parkway, Bay Area Boulevard, El Dorado, and Tall Ships. League City has planned for a connection to the NASA Road 1 Bypass Extension (via Landing Boulevard), and Houston has planned for Beamer road to extend south. In preparation for Webster’s portion of the NASA Road 1 Bypass Extension, a tax increment reinvestment zone (TIRZ) was created in 2003 to help fund the roadway. The initial phase of the NASA Road 1 Bypass, a TxDOT project, in which the City of Webster provided extensive assistance in utility relocations, was completed in 2008. The second phase, which is planned for the near future, is the NASA Road 1 Bypass Extension. Both the NASA Road 1 Bypass Extension and the Beamer road Extension are considered key for mobility, economic development, and emergency evacuation, as (it) provides an additional north/south route for a growing super-regional population.” The purpose of the proposed project is to improve mobility, connectivity and accessibility in a rapidly growing area of the Houston region. A connector route between FM 528 in Webster and FM 518 in League City is needed to provide a viable alternative to Bay Area Boulevard and IH 45S for motorists traveling north/south within and through the area. It will also connect residents to business, schools and recreational opportunities in the area as well as regional destinations such as the Texas Medical Center and the Houston central business district. The roadway will provide access to undeveloped and underdeveloped parcels in Webster and League City. It will improve access to schools, neighborhoods and local businesses that now have limited access to major arterials. Finally, the proposed project will have benefits in terms of travel time savings due to the elimination of bottlenecks, emissions reductions due to reduced idling, and enhanced safety due to improved levels of service on alternate routes. The scope of the proposed project (including Phase 1 and Phase 2) is the extension of Landing Boulevard northward beyond its existing terminus as a 4-lane, divided roadway, connecting into the proposed 4-lane divided NASA 1 Bypass extension west of IH 45S that will terminate at FM 528. The City of League City has proposed the extension of Landing Boulevard, from its current terminus just north of FM 518 (West Main Street) in League City, Galveston County, to the proposed NASA Road 1 Bypass Extension in Webster, Harris County. The NASA 1 Bypass is an east-west oriented 4-lane road that terminates at IH 45S on the west. The City of Webster has proposed the extension of the NASA Road 1 Bypass from IH 45S westward to FM 528. The Nasa Road 1 Bypass extension provides a logical northern terminus for the proposed Landing Blvd. extension. The benefits in terms of providing additional connectivity, access and travel time savings in this rapidly growing area will be enhanced with the construction of each new roadway segment. While the benefits may be analyzed cumulatively, the implementation will staged in two phases: Phase 1 will construct Landing Blvd. from FM 518 to NASA Road 1 Bypass at IH 45S (Application ID 300438); Phase 2 (Application ID 300696)will construct NASA Road 1 Bypass Extension from Landing Blvd. to FM 528. Details of the phasing are provided later in this application. Phase 2 is proposed as a new location road located south of the intersection of FM 528/West NASA Boulevard and IH 45S in Webster, Harris County, Texas. The proposed right of way is 100 feet in width and approximately one mile in length. The project will be 4 lanes divided with raised median and accommodation for bicycle lanes on both sides. The design will incorporate features that are sensitive to the location that is in some areas adjacent to Challenger 7 Memorial Park. These features may includes plexiglass sound barriers and upgraded landscpaping. In 2001, ARCADIS, a division of WSBC Civil Engineers, completed a preliminary engineering report for the City of Webster for the NASA Road 1 Bypass Extension. The preliminary engineering report provided details on the typical section and costs for the preferred alignment. As part of the preliminary engineering, Corrigan Consulting, Inc. was retained to conduct an Environmental Site Assessment and a Wetlands Assessment of the proposed right-of-way corridor. A build and a no-build alternative were considered as part of the work in 2001. While a No Build Alternative avoids adverse impacts associated with new construction, it would not meet the proposed project’s need and purpose because it would not provide for improved mobility and congestion relief. A No Build alternative is inconsistent with local and regional transportation planning efforts. As part of the Build Alternatives analysis, various road alignments and right-of-way widths were considered. The proposed alignment was loosely defined as described above. The intent was to avoid negative impacts to environmentally sensitive areas, reduce right-of-way needs, and incorporate drainage considerations. The design and environmental work will need to be updated to incorporate new developments in the area. The project is proposed for construction in two phases. Phase 1 will extend Landing Boulevard from its current terminus just north of FM 518 to a point where it will connect to an extension of NASA Road 1 Bypass. That road currently terminates at the IH 45S frontage roads. This connection will provide direct access to IH 45S for northbound and southbound motorists as well as a connection to destinations east of IH 45S. Phase 2 would begin at the Landing Boulevard Extension and end in the vicinity if FM 528. Phase 2, the extension of NASA Road 1 Bypass from the Landing Boulevard Extension to FM 528, is not as far along in the project development process as Phase 1. Since 2001, no further project development work has been completed for Phase 2. For TIP purposes, the initial funding for Phase 2 is proposed as environmental and schematic work to ready the project for environmental clearance. Phase 2 is scheduled to begin environmental and design work in 2016 with right-of-way acquisition beginning in 2018. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2019 with the facility open to traffic in 2021. This application requests federal funding assistance for the total cost of Phase 2, including environmental and design, right-of-way acquisition, and construction.Project Narrative
No Environmental Assessment (EA) Please Select No 01/07/2017 Yes 8 01/07/2018 No Webster will coordinate with CenterPoint Energy regarding the proposed project alignment crossing a utility easement and relocating electrical transmission line poles currently standing within the proposed alignment. Utilities such as water lines, sewer lines, gas lines, telephone cables, electrical lines, and other subterranean and aerial utilities may require adjustments at various locations along the proposed facility. The adjustment of any utilities would be handled so that no substantial disruption of service would take place while the adjustments are being made. At this time, no major utilties adjustments are anticipated. No The NASA Road 1 Bypass Extension project has been identified in three consecutive comprehensive plans for the City of Webster (2001, 2009 and 2014). Webster’s citizens contributed to the development of each plan's goals, objectives and actions by participating in public meetings. The ideas and comments contributed by citizens during the plan development process were incorporated and shaped the resulting proposals and recommendations. The project first appeared in the Regional Transportation Plan as part of the 2022 RTP Update (adopted in 2002). It was included in subsequent regional plans until it was removed from the 2035 RTP Update due to a shortage of funds. The project was subject to the public involvement process for each of the RTPs. In 2001 a preliminary engineering report and an environmental review were completed for the project. While that information would need to be updated, it provides a good understanding of the project and any potential environmental issues, including wetlands mitigation. The report did not indicate any barriers to construction. Much of the area is undeveloped today.Map/Location
Evalutation Questions - Major Investments
Benefit/Cost Methodology
Please attach the completed BCA Excel worksheet and narrative explanation of analyses used