2015 Call for Projects Application Listing

Project Information

Project Title Fairmont Parkway ITS Improvements Primary Agency Harris County Date Submitted 1/12/2015 3:51:55 PM

Project Narrative

Describe the primary problems to be addressed by the project (Project Need).
1000 characters max Eastern Harris County, particularly the area surrounding the Port of Houston, is experiencing increased development and population due to the region's vibrant economy. Increasing traffic as a result of this growth is causing a degradation of traffic operations on Harris County roadways. Harris County has identified Fairmont Parkway from Beltway 8 to 7th Street as a corridor that would benefit substantially from a combination of intersection geometric improvements, traffic signal modernization / rebuild / installations, fiber optic interconnect network, real time traffic monitoring and battery backup system. At approximately 50,000 vpd, portions of this roadway are among the most heaviest traveled roadway segments maintained by Harris County. Describe the primary outcome to be achieved by the project (Project Purpose).
1000 characters max The proposed intersection geometric improvements, traffic signal modernization / rebuild / installations, fiber optic interconnect network, real time traffic monitoring and battery backup system will enhance efforts to reduce motorist delay, congestion and improve air quality. Geometric improvements will provide additional intersection capacity and lane balance. Traffic signal improvements will optimize vehicle detection and utilize modern ITS equipment. Fiber optic interconnect network will allow remote monitoring and adjustment of signals operation and synchronization. Real time monitoring system will provide the public with average speed and travel time of vehicles along roadway sections. Also, collected data will be instrumental in the ability to develop ongoing transportation performance measures. Battery backup systems will be utilized to increase public safety and reduce traffic congestion by allowing traffic signals to operate during a power disruption / failure. Describe the proposed improvement (Facility/Limits/Description).
1000 characters max Improvements are proposed at (14) intersection locations in Precinct 2, which intersects TxDOT-owned and maintained roadways. They consist of intersection geometric improvements, (4) traffic signal modernizations, (8) traffic signal rebuilds, (2) traffic signal installations with use of modern ITS equipment, upgraded vehicle detection, real time traffic monitoring, battery backup system and (8.5) miles of fiber optic interconnect network. Describe any alternatives to the proposed improvement which have been considered or will be evaluated.
2000 characters max At signalized intersections, traffic signal timing has previously been adjusted to optimize the efficiency with the existing geometry. No further enhancement alternatives are available.

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)(26) Modernization of a highway which meets constraints in paragraph (e) Will any permits from the Army Corps of Engineers, US Coast Guard, railroad, etc. be required before the project can be constructed? Yes Please describe the permits needed and the timeline anticipated to acquire them.
1000 characters max One utility crossing permit will be required, for installation of a fiber optic cable conduit crossing the Union Pacific Railroad’s tracks, west of SH 146. Experience has shown such minor permits can easily be completed during the time allotted to the design phase for a project of this type. Also, there is flexibility to install the conduit as either an underground crossing or as an overhead crossing because Fairmont Parkway crosses over the UPRR tracks at a bridge. This flexibility reduces the possibility of a permitting issue. Please provide an estimated completion date for the 30% Design/PS&E milestone. 10/01/2015 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.). Once utilities are identified as conflicts, each affected owner will be notified that their facilities will need to be relocated. Utility adjustments within County ROW are typically completed within 90 days with no cost to the County or the project budget. 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 corridor is directly connected to facilities operated and maintained by Pasadena, La Porte, TxDOT, and HCTRA. Improving the county-maintained portion of the corridor will reduce overall delay. Discussions with TxDOT staff and others have been positive and in support of any improvement to their infrastructure. Completion of a fiber optic interconnect link between Beltway 8 and SH 146 also provides an opportunity to create redundant path in the multi-agency fiber network, improving network reliability. Evidence of Agency Support Attachment

Harris County Letter of Project Support_Precinct 2.pdf

Please describe previous and upcoming public involvement activities related to the proposed project. No public involvement activities have occurred. Any future public involvement will comply with TxDOT policies and procedures. Coordination with City of La Porte, where the most significant improvements are planned, is ongoing. See attached letter of support. Public Involvement Attachment

City of La Porte Support Letter.pdf

Please provide any additional project development/readiness information relevant to the proposed project. No additional right of way is required. Additional Project Development/Readiness Attachment

Transmittal Letter_Fairmont Pkwy ITS Improvements.pdf

Map/Location

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

Fairmont parkway.zip

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.

Precinct 2_TIP_Budget.pdf

Is this application for a transit project, ITS project, or other project that would have a significant ongoing operating/maintenance cost? Yes 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.

Precinct 2_Operating Maintenance Budget.pdf

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 have a useful lifespan greater than five (5) years? Yes Please explain: This project will have a lifespan of 20+ years with routine maintenance activities performed by Harris County.

Benefit /Cost Methodology

H-GAC to conduct analysis based on the GIS/map project location and project scope information provided above.

Congestion Safety

Incident/Event Management

Yes; CCTV cameras will be installed at major intersections. With the addition of the fiber optic communications network, the cameras will be integrated into TranStar's CTMS and be utilized by TranStar operators for incident management and surveillance. ; Yes; Fairmont Parkway is designed as an NHS route. Also, proposed project crosses two additional facilities on the NHS: Beltway 8 and SH 146. ; Yes; Intersections will be equipped with a real time monitoring device. With the addition of the fiber optic communications network, the real time monitoring device will be integrated into Tran star's CTMS and be able to provide extensive information of value to motorist (e.g. speed maps, travel times) and traffic management operators. ; Yes; While no plans are in place to implement an EVP systems, Harris County has allowed Emergency Service Districts to implement a GPS-based EVP system on County maintained roadways with adherence to Harris County system requirements. ; No; Not Applicable ; No; Not Applicable ;

Coordination

System Migration/Expandability

Yes; The addition of a fiber optic communication network on this facility will expand Harris County's existing communication backbone, and provide exchanging transmission capacity, redundancy and associated services with other agencies. Connection at Beltway 8 and SH 146 provides opportunity for network redundancy. ; Yes; All equipment will use industry standards such as Ethernet, Internet Protocol, NTCIP, etc. ;

Integration and Information Sharing

AND, System ties into another agency’s systems to allow for the sharing of data; System ties into a centralized Traffic Management Center (Houston TranStar) ; Yes; System loops and real time monitoring device will be able to provide average speed, travel time and volume data, which is currently being provided real time on Houston TranStar's website. ; Yes; System loops will be installed to provide volume data for determining split usage and Other MOE's. Also, real time monitoring device will be installed to provide additional data. ;

Asset Mgmt/Efficient Operations

Continuity Operations

Yes; Battery Backup Systems (BBS) will allow traffic signals to operated for several hours during a loss of power without interruption. ; Yes; Harris County shares facilities with other agencies with reciprocal agreements. Other agencies could potentially use the proposed facilities for redundancy in their own networks. ; Yes; Battery Backup Systems (BBS) will lessen the possibility of a traffic signal going into all-red flash during a power outage, which requires a manual reset. The addition of communications links will allow maintenance and operations staff to monitor the system remotely, thus proactively preventing malfunctions. ;

System Lifecycle/Maintenance Issues

Yes; This project will have a lifespan of 20+ years with routine maintenance activities performed by Harris County. ; Yes; See Operation and Maintenance Budget Attachment; Yes; Upgraded signal equipment, Communication Network, Real Time Monitoring and Battery Backup System will all increase the efficiency of the system and reduce man-hours of labor required for maintenance. ;