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ih45northandmore.com I-45 North Houston Highway Improvement Project FACTS & HIGHLIGHTS PAPERS 1 THROUGH 1 9/18/20 9/18/20 Addressing Flooding Air Quality is Improving Changed for the Better Design Specific Requests & Responses by NHHIP Segment Frequently Asked Questions How Safety & Congestion will be Improved Lower the Highways Minimizing Community Impact Pedestrian & Bicyclist Accommodations Visual & Aesthetic Treatments What if NHHIP Impacts My Property? What is an FEIS? TxDOT Announces Record of Decision Final EIS Public Comment & Response Highlights9/4/20 ADDRESSING FLOODING What is TxDOT Doing to Address Flooding Concerns? A primary objective of the North Houston Highway Improvement Project (NHHIP) is to construct a resilient highway system that functions during extreme weather events. Therefore, the drainage system for the NHHIP is important and will be designed to account for potential flooding risks. Another key objective is to ensure that the project does not adversely impact the adjacent community, but rather does its part to improve the status quo by reducing flooding in the project area. Storm Events - What Can This Roadway Handle? Drainage studies are being performed for the project. The studies take into consideration the new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Atlas 14 rainfall data and the most recent three major flood events in Houston: Memorial Day (2015), Tax Day (2016), and Hurricane Harvey (2017). The highways within this project will be designed to be passable in a rain event similar to these three recent major storms. Regarding the Atlas 14 rainfall data, while the data itself is currently available, the models that are used to design drainage systems throughout the region are still being updated to incorporate this data. While these models are being updated over the next few years, the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) recommends using the current 500-year storm event model instead of using the 100-year storm event model. This is due to the similarity in rainfall intensity between the current 500-year storm event and the new Atlas 14 100-year storm event, with the current 500-year event being slightly higher. As a result, the main lanes and managed lanes on this project (including the depressed sections) are designed to accommodate the current 500- year storm event model. The drainage systems for this project (including the depressed sections) will meet or exceed the most recent drainage system guidelines and criteria set out by the HCFCD. I-45 North Houston Highway Improvement Project ih45northandmore.com Each separate watershed within project limits is included and analyzed as part of the drainage studies for this project. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is working closely with the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) to develop improvements to the bayous.9/4/20 2 Addressing Flooding ih45northandmore.com Depressed Sections/Pump System Depressed sections of the proposed project will be designed to handle extreme weather events with rainfall levels similar to the region’s three most recent flood events: Memorial Day (2015), Tax Day (2016), and Hurricane Harvey (2017). Additionally, the project will be designed to meet and/or exceed the most recent guidelines set by the HCFCD. In some cases, there may be water over the roadway during an extreme rainfall event, but the road is designed to still be passable. This will be achieved through a pumped drainage system that will collect rainwater falling inside the depressed sections and discharge it to an adjacent detention basin or receiving channel. For example, the rainwater that falls within the depressed section along US 59/I-69 between Main Street and Alabama will be conveyed to a detention facility where it will be held and then discharged at a controlled rate to Braes Bayou. The detention facilities are sized to accommodate extreme rain events so that the water pumped out of the depressed sections does not overwhelm the receiving bayous. To further protect the depressed sections, the entrance points to these areas will be constructed above the new 500-year water surface elevation such that adjacent floodwaters do not enter the depressed sections and overwhelm the pumps. Regulatory agencies, such as Harris County Flood Control District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard, will review TxDOT’s final design to confirm that the project does not increase the risk of flooding to adjacent properties. In the unlikely event of flooding on the highway, an alert system will be utilized to block access at strategic highway locations prior to flooding levels that would pose a danger to commuters, ensuring that people will not be trapped in dangerous flood waters. What Happens if a Pump Fails? Safety is TxDOT’s primary concern. The pump stations for the depressed sections of highway will be designed with backup pumps and backup generators to reduce the likelihood of a pump system failure. TxDOT is currently exploring the development of an alert system that will close access to depressed sections of the highways in the event of a pump failure. Discharge Pump Cover Overlooking Detention. Upper Wet Well.Pump Discharge Pipes.9/4/20 Addressing Flooding ih45northandmore.com 3 Will this Highway Project Make Flooding Worse? No. This project will collect, convey and detain, where necessary, the storm water runoff not only from the highways but also from adjacent properties that are currently draining to the highways. This new infrastructure will help address many drainage issues in the vicinity of the project. However, it is not feasible for this project to solve flooding problems beyond the project’s limits. TxDOT understands that the highway infrastructure is integrated into the overall drainage pattern of the city. We are working closely with the City of Houston and the HCFCD to identify opportunities to develop partnerships that will leverage the roles and responsibilities, as well as the resources of each entity to deliver drainage improvements throughout the system. Working with our local partners, we are developing improvements that will reduce water elevations within the bayous so that more runoff can be accommodated and resiliency is built into the system. As an example, two bypasses along Buffalo Bayou in the central business district are being developed that would accommodate more runoff during high intensity rainfall events. Details on Detention Facilities The purpose of detention facilities is to capture storm water runoff, store it during the peak rainfall period of a storm event and release it at a controlled rate to avoid overwhelming downstream facilities, such as receiving bayous and existing infrastructure. Detention facilities are designed to meet or exceed the most recent guidelines and criteria set out by local flood control entities. Proposed detention areas are being evaluated as potential open spaces to enhance the quality of life for communities. The project will be developed under TxDOT’s Green Ribbon Program, which enhances the visual character of highway corridors using landscape and hardscape elements including native trees, shrubs and plantings within the project’s right of way. A detailed landscaping plan will be developed as part of the final design process. TxDOT is coordinating with local groups and agencies to accommodate enhancements to standard landscaping and recreational open space in and around storm water detention areas, where feasible. Wet bottom detention basins will be considered if a partnering entity agrees to maintain them. As stewards of public funds, TxDOT is responsible for providing the storm water facilities necessary for the safe collection and conveyance of runoff within project limits. Enhancing the facilities above and beyond this requirement will need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine funding options and eligibility. Developing Meaningful Partnerships In addition to the work TxDOT is doing with the City of Houston and the HCFCD to enhance resiliency in the drainage system, TxDOT is evaluating opportunities to expand hike and bike trails along the bayous and will work directly with the HCFCD and interested stakeholders for the implementation of these opportunities. For more information, please see the NHHIP papers on Pedestrian & Bicyclist Accommodations and Visual & Aesthetic Treatments. State funded roadway project with Green Ribbon reforestation.9/4/20 Addressing Flooding ih45northandmore.com 4 Content prepared and distributed by: TxDOT Houston District 7600 Washington Avenue Houston, TX 77007 For more information about the project please visit: www.ih45northandmore.com Also, find out more about TxDOT at www.txdot.gov, or contact us by email at: HOU-PIOWebmail@txdot.gov and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram @TxDOTHouston. What will Happen During Construction? Specifications are currently under development that will require temporary drainage measures and facilities during construction. It is the intent of these specifications that the construction will not increase the flood risk and will maintain positive drainage during storm events. Although the full impact of the new facilities will not be realized until construction is complete, it is the intent of TxDOT to ensure that construction facilities will not worsen existing flood risk. Additionally, maintenance crews routinely check drainage outlets and clear debris along the roadway system to make sure runoff drains properly during major rainfall events. Why is TxDOT Proposing to Lower Portions of the Highways Near and Around Downtown? The decision to depress or elevate a highway is based on several factors. The primary considerations include how to effectively improve mobility by reducing congestion, improve roadway safety, and enhance connectivity of the local street network while working within design criteria and constraints. For more information, please see the NHHIP paper on Lower the Highways. Landscape improvements and upgrades done through partnership with local management district. I-610 @ Post Oak Detention Pond. Aerial View To learn more about the NHHIP, scan the QR code and watch the Changes for the Better video.ih45northandmore.com AIR QUALITY IS IMPROVING Absolutely. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) conducted two air quality studies – a carbon monoxide (CO) traffic air quality analysis and a mobile source air toxics (MSAT) analysis. In the first study, CO concentrations through the year 2040 were projected to remain below existing national standards, along any segment of the proposed project. The CO modeling indicated that in 2035 (the estimated year of completion of the project), even the worst-case CO concentrations are projected to be well below the applicable National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for CO. See CO Traffic Air Quality (CO TAQA) Tech Report for NHHIP for more details. The NAAQS are set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at levels which protect public health, including the health of vulnerable populations. The second study was a MSAT analysis that evaluated nine compounds identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as cancer-risk drivers. Study results indicated that MSAT are projected to decrease by 72% from 2018 through 2040. Both air quality studies conducted by TxDOT assumed a substantial increase in vehicle miles travelled (VMT) between the present and 2040, and both are consistent with and supported by the trends in Houston air quality as discussed below. Air Quality is Improving – Criteria Pollutants The EPA sets the NAAQS for the criteria certain pollutants [ozone, CO, particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5) , nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), and lead] and states must try to “attain” these standards.The greater Houston area attains all federal air standards except for ozone. Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, and Waller Counties are nonattainment for the 2008 ozone standard (75 ppb). In July 2018, EPA designated Liberty and Waller Counties attainment for the new lower 2015 ozone standard (70 ppb) and the other 6 counties as nonattainment. When EPA makes air quality standards more stringent, more areas typically get designated as not attaining the standard. This may give the false impression that air quality is getting worse. Or, one might assume air quality worsens when population and vehicle traffic increases. However, data shows that air quality has actually improved over time. To further address public concerns, TxDOT supplemented the 2 air quality studies with additional information on Houston air quality data, trends and projections. From 2000 to 2017, air emissions were reduced in Houston despite more people, traffic, and industry coming into the area (see Houston Trends Table). In addition, the number of days Houston exceeded the ozone standard has dropped from 59 in 2000, to 21 in 2010 and to 14 in 2018. 1 Over the last decade EPA required a nationwide network of near road monitors for three NAAQS – NO 2 , CO, and PM 2.5. Since these monitors are sited near heavily trafficked roadways, they were located to represent worst-case scenarios for roadway emissions. All U.S. near road monitors demonstrate attainment for NO 2 and CO. Only a few near-road monitors in the nation show potential exceedances for PM 2.5 ; none were in Texas. The Houston and Texas near-road monitors continue to show concentrations below the applicable NAAQS. See the CO TAQA Technical Report appendix for additional information on near road monitor data. I-45 North Houston Highway Improvement Project Is TxDOT Considering Air Quality Impacts of the NHHIP? 1 EPA Monitor Values Report for Houston, accessed on October 3, 2019, at: https://www.epa.gov/outdoor-air-quality-data/monitor-values-report 9/4/202 2 Population is from FHWA Highway Statistics Series, 2000 and 2017 “Urban Data” for Houston-The Woodlands-Sugarland Census Bureau core-based statistical area at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ policyinformation/statistics.cfm 3 Daily VMT is from FHWA Highway Statistics Series, 2000 and 2017 “Urban Data” file HM-71 for Houston-The Woodlands-Sugarland Census Bureau core-based statistical area at https://www.fhwa. dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics.cfm . 2017 is the most recent data available as of October 3, 2019. 4 2000 - 2017 monitor value reports for Houston for PM2.5, NO 2 , CO, and Ozone at https://www.epa.gov/outdoor-air-quality-data/monitor-values-report 5-7 Ibid. 8 TCEQ Trends Report, full title: “The On Road, Mobile Source Trend Emissions Inventories for All 254 Counties in Texas for 1999 – 2050” at: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/ implementation/air/am/contracts/reports/mob/5821111226FY1514-20150807-tti-MOVES2014_Onroad_EI_Trends_1990_2050.pdf Air Quality Is Improving ih45northandmore.com From 2000 to 2017, the Houston Trends table below shows decreases in ozone, NO 2 , CO and PM 2.5 levels, while population and VMT increased. Because the area did not meet the federal ozone standard, transportation projects and plans such as the North Houston Highway Improvement Project (NHHIP) must comply with the State Implementation Plan (SIP) for air quality. In addition, regions with populations over 50,000 are required by federal statute to have a regional planning organization to manage a program on how the region will conform to federal air standards. For the Houston region, that organization is the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC). The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) determined on August 2, 2019 that H-GAC’s 2045 Regional Transportation Plan was in conformance with the SIP. This determination of conformance by FHWA is required before TxDOT can make an environmental decision. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Trends Report projects on-road mobile source emissions per each Texas county through 2050. All eight Houston-area counties project a downward trend in mobile source emissions from 2017 to 2050 despite increasing traffic. Harris County trends are provided in the table below as an example of projected on-road mobile source emission reductions through 2050. Market changes with electric or other alternative fueled vehicles are not part of this projection, but they are expected to result in even greater emission reductions than what is in the table. For further details on Houston’s air quality, see the CO TAQA Technical Report for the NHHIP. 9/4/20 2000 - 2017 Item Population (million) 2 Daily VMT (million) 3 1-hour CO (pm) 4 Annual Mean NO 2 (ppb) 5 Annual Mean PM 2.5 µg/m 6 8-hour Ozone (ppb) 7 2.49 - 4.9491.9 - 133.05.7 - 2.120.8 - 14.4714.3 - 10.4117 - 79 -32%-27%-30%-63%45%98% Percentange Change from 2000 to 2017Air Quality Is Improving - Air Toxics Air toxics levels have declined in Houston. Air toxics monitoring in Houston from 2014 through 2016 demonstrated benzene was below long-term health risk thresholds. 9 Even with projected increases in vehicle travel, mobile source air toxics emissions are on the decline in Houston. For the NHHIP, TxDOT analysis projected total mobile source air toxics emissions to decrease by 72 percent from 2018 to 2040, even though NHHIP VMT is projected to rise by 58%. The MSAT are projected to decrease even as VMT increases due to increasingly stringent fuel standards and improvements in vehicle technology. For more detailed information, see the Mobile Source Air Toxics Emissions Technical Report for the NHHIP. TCEQ monitors hazardous air toxics across the state of Texas. In 2016, TCEQ issued a memo titled “Health Effects Review of 2016 Ambient Air Network Monitoring Data in Region 12, Houston.” The results of the analysis indicate the monitored emissions do not appear to result in any short-term or long-term adverse health effects. 10 TCEQ has a program to address any areas of air toxic concerns called the Air Pollutant Watch List (APWL). There are currently no APWL sites in Harris County. To address children’s health, EPA performed a study “Assessing Outdoor Air Near Schools” between 2009-2012.11 Initially, EPA considered 62 priority schools throughout the U.S. to conduct ambient air toxics monitoring and 14 of these schools were close to major roads. EPA chose schools based on their modeling that predicted air toxics would exceed health risk thresholds. One of the schools, Young Scholars Academy, is near NHHIP and EPA chose it for the study because of its proximity to major roadways. EPA monitored benzene and 1,3-butadiene and determined that concentration estimates were “not as high as was suggested by the modeling information.” 12 Based on the low monitored values, EPA decided further air toxics monitoring at the school was not needed. For the 14 schools near major roads, mobile source related air toxics monitoring results were below health risk thresholds. The monitoring results were again less than EPA modeling predicted, so EPA did not extend further mobile source related monitoring for the 14 schools abutting major roadways. Proposed NHHIP Improvements NHHIP provides options to reduce single occupant vehicle driving — four Managed Express Lanes for use by transit vehicles, buses, car pools, and future autonomous vehicles, as well as improved pedestrian and bicyclist facilities. This is another way in which the project may contribute to reduced congestion and improved air quality. See Bicycle and Pedestrian Position Paper for more details on these facilities that encourage non-motorized travel. During construction of the project, there may be a temporary increase in dust near the project site. Residents who open their windows for ventilation or cooling their home could experience the intrusion of dust into their home. TxDOT shall provide funding for weatherization and energy efficiency to qualifying community members. Since questions and concerns arose regarding air quality related to the project, especially during construction, TxDOT will fund ambient air monitoring for a minimum of 5-years near the right-of-way at one location each in Segment 3 and Segment 2 during construction. 13 At the end of 5 years, TxDOT will assess if further air monitoring will be conducted and if an air monitor is needed for Segment 1. Monitoring will include NO 2 , CO, PM 2.5 , and priority MSAT except PM2.5 will be used as a surrogate for diesel particulate. TxDOT is in discussion with HISD for potentially locating the monitors at schools abutting or within 200 feet of the corridor. Monitoring results will be provided on a publicly accessible website with an option for members of the public to receive monitor data notifications. Monitoring results will be compared to health-based NAAQS limits and EPA air toxics health risk thresholds. TxDOT is consulting with TCEQ and EPA on the development of this program, including risk controls, if needed. Air Quality Is Improving ih45northandmore.com 3 9 Houston toxicology analyses, TCEQ, https://www.tceq.texas.gov/toxicology/regmemo 10 Health Effects Review of 2016 Ambient Air Network Monitoring Data in Region 12, Houston, https://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/implementation/tox/monitoring/evaluation/2016/reg12.pdf 11 Assessing Outdoor Air Near Schools, EPA, https://www3.epa.gov/air/sat/index.html 12 https://www3.epa.gov/air/sat/YoungSchol.html 13 The monitoring equipment, operation and analysis will be consistent with EPA federal regulatory monitor criteria; although they will not be EPA and TCEQ approved regulatory monitors, nor part of the TCEQ annual air monitoring plan. 9/4/20Air Quality Is Improving ih45northandmore.com 4 Content prepared and distributed by: TxDOT Houston District 7600 Washington Avenue Houston, TX 77007 For more information about the project please visit: www.ih45northandmore.com Also, find out more about TxDOT at www.txdot.gov, or contact us by email at: HOU-PIOWebmail@txdot.gov and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram @TxDOTHouston. Need More Information? NHHIP Website: http://www.ih45northandmore.com/. See CO TAQA and Mobile Source Air Toxics (MSAT) Technical Reports. TCEQ Websites • Houston monitor data toxicology analysis, visit: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/toxicology/regmemo • Air quality forecasts, visit: https://service.govdelivery.com/accounts/TXTCEQ/subscriber/new • Ozone specialized reports, visit: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/cgi-bin/compliance/monops/8hr_4highest.pl • Air quality success data, visit: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/airquality/airsuccess EPA Websites • Air monitor data, visit: https://www.epa.gov/outdoor-air-quality-data/monitor-values-report • EPA Air Quality Trends: https://gispub.epa.gov/air/trendsreport/2018/#resources • EPA is required to review the NAAQS at 5-year year schedule following a process that allows for the public and scientific community to submit relevant information for inclusion in their NAAQS assessment See: https://www.epa.gov/criteria-air-pollutants/process-reviewing-national-ambient-air-quality-standards • The EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) characterizes the health hazards of chemicals found in the environment, including MSAT. The process for developing the IRIS assessments allow for the for the public and scientific community to submit relevant information. See: https://www.epa.gov/iris/basic-information-about-integrated-risk-information-system Drive Clean Texas • Visit: https://drivecleantexas.org 9/4/20 To learn more about the NHHIP, scan the QR code and watch the Changes for the Better video.Next >