The Transportation Policy Council (TPC) met on Nov. 22 at the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC). Adam Beckom, planning and project development manager, presented amendments to the 2019-2022 Transportation Improvement Program and the 2045 Regional Transportation Plan. The amendment would include approving the allocation of 900,000 transportation development credits to Fort Bend County Transit in addition to previously approved funds for the purchase of 28 buses. The second amendment includes the split of the City of Houston FM 526 shared use path construction project. Beckom stated, "this project is being split to accommodate some control section job numbers or "CSJ" numbers as well as adding some category 10 national highway performance funding to cover some ADA ( Americans with Disabilities Act ) compliance." The TPC voted and unanimously approved the proposed changes.

Other actions included the approval of amendments to the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) bylaws an informational update on the North Houston Highway Improvement Project (NHHIP).

The changes to the TAC bylaws include an increase in membership, a name change from Technical Advisory Committee to Transportation Advisory Committee, the exclusion of membership to anyone holding a current position seen as a conflict of interest (persons working for transportation consulting firms/contracting firms), and more. Director of Transportation Alan Clark provided the TPC with project background information and described the on-going work of each agency (City of Houston and TxDOT), which includes continuing outreach activities and the exploration of methods to reduce and mitigate potential adverse impacts of the corridor reconstruction. Jennifer Ostlind with the City of Houston planning and development department provided an update on their community engagement process and next steps. Varuna A. Singh, P.E., who serves as the TxDOT Houston Distri cts alternative delivery program director, gave a presentation on the on-going work at TxDOT. Singh covered the active participation in the City of Houston’s outreach and analysis efforts and described TxDOT’s development of responses to comments received on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the project and the hope for a record of decision on this document next spring.

View the archived livestream for more information on the items presented at the October TPC meeting. The next TPC meeting will be held on Friday, January 24.

On Nov. 12 and 14, Brazoria County residents had the opportunity to weigh-in on the future of transportation in their county. H-GAC partnered with Brazoria County to conduct a transportation study known as the Brazoria County Thoroughfare Plan to consider future needs of the county's transportation system.

Residents attended meetings that were held at the Lake Jackson Civic Center in Lake Jackson and the Nolan Ryan Center at Alvin Community College. The public meetings consisted of a presentation followed by an open house with boards explaining what a thoroughfare plan is, the existing conditions, and gap analysis.

 

The Brazoria County Thoroughfare Plan will provide the county with an updated planning tool that can be used to manage, guide, and design a transportation network that improves connectivity, mitigates congestion, and accommodates new development and growth throughout the county.

The study will conclude in March 2020.

For more information on the Brazoria County Thoroughfare Plan visit: h-gac.com/go/brazoria.