Katy Edition | January 2022

TRANSPORTATION

Updates on key transportation projects

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OTHER PROJECTS TO FOLLOW IN 2022

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Houston-areamobility groups plan for federal funds from$1.2 trillion bill

BY JISHNU NAIR

hurdles needed to be cleared before HGAC or other planning organiza- tions can begin discussing funding allocation. “It’s going to take a fair amount of time for [all of the funding announce- ments] to work their way through their processes before we start seeing that,” he said. Once the new appropriations bill makes its way through Congress in 2022, Raborn said HGAC plans to get public input into future transporta- tion planning in the spring. HGAC is updating the region’s four-year, 10-year and 25-year transportation plans, which will receive input from the public and local governments before informing the state of the prioritized projects to receive funds. Raborn said updates could be complete by the rst and second quarters of 2023. He said it is too early to tell how much of the funding the Greater Houston area will receive and which projects will be allotted funds. Susan Lent, an adviser to the city of Houston, said the city might be a candidate for a $1.4 billion grant for weather preparation projects, a $250 million congestion relief pro- gram and a $3 billion railroad grade crossing elimination program. Construction could begin soon

ROADMAP TO FUNDING Once Congress approves funding in 2022, local governments and planning groups coordinate to receive funds.

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President Joe Biden signed the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law Nov. 6, provid- ing funds for projects nationwide. Texas is expected to get about $35 billion of that funding, while existing federal aid programs will receive an inux of $265.4 billion over ve years, according to Chandra Bhat at The University of Texas. Craig Raborn, transportation director of metropolitan planning organization Houston-Galveston Area Council, said Houston-area entities will have 11 new grant programs to apply for. Raborn said the bill’s broad scope will increase funding to programs, such as the Surface Transportation Block Grant, which is seeing a 24% increase in funding. “It’s a big bill; there’s a lot in it,” Raborn said. “And so it’s going to take a lot of time for agencies like ours to nd and match the pieces to the needs they have.” Raborn also highlighted new programs that could target resiliency and ood control as areas of interest, such as the PROTECT Program, which provides up to $8.7 billion to help reinforce surface transportation routes and evacuation routes. However, Raborn cautioned that other federal funding and regulatory INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT IN HOUSTON The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will boost federal programs and open new ones Houston-area entities can apply for.

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PROJECT SELECTION Metropolitan planning

organizations, or MPOs, such as the Houston-Galveston Area Council, add projects to plans. INPUT Local governments and the public provide input on projects to prioritize. PROJECT DESIGN The MPO sends its project recommendations to the state, which works out design details with the local government. CONTRACTS Local and state governments administer contracts for project construction.

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Potential area for N. Hwy. 36A Potential area for S. Hwy. 36A

Hwy. 36A moves forward Political redistricting will allow for new perspective on Hwy. 36A, ocials said. The project will connect Port Freeport in Brazoria County through Fort Bend County and into Waller County. It will be broken down into two segments, Hwy. 36A South and Hwy. 36A North, with I-10 serving as the divider. Both projects will be added to the Houston- Galveston Area Council Regional Transportation Plan in 2022. Timeline: TBD Cost: $2.4 billion (H-GAC estimate) Funding source: TBD

SOURCE: HOUSTONGALVESTON AREA COUNCIL COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

on a high-speed rail from Houston to Dallas by privately owned Texas Central. Lent said a $36 billion program for high-speed rail lines is for governmental entities, but private

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entities can be subrecipients. Shawn Arrajj contributed to this report.

Grand Parkway widening TxDOT will widen 5.9 miles of the Grand Parkway to six total lanes. Timeline: October 2022-October 2024 Cost: $85 million Funding sources: state and federal funds

Houston metro planning organizations will have 11 new grant programs to apply for.

Existing federal programs will see an increase of $265.4 billion over ve years.

Of the $1.2 trillion approved

in federal funding, Texas will receive $35 billion.

SOURCES: INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT; CHANDRA BHAT, UT AUSTIN; HOUSTONGALVESTON AREA COUNCILCOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

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KATY EDITION • JANUARY 2022