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MY NAME IS DAVID ROBINSON.[Transportation, Technology, and Infrastructure Committee on November 9, 2023.]
THE CHAIR OF THE TTI COMMITTEE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.THAT'S TRANSPORTATION, TECHNOLOGY, AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
TODAY IS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER THE NINTH.
IT'S 10:00 AM AND I WELCOME YOU TO THIS MONTH'S, UH, MEETING OF THE TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE.
I'D LIKE TO WELCOME ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES AND STAFF TO THE CHAMBER, AS WELL AS THOSE WHO ARE JOINING US ONLINE.
AND, UH, THOSE WHO ARE HERE WITH US INCLUDE THE VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE, UH, NEWLY ELECTED AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS, SALLY ALCORN FROM POSITION NUMBER FIVE.
WE HAVE, UM, OUR WONDERFUL CHAIR AND COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS FROM DISTRICT I.
WE HAVE, UM, UH, LET'S SEE, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN'S OFFICE.
WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MIKE KNOX'S, OFFICE AND STAFF FROM OUR VICE MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASTEX, KATE TATUM'S OFFICE IN DISTRICT K.
UM, I'D LIKE TO NOTE THAT THIS MEETING IS BEING HELD IN HYBRID MODE DUE TO THE DISCONTINUATION OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
THAT'S CHAPTER 5 51 PROVISIONS THAT ALLOWED PUBLIC MEETINGS TO BE HELD SOLELY AND VIRTUALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC.
THIS MEETING IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AS CHAIR AND PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE COMMITTEE.
I AM PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE CHAMBER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 5 51 0.1 27 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE THAT IS APPLICABLE TO A GOVERNMENTAL BODY THAT EXTENDS INTO THREE OR MORE COUNTIES.
ALL OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE THE OPTION TO PARTICIPATE IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS. WE'VE ALSO BEEN JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, AMY PECK FROM DISTRICT A ON THE WEST SIDE, AND WE HAVE ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TODAY IN PERSON.
THE DEADLINE TO DO SO IS ALWAYS THE PREVIOUS DAY, UH, IN THIS CASE, UH, WEDNESDAY, THE 8TH OF NOVEMBER AT 5:00 PM.
HOWEVER, AS ALWAYS, ALL QUESTIONS CAN BE SENT TO THE AT LARGE2@HOUSTONTX.GOV EMAIL ADDRESS, AND WE WILL SHARE THEM WITH THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS AND FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ALL.
UH, AFTER THE MEETING AND DISTRIBUTE OUR RESPONSES TO THE COMMITTEE, UH, DISTRIBUTION LIST.
WE HAVE THREE PRESENTATIONS ON TODAY'S AGENDA, AND THEY WILL GO IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER.
FIRST WILL BE AN UPDATE ON THE NORTH HOUSTON HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
WE'LL BE HEARING FROM, UH, GRADY MAPES, WHO'S THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON DISTRICT COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS PROGRAM FOR T DOT, THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
NEXT, WE'LL BE HEARING FROM THE CITY ABOUT THE CITYWIDE TRUCK ROUTE PLAN WITH MU SHANE FANG.
SHE'S A PLANNING MANAGER WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
AND FINALLY, WE'LL HEAR ABOUT THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 HOUSTON WATER FEES AND AGREEMENT.
THAT'S FROM MS. VENUS PRICE, THE DIRECTOR OF DRINKING WATER OPERATIONS FOR HOUSTON WATER WITH THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS TEAM.
AND WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO REMIND COUNCIL MEMBERS TO REMAIN ON MUTE AND HOLD THEIR QUESTIONS TO THE END OF PRE THE PRESENTATION.
UH, WE WILL NOTE THAT YOU ARE IN THE QUEUE AND THAT YOU SHOULD SEND A MESSAGE IN THE CHAT THAT SAYS, REQUEST TO SPEAK.
WITH THAT, EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE PRESENTING, PLEASE DO SO TODAY AT THE PODIUM.
AND AFTER INTRODUCING YOURSELVES, PLEASE MENTION ANY STAFF OR OTHER MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT WHO ARE WITH YOU.
UM, FOR THE RECORD, UH, WITH THAT, I THINK WE'LL COMMENCE AND GET RIGHT TO BUSINESS.
SO LET ME CALL MR. GRADY MAPES, THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON DISTRICT COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS PROGRAM AND T TO THE PODIUM.
GLAD TO HAVE TDOT HERE AT CITY HALL TODAY.
MR. MAPES, THANKS FOR JOINING US.
APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND EFFORT PREPARING FOR THIS.
UM, AND WITH THAT, UH, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
STAND IF YOU'D STAND, SIT OR STAND IN FRONT OF ONE OF THE MICROPHONES.
I WORK FOR TEXDOT HERE IN THE HOUSTON DISTRICT, AND I AM HERE TODAY TO PRESENT ON AN UPDATE ON THE NORTH HOUSTON HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
AND I APPRECIATE, UH, BEING ABLE TO COME THIS MORNING.
ARE THERE SLIDES? THE SLIDES ARE IN THE QUEUE.
LET'S SEE IF YOU'RE A MONITOR.
AND OUR VISUALS CAN CATCH UP WITH, UH, ALL OF OUR INTENTIONS.
UM, SO FIRST I WANTED TO START OFF WITH, UH, SOME RECENT HISTORY HERE ON
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N-H-H-I-P, AS WE CALL THE NORTH HOUSTON HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.AS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE AWARE, UM, THERE WAS A TWO YEAR PAUSE ON ACTIVITIES, UM, FOR MOST OF THE PROJECT.
AND IN LATE DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, TXDOT AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY EXECUTED TWO MEMORANDUMS OF AN UNDERSTANDING, UH, FOR THE N-H-H-I-P.
AND THEN VERY SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE LAWSUIT THAT, UM, HARRIS COUNTY HAD FILED WAS THEN DISMISSED.
AND IN MARCH OF 2020 3RD OF MARCH OF THIS YEAR, TXDOT AND THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION EXECUTED A VOLUNTARY RESOLUTION AGREEMENT, THE VRA AS WE CALLED IT, OR AS WE CALL IT, WHICH UNPAUSE ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES ON N-H-H-I-P.
AND THAT, THAT DOCUMENT INCLUDES A LOT OF COMMITMENTS THAT TDOT HAS MADE REGARDING THE NH REGARDING N-H-H-I-P AND IS A DOCUMENT THAT WE MEET AND DISCUSS WITH FHWA REGULARLY, REGULARLY.
UM, THERE ARE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS IN THERE.
MOST RECENTLY IN EARLY SEPTEMBER, WE SUBMITTED OUR FIRST PROGRESS REPORT ON THE VRA TO FHWA, AND THAT IS POSTED ON TDOT'S WEBSITE, UH, THAT SPEAKS TO PROGRESS THAT TDO HAS MADE ON THE COMMITMENTS OF THE VRA FOR THE N-H-H-I-P.
WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO THE VRA LIFTS THE PAUSE, WHICH MEANS THAT TXDOT HAS CAN RESUME RIGHT OF WAY ACQUISITION UTILITY RELOCATIONS.
UH, WE WERE DOING SOME DETAILED DESIGN ON SOME PROJECTS THAT WE HAD REQUESTED AND BEEN APPROVED BY FHWA TO PROCEED WITH IT.
IT ALSO IDENTIFIES THAT THERE WERE NO TITLE VI, UM, VIOLATIONS FOUND.
AND AS I MENTIONED IT, IT, UM, IT ALLOWS TXDOT TO RESUME ALL PROJECT DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES.
SO THERE WERE SPECIFIC TIMELINES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE VRA AND REQUIREMENTS THAT WERE ENFORCEABLE, UH, BY FHWA.
WE'VE MADE, WE'VE GOT CONTINUED DISCUSSION WITH FHWA ON ALL OF THOSE COMMITMENTS.
UM, WE MEET WITH THE FHWA TEXAS DIVISION OFFICE MONTHLY AND DISCUSS WITH THEM AND PROVIDE THEM AN UPDATE.
UH, SO THE OTHER THING THAT CAME OUT OF THAT, UH, FHWA DID A REVIEW ON TECH SITES, NEPA NEPA POLICY OR NEPA PROCESS FOR THE N-N-H-H-I-P WITH, UH, WITH NO FINDINGS AS WELL.
SO IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO THIS TALKS ABOUT SOME OF THE COMMITMENTS THAT TDOT HAS IN THE VRA.
UM, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THE, THE TWICE ANNUAL PUBLIC MEETINGS HERE AT THE END OF THE PRE OF THE PRESENTATION.
WE ARE WORKING, UM, TO GET THOSE, WE HAVE SCHEDULED THOSE, UH, TO COME UP HERE IN EARLY DECEMBER.
SO THERE'S SOME MITIGATIONS FOR THE DISPLACEMENT AND RELOCATIONS AND HOUSING, UH, IN THE, AND OTHER COMMUNITY IMPACTS IN THERE, A LOT OF DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS.
SO A LOT OF THE DESIGN REQUIREMENTS SPEAK TO THE ATLAS 14 AND UPGRADING AND USING, USING THAT STANDARD, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT OVER THE, THE PREVIOUS DRAINAGE REQUIREMENTS.
SO THAT, THAT IN ITSELF DOES A LOT TO IMPROVE THE DRAINAGE ALONG THE, THE N-H-H-I-P.
SO WE'VE GOT SOME, SOME COMMITMENTS RELATED TO PARKS AND, AND OPEN SPACE AND A LOT OF BIKING PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES.
SO WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH CITY STAFF ON IDENTIFYING LOCATIONS FOR SIDEWALK BIKE TRAIL, UM, TRYING TO WORK WITH THE CITY'S BIKE PLAN, MAKE CONNECTIONS WHERE, WHERE WE CAN, UH, SO A LOT OF COORDINATION HAPPENING THERE WITH, WITH CITY STAFF AND WITH STAKEHOLDERS AS WE DEVELOP PARTICULAR PROJECT PLANS.
AND THEN LOOKING FORWARD, I ANTICIPATE THERE'LL BE SIGNIFICANT COORDINATION BETWEEN TDO AND THE CITY IN, IN THAT REGARD.
ONE OF THE FOCUSES THAT WE'RE, WE HAVE AS WE'RE DO DOING DESIGN, DETAILED DESIGN IS HOW DO WE MAINTAIN COMMUNITY ACCESS DURING CONSTRUCTION WHEN WE PUT TOGETHER A SET OF PLANS THAT THE CONTRACTOR WILL BUILD.
THERE'S A LOT OF EMPHASIS BEING PUT IN TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE DETOURS DO, WHERE, WHERE TRAFFIC WILL GO, AND HOW PEOPLE STILL ARE ABLE TO ACCESS THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO ACCESS TODAY.
SO IN SEGMENTS ONE AND TWO, UH, WELL, I GUESS ALL OF N-H-H-I-P, BUT THERE'S A SPECIFIC EMPHASIS ON REDUCING THE HIGHWAY FOOTPRINT OR EVALUATING THE OPPORTUNITY TO REDUCE THE HIGHWAY FOOTPRINT IN SEGMENTS ONE AND TWO.
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WE'RE DOING SOME, SOME ANALYSIS THERE.THERE'S STRUCTURAL CAPS ON A COUPLE, ACTUALLY, ON THREE OF THESE PROJECTS RIGHT NOW THAT WE ARE IN COORDINATION WITH, UH, WE'VE GOT AIR QUALITY MITIGATION REQUIREMENTS.
WE ARE, WE HAVE AN ACTIVE AIR QUALITY MONITORING STATION ALREADY UP, DOWN AROUND 59 AND 2 88 INTERCHANGE ON THE SOUTH END OF N-H-H-I-P, ANTICIPATING THE CONSTRUCTION TO COME.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE DONE A LOT WITH THE LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY PROGRAM THAT TXDOT DOES AS FAR AS ENGAGING, ENGAGING THE PUBLIC DURING THE RIGHT OF WAY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS.
WE'VE, WE'VE DEVELOPED AN SOP AND WE HAVE DONE TRAINING FOR ALL OF THE TXDOT EMPLOYEES AND OUR CONSULTANTS WHO INTERACT WITH THE PUBLIC DURING THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND RIGHT OF WAY PROCESS.
I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE STARTED WITH THIS SLIDE, BUT THIS IS A MAP OF N-H-H-I-P, AND YOU'LL HEAR HERE, IT SAID, AS THE NORTH HOUSTON HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU THINK OF IT MORE OF A PROGRAM AS A PROJECT, BECAUSE THIS MAP HERE IDENTIFIES THE INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS THAT WILL COME OUT AS CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
SO YOU CAN SEE IN THE, IN THE STARTING FROM THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH, THE PURPLE IS SEGMENT ONE, THE BLUE IS SEGMENT TWO, AND THEN THE GREEN IS SEGMENT THREE.
SO THIS GIVES A, A BREAKDOWN OF THE INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS, THE LIMITS, WHAT THE ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION OR THE CONTRACT COST IS, IS, AND THEN WHERE WE HAVE PROJECTS THAT ARE EITHER PARTIALLY FUNDED OR UNFUNDED TODAY, WE ARE FOCUSED ON AND, AND PROGRESSING THE DETAILED DESIGN ON PROJECTS THREE A, WHICH IS DOWN ON THE SOUTHERN END ON 59, FROM SPUR 5 27 TO 2 88 ON THREE B ONE, WHICH IS A DRAINAGE OUTFALL PROJECT UNDER THE EXISTING SAINT EMANUEL STREET FROM MCELHANNEY UP TO BUFFALO BAYOU.
AND THEN THREE B TWO, WHICH IS AN INTER, UH, AN INTERCHANGE RECONSTRUCTION AT 59 AND 2 88.
YOU CAN SEE THAT MOST OF WELL SEGMENTS, MOST OF SEGMENT THREE IS FULLY FUNDED.
THAT INCLUDES THE I 10 CORRIDOR, THE THREE C PROJECTS, THREE C ONE THROUGH FOUR.
THE 3D PROJECT, WHICH IS THE REALIGNMENT OF I 45 BEHIND THE GEORGIA R BROWN CONVENTION CENTER IS PARTIALLY FUNDED.
AND THEN THE FIRST SEGMENT ON I 45, BETWEEN I 10 AND THE SIX 10 NORTH LOOP IS PARTIALLY FUNDED.
THE PROJECTS, THE, UH, TWO B, AND THEN ALL OF THE SEGMENT ONE PROJECTS ARE UNFUNDED CURRENTLY.
THIS IS, UM, A VERY HIGH LEVEL VIEW OF WHAT THE CONSTRUCTION PHASING LOOKS LIKE.
AND, AND WHEN WE ANTICIPATE PROJECTS TO GO TO CONSTRUCTION, THE FIRST PROJECT THAT WE WILL, UM, LET AND GET IN, GET INTO CONSTRUCTION IS PROJECT THREE B ONE, WHICH IS THE DRAINAGE PROJECT UNDER ST.
WHAT THAT PROJECT DOES IS IT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO DRAIN THE THREE B TWO INTERCHANGE, THE THREE B TWO, THE 59 AND 2 88 INTERCHANGE.
UH, THE MAIN LANE'S DEPRESSED THERE.
AND SO WITH, UH, WITH THAT, THE WATER HAS TO HAVE SOMEWHERE TO GO.
THE THREE B ONE PROJECT ESTABLISHES THAT THERE'S A VERY LARGE DETENTION POND ON THE NORTH END OF THAT PROJECT THAT WILL ULTIMATELY DRAIN TO BUFFALO BAYOU.
A LOT OF COORDINATION GOING ON WITH HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL.
UM, ON THE DRAINAGE PORTION OF THAT, A LOT OF COORDINATION GOING ON WITH THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND THE TOURS AND THE CITY STAFF ON THESE PROJECTS.
AS WE GET MORE INTO DETAILED DESIGN, THREE A IS THE OTHER PROJECT THAT WE'RE WORKING ON DETAILED DESIGN RIGHT NOW, AND THAT IS THE 59 FROM THE SPUR 5 27 UP TO 2 88, THAT PROJECT.
UH, ONE OF THE KEY COMPONENTS THERE I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT IS SOME, THERE'S SOME STRUCTURAL CAPS, OR AT LEAST SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR STRUCTURAL CAPS THERE, AND THERE'S A LOT OF COORDINATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS, UM, CITY METRO TURS MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS DOWN IN THOSE AREAS TO, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE STAKEHOLDERS WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
UM, HOW DO WE, HOW DOES THE FUNDING WORK? WHAT NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED IN OUR DESIGN TO BE ABLE TO BE CONSTRUCTED AS PART OF THE PROJECT? SO THAT'S MOVING.
UM, THOSE FIRST THREE PROJECTS ARE UNDER DESIGN TODAY.
THE NE WHERE WE'RE HEADING NEXT IS,
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IS I 10.WE DO NOT HAVE CON CONSULTANTS UNDER CONTRACT RIGHT NOW TO START DEVELOPING DETAILED DESIGN.
WE ARE, UH, IDENTIFYING SOME CONTRACTS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH DESIGN.
OTHERS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO OUT AND PROCURE.
SO THOSE, THE THREE C ONE AND THE THREE C3 THO THOSE PROJECTS, WE ANTICIPATE USING EXISTING CONTRACTS TO MOVE FORWARD, AND WE'LL HAVE TO PROCURE, UH, CONTRACTORS AND CONSULTANTS FOR THREE C TWO AND THREE C FOUR.
BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL OF THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE GONNA OVERLAP.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF EMPHASIS BEING PUT ON.
HOW DOES THAT WORK? HOW DOES THIS CONTINUE TO FUNCTION AS A CORRIDOR AS WE'RE IN CONSTRUCTION? NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THIS GIVES, UM, SOME INFORMATION ON, ON WHY, WHY THIS IS NEEDED.
UM, BOTTOM LINE IS THERE, THERE'S AN AGING INFRASTRUCTURE OUT THERE.
HOUSTON IS GROWING SUBSTANTIALLY, AND THIS, UM, THIS WILL ALLOW US TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF, OF POPULATION AND TRAVEL AND, UH, MOVEMENT IN THE AREA.
THIS IS JUST AN, UM, THERE WAS A STUDY THAT TTI DID THAT, THAT IDENTIFIED THAT FOR EVERY DOLLAR SPENT ON N-H-H-I-P, WE EXPECT THAT THE SURROUNDING AREA, THE REGION, WILL SEE A $7 RETURN ON INVESTMENT THERE.
BEFORE YOU DO, JUST FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE PUBLIC INTEREST, CAN YOU DIFFERENTIATE THE TTI THAT YOU JUST REFERENCED IN THIS COMMITTEE, WHICH IS ALSO TTI? YES, SIR.
UH, TTI THAT I REFERENCED HERE.
IT'S, IT'S AT THE BOTTOM THERE, BUT IT'S THE TEXAS, TEXAS A AND M TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE.
IT'S MY JOB TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL ACRONYMS ARE EXPLAINED.
AND THEN THIS IS, THIS IS A SLIDE THAT, UM, ALSO TALKS ABOUT SOME OF THE, THE BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT AND, AND, UM, THE CREATION OF JOBS.
THE, UH, BETTER TRAVEL TIMES, IMPROVED AIR QUALITY BECAUSE OF THE, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONGESTION OUT THERE.
SO, UM, THIS IS JUST SOME, SOME SCALE OF WHAT WE, WHAT WE BELIEVE AND, AND, UH, T TEXAS, A, TEXAS A AND M TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE DID A, DID THE STUDY TO THIS WAS ALONG WITH THAT.
SO, UM, IDENTIFY THESE NUMBERS.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I, I WANT TO HIT ON.
THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY N-H-H-I-P RELATED, BUT, UM, TXDOT HAS A PROGRAM, AND, AND YOU MAY HAVE SEEN IT, SEEN IT, YOU MAY NOT.
WE JUST PASSED A, AN UNFORTUNATE ANNIVERSARY THAT NOVEMBER 7TH, 2000.
SO 23 YEARS AGO WAS THE LAST DAY THAT THERE WAS A DEATHLESS DAY ON TEXAS ROADS.
AND, UM, ANYTIME I GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SPEAK, I, I WANNA BRING THIS UP AND, AND, UM, KIND OF REFOCUS.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD ASK IS THAT THERE'S A LOT BEING DONE THROUGH ENGINEERING.
WE'RE LOOKING AT DESIGNS DIFFERENTLY.
WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW DRIVERS ACT AND HOW, HOW CAN WE BETTER DESIGN ROADS TO ACCOMMODATE ACTIONS.
WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO ENGINEER THAT OUT COMPLETELY.
BUT WHAT I'M ASKING TODAY IS WHEN YOU GET BEHIND THE WHEEL, FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND.
UM, IT'S VERY EASY TO BE DISTRACTED BY THE CELL PHONE, PUT THE CELL PHONE DOWN.
IT'S A MAJOR DISTRACTION IF I'M SURE IF YOU'VE BEEN SITTING IN TRAFFIC AND LOOKED LEFT OR LOOKED RIGHT, YOU'VE SEEN SOMEBODY LOOKING AT THEIR CELL PHONE WHEN THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING, LOOKING AT THE CARS AROUND THEM.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT THIS OUT WHILE, WHILE I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY HERE, UM, TO BRING, BRING SOME ATTENTION ON THIS NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
I TALKED ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT THIS IS, UM, THE VRA REQUIRES TXDOT TO DO TWICE ANNUAL PUBLIC MEETINGS IN EVERY SEGMENT.
SO SEGMENTS ONE, TWO, AND THREE THIS YEAR WAS A LITTLE FAST PACED.
UM, THERE WERE A LOT OF COMMITMENTS IN THE VRA AND THERE WAS A LOT OF FOCUS ON IMPLEMENTING THE REQUIREMENTS REPORTING, UH, GETTING ALL OF THOSE THINGS TO FHWA IN A TIMELY MANNER.
WE ARE PLANNING THE PUBLIC MEETINGS FOR SEGMENTS ONE, TWO, AND THREE IN DECEMBER.
AND EACH SEGMENT THERE WILL BE TWO MEETINGS.
ONE WILL BE IN PERSON AND ONE WILL BE VIRTUAL.
THE SEGMENT THREE, THE DATES ON HERE, YOU CAN SEE DECEMBER SEVEN.
DECEMBER 6TH IS THE IN-PERSON MEETING AT THE ST.
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TROUBLE READING THAT.AND THEN THE DECEMBER 7TH WILL BE THE VIRTUAL, THE, THE INFORMATION AT BOTH OF THOSE WILL BE THE SAME.
SO IT'S NOT, IF YOU COME TO IN PERSON, YOU'RE GONNA GET ONE SET OF INFORMATION AND VIRTUAL, YOU'LL GET ANOTHER.
UM, WE ARE WORKING THROUGH THE LOGISTICS OF HOW ALL OF THE SAME INFORMATION IS PRESENTED TO AT BOTH MEETINGS.
SEGMENT TWO, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT DECEMBER 11TH AND DECEMBER 12TH.
THE DECEMBER 11TH MEETING WILL BE IN PERSON.
THE DECEMBER 12TH MEETING WILL BE VIRTUAL.
THE IN-PERSON MEETING IS AT THE MOODY CONVENTION CENTER.
AND THEN SEGMENT ONE, THE IN-PERSON MEETING.
WELL, THE VIRTUAL MEETING IS DECEMBER 13TH, SO WE SWITCHED THE ORDER THERE.
UH, BUT THE IN-PERSON MEETING IS DECEMBER 14TH AT THE ALDEAN, YEAH, ALDEEN NINTH GRADE CENTER.
AND SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE AROUND THE CORNER, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THAT INFORMATION HERE THIS MORNING.
I THINK THAT'S THE LAST SLIDE I HAVE.
SO IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER.
LET ME, LET ME START BY POINTING OUT, UH, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
WE HAVE BEEN JOINED BY A NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF, UH, BOTH IN THE CHAMBER HERE AS WELL AS ONLINE.
LET ME START, UH, WITH DISTRICT B'S CHIEF OF STAFF, MARY MORENO FROM DISTRICT B, UH, WE HAVE TIFFANY THOMAS'S, UH, STAFF MEMBER FROM DISTRICT F.
WE HAVE, UM, I THINK I'VE MENTIONED DR. CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ FROM DISTRICT D, AND IF NOT, WELCOME, THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
UH, THE MAYOR PRO TEM DAVE MARTIN IS REPRESENTED, UH, ONLINE BY STAFF COUNCIL MEMBER MARY NAN HUFFMAN FROM DISTRICT G IS ONLINE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CIRO STAFF IS TUNED IN FROM DISTRICT H.
WE HAVE, UH, TWO OF OUR AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS, MICHAEL KOSH FROM POSITION THREE, AND LETICIA PLUMMER POSITION FOUR.
BOTH OF THEIR OFFICES AND STAFF MEMBERS ARE TUNED IN.
UH, MR. MAPES, WE HAVE ALL BUT ONE, UH, DISTRICT IN THE CITY TUNED INTO THIS PRESENTATION, UH, REPRESENTED IN COUNCIL.
AND I THINK IT REFLECTS THE FLAT FACT THAT THIS PROJECT NOT ONLY TOUCHES ALL OF US BY VIRTUE OF BEING SO IMPORTANT TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT PHYSICALLY, UH, ALONGSIDE OR THROUGH, OR, UH, ADJACENT TO DISTRICTS BCDH AND I OF OUR A THROUGH K.
UM, AND OF COURSE, THE EXTENTS OF THIS DON'T NEED TO BE, UH, EMPHASIZED TO THIS GROUP ASSEMBLED.
WE KNOW, UH, OF THE DATES AND THE EVENTS THAT YOU'VE DESCRIBED, UH, HOW IT'S IMPACT OUR CITY OVER RECENT YEARS AND PREOCCUPIED A LOT OF US, UH, FOR THE THINGS THAT WE CARE ABOUT MOST IN THE CITY, AND OF COURSE, OUR LOCAL MEDIA.
AND WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THEIR COVERAGE.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF MEMBERS IN THE, UM, IN Q BUT BEFORE I DO THIS, I THINK THE AFOREMENTIONED TTI COMMITTEE THAT YOU BROUGHT UP HAS ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THIS IS THE SINGLE MOST, UM, DANGEROUS ROADWAY IN TEXAS, UM, AND HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS.
SO I THINK AS YOU EMPHASIZE SAFETY, AND THAT CERTAINLY IS, UH, CENTRAL TO THE THINGS WE LOOK AT, AT TTI OF OUR COMMITTEE, AS WELL AS THE TRANSPORTATION POLICY COUNCIL, UH, THAT WE'RE, UH, CURRENTLY, UM, A FULL FLEDGED MEMBER OF WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER.
SO THANK YOU FOR EMPHASIZING THOSE THINGS.
AND WITH THAT, WE'RE GONNA START OUR QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL AND STAFF WITH OUR VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER, SALLY ALCORN.
THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'D LIKE TO FOCUS, UM, ON THE VERY FIRST THREE, A PROJECT SINCE THAT'S KIND OF IMMINENT.
UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE MAIN, UH, KEY COMPONENTS BEING, UM, DEPRESSED, MAIN LANES, CAP STRUCTURES.
TALK ABOUT THOSE CAP STRUCTURES.
AND YOU SAID THERE WAS A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS GOING ON WITH THE CITY METRO TOURISMS MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS.
WHERE EXACTLY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT AND AND WHAT, WHAT ARE THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE CAP, THE CAPS RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE THREE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAPS ON THE THREE A PROJECT.
SO THE FIRST ONE IS, AND THE ONE WE'VE HAD THE MOST CONVERSATION ABOUT IS, UM, CAROLINE WHEELER.
SO CAROLINE WHEELER, AND OUR ORIGINAL PLAN, THERE WAS GOING TO BE A CAP STRUCTURE THERE ALREADY.
UH, THE, THE ANGLES OF THE ROADS ARE SUCH THAT THEY, IT'S PRETTY HARD SKEW ON BOTH OF THOSE.
AND SO TO BE ABLE TO BUILD THOSE WITH THE DEPRESSED MAIN LANES UNDERNEATH, YOU'VE GOT A CAP STRUCTURE UP ON TOP.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATION WITH, UM, MIDTOWN ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND THE CONVERSATION HAS BEEN ABOUT PRIMARILY WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO LENGTHEN THAT CAP.
AND IT WOULD, IT WOULD, NOW, AT LEAST WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS, UM, LENGTHENING THAT TO INCLUDE SAN JACINTO AND AUSTIN ON BOTH SIDES.
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IT, IT'S, UM, ABOUT A 400 FOOT LENGTH ORIGINALLY, AND NOW IT'S, IT'S MORE AROUND 1100 FEET.THAT CREATES A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR, UM, SPACE ON TOP.
AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE.
THE FANIN, UH, CAP AND THE LIGHT RAIL WHERE METRO LIGHT RAIL COMES ACROSS.
THERE'S A CERTAIN DISTANCE THAT IS NEEDED FOR THE ROADWAY, AND THEN THE LIGHT RAIL ITSELF TO BE ABLE TO COME ACROSS, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE TO, TO BE A LITTLE BIT WIDER AS WELL.
AND CONVERSATION HAS BEEN JUST THE SAME THING.
IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LENGTHEN THAT CAP AND TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SPACE ON TOP? AND THEN THE LAST ONE ON THREE A IS THE CLEBURNE ALAMEDA.
SO IN OUR ORIGINAL PLANS, CLEBURNE DID NOT CONTINUE ACROSS 59.
UM, WE, WE HAVE HEARD FROM STAKEHOLDERS AND WE HAVE, UH, COMMITTED TO CONTINUING CLEBURNE ACROSS.
AND SO THERE'S A, CLEAVER AND ALAMEDA ARE PRETTY CLOSE AT THAT POINT, AND THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE AS WELL TO LENGTHEN AND MAKE THAT ONE STRUCTURE.
SO YOU'D HAVE SOME AREA IN BETWEEN AND POTENTIALLY ON, ON THE, THE SOUTH SIDE OF CLEBURNE FOR OPEN SPACE AS WELL ON THAT CAP.
SO THOSE HAVE BEEN, UM, THOSE ARE THE THREE.
THERE'S CONVERSATION GOING ON WITH, THERE'S MULTIPLE ENTITIES THAT ARE INVOLVED.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY JUST ONE ENTITY FOR ALL, ALL THREE.
SO, UM, A LOT OF CONVERSATION WITH THE VARIOUS ENTITIES THAT TOUCH THOSE, THOSE CAPS.
AND THEN REALLY IT, IT'S, UM, A LOT OF THE CONVERSATION IS, IS ABOUT HOW, WHAT TXDOT SUPPLY OR WHAT TXDOT FUNDS VERSUS WHAT A THIRD PARTY WOULD FUND THERE.
UH, QUESTION, AND WE'LL PUT YOU IN THE QUEUE IF YOU NEED TO FOLLOW UP THE, UH, SO THAT ONE CAP ALONE, GOING FROM 400 TO 1200 FEET, I KNOW OUR DIAGRAMS THAT YOU'VE LOOKED AT IN YOUR PRESENTATION HAVE BEEN VERY GENERAL AND LARGE SCALE.
I KNOW FOR ONE, I WOULD BE EXTREMELY INTERESTED TO SEE ANY DIAGRAMS OR ANY DETAIL.
UM, JUST AS A FOLLOW UP TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S QUESTION, MR. MAPES, WHEN, WHEN IS THE PUBLIC GONNA HAVE A LOOK AT SOME OF THAT GEOMETRY AND SOME OF THOSE, UM, UPDATED, MODIFIED, UM, DIAGRAMS? THAT INFORMATION, THAT'S PART OF THE INFORMATION THAT'LL BE SHOWN IN THE DECEMBER PUBLIC MEETINGS.
IMMINENTLY IN THE GREATER SCHEME OF THINGS.
NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM, UH, STAFF FROM, WELL, NO, EXCUSE ME.
WE'LL HEAR FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS.
THA THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
IN REGARD, GOING BACK TO THE CAP, I KNOW THAT THE, UH, TEXTILE WAS LOOKING AT DOING A CAP THERE AT THE, BEHIND THE GEORGE R. BROWN CONVENTION CENTER, UH, WITH THE AGREEMENT THAT IT EITHER, IT WOULD EITHER BE AN, UH, OTHER ENTITIES THAT WOULD COME IN AND ACTUALLY BUILD THE PARK.
UH, SO THAT'S STILL THE PLAN, CORRECT? YES, SIR.
UH, AND I KNOW THAT BACK WHEN THIS WAS INTRODUCED TO ME A FEW YEARS AGO, UM, AND I KNOW THIS IS MORE OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME, UH, PICTURE HERE.
AND, AND, AND I KNOW BACK THEN, UM, THEY WERE LOOKING AT DOING SOME THROUGH STREETS RIGHT THERE WHERE THE PROPOSED, UH, CAP PARK WOULD BE AT.
UM, AND, AND I HAD ASKED IF THEY COULD CLOSE SOME OF THEM STREETS, SO THAT WAY IT COULD BE A CONTINUOUS PARK.
INSTEAD OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO WALK OR RIDE THEIR BIKE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE GOING ACROSS THE STREET, YOU KNOW, EVERY BLOCK, UH, AT A PARK.
SO I WAS TOLD BY PUBLIC WORK SAID, YES, THEY CAN DO THAT.
UM, I BELIEVE IF, AND I MAY BE WRONG WITH THIS 'CAUSE IT'S BEEN SOME TIME SINCE I GOT AN UPDATE, BUT MORE, MORE OR LESS LIKE FROM WALKER, UH, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO POLK, UH, MORE OR LESS, UH, WOULD BE THE CAT PARK.
UH, AND I THINK WALKER, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WOULD BE MORE OF A PEDESTRIAN, UH, AND, AND, AND FOR CYCLISTS.
UH, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT THAT'S STILL THE PLAN.
UM, AND THEN, UH, IN REGARDS TO THE PIERCE ELEVATED, UH, IS TDOT STILL PLANNING TO, UH, TEAR DOWN THE PIERCE ELEVATED, OR, UH, 'CAUSE I KNOW THERE WAS SOME TALK OF, OF IT BEING A, A PARK UP THERE AS WELL, BUT I KNOW THAT'S MORE OF THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.
UM, IS TEXTILE INVOLVED IN THAT IN ANY WAY? SO FOR TEXTILES PURPOSES, THE PIERCE ELEVATED WILL NOT SERVE A TRANSPORTATION PURPOSE AFTER IT THE I 40 FIVES REALIGNED.
SO FOR OUR PURPOSES, WE COULD TAKE IT DOWN.
I WOULD SAY THAT WE'RE OPEN TO DISCUSSIONS ON WHAT HAPPENS WITH DE PIERCE ELEVATED AFTER IT'S DECOMMISSIONED, RIGHT.
SO, NO, NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE JUST YET ON WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WITH DE PIERCE ELEVATED, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE WAS PLANS FOR A, A GREEN BELT, UH, TO GO AROUND DOWNTOWN HOUSTON FOR HIKE AND BIKE, UH, AND, AND CYCLISTS AND, AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
UH, AGAIN, MY PERSONAL OPINION,
[00:30:01]
UH, YOU KNOW, I I I WOULD BE MORE IN, IN, UH, IN, IN AGREEMENT TO TAKING DOWN THE PIERCE ELEVATOR AND MAKING IT PART OF THE GREEN BELT ALL IN THAT AREA.'CAUSE YOU DID MENTION IN ONE OF THESE SLIDES THAT Y'ALL ARE LOOKING AT PARKS, OPEN SPACE TRAILS, PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE FACILITIES.
SO IF Y'ALL WOULD TAKE DOWN THE PIERCE ELEVATED, WOULD Y'ALL BE HELPING IN REGARDING, UH, CONSTRUCTING A, UH, PEDESTRIAN AND A BICYCLE, UH, UH, TRAIL WHERE THE PIERCE ELEVATED USED TO BE? I DON'T THINK THAT WE'VE MADE ANY COMMITMENTS TO THAT, BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S CERTAINLY CONVERSATION THAT WE COULD HAVE IN THE FUTURE WHEN WE GET CLOSER TO THAT PROJECT.
WE'LL GET YOU RIGHT BACK IN THE QUEUE.
IN FACT, UM, WE HAVE STAFF FROM THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER'S OFFICE.
SO WHY DON'T YOU GO AGAIN WITH YOUR NEXT QUESTION, COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND I HAD READ SOME TIME AGO, AND YOU TELL ME IF IT'S TRUE OR NOT, I DON'T KNOW IF I DREAMT IT OR WHAT, BUT, BUT, BUT TEXDOT, I KNOW Y'ALL'S MENTALITY IS BUILD MORE LANES, UM, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS CHANGED TO WHERE NOW YOU CAN WORK WITH THE MUNICIPALITY AND THEIR METROS, UH, IF, IF THEY HAVE A METRO IN REGARDS TO WHEN YOU BUILD A HIGHWAY, YOU CAN WORK WITH METRO TO ACTUALLY BUILD LIKE DEDICATED LANES AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
IS THAT THE CASE? SO WE'VE GOT SPECIFIC, I GUESS, RESTRICTIONS ON WHERE DOLLARS CAN BE SPENT, BUT I'LL TELL YOU THAT ON N-H-H-I-P METRO'S, INNER K-D-B-R-T, THAT COMES FROM THE SIX WEST LOOP, AND THEN WE'LL DROP DOWN INTO DOWNTOWN, UM, VERY CLOSE TO WHERE THE, I GUESS AT THE SAME SPOT WHERE THEY'RE, THE CENTRAL BUSINESS CONNECTOR COMES IN TODAY, UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING FITS WITHIN THAT RIGHT OF WAY.
WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY BUILDING THAT, THEIR STRUCTURE, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF COORDINATION GOING ON BETWEEN THE DESIGN TEAMS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE BUILD FOR N-H-H-I-P WORKS WITH WHAT THEY'RE BUILDING ON THEIR BRT.
AND REASON WHY I ASK THAT, 'CAUSE AGAIN, IF YOU, IF YOU'RE RECONSTRUCTING 45, I MEAN, RIGHT NOW IS A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY, IN MY OPINION, TO WORK WITH METRO TO DO DEDICATED BUS LANE, UH, BUT A BRT, FOR EXAMPLE, GOING TO THE INTER INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT, I MEAN, THERE'S STILL THAT DISCUSSION BETWEEN BRT OR, OR LIGHT RAIL LINE.
AND NO, I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT LIGHT RAIL LINE DOESN'T MAKE SENSE 'CAUSE PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO BE STOPPING AT DA WHOLE BUNCH OF, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, STOPS TO GET TO THE AIRPORT.
SO FOR ME, A BA DEDICATED BRT, UH, GOING TO THE INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT, UH, BUT IF YOU'RE BUILDING A FREEWAY, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO WORK WITH METRO TO MAKE SURE THAT Y'ALL ARE BUILDING THAT DEDICATED LANE NOW BECAUSE WE KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE USED IN THE FUTURE.
SO MIGHT AS WELL JUST DO IT NOW AND, AND NOT WAIT TILL THE FUTURE.
UH, AND AGAIN, IN, IN, IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, I THINK WE MISSED A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY IN REGARDS TO THE POST, WHICH IS, WHICH IS WHICH THE, WHICH WAS THE FORMER DOWNTOWN POST OFFICE.
I KNOW BACK WHEN I WORKED FOR COMMISSIONER SYLVIA GARCIA WAS HER LEAD ON METRO.
METRO AT THAT TIME WAS LOOKING AT DOING, AT PURCHASING, OR WORKING OUT AN AGREEMENT IN REGARDS TO THE OLD POST OFFICE.
SO THAT CAN BE AN INTERMODAL, UH, STATION.
UH, AND I, I THINK WORKING WITH THE POST NOW, UH, TO, TO HOPEFULLY HAVE A CONNECTION THERE ONTO THE NEW 45 FOR A BRT TO DEDICATED GOING TO THE AIRPORT.
AND THAT WAY THOSE THAT WANT TO GO TO THE AIRPORT CAN GO TO THE POST, CATCH, THE BRT, GET TO THE AIRPORT, UH, MAYBE HAVE TWO, THREE STOPS IN BETWEEN, UH, MAKES A LOT OF SENSE IN MY OPINION.
UH, YOU KNOW, BUT, UH, IT NEEDS TO BE PLANNED NOW AND, AND, AND WORK WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THE POST TO SEE IF THAT CAN BE DONE AS WELL.
COUNCIL MEMBER, WHAT I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE GONNA BE BUILDING, NOT TO MENTION THE AMTRAK AND THE, THE INTERMODAL, BUT, UH, AND, AND, AND THE POST IS GONNA BE BUILT.
I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE GONNA BE BUILDING A HOTEL.
UH, SO IF THEY DO BUILD A HOTEL, I MEAN, THAT WOULD JUST BE GREAT, UH, TO HAVE DIRECT SERVICE THERE TO, TO, WITH A, WITH A RAMP ONTO 45.
LET ME SEE IF MR. MAPES HAS A RESPONSE OR IF YOU CARE TO COMMENT ABOUT THAT.
I'M NOT, I THINK I, I MAY HAVE HEARD A QUESTION IN THAT, BUT, UH, HIS POINT, WELL, WE HAVE NOT, UH, WE ARE NOT DIRECTLY COORDINATING WITH METRO ON 45 RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S NOT BEEN PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
NOT SAYING THAT IT COULD NOT BE.
UM, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT ON I 45 NORTH NORTH OF I 10, YOU'VE GOT A DIRECTIONAL HOV LANE TODAY THAT IN THE MORNING IT COMES IN, IN THE AFTERNOON, IT GOES OUT.
PART OF THE N-H-H-I-P PROJECT WILL BUILD TWO HOV LANES IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, 20 THAT ARE 24 7.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE THE, THE DIRECTIONAL HOV ANYMORE ALONG I 45.
THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT OVER WHAT'S THERE TODAY.
UM, I CAN ASK ABOUT IF YOU COULD, MR. OF COURSE, WE'D LOVE TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU.
THE, I THINK THE COUNCIL MEMBER BRINGS UP AN IMPORTANT POINT THAT, UH, IN TERMS OF FUTURE MODALITY, INNER URBAN MODALITY,
[00:35:01]
CONNECTION WITH FUTURE, UH, RAIL LINES WITH METRO, I KNOW THAT'S, UH, PART OF OUR OVERALL, UH, MOBILITY SET OF STRATEGIES.SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IF YOU COULD BRING BACK TO YOUR FOLKS, I KNOW, UH, OTHER FOLKS WITH TDOT ARE IN THE CHAMBER AND CERTAINLY LISTENING ONLINE.
THIS, UH, IS A PUBLIC MEETING AND WILL BE RECORDED FOR OTHERS TO WITNESS.
SO I'M SURE WE WILL HEAR FURTHER COMMENT AND, UH, UH, I IMAGINE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS' QUESTION AND COMMENTS WILL RESONATE.
SO I WANT TO THANK HIM FOR THAT.
UH, NEXT IN THE QUEUE AGAIN IS COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN.
THANK YOU, CHAIR ON THE MOU WITH THE CITY.
H HOW, IS THERE, LIKE, ARE THERE FORMAL, LIKE MOU MEETINGS OR, OR HOW, HOW, HOW DO WE KNOW AS CITY LEADERS THAT ELEMENTS OF THE MOU ARE BEING, UM, FOLLOWED AND, AND ALL COORDINATED? IS IT, IS IT JUST HOW, HOW, HOW IS THE CITY OF HOUSTON MOU WORKING ON THIS? THERE ARE NO FORMAL MOU MEETINGS THAT WE MEET AND SPECIFICALLY DISCUSS, UM, THOSE COMMITMENTS AND IDENTIFY, RIGHT.
IT'S JUST MORE ON A PROJECT BASIS.
IT IS EACH ONE OF THE PROJECTS CORRECT.
TO MAKE SURE, LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE MOU AND COORDINATING WITH THE PEOPLE ON, ON THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF THE MOU.
WE, WE WORK WITH VARIOUS OFFICES WITHIN THE CITY DEPARTMENTS.
UM, DAVID FIELDS IS RIGHT, UM, GOOD.
PRETTY HEAVILY INVOLVED IN HIS OFFICE.
WE'VE GOT, UM, UH, TRACY ANO WHO WORKS IN HIS OFFICE, UM, IN, I, I WOULD SAY, IF NOT ALL OF THE MEETINGS, THE MAJORITY OF THE MEETINGS THAT WE'RE HAVING YEAH.
AND, AND, AND MRS. YOU'VE BEEN JOINED AT THE PODIUM WITH OUR OWN TRANSPORTATION PLANNER.
DAVID, IF YOU COULD INTRODUCE YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD, THAT'D BE HELPFUL.
GOOD MORNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I'M DAVID FIELDS, THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S CHIEF TRANSPORTATION PLANNER AND COUNCIL MEMBER.
UH, IN RESPONSE TO YOUR QUESTION, WHILE WE DON'T HAVE OFFICIAL, UH, MOU MEETINGS, UH, WE'RE MEETING, UH, BETWEEN CITY STAFF AND TECH STAFF AND ALL OF THESE PARTNERS AT THE VERY LEAST EVERY OTHER WEEK.
BUT, UH, I SHOULD SAY THAT KIND OF UNDERSELLS HOW OFTEN WE ARE EITHER OFFICIALLY MEETING OR TALKING, UM, AND WE HAVE THE MOU LITERALLY PRINTED ON OUR DESKS GOOD, UH, FOR THE VERY REGULAR CHECK-INS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL FOLLOWING ALL OF THE COMMITMENTS.
AND ARE, ARE THE MOU SORRY, CHAIR.
IS THAT, ARE ELEMENTS OF THAT IN THE, THERE'S A VRA, THERE IS THE NEPA THING.
ARE ARE THEY ALL, ARE, ARE, ARE THERE ELEMENTS OF EACH AND EACH DOCUMENT OR THERE EACH DOCUMENT IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
THERE ARE SOME HIGH LEVEL, UM, ITEMS THAT ARE SIMILAR.
THEY'RE, SOME ARE WORDED DIFFERENTLY, BUT WE HAVE MY STAFF PUT TOGETHER A A LIST OF EVERY COMMITMENT AND ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS AND THEIR TRACKING AS WE GO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF THOSE COMMITMENTS.
WE'RE AWARE OF THE COMMITMENTS AND THE STAFF THAT IS WORKING ON THOSE PROJECTS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE FULLY AWARE OF THE COMMITMENTS AND WHAT THEY MAY AFFECT EACH PROJECT DIFFERENTLY, BUT THERE'S A, THERE'S A PRETTY GOOD FOCUS ON WHAT'S, WHAT TDOT COMMITTED TO AND HOW DO WE DELIVER.
UM, AND MR. FIELDS, IF YOU MIGHT STAY THERE, I THINK THAT'D BE A GREAT IDEA.
WE HAVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS BACK IN THE QUEUE.
UH, AND, AND DAVID, THANK YOU FOR COMING UP, UH, THERE TO SPEAK.
UM, AL ALSO, UH, I'D JUST LIKE TO PUT IT OUT THERE SINCE I'M NOT GONNA BE HERE MUCH LONGER, BUT, UH, THERE'S A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY RIGHT HERE AND WITH THE HELP OF TECH SIDE AS WELL IN, IN REGARDS TO, UH, DOING CONNECTIVITY, AS YOU KNOW, I'M SURE DAVID, UH, IN, IN REGARDS TO BIKE AND HIGH BIKE AND HIKE TRAILS, AS WELL AS PEDESTRIANS, UH, FOR CONNECTIVITY TO BUFFALO BAYOU, UH, TO BRACE BAYOU AND TO SIMS BAYOU.
UH, I, I, IF, IF WE DO THIS AND WE DO THIS RIGHT, AND, AND ALSO TO THE, THE, THE FUTURE CAP PARK THERE BEHIND THE GEORGIA BROWN CONVENTION CENTER, UH, WHICH IN THE FUTURE IS JUST GONNA BE AMAZING, UH, FOR CONVENTIONEERS AND, AND HOUSTONIANS AND WHAT HAVE YOU, JUST TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THE CAP.
AND THEN FROM THERE, RIGHT THERE BIKES TO BUFFALO BAYOU TO BRACE BAYOU OR SIMPSONS BAYOU.
YOU, UH, IF, IF WE, IF WE CONNECT ALL THIS, RIGHT? UH, AND, AND, AND, AND THERE'S, AS YOU KNOW, THERE'S QUITE A FEW ALREADY BIKE LANES THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN PLACED DOWN WHERE WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE WE CONNECT IT ALL TO THESE, UH, THREE MAJOR BY WOULD BE GREAT.
MR. MAPES, DO YOU WANT TO COMMENT ABOUT THAT OR APPRECIATE THE POINT? NO, IT'S A GOOD POINT.
AND WE ARE WORKING, WE'RE WORKING PRETTY CLOSELY TO IDENTIFY WHERE THOSE CONNECTIONS CAN HAPPEN.
IT'S, UM, WE HAVE ON THE, ON CROSS STREETS AND A LOT, MAYBE NOT ALL, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY WHERE GEOMETRICALLY THEY WORK, WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL PEDESTRIAN REALMS ON THE CITY STREETS THAT CROSS, N-H-H-I-P, THAT'S A BUFFER AREA, SIDEWALK AND A BIKE LANE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD.
AND SO WE ARE, WE'RE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE CAN MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS TO THE CITY'S,
[00:40:01]
TO THE CITY'S BIKE PLAN.UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, AGAIN, I THINK YOU'RE ASKING SOME REALLY PRESCIENT QUESTIONS.
THE, UH, THERE HAVE BEEN TWO, UH, DOWNTOWN LUNCHEONS, UH, IN THE PAST MONTH AND A HALF.
THE, THE MAYOR SPOKE AT THE STATE OF THE CITY ON THE 27TH OF SEPTEMBER, AND JUST, UH, LAST WEEK, I BELIEVE, AT THE STATE OF DOWNTOWN, THE CENTRAL DISTRICT, UH, PUT ON A PRESENTATION THAT SHOWED A LOT AND HAD A CONVERSATION WITH GILES KIBBY OF THE ASTROS FOUNDATION, SHOWING SOME OF WHAT WOULD GO ON IN THE TERRITORY JUST WEST OF THE I 45 CORRIDOR, BETWEEN THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP AND THE, UM, MINUTE MA PARK.
AND AT THE STATE OF THE CITY, THERE WAS A VISION SHOWN KIND OF A ARTIST RENDERING OF WHAT THE CAP WOULD LOOK LIKE.
THAT COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS IS, UH, REFERRING TO DAVID.
UM, FROM A RENDERING STANDPOINT, IT WAS A, A WELL-DEVELOPED SCHEME THAT HAD THE GEORGE R. BROWN WITH A NEW FACE ON THE EAST SIDE OF WHAT COULD BE CALLED THEIR CAMPUS.
AND I WONDER, AGAIN, YOU ARE LOOKING AT THAT AND PRESUMABLY MR. MAPES, THAT'S ANOTHER VIEW THAT WE'LL BEGIN TO SEE IN THE DECEMBER MEETINGS.
ARE THERE OTHER THINGS, UH, UH, MR. FIELDS THAT YOU CAN PUT, UM, PUT A LITTLE PREVIEW TO? UM, I THINK THESE CONNECTIONS THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, TEED UP THAT, UM, MR. MAPES STARTED, RESPONDED TO, UM, IT'S A REAL UNDERSTANDING THAT THE N-H-H-I-P IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A LOT OF THESE CONNECTIONS, ESPECIALLY DOWNTOWN, WHERE THE CITY HAS BEEN WORKING ON CITY STREETS, BUT NOW WE ARE WORKING ON JUST SO MANY STREETS AT ONE TIME IN ONE SPECIFIC SEGMENT.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF OVERLAP WITH, UH, THE CITY BIKE PLAN.
THEY'VE INCORPORATED THE, OUR CRASH DATA FROM THE VISION ZERO PROGRAM.
ALL OF THIS IS REALLY STARTING TO, UH, UH, REPRESENT A COORDINATED EFFORT THAT TEXT DOTS, UH, GOALS AS WELL AS THE CITY'S GOALS ARE BEING REPRESENTED IN THIS PROJECT.
I DO SEE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS IS BACK IN THE QUEUE.
UH, AND, AND, AND THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN, YOU, YOU JUST, UH, REMINDED ME SOMETHING ELSE, UH, UH, LIKE THE CHAIRMAN WAS STATING, UH, I KNOW THAT THE ASTROS ARE LOOKING AT DOING THEIR ASTROS VILLAGE ON TEXAS AVENUE.
YOU'VE GOT THE EO MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND THE IDO JERSEY THAT'S TRY, THEY'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING SIMILAR FOR THE DYNAMO.
UH, SO AGAIN, UH, A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO CONNECT THOSE TWO AREAS.
UH, SO THOSE THAT THE CONVENTIONEERS OR PEOPLE THAT ARE CELEBRATING THE WORLD, NEXT WORLD SERIES OR SUPER BOWL, OR WHAT HAVE YOU, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THERE'RE AT THE CAP FROM THERE, THEY CAN, THEY CAN WALK OR DRAW OR RIDE THEIR BIKES, YOU KNOW, SAFELY, UH, TO THE ASTROS VILLAGE OR VICE VERSA.
THE DYNAMO THERE, LIKE THEY'RE GONNA DO HOPEFULLY THIS SATURDAY, UH, PEOPLE CAN GO TO THE, UH, THE, THE, THE NEW FACILITY THAT THE IDO TUR IN THE IDO MANAGEMENT DISTRICT IS WANTING TO DO, UH, FROM THE CAP PARK.
SO, UH, I MEAN, RIGHT NOW IS THE TIME TO TRY TO FIGURE ALL THIS OUT.
UM, I DO THINK IT, IT, UH, IS WORTHWHILE AND, AND RESPONSIBLE OF US TO ALSO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THOSE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS.
AND TS IS IDO, DOWNTOWN MIDTOWN, UM, THEY'RE AT THE TABLE WITH US AT THESE MEETINGS.
THEY, THEY UNDERSTAND THIS OPPORTUNITY AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY GOOD PARTNERS.
THIS IS REALLY A TIME WHERE ALL STAKEHOLDERS NEED TO BE, UH, PRESENT, MAKE THEMSELVES KNOWN, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE VISITING WITH THEIR CONSTITUENTS.
AND, UH, AGAIN, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FOR, UH, FOR BEING WITH US.
NEXT WE'LL TURN TO STAFF OF COUNCIL MEMBER, AND WE'LL START WITH, UH, THE OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER, TIFFANY THOMAS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
YOU MENTIONED, I THINK THIS IS ON SLIDE FOUR ABOUT MITIGATING DISPLACEMENT, RELOCATIONS HOUSING, AND OTHER COMMUNITY IMPACTS.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE $30 MILLION THAT TXT, UM, I GUESS PROMISED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING? THERE'S, UH, SO WE'RE WORKING WITH TS A, IT'S A, IT'S ANOTHER STATE AGENCY TO DEVELOP A PROGRAM THAT TS A WOULD ADMINISTER THAT RECEIVES, UH, I GUESS PROPOSALS ON HOW, HOW THOSE DOLLARS ARE SPENT.
AND SO WE'VE HAD SOME MEETINGS WITH THEM.
UH, WE ARE STILL IN THE, I WOULD CALL IT THE FAIRLY EARLY STAGES OF DEVELOPING WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, THE TA STAFF WHO, IT'S THE TEXAS STATE, I THINK, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND I'M DRAWING A BLANK ON A C, BUT THIS IS MR. MAP.
YOU'RE BEING APPROACHED BEHIND YOU BY YOUR COLLEAGUE.
SHE'S, SHE'S GONNA, SHE'S GONNA LINE ME OUT HERE.
MS. LEWIS, IF YOU COULD INTRODUCE YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION FOR TXDOT BASED HERE IN THE HOUSTON AREA.
AS, UH, GRADY WAS, UM, UH, MAKING AN EFFORT TO HELP COMMUNICATE.
WE ARE WORKING WITH THE TEXAS AFFORDABLE, UM, HOUSING CORPORATION, WHICH IS T UH, WHICH IS THE ACRONYM IS T SH.
AND THEY ARE GOING TO BE UNDER CONTRACT TO TDOT TO BE THE ADMINISTER ADMINISTRATOR OF THE $30 MILLION.
SO WE WILL PROVIDE THEM WITH THE, THE, THE FUNDS, AND THEY
[00:45:01]
WILL THEN WORK THROUGH THE CONTRACT AND CONTRACT OBLIGATIONS TO MAKE GRANTS AVAILABLE TO THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY IMPACTED BY THIS PROJECT.AND SO, UM, THEIR FIRST, UH, ACTION AND RESPONSIBILITY UNDER THAT CONTRACT IS TO ACTUALLY DO SOME PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS SPECIFICALLY NEEDED AND DESIRED BY THE COMMUNITIES.
AND THEN SHAPE THE RFPS THAT COULD THEN BE RESPONDED TO BY NONPROFIT AGENCIES AS WELL AS DEVELOPERS TO PURSUE THE ACTUAL UTILIZATION OF THOSE FUNDS.
WE ARE FULLY EXPECTING THAT, UM, THE OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE EVALUATED BASED UPON WHERE THE DOLLARS THAT TXDOT IS COMMITTED TO IMPLEMENTING CAN BE LEVERAGED FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WITHIN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
AND THEY, SPECIFICALLY IT IS, UM, THIRD WARD, UM, NORTH HELP ME OUT.
THIRD WARD, INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS, UM, FIFTH WARD NORTH, GREATER NORTH SIDE, NEAR NORTH SIDE, NEAR NORTH SIDE.
SO WHICH 1:00 AM I LEAVING OUT? UH, YOU WANNA DO IT AGAIN AND WE'LL, WE'LL DO IT WITH YOU
WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT THIRD WARD, FIFTH WARD, INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS NEAR NORTH SIDE AND SECOND, SECOND WARD'S A GOOD GUESS.
IT'S NOT SECOND, AND IT'S NOT ACRES.
UM, I'LL GET BACK WITH YOU ON WHAT THAT FIFTH ONE IS.
I KNOW FOR SURE THAT IT'S FIVE.
AND, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE INDICATED IN OUR, UM, OUR CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION FOR THE UTILIZATION OF THOSE DOLLARS.
THANK YOU MS. LEWIS FOR COMING FORWARD.
UM, NEXT IN THE QUEUE, WE'RE GONNA HEAR FOR FROM STAFF, UH, ONLINE.
UM, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN PULL THIS OFF WITH, UH, STEVEN JAMES, COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ.
MR. JAMES, ARE YOU THERE? AND IF NOT, WE CAN ALWAYS TAKE A QUESTION ONLINE AND READ IT IF YOU HEAR, I THINK WE'VE GOT YOU COMING ON BOARD.
MR. JAMES, CAN YOU UNMUTE AND SEE IF YOU CAN SPEAK FOR US? TRY AGAIN.
UH, STEVEN JAMES IS CHECKING IN WITH THE OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER, DR. CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ.
AND, UM, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN GET THAT STRAIGHTENED OUT.
WHILE WE WILL ALSO GIVE A TRY TO STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, CARLOS ROS'S OFFICE.
CAN WE HEAR THAT QUESTION? AND MR. MAPES, IF THIS IS NOT, LET'S SEE.
I, UH, WE'RE SEEING YOU IN THE QUEUE.
SO APPARENTLY WE'RE TRYING TO SYNCHRONIZE WITH HTV, OUR, UH, MEDIA CARRIER HERE.
AND, UH, WITH THAT, MR. MAPES, IF YOU CAN STAND NEARBY.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, SINCE THOSE ARE THE FINAL TWO, UH, SPEAKERS, UH, TO ADDRESS YOU TODAY, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, ASK THAT YOU CAN STAY NEARBY AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PRESENTATION.
UH, AND THIS IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE SHIFT OF GEARS FOR US, UH, PARDON THE TRANSIT METAPHOR THERE, BUT WE'RE GONNA GO WITH THE CITYWIDE TRUCK ROUTE PLAN.
THIS IS, UH, WE WILL BE HEARING FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AND OUR PLANNING MANAGER IS MU SHANE FANG MUHAN, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE.
I THINK WE'LL BE, UH, SWITCHING PRESENTATIONS HERE IF I UNDERSTAND, UH, WHAT IS GOING ON.
BEAR WITH US WHILE OUR TECHNOLOGY IS CATCHING UP TO THE PROGRAM.
BUT PERHAPS IN THE MEANTIME, MS. FANG, IF YOU COULD INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND, UH, LET US KNOW, UH, WHAT YOU'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
GOOD MORNING, CHAIR AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I'M
IT'S MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE THE CITYWIDE PLAN TO YOU.
UM, SHOULD I CONTINUE BECAUSE I'M WAITING FOR THE PLANTATION.
SO, UM, THE CITYWIDE CHART ROUTE PLAN IS A ACTION ITEM OF, UM, VISION ZERO SAFETY PLAN, UH, TO ELIMINATE FATALITIES AND SERIES JURY INJURIES
[00:50:01]
ON OUR CITY ROADWAYS.UM, THE HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL ESTIMATE THE FREE TONNAGE IN THE HOUSTON METROPOLITAN AREA WILL INCREASE 60% BETWEEN 2015 AND 2040 WITH THE GROWING FREE MOVEMENT IN THE CITY.
UM, THIS CREATES A SERIES OF CHALLENGE FOR US.
UM, THE CUSTOMER HAS CREATED SERIES, UH, CH SAFETY HAZARDS.
GO TO THE THIRD SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO IF YOU COULD BEAR WITH US ONE SECOND.
WE'VE GOT YOUR VISUALS UP AND WE WILL NOW CATCH UP WITH YOU.
MS. FANG, IF YOU COULD, IF YOU COULD CONTINUE.
SO, THE, THE AL TRUCK TRAFFIC HAS CREATED SERIOUS, UH, TRAFFIC SAFETY HAZARDS, ROADWAY DAMAGE, AIR POLLUTION, AND PUT, UM, UH, THE NOISE, UH, POLLUTION, UH, IN LOSS OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
THE GOAL OF THE CITYWIDE RAIL PLAN IS TO, UH, ADJUST THE FRAME MOVEMENT ON OUR CITY ROADWAY BASES, UM, TO IMPROVE MULTIMODAL SAFETY AND, UH, MAINTAIN THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN STATE OF GOOD REPAIRS, UH, UH, ENHANCE, IMPROVE OUR QUALITY OF LIFE, AND PROMOTE THE ECONOMY VITALITY.
UM, SO THE OVERALL CITYWIDE CHART RAIL PLAN PLANNING PROCESS IS COMPOSED OF THREE PHASES.
PHASE ONE IS TO ESTABLISH THE CHART RAIL PLAN BY DESIGNATING CERTAIN CORRIDORS TO GUIDE THROUGH TRUCK TRAFFIC.
UM, THIS PHASE WE ARE FOCUSING ON GUIDING THROUGH CHART TRAFFIC INSTEAD OF, UM, LOCAL DELIVERY BY FEDEX DESK OR AMAZON.
AND PHASE TWO IS TO IMPLEMENT THE CHARA PLAN CREATED BY PHASE ONE, AND PHASE THREE WILL FOCUS ON LOCAL DELIVERY.
UM, SO THE CITYWIDE CHARA PLAN WE ARE PROPOSING WILL ONLY APPLY TO HEAVY TRUCKS.
THE TRUST RAISE, THREE OR MORE SOS OR THE TRUST HAVE WEIGHED MORE THAN 26,000 POUNDS.
AND, UH, HOW TO MANAGE, UH, THE FREE MOVEMENT EFFECTIVELY IS A COMMON CHALLENGE IN MANY US CITIES.
MANY OF OUR PC HAVE ESTABLISHED THEIR
UH, WE HAVE REVIEWED 13 OF THOSE PLANS FROM, UM, THE OTHER CITIES AND REGIONS AND HAVE LEARNED A LOT FROM THEM.
MAYBE WE COULD, UH, GO TO THE LOCAL CONDITION ANALYSIS.
SO BASED ON AFTER WE, UH, LEARN FROM OTHER CITIES, WE CONDUCT LOCAL CONDITION ANALYSIS.
AND WE START WITH THE CRASH ANALYSIS BETWEEN 2018 AND 2022, THERE WERE ABOUT 4,800 TRUCK RELATED CRASH ALONG NON INTERSTATE ROADWAYS IN OUR CITY.
SPECIFICALLY ABOUT 2,800 OF THOSE, UH, TRUCK RELATED CRASH, UH, HAPPEN ON MAJOR SURFACE.
AND THE OTHER 2000, UH, CHART RELATED CRASH ON OUR LOCAL ROADWAYS.
UH, ON AVERAGE, WE ALMOST HAVE THREE CHART RELATED CRASH ON OUR ROADWAYS EVERY DAY.
THE MAP, UH, ON THE SCREEN SHOWS LIKE THE ROADWAYS IN GREEN ARE THE ONES WITH AT LEAST ONE CHART RELATED CRASH HAPPENED.
UH, WHEN THE COLOR TRANSITION INTO YELLOW ORANGE, THE TRUCK RELATED CRASH ARE HIGHER.
SO AS YOU COULD SEE, WE AS A CITY HAS EXPERIENCED, UH, TRUCK RELATED, UH, SAFETY ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WE ALSO ANALYZE LIKE THE, UM, THE, THE AREAS WITH MAJOR, UH, TRUCK, UM, ACTIVITIES.
AND THE ROADWAYS HAVE HEAVIER TRUCK VOLUME.
THIS MAP, THE PURPLE RED, UH, GREEN POLYGONS ARE THE AREAS, UH, OUR MAJOR INDUSTRIAL AREAS AND THE MAJOR FREIGHT CLUSTERS, THE ROADWAYS IN DIFFERENT COLORS HAVE, UH, SHOWS THE, LIKE, THOSE ARE THE ROADWAYS WITH HEAVIER TRUCK TRAFFIC.
SO THE LOCAL CONDITION ANALYSIS GIVE US A BASIC IDEA ABOUT THE CHALLENGE WE ARE FACING.
UH, TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING ABOUT LIKE THE BIGGER PICTURE OF THE CHART MOVEMENT, THE CHALLENGE WE HAVE INITIATED A SERIES OF, UH, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES.
SO WE COORDINATE WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS LIKE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE AIRPORT SYSTEM, A RA, ET CETERA.
[00:55:01]
MET THE OTHER OUTSIDE AGENCY LIKE TECHSTAR, UH, HGAC, PORT OF HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY.AT THE SAME TIME, WE HELD PUBLIC MEETINGS IN DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS TO HEAR THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE RESIDENTS CONCERNS.
WE ALSO HAD TWO MEETINGS WITH THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY.
WE HAD A MEETING WITH, UH, TEXAS TRUCKING ASSOCIATION AND HOUSTON MOVERS ASSOCIATION.
AND MEANWHILE, WE, UH, CONDUCT FOUR NEIGHBORHOOD TWO.
WE, UH, DROVE AROUND WITH, UH, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD REPRESENTATIVE TO CLEAR THEIR CONCERNS TO UNDERSTAND THE EXACT CHALLENGE ON OUR LOCAL ROADWAYS.
AND WE HAVE, UM, THE ONE ONLINE TRUCK HOTSPOT MAP TO GET THE INPUT, UH, INVITE THE PUBLIC TELL US WHERE ARE THE LOCATIONS THEY HAVE CHALK, UH, CONCERNS.
WE CONDUCT TWO SURVEYS, ONE WITH THE RESIDENTS, ONE WITH THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY TO GET THEIR INPUT.
OVERALL, WE HAVE GOT ALL POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM ALL OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
WE WERE TOLD A CHARTER PLAN IS REALLY NEEDED IN HOUSTON.
SO, UH, THE COMING FEW SLIDES, I WOULD LIKE TO BRIEFLY, UH, SUMMARIZE THE SURVEYS WE HAVE CONDUCTED, UM, THIS, UH, CHART SHOWING, UH, THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE TWO SURVEYS.
UM, 42% OF OUR PARTICIPANTS ARE THE RESIDENTS.
THE OTHERS ARE FROM THE INDUSTRY, EITHER THE TRUCK DRIVERS, THE OPERATORS, THE BUSINESS OWNERS, ET CETERA.
WHEN WE ASK THE, UH, RESIDENTS WHAT TYPE OF TRUST THEY HAVE, MAIN CONCERNS, UM, THIS GRAPH SHOWS, UM, LIKE WITH ONE HAS NO CONCERN, FIVE HAVE, UH, EXTREMELY CONCERNS.
MOST RESIDENTS TELL US THEY HAVE MODERATE TO EXTREMELY CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, BIGGER TRUCKS.
THE BIGGER THE TRUCKS IS, THEY HAVE MORE CONCERNS.
THIS GRAPH, UH, UH, THE TRUST SHOWS IS A SUMMARIZE ABOUT, UM, THE TOP CHART RELATED CONCERNS WE HAVE, UH, FROM LIKE THE COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE AND THE INDUSTRY'S PERSPECTIVE ON THE CHART, THE ORANGE BAR ARE THE RESPONSE FROM THE INDUSTRY.
THE BLUE BARS ARE THE RESPONSE FROM THE RESIDENTS AND THE TOP THREE.
UH, SO OVERALL, AS YOU COULD SEE ON THE CHART, BOTH THE COMMUNITY AND THE INDUSTRY, THEY, THEY ALIGN WITH EACH OTHER, HAVE SIMILAR CONCERNS.
AND YOU COULD SEE ON THE BOTTOM EQUITY, UM, WE DO NOT ASK THE EQUITY QUESTION, UH, WITH THE INDUSTRY.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T SEE THE ORANGE BAR FOR THAT.
BUT OVERALL, THE TOP THREE CONCERNS FOR BOTH SIDES ARE ROADWAY CONDITIONS, SAFETY CONCERNS, AND TRAFFIC CONGESTION.
WE ALSO ASK, UM, OUR PARTICIPANTS, WHAT ARE THE FUNDING PRIORITIES THEY HAVE? UM, AGAIN, BOTH SIDES ALIGN WITH EACH OTHER.
THE TOP THREE, UH, FUNDING PRIORITIES ARE THE GPS NAVIGATION, UH, PLATFORMS, IMPROVEMENTS AT CHART CRASH, HOT SPOTS AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS ALONG CHART ROUTES REGARDING THE GPS NAVIGATION PLATFORMS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
THAT IS ONE OF OUR, UH, ACTION ITEM DURING THE IMPLEMENTATION IS WHAT WE HEARD IS LOT FROM TIME TO TIME.
THE TRUCK DRIVERS, THEY CUT THROUGH A NEIGHBORHOOD IS NOT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO, BUT IS THE GPS TELL THEM TOO, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH OUR ROADWAY.
SO THAT IS ONE THING WE WILL WORK ON AND, UH, TRY TO OVERCOME THAT CHALLENGE.
SO BASED ON THE LOCAL CONDITION ANALYSIS, UH, THE, UH, THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, WE HAVE A BETTER IDEA ABOUT OUR CHALLENGE.
WE PROPOSE TO, UM, CREATE THREE CATEGORY OF STREETS TO GUIDE OUR FRAME MOVEMENT.
THEY ARE CHAR ROUTES, LOCAL CHA ROUTES, AND NO CHAR STREETS.
NO CHAR STREET ARE MAINLY THE LOCAL STREETS, WHICH ARE NARROWER, WHICH ARE, UH, CONSTRUCTED AND DESIGNED, NOT REALLY TO ACCOMMODATE THE HEAVY TRUCKS.
UM, BUT THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE TRUST CANNOT GO THROUGH THESE STREETS, GO TO THIS STREET.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU NEED TO GO TO THE STREET, HAVE A DELIVERY, THE TRUCKS ARE ABLE TO GO.
BUT IF YOU WANT TO AVOID CH UH, UH, IF YOU WANT TO AVOID CH AND CUT THROUGH THE STREET, GO TO ANOTHER STREET FOR DELIVERY.
THAT'S NOT ALLOWED BECAUSE WE HAVE CHAR ROUTE AND LOCAL CHA ROUTE FOR YOU TO, UM, TO GO TO THE OTHER STREET.
THE CHAR ROUTES ARE MAINLY THE PRIMARY ROUTES LIKE THE INTERSTATE, THE TOLLWAYS, THE MAJOR THREE CORRIDORS, WHICH HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BY TECHSTAR AND, UH, HGAC.
THE LOCAL CHA ROUTES ARE THE MAJOR SURFACE PROVIDE CONNECTION, UM, BETWEEN THE SUTURE ROUTES AND THE LOCAL DESTINATION.
ALSO PROVIDE ACCESS FOR THE NO CHAR
[01:00:01]
STREET.UH, WHEN THE SEARCH ROUTE IS CLOSED.
UH, THE LOCAL CHART ROUTE, UH, COULD ALSO SERVE AS A ALTERNATIVE CHART ROUTE.
UM, THIS, UM, CHART ALSO SHOWS, UM, THE DRAFT, UH, PROPOSED STEP BY STEP-BY-STEP, UH, DESIGNATION PROCESS WE USE TO, UH, USE THE OBJECTIVE CRITERIA TO DESIGNATE CHART ROUTE.
SO THIS IS OVERALL REALLY HIGH LEVEL, UH, INTRODUCTION ABOUT THE, UM, THE PROJECT, THE EFFORTS WE HAVE, UH, MADE.
AND, UH, AT THIS POINT WE ARE PREPARING THE ORDINANCE, UH, FOR CITY COUNCIL, UH, ADOPTION.
UH, THE ORDINANCE WILL AUTHORIZE THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO CREATE THE TRAVEL RAIL PLAN.
UH, AFTER THE ORDINANCE IS ADOPTED, UH, WE WILL TEST THE PROPOSED APPROACH IN CITY GAS PILOT AREA.
UM, BEFORE WE FINALIZE THE CHART RAIL PLAN, WE SELECT CGA BECAUSE BASED ON WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THIS NEIGHBORHOOD HAS EXPERIENCED A SERIES OF CHART, UH, CULTURAL CHART TRAFFIC.
WE THINK THIS IS A, UH, IDEAL LOCATION FOR TESTING THE APPROACH.
UH, THE GOAL IS, UH, WE WILL FINALIZE BASED ON THE UH, PILOT PROJECT FINDINGS, WE WILL FINALIZE THE, UH, CHAR ROUTE PLAN, THE, THE OVERALL CITYWIDE CHART ROUTE PLAN, UH, IN SUMMER 2024.
UH, THIS IS A PROJECT WEBPAGE.
WE HAVE UPLOAD ALL THE, UM, ONGOING EFFORTS, THE DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE PROJECT.
WE WELCOME YOU TO ACCESS A PROJECT WEBPAGE AND GET MORE DETAILS, UM, ABOUT OUR PROJECT.
UH, WITH THAT I CONCLUDE MY PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. MM-HMM.
AND, UM, WE HAVE GOT A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE FOR THIS ITEM.
AND I THINK SINCE WE HAVE, UH, PRESENTED IT, WE WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO THE QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE TEXT STOP PRESENTATION.
BUT IN SOME WAYS IT'S FORTUNATE THAT YOU'RE HERE, UHHUH SINCE, UH, THE LARGE TRUCKS AND SAFETY ON OUR ROADWAYS IS ALSO, UH, A MAJOR SUBTEXT OF THIS ITEM.
BROADLY SPEAKING FOR TDOT AND I 45.
SO NEXT, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO JUMP RIGHT IN WITH OUR VICE CHAIR AND COUNCIL MEMBER, SALLY ALCORN.
AND THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, WHEN WE WERE DOING THE WORK ON ILLEGALLY PARKED TRUCKS, WE MAINLY WERE TALKING A LOT ABOUT, UH, TRUCKS CUTTING THROUGH NEIGHBORHOODS.
THE BEING A BIG ISSUE, UM, SPECIFICALLY ON THE GPS 'CAUSE THAT CAME UP A LOT.
THE, THE, THE DRIVERS ARE DIRECTED THROUGH THESE AREAS.
HOW, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO WE DO THAT? WE GET, LIKE THAT, THAT CAN BE DONE.
WE ARE, UH, WE WILL COORDINATE WITH GOOGLE MAP OR WAYS, UM, LIKE THOSE GPS, UH, PLATFORM, THE SYSTEM.
MAYBE ONCE WE HAVE THE, THE MAP, WE COULD, UH, SHARE THE MECHANISM.
HOPEFULLY THEY COULD INCORPORATE THAT.
I KNOW TEST REFINING A PROJECT GROUP, THEY LIKE THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE CHALLENGE.
AND THEY ALSO WORKING ON THAT EFFORT, WE WILL COORDINATE WITH THEM.
SO ONCE WE ESTABLISH THE, THE TRUCK PLAN, THEY'LL BE THE, THE THROUGH TRUCK PLACES, THE NO THROUGH TRUCK AND THE LOCAL, THAT'LL ALL BE PART OF THEIR SYSTEM.
THE MAJOR GOOGLE MAPS AND ALL THE MM-HMM
AND RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE ONE AT ALL, A TRUCK ROUTE PLAN AT ALL.
SO BASICALLY WHEN I SEE A NO THROUGH TRUCKS SIGN, THAT'S JUST 'CAUSE SOME NEIGHBORHOOD WANTED IT, OR, YEAH.
THAT IS A, IS SAME PROGRAM, UH, MANAGED BY HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS IN THE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, WHEN THE RESIDENTS, THEY, THEY SEE THE, UH, THROUGH CUSTOMER CHARGE FEE, THEY APPLY, THEY SAY SUBMIT APPLICATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, REVIEW IT AND MAKE THE DECISION.
IF IN THIS ONE, THEN THEY WILL INSTALL ONE.
BUT WORTH MENTIONING, COUNCIL MEMBER AND, AND FOR INSTANCE, IN IN NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE TRYING TO LIMIT LARGE SCALE 18 WHEELERS AND OTHERS TO COMING IN, THEY HAVE, FOR INSTANCE, A PROGRAM CALLED THE TOW TAP, WHICH IS TRUCKS OVER TWO AXLES PROHIBITED.
UM, FOR INSTANCE, THEY CAN KEEP, UM, THOSE LARGER TRUCKS OFF OF SOME OF OUR ROADWAYS, LOCAL STREETS AND THINGS THAT ARE LESS THAN MAJOR THOROUGHFARES AND OTHER LARGER STREETS IN THE HIERARCHY OF ROADWAYS.
BUT THIS WILL BE, THIS WILL BE IN TANDEM WITH THAT, OR THAT'LL BE STILL A SEPARATE PROGRAM THAT NEIGHBORS CAN, CAN ASK FOR, BUT WILL, BUT THE TRUCK ROUTE PLAN WILL ALSO DESIGNATE PLACES WHERE TRUCKS CANNOT GO.
SO THE TRUCK ROUTE PLAN DESIGNATE, LIKE THE STREETS, THE, LIKE NOSE ROOT TRUST STREET MEANS, LIKE THE TRUCK COULD STILL GO TO THAT STREET IF THEY HAVE DESTINATION ON THAT TRIP, BUT THEY COULD CUT THROUGH THE CURRENT, UH, NOSE ROOT TRUST SIGN PROGRAM IS A EXISTING PROGRAM.
UH, WE ALSO HEARD SOME, UH, CHALLENGE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION ENFORCEMENT.
UH, BUT I THINK AFTER THIS TRAVEL PLAN IS ADOPTED, UH, WE MAY ALSO COORDINATE WITH HOUSTON PUBLIC WORLD
[01:05:01]
TO KIND OF LIKE HOW TO IMPROVE BOTH.UM, BUT THIS IS THE TRAVEL PLAN APPLIED TO CITYWIDE THE NO SEARCH CHART, UH, SIGNED THE, THE PROGRAM IS, UH, A APPLICATION BASE.
UH, I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND WE DID HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER PECK MOMENTARILY IN THE QUEUE.
AND, UM, AND I, ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER PECK AND OTHERS SERVE, UH, BROADLY REGIONALLY WITH THE HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL, WHERE THERE ARE, UH, FREIGHT TRAFFIC ORGANIZATIONS AND SUBCOMMITTEES THAT ARE LOOKING AT THE CHALLENGES FOR THE REGION.
SO WHAT WE'RE HEARING TODAY IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT THE CITY IS LOOKING AT SPECIFIC TO THE PROBLEM WITHIN OUR TERRITORY.
UM, NEXT, UH, WE DO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS IN THE QUEUE.
JUROR, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAVE A CONCERN HERE IN REGARDS TO, AS YOU KNOW, THE, UM, HOUSE BILL 2127 PASSED BY THE STATE IN REGARDS TO THE CITY OR MUNICIPALITIES DOING ANYTHING THAT THE CITY ALREADY HAS REGULATIONS ON.
SO IF WE KIND OF INTERFERE WITH INTRU STATE OR INTERSTATE TRAFFIC, UH, CAN THEY COME BACK AND SAY, NO, YOU CAN'T DO THIS.
UH, YOU KNOW, IN REGARDS TO REROUTING ON, ON THE FREEWAYS AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, UH, TEXAS HIGHWAYS.
SO THIS TRAVEL PLAN IS FOCUSED ON CITY RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, LIKE, LIKE THE INTERSTATE FREEWAY.
THEY ARE THE, UM, THE REGIONAL CORRIDOR.
AND WE DO ALSO RECOGNIZE THOSE BECAUSE THOSE HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED AS A CHAR ROUTE ON OUR MAP.
BUT, BUT THE MAIN PURPOSE FOR THIS PLAN IS TO REGULATE, TO GUIDE THE, UH, CHAR TRAFFIC ON CITY ROADWAY.
BUT WE HAVE BEEN COORDINATING WITH TDOT REGARDING THIS EFFORT.
UM, YEAH, AND I, AND I KNOW THAT, UH, TXDOT HAS BEEN WORKING ON, UH, 2 88 WITH, UH, UH, THE SPUR FIVE GOING ON TWO TO 2 88.
UH, MY CONCERN IS, UH, METRO, YOU HAVE METRO THAT'S WANTING TO CONNECT THE PURPLE LINE AND THE GREEN LINE TO HOBBY AIRPORT.
SO THEREFORE, WHAT I'VE BEEN SEEING THE ROUTE WOULD BE, UH, IS, IS IS COMING DOWN TELEPHONE ROAD AND THEY'RE AT, UH, BELFORT CONNECTING THE PURPLE LINE WITH THE GREEN LINE.
AND THEN IT'LL CONTINUE DOWN TELEPHONE TO AIRPORT TO THE HOBBY AIRPORT.
MY CONCERN IS, IS THAT RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE 18 WHEELERS GOING UP AND DOWN BROADWAY.
YOU HAVE 18 WHEELERS GOING UP TELEPHONE ROAD.
MANY OF THEM ARE GOING TO THE BURLINGTON NORTHERN RAIL YARD, UH, THAT'S OVER THERE ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE HOBBY AIRPORT.
SO IF WE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE ALREADY DOING THIS, BUT IF NOT, CAN YOU CONSIDER REROUTING THAT TRAFFIC TO GO POSSIBLY ON AIRPORT BOULEVARD? 2 2 88 HAVE A SPECIAL RAMP, AND I GOTTA STRESS THIS, HAVE A SPECIAL RAMP THAT'S GONNA TAKE YOU OVER THE RAILROAD TRACKS.
'CAUSE 'CAUSE YOU DON'T WANT THESE TRUCKS GOING AT GRADE.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO FOLLOW THIS.
AND THEY'RE GONNA STILL GO DOWN TELEPHONE.
THEY'RE GONNA GO DOWN BROADWAY.
SO THERE NEEDS TO BE A RAMP GOING OVER THE RAILROAD TRACK.
THEN, THEN A THEN A CONNECTOR ONTO 2 88.
THEY GET ON 2 88, GO ON SIX 10, AND THEN THEY'LL GO AROUND THE CITY, UM, POSSIBLY TO THE PORT OF HOUSTON OR COMING FROM THE PORT OF HOUSTON TO BURLINGTON NORTHERN.
UH, AND THAT WAY TAKE OFF, TAKE, TAKE, TAKE OUT THE, THE, THE, UH, 18 WHEELERS, THE, OR THESE TRUCKS THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO OFF OF, UH, TELEPHONE, OFF OF BROADWAY.
'CAUSE IF THEY DO EXTEND THE LIGHT RAIL LINES, YOU DON'T WANT CHEMICALS AND, AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS NEXT TO A, A, A, YOU KNOW, A, A LIGHT RAIL LINE, PURPLE LINE OR A GREEN LINE.
UH, SO IS THAT BEING CONSIDERED? UH, AT THIS POINT WE ARE NOT, BECAUSE WE ARE STILL IN THE PRELIM STAGE, UH, CREATING THIS CRITERIA TO CREATE A PLAN REGARDING SPECIFIC AREA.
WE STILL NEED TO LOOK INTO THAT.
HOWEVER, THE MAIN PURPOSE FOR THIS PLAN EFFORT IS RECREATE OBJECTIVE CRITERIA TO DESIGNATE THE CHART ROUTE, UM, AND TO APPLY CITY Y UH, REGARDING, WE UNDERSTAND ONE SIZE DOESN'T FIT ALL.
MAYBE SOME AREA WE NEED TO TAKE ADDITIONAL LOOK INTO THAT, BUT WE COULD, I HAVE TAKEN THE NOTE.
MAYBE WE COULD LOOK INTO THAT.
HOWEVER, IF A ROADWAY, FOR EXAMPLE, BROADWAY OR TELEPHONE ROAD, THEY MEET A CERTAIN CRITERIA, UM, ACCORDING TO THE PROCESS WE ARE PROPOSING NOW, IT WILL BE DESIGNATED AS A CHART ROUTE, EITHER THROUGH CHART ROUTE OR LOCAL CHART ROUTE.
UM, AND THEN, YEAH, CAN YOU MOVE BACK AT THE QUEUE? OKAY.
WE WILL PUT YOU BACK IN THE QUEUE.
I UNDERSTAND WE'RE HEARING FROM THE VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM THROUGH HER CHIEF OF STAFF, WHO'S WITH US IN THE CHAMBER.
THANK YOU MS. FANG FOR THE PRESENTATION.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THE TRUCKS DO NOT UTILIZE THE TRUCK WRAP? YES, THAT IS, UH, THE COEN ENFORCEMENT.
UH, WE ARE, WE HAVE BEEN COORDINATING WITH, UH, HOUSTON PUB,
[01:10:01]
UH, HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.UH, HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL BE THE ONE, UH, ENFORCE.
UH, WE ARE PROPOSING TO, UH, THE PROOF OF ROUTE.
SO, UM, WHEN A TRUCK DRIVE ON A LOCAL STREET, NOT A TRUCK ROUTE, UM, A POLICE OFFICER COULD STOP THEM, ASK THEM TO PROVIDE PROOF OF ROUTE TO SHOWING THAT DESTINATION IS ON THAT STREET.
IF THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE THE PROOF OF ROUTE, THAT IS A, UH, WILL TRIGGER A CITATION.
SO THE POLICE WOULD HAVE TO BE PRESENT.
WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY'RE NOT, LET'S SAY A CONSTITUENT OR A RESIDENT, UH, WITNESSES THE TRUCK NOT FOLLOWING THE ROUTE.
AND THEN WE ARE ALSO ONE OF A POTENTIAL, UH, ACTION ITEM WE ARE PLANNING FOR IS CREATING A REPORT SYSTEM, THE REPORTING SYSTEM FOR THE PUBLIC, UH, TO REPORT, UH, THE VIOLATION.
AND THEN SO THAT, THAT WILL HELP US TO, TO KEEP CHECK.
SO NOT ONLY THE POLICE ENFORCEMENT, BUT ALSO A EFFECTIVE, UH, ENFOR, UH, REPORTING SYSTEM, UH, WE WILL NEED TO WORK ON.
AND THEN FROM THAT REPORTING SYSTEM, WHAT HAPPENS, WHAT TYPE OF ENFORCEMENT WOULD, WOULD HAPPEN? LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THE DETAILS WE ARE STILL, WE STILL NEED TO WORK ON.
UH, WHAT WE ARE CONSIDERING NOW IS, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, DURING THE PUBLIC MEETING, WE ARE EVEN TALK ABOUT USING APP.
LET THE, UH, THE PUBLIC TAKE A PICTURE FOR A POTENTIAL VIOLATION IF THEY THINK IT'S A VIOLATION, AND THEN REPORT TO, MAYBE WE COULD RALLY TO THE POLICE, WE COULD INVESTIGATE.
BUT THOSE DETAILS WE STILL NEED TIME TO, UM, TO WORK ON.
AND, AND I SUPPOSE IF COUNCIL MEMBERS WANT TO WEIGH IN, WE CAN OF COURSE DO THAT THROUGH, UH, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND, UH, APPRECIATE GOOD THOUGHTS AND CONSIDERATIONS LIKE THAT.
NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PECK.
UM, AND AS A FOLLOW UP TO THAT QUESTION, WOULD THE CITATION BE ISSUED TO THE, THE DRIVER OF THE TRUCK OR TO THE OWNER OF THE COMPANY? TO THE DRIVER, BUT, UH, FOR THE DETAILS, I NEED TO, UM, COORDINATE WITH, UH, HOUSTON, LIKE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO SEE HOW IT WORKS.
LIKE NORMALLY WE ALREADY HAVE A, UH, LIKE THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEY ALREADY GIVE CITATION TO, UM, THE TRUCK DRIVERS WHEN THEY VIOLATE OUR CURRENT RULE.
I THINK THIS PROCESS WILL BE THE SAME AS WHAT WE HAVE NOW.
UH, IF WHAT WE ARE DOING IS GIVE THE CITATION TO THE COMPANY, THAT WILL BE THE SAME.
PS UM, I MEAN, I USED TO WORK IN THE TRUCK, TRUCK INDUSTRY, MOTOR FREIGHT COMPANY.
UH, SO THAT, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION IN REGARDS TO, I MEAN, YOU HAVE OWNER OPERATORS, SO THEREFORE, YEAH, YOU WOULD GIVE THE TICKET TO THE OWNER OPERATOR, BUT THEN YOU HAVE A CON, YOU HAVE, UH, UH, TRUCK COMPANY OR DRIVERS THAT ARE ACTUALLY WORKING FOR THE COMPANY THAT'S DELIVERING MM-HMM
UH, SO I WOULD THINK THAT YOU WOULD GIVE IT TO THE COMPANY THEN MM-HMM
UH, BECAUSE THAT DRIVER IS WORKING FOR THE COMPANY.
BUT IF IT'S AN OWNER OPERATOR, THEN YOU WOULD GIVE IT TO THE OWNER.
UH, SO YOU NEED TO LOOK AT BOTH, IF POSSIBLE, IN ORDER FOR THIS TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
OTHERWISE, IF YOU GIVE IT TO THE DRIVER, THEN THE COMPANY'S JUST GONNA BLAME THEIR DRIVER AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IT'LL BE THE NEXT DRIVER NEXT TIME DOING THE SAME THING.
SO, SO GOING BACK TO MY, MY, MY, AND I'M, I'M STILL STRESSING ON THIS ONE.
UH, REGARDING TO 2 88, TRY TO BE SUCCINCT.
WE'VE GOTTA GET ONTO OTHER, YEAH.
2, 2 88 AND AIRPORT BOULEVARD AGAIN, RIGHT NOW IS A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THIS.
YOU'VE GOT TDOT THAT'S, THAT'S DOING SPUR FIVE ONTO 8 2 88.
THEY'RE HAVING PUBLIC MEETINGS RIGHT NOW IN DISTRICT D AS WELL AS IN DISTRICT.
I, UH, 'CAUSE IT'S GONNA IMPACT BOTH OF OUR DISTRICTS, UH, RIGHT NOW IS A TIME TO WORK WITH THEM TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY, HOW CAN WE REROUTE THESE TRUCKS TO KEEP, GET THEM OFF OF TELEPHONE ROAD, GET THEM OFF OF BROADWAY, SEND THEM TO AIRPORT BOULEVARD.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE BURLINGTON NORTHERN RIGHT THERE NEAR AIRPORT BOULEVARD.
SO THEY'RE ALL GOING THERE TO BURLINGTON NORTHERN TO, TO DELIVER THEIR TRAILERS.
UH, AND THAT WAY YOU CAN HAVE A CONNECTIVITY, HOPEFULLY A, AN OVERPASS OVER THE RAILROAD TRACKS THERE ON MACAU ONTO 2 88, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE TRUCKS GOING AROUND SIX 10 MM-HMM
UH, YOU KNOW, SO AGAIN, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO BE WORKING WITH TDOT ON THIS AS WELL AS METRO SINCE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE GREEN LINE AND THE PURPLE LINE EXTENSIONS IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT THAT IS THE END OF THE QUESTIONS FOR THIS SECOND PRESENTATION.
WE HAD TWO, UH, QUESTIONS IN QUEUE FOR THE TEXTILE COMPONENT.
SO, MS. FANG, LET ME THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US TODAY.
WE'RE GONNA TURN BACK TO THE FIRST PRESENTATION, WHICH WAS THE UPDATE ON THE NORTH HOUSTON HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
[01:15:01]
GRADY MAPES, IF YOU COULD COME BACK TO THE PODIUM.WE HAVE, UH, NOT ONLY THE STAFF MEMBER FROM COUNCIL MEMBER DR. CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ WITH US NOW IN THE CHAMBER TO ASK HIS QUESTION, BUT I BELIEVE THAT WE ALSO HAVE A QUESTION ONLINE TO READ FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS.
SO NEXT WE WILL HEAR, UH, FROM THE OFFICE OF DR. CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ.
UM, GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, FIRST I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO TXDOT FOR YOUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO MOBILITY IN DISTRICT D WITH THE CLEBURNE STREET PROJECT.
FIRST, THE I 45 59 2 88 INTERCHANGE WAS COMPLETED ONLY LAST YEAR, THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR WAS THAT INVESTMENT IN INTENTIONAL, WHICH, WHICH PROJECT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? HEADING NORTH AND SOUTH ON I 45 TO THE INTERCHANGE GOING TO 2 88 SOUTH AND 59 SOUTH.
THOSE WERE JUST COMPLETED AND THEY WERE MAJOR INTERRUPTIONS TO MOBILITY AT THOSE, AT THAT LOCATION.
I DON'T KNOW THE SPECIFIC ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
UM, I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT OUR SCHEMATIC AND, AND UNDERSTAND WHERE THAT IS VERSUS WHAT WE'RE PLANNING.
I MENTIONED THAT ONLY, I APOLOGIZE FOR INTERRUPTING.
I, I MENTIONED THAT ONLY BECAUSE I BELIEVE YOU POINTED OUT THAT 2 88 WAS GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER INTERSECTION WITH, UH, I 45 AT THAT LOCATION.
MR. MAPES, IT'S IN THE THREE B TWO SECTION.
I THINK WHAT THE DISTRICT COUNCIL IS CONCERNED ABOUT IS A, A STREET PROJECT WITHIN DISTRICT D THAT IS PERPENDICULAR TO THE 2 88, UM, UH, I 45 SEGMENT THAT IS TOWARD THE FRONT END OF CONSTRUCTION.
SO AGAIN, UM, MR. JAMES, IF YOU COULD ASK A QUESTION, A TIGHT ONE, LET'S SEE IF HE CAN RESPOND.
NO, IF YOU SAY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GATHER THE INFORMATION, THAT'S WHAT I'M REQUESTING.
IS THERE A PARTICULAR CROSS STREET THAT NO.
OR DID IT JUST A, JUST THAT WORK.
GOING FROM AT 2 88 FROM 45 SOUTH, IT CAME DOWN TO BOTH 2 88 AND UM, UH, 59 SOUTH.
I CAN, I'LL HAVE TO MY SECOND QUESTION.
UM, AS YOU TALKED ABOUT THE WORK THAT HAS AND WILL BE DONE ON 2 88 SOUTH AND NORTH, WILL THERE BE ANY EXPANDED, UH, CONSTRUCTION ON THE MAJOR INTERSECTIONS, SPECIFICALLY ALAMEDA, GENOA? THERE ARE FIVE MAJOR RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS TAKING PLACE AT THAT ENTRANCE AT THAT COMMUNITY, ALAMEDA, GENOA, AND ORUM.
THE CONGESTION THERE IS TRULY UNBELIEVABLE.
MY QUESTION TO T.IS, ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO EXPAND AND CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT TRAFFIC TO BE ADDRESSED? SPECIFICALLY ALAMEDA GENO HEADED EAST TO FURMAN, WHERE IT, IT'S JUST UNBELIEVABLY TIGHT.
AND SO TRAFFIC COMING OFF OF 2 88 NORTH AND SOUTH CREATE A VERY BAD BOTTLENECK RIGHT THERE.
THAT IS NOT WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE N-H-H-I-P.
THAT'S FARTHER SOUTH AND THERE ARE, I AM NOT AWARE OF PLANS TODAY, BUT THAT DOESN'T, I HAVE TO GO BACK AND FIND OUT IF THERE'S OTHER PLANNING GOING ON AROUND THAT, THAT PARTICULAR ROAD.
THE TRAFFIC EXITING IS EXTREME.
I WOULD APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL LADY.
CHAIR, YES, PLEASE WOULD APPRECIATE AN EXPLANATION OF THOSE TWO ITEMS. THANK YOU, CHAIR.
I KNOW A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY CONCERNS MR. JAMES, NOT TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF TXDOT, BUT I, I KNOW AT LARGE WE COULD SAY MR. MAPES, THAT WE REALLY DO CARE ABOUT THE INTERFACE AND THE INTERACTION OF THE HIGHWAY PROJECT, UH, WITH THE COMMUNITIES.
THE INTERCHANGES IS SOMETHING THAT MR. FIELDS WITH HIS OFFICE, UM, HAS BEEN AT THE PODIUM WITH YOU BEFORE AND WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERY, UH, COMMUNITY RELATION AND THAT THE COUNCIL AND THAT TEAMS NEED TO BRING FORWARD.
SO APPRECIATE GETTING BACK TO THESE FOLKS AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY WITH THE UPCOMING COMMUNITY MEETINGS, WE, WE WILL NEED TO BE PROACTIVE IN ADDRESSING A LOT OF THESE ISSUES AND HAVE THOSE ANSWERS FOR US IN THE COMING WEEKS.
NEXT IN THE QUEUE IS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS, AND WE HAVE, UH, WRITTEN INTO THE CHAT FOR, AND I WILL READ FROM HER STAFF.
UM, DOES SEGMENT THREE C FOUR OVERLAP OR ENCOMPASS THE PROPOSED TEXT PROJECT RAISING I 10 LANES FROM HEIGHTS BOULEVARD TO I 45? MR. MAPES? LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN ADDRESS THAT.
THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE SEPARATE PROJECTS.
SO THREE C FOUR, UM, IT, THERE'S AN INTERFACE BETWEEN THOSE PROJECTS.
THE PROJECT FROM HEIGHTS TO I 45 IS WHAT WE CALL OUR WHITE OAK PROJECT.
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AND THAT PROJECT WILL RAISE I 10 ABOVE THE FLOODPLAIN TODAY.THAT'S WHERE LITTLE WHITE OAK AND WHITE OAK.
AND YES, THERE'S A HUGE AMOUNT OF CONCERN DOWN THERE.
WHAT THE, THE BIKE TRAILS, HIKING BIKE TRAILS LOOK LIKE, THE CONFLUENCE OF WHITE OAK AS IT COMES INTO THE NORTH CANAL AND THE CONFLUENCE WITH, UH, BUFFALO BAYOU, HOW THAT INTERFACES, UH, WITH SO MUCH THAT'S GOING ON THE INTERSECTIONS OF I 10 AND I 45, OBVIOUSLY EXTREMELY CRITICAL.
SO, UM, THANK YOU DISTRICT H FOR ASKING THAT QUESTION.
I BELIEVE, UH, YOU UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF THAT.
IS THERE ANY OTHER WORDS YOU'D LIKE TO SAY FOR THAT? UH, ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT IF THERE'S INTEREST, THE WHITE OAK PROJECT FROM HEIGHTS TO I 45, THERE WILL BE AN UPCOMING PUBLIC MEETING IN JANUARY SPECIFIC TO THAT PROJECT IN JANUARY.
AND I AM GONNA TURN ONE LAST TIME TO, UH, CHIEF PLANNER DAVID FIELDS TO SEE IF HE HAS ANYTHING HE'D LIKE TO SAY.
I THINK HE'S LOOKING LIKE WE'RE DOING.
SO, MR. MAPES, WITH THAT, WE HAVE GOTTEN TO THE END OF THE QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEARING WITH US AND WITH THE TECHNOLOGY.
WE'RE, UH, WE'RE AT THE END OF COUNCIL MEMBER Q AND A FOR THE NOW, THE FIRST AND SECOND ITEMS ON THE AGENDA TODAY.
WE'LL TURN FINALLY HERE ON THE AGENDA TO THE THIRD ITEM UP FOR DISCUSSION.
THAT'S THE FISCAL YEAR, 2024 HOUSTON WATER FEES AND AGREEMENTS.
UH, TODAY JOINING US FROM THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND FROM HOUSTON WATER IS, UM, OUR DIRECTOR FOR DRINKING WATER OPERATIONS.
I BELIEVE WE DO HAVE THE PRESENTATION UP FOR Q MS. PRICE.
ARE YOU THERE TRYING TO REACH MS. PRICE ONLINE? IF YOU CAN UNMUTE AND SPEAK NOW FOR OUR CONFIRMATION.
I BELIEVE WE ARE SEEING THE PRESENTATION.
MS. PRICE, CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN SEE YOU ONLINE.
WE'RE HOPING TO GET THE AUDIO CONNECTED.
AND WITH THAT, I BELIEVE WE'RE GOING TO GO TO POTENTIALLY A PLAN B, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU HERE SHORTLY.
WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION QUEUED UP.
MS. PRICE, CAN YOU UNMUTE, ARE YOU ABLE TO SPEAK TO US ON THIS ITEM? THE FISCAL YEAR, 2024, HOUSTON WATER FEES AND AGREEMENTS? I BELIEVE YOU MAY BE COMING ONLINE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? I BELIEVE, AGAIN, WE'RE HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF AN ISSUE WITH THE HOUSTON TELEVISION STUDIOS INTERFACE WITH THE CITY HALL CHAMBER.
AFTER ALL, WE ARE THE TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY AND INFRA INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE.
WE'RE GOING TO WORK THROUGH THESE TECHNICAL ISSUES, ATTEMPTING TO GO TO THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS WHILE WE HAVE A MOMENT, UM, AND I THINK, UH, SIGNED UP FOR US TODAY.
UH, IF YOU'LL BEAR WITH ME ONE MOMENT.
UH, WE HAVE WITH US TODAY OUR FRIEND AND, UM, REGULAR VISITOR, MR. DOMINIC MAZO.
DOMINIC, CAN WE HEAR FROM YOU? WHAT IS YOUR, UH, WHAT'S YOUR POINT OF DISCUSSION TODAY? UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, SIR.
I, DOMINIC MAZA, I, HOLD ON NOW I'M IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER.
I WAS GONNA TALK ON THE NORTH HOUSTON HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT AND WITH SOME COMMENTS THAT WAS BROUGHT UP.
I THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE HAD SOMEBODY FROM METRO HERE, UH, WORKING WITH TDO BECAUSE, UM, ROBERTO, YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT GOING TO IAH THE THING IS ON THAT IS GOING TO METRO NEXT.
THE, THERE IS GONNA BE VRT TWO IAH.
THEY WILL BE USING THE NORTH HOUSTON, THE I 45, THOSE TWO LANES HE WAS TALKING ABOUT USING, UH, BRT BUSES WITH A T RAMP GOING TO NORTH SHEPHERD.
AND THEN IT WOULD LEAD I 45 AT GREENS POINT AND THEN HIT ITS OWN WAY TO IAHI THINK THE THING IS TALKING ABOUT THE TRUCK ROUTE, AND I THINK TEXSTAR BLEW IT ON OUR FREEWAYS.
WE SHOULD HAVE TOOK AN EXAMPLE FROM THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE, THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT MAKING TOLL ROADS HERE, BUT I'M JUST TAKING HOW THE
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ROAD IS ORGANIZED.ON THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE, YOU HAVE SIX LANES NORTHBOUND, SIX LANES SOUTHBOUND.
BUT ON EACH OF THOSE SIX DIRECTIONAL SIX LANES, YOU HAVE THREE HAMMER LANES AND THEN THREE LANES THAT ARE FOR LOCAL TRAFFIC.
THEY HAVE THE 18 WHEELERS ONLY STAYING IN THE THREE LANES TO THE RIGHT, THE THREE LANES IN THE MIDDLE TRUCKS DON'T GET IN THERE OR THEY WILL GET TICKETED.
I THINK TECHSTAR BLEW IT ON I 10.
THEY'RE BLOWING IT ON I 45 NORTH.
ANY OTHER PROJECT, WE NEED DEDICATED TRUCK LANES WITH THESE 18 WHEELERS STAY IN THE LANE.
THEY CAN ONLY GET ON AND OFF THIS THING EVERY SO OFTEN.
THIS LANE'S HEAVY DUTY TO WHERE IT'S, YOU CAN LAND A THREE 80 AIRBUS ON.
AND THE SERVICE STREETS, THE SERVICE ROADS 18 WHEELERS, THE WAY THEY, WE NEED TRUCKS, DON'T GET ME WRONG, BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE A SEPARATION BETWEEN THE 18 WHEELERS, ESPECIALLY AT SPEED AND SOME OF THE OTHER ROADS THAT WE HAVE.
I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED.
AND THEN ON THE CITY PLAN TOO, 18 WHEELER LANES ON THESE LOCAL LANES.
I THINK ROBERTO, YOU'RE ONTO SOMETHING THERE DOWN ON SOUTH END OF TOWN.
WE, UH, WE KNOW THAT METRO IS TUNED IN AND I THINK YOUR POINT IS, UH, ON POINT AS USUAL.
WE, UH, I BELIEVE ARE NOW GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET BACK, UH, TO THE THIRD PRESENTATION.
THIS IS, UM, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 HOUSTON WATER FEES AND AGREEMENTS, UH, PRESENTATION FROM HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FROM DRINKING WATER OPERATIONS AND DIRECTOR, UH, VENUS PRICE.
MS. PRICE, ARE YOU WITH US? CAN YOU HEAR, CAN YOU HEAR ME WELL? YES, I CAN.
YOUR, YOUR, YOUR CRACK STAFF, UH, UM, WAS ABLE TO FIX THE TELECOMMUNICATION ISSUES BY CALLING ME ON MY CELL PHONE.
I'LL BE FOLLOWING ALONG THAT WAY.
WELL, LET'S PROCEED WITH YOUR, I'M SO GLAD TO BE ABLE TO JOIN.
LET'S PROCEED WITH YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND, UH, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THIS ANNUAL UPDATE TO THE HOUSTON WATER FEES AND AGREEMENTS WITH THE TTI COMMITTEE.
UM, TODAY, MY NAME IS VENUS PRICE.
I'M THE DIRECTOR FOR DRINKING WATER OPERATIONS AND THE HOUSTON WATER SERVICE LINE OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
I'M VERY PLEASED TO BRING YOU THIS INFORMATION TODAY.
UM, REITERATING HOUSTON PUBLIC'S WORKS PURPOSE.
TOGETHER WE CREATE A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR HOUSTON TO THRIVE WITH OUR THRIVE TO THRIVE VALUES.
THE VALUE I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT TODAY IS COMMUNICATION AS WE COMMUNICATE THIS UPDATE TO THE UPCOMING COUNCIL ACTIONS FOR THE CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE THAT BRING IN RAW WATER INTO THE HOUSTON SYSTEM FOR TREATMENT AND DISTRIBUTION AND THOSE AS ASSOCIATED FEES.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE WATER CYCLE AS IT RELATES TO HOUSTON WATER, AND ALSO ESTABLISHES THE CONTEXT FOR THE ITEMS THAT WE'LL BE DISCUSSING TODAY.
THE SOURCE ON THIS GRAPHIC IS OUR WATER SUPPLY, AND THE FOLLOWING SLIDES WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE CONTRACTS AND FUNDING THAT BRINGS THAT SUPPLY INTO HOUSTON.
OUR WATER SUPPLY COMES FROM TWO SOURCES, SURFACE WATER AND GROUNDWATER.
THE MAJORITY OF OUR SUPPLY, APPROXIMATELY 85% OF IT COMES FROM SURFACE WATER.
THIS EXHIBIT ILLUSTRATES OUR SURFACE WATER SUPPLY RESERVOIRS, WHICH WE COME FROM, UH, FROM WHICH WE GET OUR SURFACE WATER, AND ALSO THE GROUNDWATER CONSERVATION DISTRICTS, WHICH REGULATE OUR GROUNDWATER SUPPLY.
THE THREE COLORS THAT YOU SEE SHOW THE LIMITS OF THE DIFFERENT SUBSIDENCE DISTRICTS IN WHICH WE OPERATE.
WE ARE PREDOMINANTLY SERVED BY THE ARYAN PINK, WHICH IS THE HARRIS GALVESTON SUBSIDENCE DISTRICT.
WE HAVE 122 WELLS IN THIS DISTRICT.
WE HAVE THREE WELLS IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, WHICH IS THE LONE STAR GROUNDWATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT, AND THREE WELLS IN FORT BEND COUNTY, WHICH IS THE FORT BEND SUBSIDED DISTRICT.
FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL SLIDES, WE'LL BRIEF ON SURFACE WATER PARTNERS WITH WHOM WE HAVE CONTRACTED TO ENSURE OUR SURFACE WATER SUPPLY SUCCESSFULLY REACHES OUR SURFACE WATER TREATMENT PLANTS.
SPECIFICALLY THE TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY FOR LAKE LIVINGSTON COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY FOR CONVEYANCE FROM TRINITY AND LAKE HOUSTON AND THE SAN JACINTO RIVER AUTHORITY FOR LAKE CONROE.
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TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY CONTRACT COVERS THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF LAKE LIVINGSTON, THE LAKE LIVINGSTON DAM, AND THE WALLACE BILL SALT WATER BARRIER ON TRINITY BAY.THIS YEAR, ADDITIONAL FUNDS ARE NEEDED FOR REPAIR WORK TO THE DAM SPILLWAY LAKE LIVINGSTON IS THE LARGEST SOURCE OF WATER FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
TWO SEPARATE REQUESTS FOR COUNCIL ACTIONS WILL BE COMING FORWARD IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS TO PAY FOR THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE BUDGET AND ASSOCIATED DEBT SERVICE.
AND THE SECOND RCA WILL BE FOR THE CAPITAL PROJECT ON THE DAM.
THE COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY CONTRACTS COVER THE CONVEYANCE FROM MOST OF THE CITY'S WATER RIGHTS, AND THESE COSTS WILL BE BROUGHT FORWARD IN REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTIONS IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
THE LOOSE BAYOU INTERFACE AND TRANSFER IS COMPRISED OF A PUMP STATION, ABOUT 23 MILES OF CANAL, THREE MILES OF DUAL 96 INCH PIPELINE, TRANSFERRING WATER FROM THE TRINITY RIVER TO LAKE HOUSTON.
THE TRINITY RIVER CONVEYANCE SYSTEM IS COMPRISED OF A PUMP STATION, ABOUT 22 MILES OF CANAL, WE CALL THE MAIN CANAL, THE LYNCHBURG RESERVOIR, AND THREE TRANSMISSION PIPELINES, WHICH CONNECT TO THE CITY'S EAST AND SOUTHEAST WATER PURIFICATION PLANT.
LAKE HOUSTON INCLUDES THE LAKE HOUSTON DAM OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, A PUMP STATION, A CANAL, WHICH WE CALL THE WEST CANAL, WHICH CONNECTS TO THE CITY'S EAST WATER PURIFICATION PLANT.
THIS CONTRACT ALSO COVERS AQUATIC VEGETATION CONTROL ON THE LAKE.
THE PICTURES THAT YOU'RE SEEING ON THESE SLIDES ARE PICTURES OF TRINITY RIVER PUMP STATION ON THE TOP AND LAKE HOUSTON DAM ON THE BOTTOM.
HERE'S SOME PHOTOS OF THE RECENTLY CONSTRUCTED LOOSE BAYOU INNER BASIN TRANSFER PROJECT, WHICH IS THE LARGEST RAW WATER SUPPLY PROJECT CONSTRUCTED IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS IN THE LAST 50 YEARS.
THE SAN CENTER RIVER AUTHORITY MANAGES LAKE CONROE.
THE CITY HAS THREE CONTRACTS WITH SJRA, THE RENEWAL, THE LAKE CONROE DAM, AND O AND M CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY AND SJRA PASSED ON OCTOBER 11TH.
THE REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION WILL BE PRESENTED IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS TO COVER THE REQUIRED COSTS.
THE BRAZOS RIVER AUTHORITY HAS A NOMINAL FEE FROM TCQ FOR THE WATER RIGHTS THAT WE HAVE ON THE BRAZOS RIVER.
THE WATER MASTERS ALLOCATE WATER BETWEEN USERS TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH WATER RIGHTS.
PAYMENTS OF THIS FEE DOES NOT REQUIRE COUNCIL ACTION.
IT'S BEING PROVIDED HERE FOR YOUR INFORMATION.
THERE ARE ALSO ANNUAL PERMIT AND POAGE FEE TO EACH OF THE SUBSIDENCE DISTRICTS.
THE NOTED FEE IS FOR THE HARRIS GALVESTON SUBSIDENCE DISTRICT, WHICH HAS PREVIOUSLY BRIEFED COVERS ABOUT 95% OF OUR WELLS.
THE FEES FOR THE OTHER TWO DISTRICTS ARE RELATIVELY NOMINAL AND DO NOT REQUIRE COUNCIL ACTION.
THIS SLIDE SUM THIS PRESENTATION AND THE COSTS AND FEES THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH OUR RAW WATER SUPPLY.
THAT CONCLUDES THE INFORMATION THAT WE WANTED TO PRESENT TO YOU TODAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MS. PRICE AND, UM, APPRECIATING THAT, UH, PRESENTATION FROM YOU, GIVEN OUR WATER SUPPLY SITUATION.
UH, THIS, I'LL REMIND FOLKS OF THIS COMMITTEE THAT THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME WE'VE HEARD OF THIS.
THIS IS A, UH, UPDATING OF THE PRESENTATION, THE CONTINUUM ON THE DISCUSSION AS WE WORK TOWARDS, UH, PROTECTING OUR FUTURE WATER SUPPLY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, I DO BELIEVE THAT THAT IS, UH, THE END OF OUR FINAL PRESENTATION.
AS I SEE NO COUNCIL MEMBERS NOR STAFF MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE, IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT WE HAVE ONE OTHER MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO IS IN THE, THE AUDIENCE TODAY WHO, UH, WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT.
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OTHER THAN OUR FRIEND, UH, MR. DOUG SMITH FROM THE WEST SIDE, SOMETIMES REFERRED AS TO AS THE BEST SIDE DISTRICT F MR. SMITH, NICE TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING.UH, TWO QUICK QUESTIONS ON THE, UH, N-H-H-I-P, UH, ON ONE OF THE SLIDES THAT SHOWS A BILLION DOLLARS IN ADDITIONAL LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL REVENUES FOR FURTHER INVESTMENT IN COMMUNITY NEEDS.
THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY, AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THERE ARE ANY INDICATIONS OF HOW THAT MONEY'S GONNA BE ALLOCATED, BUT, UH, I THINK IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE IT.
AND THEN AT THE TOP OF EVERY PAGE, THEY HAVE, UH, TOPPED 100 MOST CONGESTED 2022 RANKINGS AND A BUNCH OF NUMBERS.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT'S REFERRING TO.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW WHAT THAT'S REFERRING TO.
AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE, APPARENTLY THAT LIST, I ASKED A SIMILAR QUESTION.
IT IS FROM THE TTI GROUP, THAT'S THE TRANSPORTATION, UH, TEXAS TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE FROM TEXAS A AND M.
YEAH, IT'D BE NICE TO KNOW THE LOCATION OF THOSE LISTINGS.
OKAY, WELL, WE, WE, WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU, SIR.
AND WE WILL CIRCULATE THAT NUMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY FOR BEING PRESENT.
UM, AND WITH THAT, WE HAVE NO OTHER MEMBERS OF THE QUEUE IN THE QUEUE.
SO FOR TODAY, I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT THE PRE ALL PRESENTATIONS SEEN TODAY WILL BE AVAILABLE AND ARE ALREADY ONLINE AT THE TTI WEBSITE.
THAT'S WWW.HOUSTONTX.GOV/COUNSEL/COMMITTEES/TTI.HTML.
I'D LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE NEXT MEETING OF THE TTI COMMITTEE AND MY LAST AS YOUR CHAIR AND THE LAST OF 2023 WILL BE DECEMBER 12TH AT 10:00 AM PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS DEVIATES FROM OUR NORMAL PATTERN OF BEING THE FIRST THURSDAY OF THE MONTH.
AGAIN, THAT'S DECEMBER 12TH, 2023 AT 10:00 AM AND WITH THAT, WE ARE ADJOURNED.