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City Council |
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Agenda Request |
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Agenda Of: |
4/15/08 |
Agenda Request No: |
V B |
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Initiated By: |
Michael Leech Assistant Director of Public Works |
Responsible Department: |
Public Works and Intergovernmental Relations |
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Presented By: |
Michael Leech Assistant Director of Public Works |
Department Head: |
Mike Hobbs, Director of Public Works |
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Presented By: |
Dale A. Rudick Director of Intergovernmental Relations |
Additional Department. Head (s): |
Dale A. Rudick Director of Intergovernmental Relations |
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Subject / Proceeding: |
Review and Discussion of S.H. 6 Access Management Study and approve
corresponding Resolution to Encourage Funding |
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Exhibits: |
Project limits map Resolution No. 08-13 & Related Letter |
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Clearances |
Approval |
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Legal: |
Joe D. Morris City Attorney |
Executive Director: |
Joe Esch Bus. & Intergov. Relations |
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Purchasing: |
N/A |
Asst. City Manager: |
Karen Daly |
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Budget: |
N/A |
City Manager: |
Allen Bogard |
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Budget |
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Expenditure Required: $ |
-0- |
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Current Budget:
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N/A |
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Additional Funding:
$ |
N/A |
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Recommended Action |
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The Public Works and Intergovernmental Relations Departments recommend City Council review and discuss the results of the S.H. 6 Access Management Study and Approve Resolution No. 08-13. |
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Executive Summary |
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At the October 17, 2006 City Council Meeting, an Interlocal Agreement with
H-GAC was approved by City Council for the performance of a S. H. 6 Access
Management Study. The study area
included approximately 23 miles of S.H. 6 from Almeda Road (FM 521) in Fort
Bend County to IH-10 West in Harris County.
Approximately 6.8 of the 23 miles of study area are within Sugar Land City
limits. The purpose of the study was to identify short-term (1-4 year
timeframe) and medium-term (5-10 year timeframe) transportation solutions,
improve traffic flow, improve safety, reduce motorist delay and assess
long-term (11+ year timeframe) corridor needs. The study was a cooperative effort of
several entities sharing jurisdiction of S.H. 6 including: Fort Bend County,
Harris County, Missouri City and the City of Houston. Each of the partnering entities contributed
a share of the $80,000 required by HGAC as a 20 percent local match for the
year long $400,000 study. Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. was selected by the project team as the
consultant for the study. A summation
of the study findings is contained in the following chart.
The short term improvements identified for the City of Sugar Land
include the construction of raised medians.
Staff concurs with the raised medians and will work to ensure that the
medians are designed and constructed to our current landscape standards as
identified in the Right-of-way (ROW) Policy.
The short term improvements require no additional ROW as they are all
located within the existing S.H. 6 ROW limits. The medium term improvements focus on driveway and cross access
consolidation. Though the amount
estimated for construction of these improvements is relatively low, this
aspect of the project will require a significant amount of coordination
efforts between the City, TxDOT and the owners of the driveway which include
more than 50 local businesses. The long term improvements pertain to the construction of additional
right and left turn lanes at intersections.
The long term improvements will also require a significant amount of
coordination effort as additional ROW will be needed to construct the
improvements as proposed. Additional
information about the results of the study, including the locations of the
recommendations, will be shared with City Council during the presentation of
this item in the form of project schematics as prepared by Kimley-Horn. The following outlines staff’s recommendation to fund the proposed
improvements: The Transportation
Policy Council (TPC) formally approved the S.H. 6 Access Management Study in
February. As a result, Commissioner
Patterson set up a meeting that included Frank Simpson of Missouri City;
Council member Dennis Parmer and Dale Rudick representing Sugar Land; Rose
Hernandez representing Harris County Judge Emmett; Alan Clark of H-GAC and
others. The intent was to formulate a
strategy to get the State to fund the $27 million in recommended improvements
for the entire corridor as described in the study. Approximately $14.5 million of these
improvements is identified within Fort Bend County. TxDOT was recently
forced to eliminate projects totaling $30 million for proposed overpasses on
S.H. 6 at Westheimer and Bellaire due to public opposition. TxDOT-Houston says the funds cannot be used
for anything else. The consensus of
local government leaders is to go directly to Transportation Commissioner Ned
Holmes to see if we can utilize that specified overpass money (that was to
improve safety) for the safety improvements recommended in the S.H. 6 Access
Management Study. The key is to show
the unity of all six agencies (two counties & four cities). Attached is a resolution for City Council
consideration encouraging the Transportation Commission to fund the
recommended safety improvements as identified in the S.H. 6 Access Management
Study utilizing the $30 million originally slated to pay for overpasses on
S.H. 6 at Westheimer Road and Bellaire Boulevard. To date, Fort Bend County and Missouri City
have approved a similar resolution. This resolution
does not commit the City to any financial obligation. It is only a proactive measure to request the
State to consider funding these identified safety improvements along a
corridor where safety funds were once obligated. |
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Exhibits |
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/for AB
RESOLUTION NO. 08-13
A RESOLUTION OF THE
CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SUGAR LAND, TEXAS, ENCOURAGING THE TEXAS
TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION TO FUND THE RECOMMENDED SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AS
IDENTIFIED IN THE H-GAC STATE HIGHWAY 6 ACCESS MANAGEMENT STUDY.
WHEREAS, an Access Management Study for State Highway 6 (S.H. 6) was performed on a 23-mile section between F.M. 521 in Fort Bend County to Interstate 10 in Harris County; and
WHEREAS, S.H. 6 is a regional highway that serves as a hurricane evacuation route; and
WHEREAS, the S.H. 6 cross-section is predominately a six-lane roadway that handles a large volume of traffic that oftentimes exceeds capacity and continues to witness increasing traffic volumes; and
WHEREAS, the S.H. 6 corridor has an unusually large number of conflict points due to the continuous left turn lane and frequently placed driveways; and
WHEREAS, the Access Management Study’s recommendations, if implemented, will improve both safety and traffic flow by eliminating a majority of the left turn lane conflict points; and
WHEREAS, each local agency traversed by the S.H.6 corridor actively and financially participated in the study and is represented by Harris County, Fort Bend County, City of Houston, City of Sugar Land, City of Missouri City and City of Arcola; and
WHEREAS, the Transportation Policy Council adopted the TxDOT-sanctioned study on February 22, 2008; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF
SUGAR LAND, TEXAS:
Section 1. That it supports the attached letter requesting funding for the recommended S.H. 6 Access Management Study Improvements;
Section 2. That it encourages the Texas Transportation Commission to authorize the TxDOT-Houston District office to reprogram $30 million from two S.H. 6 overpasses to implement the safety improvements identified in the S.H. 6 Access Management Study.
APPROVED ON _________________________, 2008
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David G. Wallace, Mayor
ATTEST:
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Glenda Gundermann, City Secretary
Reviewed for Legal Compliance:
Attachment: Letter dated April 4, 2008
