Item 3E I35 Presentation — original pdf

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IH-35 Capital Express 2nd Scoping Process Mar. 11 through Apr. 9, 2021 Austin Transportation Department Update 3-26-21 1 IH35 Capital Express Project – Today’s Agenda • Recap of I-35 Project as proposed by TxDOT • Key City objectives • Range of alternatives and evaluation criteria • Environmental process timeline • 2nd Project Scoping Timeline 3/29/2021 2 2 TxDOT IH35 Capital Express Alternatives • Add two, non-tolled managed lanes (HOV) in each direction along IH35 from US 290 East to SH 71/Ben White Blvd. • Flyovers at IH35 and US 290 E • Various operational and safety enhancements, enhancing bicycle and pedestrian paths • Could pre-build substructure to support lidding, but lid is not part of current project Project Cost Capital Express: $4.9 Billion 3/29/20 21 3 3 I-35 Capital Express Central Project Includes improvements along approximately 8 miles of I-35, from US 290 East to SH 71/Ben White Boulevard, with additional flyovers at I-35 and US 290 East – Construct two managed lanes in each direction • Managed lanes, such as high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, are a set of lanes within a highway that are separated from the mainlanes • Access is controlled by placing restrictions on use – Reconstruct ramps, bridges and intersections – Improve frontage roads – Enhance bicycle and pedestrian paths – Accommodate transit routes 4 Austin City Council Mobility Committee March 11, 2021 4 I-35 is Outdated 5 Austin City Council Mobility Committee March 11, 2021 5 I-35 is Outdated Key Observations • I-35 is critical to Austin’s economic sustainability & mobility • • • • 200,000 to 300,000 vehicles per day indicates that the facility is critical to the success of Austin as a primary travel corridor 86% Local travel indicates these trips are serving places within the region This level of travel cannot be replaced with existing/expanded City arterial capacity This level of travel can be enhanced but likely not replaced with funded transit investments due to diversity of travel origins & destinations 6 Austin City Council Mobility Committee March 11, 2021 6 I-35 is Outdated Key Observations • The existing I-35 requires replacement • • • City of Austin crash statistics indicate that I-35 is one of our highest crash concerns for serious injury and fatalities Existing I-35 design is inadequate and substandard (one of the State’s oldest freeways) Existing I-35 operations create grid congestion, improved access to our primary employment destinations is needed I-35 prevents adequate E/W pedestrian and other travel, leading to congestion and preventable fatalities The existing I-35 is a physical manifestation of racial segregation and needs to be addressed • • 7 Austin City Council Mobility Committee March 11, 2021 7 I-35 is Outdated Key Observations • Reconstruction of any kind will be impactful, making expansion of I-35 a reasonable proposition. • • • Reconstruction at this scale will likely last a decade and will cause impacts. Expanding ability to move people, freight, and goods should be considered. Improve N/S and E/W mobility should be part of design. Improvements should address access to Capital, State, and Downtown employment centers. Project should avoid, minimize, and mitigate potential community & environmental impacts • • 8 • Operational concepts need to dictate design, managed express versus HOV. • Opportunities for lidding should be preserved Austin City Council Mobility Committee March 11, 2021 8 Three Proposed Build Alternatives vs. No-Build Norte No-Build Build Alternative 1 Build Alternative 2 Build Alternative 3 Frontage Road (Ground Level) I-35 mainlanes Managed lanes Managed Lanes Tunnel Managed lanes and mainlanes Existing upper/lower deck area East-west crossing over roadway East-west crossing under roadway Austin City Council Mobility Committee The profiles depicted here are intended to convey the general concepts of the proposed build alternatives. All build alternatives are preliminary and subject to change. Image is not to scale. March 11, 2021 9 Envision I-35 at 8th Street (all build alternatives) 1 0 Austin City Council Mobility Committee March 11, 2021 10 Design Option: Direct Transit Access UT 1 1 Austin City Council Mobility Committee March 11, 2021 11 TxDOT Evaluation Criteria for Build Alternatives Aligned with TxDOT's Road to Zero Initiative and City of Austin's Vision Zero Initiative Improves east-west connectivity Improves emergency response time for EMS, police, fire, and hospitals Accommodates CapMetro Project Connect improvements at cross routes Emergency egress requirements Constructability Reduction in crash rate Amount of new right of way (ROW) required General purpose travel time Utility conflicts Managed lane travel time Drainage infrastructure complexity Reduction in travel demand in adjacent transportation roadway network Opportunity and complexity of future expansion Deck Plaza Local Enhancements, accommodation for caps Annual cost of delay Minimize construction cost Minimize operation and maintenance cost Highlight = COA influenced criteria Minimize residential displacements Minimize business displacements Minimize minority and low-income property displacements Minimize visual impacts Archeological sites and cemeteries Historic properties Hazardous materials Traffic noise Parks purchased with Land and Water Conservation Funds Park impacts 12 Key City of Austin Objectives for IH-35 • Multi-modal mobility, Improve: • Safety along and across corridor • Access to central core/DT • Ensure direct transit access to facility • Pedestrian, Bicycle & Transit access • E-W connectivity • Support lowered highway option and construction of lids and/or wide bridges • Consider future lid as option to mitigate impacts as part of EIS • Include as part of base construction • Mitigation for multitude of impacts • Advocate for Tolled Lanes to Improve Person Carrying Capacity • Supports higher capacity usage • Avoid, minimize or mitigate impacts • Parks • Historic Features • Watershed • Environmental Justice • Noise, etc. • One Voice from COA departments • Advocate for COA adopted policies and plans • SD23, Imagine Austin • Austin Strategic Mobility Plan • Vision Zero, etc. • Amplify Public Engagement 13 13 Key Mayor and CM Objectives for IH-35 • Improve Safety • Increase Person Carrying Capacity • Prioritize and Enhance Commuter Transit • Removing I-35 as a Physical and Social Barrier • Compatibility with Local Plans • Consider ULI, Reconnect Austin Design Efforts • Focus on Access and Reducing VMT • Economic Costs of Crashes • Further economic sustainability and reducing socioeconomic and cultural inequities • Opportunities for Value Capture • Prevent Displacement • Consider Air Quality, Noise, Flooding impacts 14 14 Next Steps in the Process Austin City Council Mobility Committee March 11, 2021 15 15 Second I-35 “Capital Express” Scoping Timeline 3/8 3/9 3/10 3/11 ATD Briefed City Departments about 2nd Scoping for Evaluation Criteria Briefed Urban Transportation Commission Participated in TxDOT Agency Scoping Meeting Learned TxDOT will “environmentally clear” the caps with their Environmental Impact Statement but still rely on COA to pay for it. (Mobility Committee) Briefed DAA and OurFuture35 groups on I-35 Alternatives Conducted 4 resource sessions for COA departments on TxDOT Evaluation Criteria: 3/11 3/15 – 17 Environmental and Cultural Resources Public Safety • • • Utilities, Operations and Maintenance • East-West Access, Cap & Stitch 3/22 -24 3/24 3/24 3/25 3/26 3/27 3/26 4/6 4/9 Facilitated University of Texas NEPA crash course for 20 COA employees Brief CMO Brief CM’s Kitchen, Fuentes, Harper-Madison, Renteria re: TxDOT I-35 Alternatives Council resolution Target one-on-one briefings to other Council Members UTC Presentation COA Department comments due to ATD, compile and create master narrative CMO final review of COA 2nd Scoping comments COA 2nd Scoping comments due to TxDOT 16 16