Region View June 2022

H-GAC Transportation Newsletter: June 2022

Transportation Policy Council Meeting: May 20

At its meeting on May 20, the Transportation Policy Council approved the 2023-2026 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

The fiscally constrained financial plan identifies those transportation improvement projects in the region that should be prioritized for implementation over the next four years. Notable projects in the 2023-2026 TIP include an inner Katy bus-rapid transit project along IH-10 into downtown Houston; reconstruction and widening projects of major freeways in Brazoria, Galveston, and Montgomery counties; projects to help mitigate air quality and improve freight movement; and mixed-use street developments that improve safety and better accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians.

The policy council also approved the membership roster of the new Regional Transportation Safety Task Force. Earlier in March, the TPC established the Regional Transportation Safety Task Force to consider more aggressive, comprehensive strategies, policies, and approaches to transportation safety in the region and reverse the troubling rise in fatalities and injuries on our roadways. The roster includes 18 members representing cities, counties, transportation agencies, and community groups throughout the 8-county metropolitan planning area, with room for more.

Additional items the policy council approved and discussed were the 2024 and 2026 Transit Asset Management performance measures and targets, amendments to the 2021-2024 TIP and the 2045 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), and the continued outreach efforts to solicit public input and involvement in updating the 2045 RTP.

Finally, the policy council presented an award recognizing the service of Patrick Mandapaka, H-GAC's former assistant director of transportation. Mandapaka left his position in May to pursue an opportunity at the Harris County Office of Engineering. The policy council also unanimously passed a resolution honoring the life and service of Galveston County Commissioner Ken Clark, who passed away on May 8.

The next TPC meeting is scheduled to take place at 9:30 a.m., Friday, June 24. The meeting agenda can be viewed online at www.h-gac.com/transportation-policy-council/meeting-agendas. To view or listen to the video recording of the latest TPC meeting, click here.

Missed the RTP Update Public Meetings? You Can Still Share Your Thoughts on How We Can Improve Transportation by Taking the Visioning Survey

2045 Regional Transportation Plan Update

H-GAC is still collecting feedback on how we can improve our region's robust transportation network. Residents and stakeholders who did not have a chance to attend our public meetings last month but still want to make their voices heard can do so by completing the visioning survey online at h-gac.com/RTP.

The survey only takes five minutes to complete, and it is the easiest, fastest way to share your transportation needs and how we can improve upon our 2045 Regional Transportation Plan. The survey will remain open until July 31. Residents can also visit the RTP update project page to learn more about the plan, view a recording of the June 2 virtual public meeting, interact with our Transportation 101 story map, or use our comment map to pin specific areas in your community in need of attention.

Help us connect the dots to make getting around the region safer and better for generations to come.

H-GAC Welcomes New COO Onyinye Akujuo to the Leadership Team

H-GAC is proud to welcome Onyinye Akujuo as chief operating officer. Akujuo began her role at H-GAC on May 9. Click on the below image to learn more about her.

Prepare for Hurricane Season with Zip Zone Maps and Tips from H-GAC

H-GAC was recently featured on Great Day Houston to discuss hurricane preparedness.

Residents who live in an evacuation zone are encouraged to visit our hurricane evacuation planning page for this year's zip zone maps and important tips to help develop their evacuation plan.

Visit TogetherAgainstTheWeather.com for tool kits and strategies on preparing your home and family for a hurricane or severe storm. The page also contains helpful materials for those caring for small children, individuals with disabilities or special needs, and those with health conditions.

David Fink Discusses No-Cost Tow and Go Program on Around H-Town Podcast on 104.1 KRBE

David Fink, safety and regional incident management program manager at H-GAC, recently appeared on 104.1 KRBE's Around H-Town community affairs podcast.

In the episode, which aired on May 22, Fink discussed the Gulf Coast Regional Tow and Go Program, which provides no-cost towing service to stranded vehicles on all camera-monitored freeways in Harris County, Jersey Village, Bellaire, La Porte, and Humble, Texas.

Learn more at towandgo.com. To contact Tow and Go for assistance, call 713-881-3333.

Ride Safer with H-GAC's Free Online Bike Safety Course

Learn the road rules about bicycling and how to share the road safely with motorists and pedetrians in our free online bike safety course, provided in partnership by H-GAC and CyclingSavvy. This easy to follow course applies real-world scenarios unique to the Houston-Galveston region and is available to bicyclists at all experience levels.

Learn more about H-GAC's other bike safety resources and planning initiatives by visiting our Bike Safety web page.

Five Commute Solutions to Help You Save Money on the Road

The recent hikes in gas prices have forced commuters to rethink the way they commute. Here are five alternate commuting options that help save money:

Carpool with a colleague to share the cost of your commute and save wear and tear on your vehicle. Carpooling also gives you access to the HOV lanes, which may shorten your drive to work.
Vanpool with your colleagues or with others from nearby employers. This option is similar to carpooling, but your costs may be lower based on the number of riders assigned to your group.
Transit options are available throughout the Greater Houston area with both local (bus or rail) and commuter (park-and-ride) choices.
Bike or walk to work if you live two miles or less away from your employer. You will save money on gas, and it’s a great cardio workout.
Telework is a great alternative to saving on daily commuting costs. Did you know that your car insurance may be cheaper based on your lowered usage from teleworking?

If you would like an estimate on how much you can save by changing your commuting patterns, try our “Make Your Commute Count” interactive calculator.

Visit yourcommutesolution.org for additional resources to assist with your commute. Need a more customized plan to help you commute to work? Contact the Commute Solutions team at [email protected].

Livable Centers Study Plays Role in City of Houston RAISE Application

A rendering and recommendations from Live/Viva Greater Eastwood, a 2020 H-GAC Livable Centers study, are included in the city of Houston’s application for a Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant to transform Telephone Road.

The project, if funded, would include several safety improvements, including adding or enhancing bike lanes; improving sidewalks and crosswalks; converting traffic lanes to more pedestrian-friendly spaces; and connecting similar projects north and south of the project. This planned project fills the gap between The Harrisburg Redevelopment and Gulfgate Redevelopment authorities’ projects to create a 5-mile multimodal thoroughfare between the Hobby area and Houston’s East End (reported by Chron.com).

Among other recommendations, the Livable Centers study highlights increasing sidewalk width, adding protected bike lanes, providing two drive lines and a center turn lane where possible, increasing pedestrian areas (including seating), and adding street trees, shade, and other placemaking elements along Telephone Road.

H-GAC's Livable Centers Program works with local communities to reimagine auto-focused infrastructure, policies, and programs to be more multimodal-friendly.

Learn How Drones Can Help with Environmental Enforcement at Solid Waste Workshop on July 14

Attend H-GAC’s Solid Waste Workshop Series: Drones in Environmental Enforcement from 1 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 14. The workshop will take place in person at the H-GAC office (3555 Timmons Ln.) inside the second floor conference rooms.

Brandon Karr, chief pilot and UAS program coordinator with the Pearland Police Department, will discuss the rules surrounding drone use and how they are used in environmental enforcement.

Please register online prior to attending the event. For more information, contact Erin Livingston.

Don't Pay the Price! Practice Safe Driving Habits while Traversing Our Region's Roads

Traffic fatalities in Texas are trending in the wrong direction. Last year alone, more than 3,500 people lost their lives on Texas roads. You can protect yourself from becoming another statistic by adopting safe driving habits. Always drive at safe speeds, avoid distractions, never drive angry or under the influence, and be mindful and courteous when sharing the road with pedestrians, bicyclists, people with disabilities, and transit riders. By practicing these responsible habits, you can avoid paying the price.

Visit h-gac.com/paytheprice for tips and resources on how you can help improve transportation safety in the region.

Upcoming Meetings

Transportation Policy

Council Meeting

Friday, June 24

9:30-11 a.m.

Transportation Advisory Committee Meeting

Wednesday, July 13

9:30-11:30 a.m.

H-GAC MPO in the News