US 69 RELIEF ROUTE STUDY Jacksonville, Texas PUBLIC MEETING #3 August 28 th 2018 US 69 Jacksonville Relief Route Study August 28 th , 2018 1 Welcome to the final public meeting for the US 69 Relief Route Study in Jacksonville. This presentation will give a recap of the information that was presented at previous public meetings held on February 22 nd and May 29 th of 2018, as well an overview of the process considered to determine recommended corridors. 1
Purpose and Need NEED: NEED: NEED: NEED: • US 69 is inadequate to meet current and future traffic volumes Increased travel times • Reduced mobility • • Texas Highway Freight Network • High crash rate • Increased congestion and decline in efficiency during hurricane evacuations PURPOSE: PURPOSE: PURPOSE: PURPOSE: Improve safety • Enhance freight mobility • Reduce travel time • Increase mobility • Improve the overall Level of Service • Facilitate efficient hurricane evacuation • US 69 Jacksonville Relief Route Study August 28 th , 2018 2 • An early task for the project was the development of the purpose and need for a US 69 relief route. We found that US 69 is inadequate to meet the current and future traffic volumes. • In the 200 miles between Tyler and Beaumont, there are 27 traffic signals on US 69 and almost a third of them, 8, are in Jacksonville. The most congested of these 8 intersections, at Loop 456, US 79 and SH 135, are operating with severe congestion • The Jacksonville area is projected to have 30% population growth between 2010 to 2040, and traffic is expected to increase similarly. • Additionally, US 69 is on the Texas Highway Freight Network and is expected to see an increase in truck traffic in the future • In downtown Jacksonville, the crash rate along US 69 is up to 65% higher than statewide average. • The purpose of the US 69 relief route will be to increase safety by reducing crashes, give through truck traffic along US 69 an alternate route around Jacksonville, instead of forcing the trucks through downtown, reduce congestion through Jacksonville, and in turn reduce the travel time and increase mobility and make hurricane evacuation through Jacksonville more efficient. 2
Universe of Alternative Corridors US 69 Jacksonville Relief Route Study August 28 th , 2018 3 At the second public meeting held on May 29 th , 2018, the study team presented a map of the alternative corridors. That map, with all of the alternative corridors, is shown here. At the meeting, the study team answered questions and gathered comments to the study. Additionally, people were encouraged to highlight their preferred route, if they had one, and submit that as a comment to the study team. 3
TRAFFIC ANALYSIS – Truck Traffic Truck Traffic on Relief Route – Western Alternatives 575 700 trucks 125 100 1,050 trucks 950 900 trucks 25 875 No Improvements Relief Route Projection US 69 Jacksonville Relief Route Study August 28 th , 2018 4 • As a part of our traffic analysis, we looked at the number of trucks that would potentially use the relief route, and in doing so, reduce the number of trucks driving through downtown on US 69 • Looking at the projected traffic for 2040, the left side shows the total number of trucks, including both northbound and southbound traffic, that would be traveling through Jacksonville on US 69 if no relief route was built. • If nothing is done we project 700 trucks per day using US 69 north of US 175, 1,050 trucks between US 175 and US 79, and 900 trucks south of US 79. • If a relief route was constructed on the western side of Jacksonville, our projections show that 575 trucks per day would use the relief route from US 69 to US 175, with 125 still using US 69 • From US 175 to US 79, 950 trucks would use the relief route, leaving 100 trucks using US 69 • And from US 79 to US 69 to the south, 875 trucks would use the relief route, leaving only 25 trucks per day on US 69. 4
TRAFFIC ANALYSIS – Truck Traffic Truck Traffic on Relief Route – Eastern Alternatives 575 700 trucks 125 1,050 trucks 475 550 900 trucks 350 No Improvements Relief Route Projection US 69 Jacksonville Relief Route Study August 28 th , 2018 5 • If a relief route was constructed on the eastern side of Jacksonville, our projections show that 575 trucks per day would use the relief route from US 69 to US 79, with 125 still using US 69 • From US 175 to US 79, 475 trucks would still use US 69 • And from US 79 to US 69 to the south, 550 trucks would use the relief route, leaving 350 trucks per day on US 69. 5
Factors Considered Meets All Aspects of Purpose and Need • Potential Environmental Impacts • Parks • Cemeteries • Affected Structures • Cultural Resources • Wetlands • Floodplain • Farm Soils • Streams • Hazardous Material Sites • Historical • Environmental Justice • Public Opinion • Cost • US 69 Jacksonville Relief Route Study August 28 th , 2018 6 • To help us determine if a corridor should be brought forward for further study in the next phase of the project, we scored the corridors using several factors. • First, was whether or not the corridor met all aspects of the purpose and need • Next, we looked at the potential environmental impact of each 1,000-foot corridor. These include potential impacts to: parks, cemeteries, residential and other structures, cultural resources, wetlands, floodplains, farmland, streams, hazardous material sites, potential historical sites and markers, and low income and minority population areas. • Following that, we gauged public opinion based on comments that were submitted to the team, as well as tallying the preferred routes that were highlighted and submitted to the team. • Finally, we looked at the potential construction costs for each corridor. • We then ranked the corridors based on their scores in each of the four categories; purpose and need, potentially adverse environmental impacts, public opinion and construction cost. 6
Recommended Corridors US 69 Jacksonville Relief Route Study August 28 th , 2018 7 We averaged the rankings and made the determination that it is appropriate to bring the top two ranked corridors forward for further study. These two corridors are both on the west side of Jacksonville. They both tie-in to US 69 south of Craft, the turn north near Gum Creek. The two corridors diverge northwest of Jacksonville., with the southern corridor tying into US 69 near Love’s Lookout, and the other recommended corridor tying into US 69 about 1.5 miles further north. We have also included the connection to US 69 along Loop 456. This connection would use the existing corridor and promote connectivity to the Loop east of US 69. In general, public opinion that was expressed during the May 29 th Open House comment period was evenly divided between western and eastern corridors. However, each of the western corridors better addressed the purpose and need for the project by enhancing freight mobility through the greater number of trucks forecasted to use the facility. The western corridors also better addressed the purpose and need through the greater facilitation of hurricane evacuation due to the connection to US 175. The recommended corridors both ranked at the top for the least amount of potentially adverse environmental impacts The combination of these factors is what brought these two corridors forward to be considered for further study. The corridors shown here, and in the exhibits in the main room, show 1,000-foot corridors. The 1,000-foot width is for this analysis only. As the project moves forward, analysis will be done on narrower alignments within the corridors, with a typical width of 400-feet. These alignments will be developed to avoid and minimize potential impacts. 7
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