bryan district - texas a&m university · bryan district downtown houston 150,000 workers 7...
TRANSCRIPT
Bryan District
BRYAN DISTRICTDoing a Big Project in a Small City:
Preparing for the Bush–Wellborn
Interchange
Chad Bohne, TxDOT-Bryan
Tim Lomax, TTI
Bryan District
Project Site Location
2
Bryan District
PROJECT
BACKGROUND
High volume of
pedestrians,
bicyclists, buses,
vehicles, trains
200+ nearby special,
athletic and
university events
Congestion
Many trains
Bryan District
PROJECT
BACKGROUND
Southwest
gateway to
A&M/Bryan/
College Station
Bryan District
PROJECT
BACKGROUND
A&M
63,000 students (2017)
B/CS
215,000 to 350,000 (2040)
GROWTH—
TAMU and
Bryan/College
Station
Bryan District
Downtown
Houston
150,000
workers
7 Freeways
Downtown
Dallas
145,000
workers
6 Freeways
Downtown
Austin
125,000
workers
4 Freeways
75,000students, faculty,
staff
0
Freeways
4TH LARGEST TEXAS DOWNTOWN
MONDAY through FRIDAY
Bryan District
PROJECT
GOALS
Improve
Safety
Bryan District
Reduce
Congestion
PROJECT
GOALS
Bryan District9
Kyle Field 2013
Big game congestion
means BIG worries
for the $485MM
expansion
Bryan District
Congestion
Not Just a
Gameday
Experience
PROJECT
GOALS
1995
42,000 students
140,000 Brazos County
2003
45,000 students
160,000 BrazCty
2017
63,000 students
205,000 Brazos County
Bryan District
43,000 45,000 48,000
A&M Enrollment
Bryan District
Grade Separation Layout
16
Bryan District
CONSTRUCTION CONCEPT
Full closure for some period rather than maintain
traffic on narrow roads for many years
DEVELOPED BY AGREEMENT BETWEEN:
Bryan District
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
Right of way
Construction
Date?
Funding?
We are confident that we can get funding if we have
the right project with public support
TIM LOMAX
MADISON METSKER-GALARZA
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
That Was Then
……..
What’s Different
Now? bwx-bcs.org
Increase safety &
capacity
Widen to 6 lanes
Complete 2021
WHAT’S NEW? FM 2818 Improvement
Kyle Field 2017
• Contraflow & staffing
• Traffic cleared by 2 hours
• Fans appreciate service &
wonder about using same
approach on weekdays
PROJECT
GOALS
Minimize
Construction
Disruption
email:[email protected]
We will analyze your input and
bring back concepts and
schedules in the Fall.
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS
• Raise awareness of outreach; get people to Survey; answer questions, dispel myths (well, try anyway)
• >>We will be back with concepts and schedules
• 43 meetings, 1,100 attendees
• On-campus groups
• Councils, Commissioners, Community meetings
• In the MSC hallway, Outside Blue Bell Park
• Placements within other briefings
• Largest ~100 attendees
• 29 had 25 or fewer attendees
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT SURVEY RESULTS
4,100 completed surveys AND 4,000+ comments
• Do Something!
• Too much traffic, need separation from railroad
• Bike and ped safety upgrades
• Down rather than up. (Some confusion about ‘underpass’)
• Rapid construction with short closure time
• We’ll deal with traffic disruption by
• Changing routes, and…
• Crickets……
• Appreciate the chance to provide input.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO THE PROJECT
• Develop depressed and elevated concept
• Wider shared use path; full ‘ped box’ at intersection
• Accommodate a range of ‘futures’; land use will change
• What does rapid mean? Short closure or short project?
• Develop two schedules
• Shortest start to finish
• Least closure time
• Education on key role of travel paths, mode and arrival time
• Sketch-up drawings
• Community meetings, social media, answer questions
CONSTRUCTION CONCEPT
24/7
construction
schedule
Railroad
continues
operation
Close whole
intersection for
6 months
Open Wellborn
through roads
Keep Bush
closed another
3 months
Current (Possible) Idea
WHAT COULD HAPPEN?
MANAGE
Expectations
Travel Options
THE CHALLENGE
Improve
intersection
Maintain
traffic
Maintain
mobility
Minimize
effects
Minimize
extra costs
Re-engage
stakeholders