290 on the boards
I often hear complaints that TxDOT keeps information close to its chest. So Robin Holzer and I were pleasantly surprised when Wednesday’s public meeting for the 290 corridor study presented not just study schedules and friendly engineering consultants but a full set of schematics for the entire corridor. Here’s what we learned:
- The study includes 3 projects: an expansion of 290, a new toll road /HOV facility (the “managed lanes”) and a reserved right-of-way for future transit. 290 will be done by TxDOT, and the Managed Lanes by HCTRA. Presumably, the transit facility would be built by METRO, but it’s not going to happen anytime soon. Instead, TxDOT will acquire and set aside the right-of-way.
- There is an existing, lightly used Union Pacific freight rail line paralleling Hempstead Road along the entire corridor. The schematics show the entire 100 foot width of this right of way remaining untouched. METRO is planning on commuter rail for this corridor; presumably it would use this right-of-way.
- TXDot’s schedule shows the managed lanes under construction from 2010 to 2013, with 290 construction beginning thereafter. That means the managed lanes would be available during the construction of the freeway. But it could also mean that the 290 construction could be delayed indefinitely while HCTRA makes money.
- The current HOV would be removed from 290 to make more room for mainlanes. Instead METROExpress commuter busses would use the Managed Lanes. The important question here is whether the bus service would be of the same quality it is today. That requires the toll roads to be free-flowing at rush hour, which we can’t tell from the schematics. But we can tell if the park-and-rides along the corridor have direct access to the managed lanes like they have to the HOV lane today. The good news first: the schematics show ramps connecting the managed lanes directly to the Northwest Transit Center and the Northwest Station Park and Ride (see below). The bad news: while the Little York P&R is directly adjacent to the managed lanes, busses would have to go through 3 stoplights to get there from the exit ramp, and the Pinemont P&R has even less direct access. Moreover, none of the P&R lots have access to the managed lanes outbound, which means each bus could stop at only 1 P&R. However, TxDOT is working with METRO on a new P&R at Skinner Road.
- The schematics show three connections at the inner end of the managed lanes: ramps to the West Loop, ramps to the Northwest Transit Center, and mysterious dead-end stubouts. TxDOT’s Roger Gonzalez says that these are connections for the future extension of the managed lanes towards Downtown. This is a HCTRA project and not part of the study. Gonzalez says HCTRA is considering an alignment along Hempstead Highway and Washington Boulevard to a connection with I-10. See the Eureka Corridor fact sheet.
- The schematics show a lengthy overpass for FM 1960 over Hempstead Road, the future transit corridor, the UP railroad line, 290, and Wortham, allowing through traffic on 1960 to cross the 290 corridor without a traffic light. Frontage roads would be built alongside the overpass for connections to 290 and to serve existing businesses. In essence,1960 would become a freeway for a short stretch. The schematics show a direct connection from westbound 290 to westbound 1960.
There will be one more meeting like this tomorrow, October 7.
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