Lubbock Metropolitan Transportation Plan Fiscal Year 2012-2040 Lubbock Metropolitan Planning Organization 2012 - 2040 METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN Approved by the Transportation Policy Committee: August 21, 2012 1 Lubbock Metropolitan Transportation Plan Fiscal Year 2012-2040 Disclaimer Statement: The preparation of this report has been financed in part through grant[s] from the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Texas Department of Transportation, under the State Planning and Research Program, Section 505 [or Metropolitan Planning Program, Section 104(f)] of Title 23, U.S. Code. The contents of this report do not necessarily reflect the official views or policy of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Lubbock Metropolitan Planning Organization, as a recipient of Federal financial assistance and under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes, ensures that no person shall on the grounds of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age or disability be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any Department programs or activities. La Organización de Planificación Metropolitana Lubbock, como recipient de Asistencia Financiera Federal y según el Acta de Derechos Civiles Titulo VI del 1964 y estatutos relacionados, asegura que ninguna persona sera excluida a causa de raza, religión, color, origen nacional, sexo, edad o incapacidad de participación en, o negados los beneficios de, o de otra manera sea sujeto a discriminación en cualquiera de los programas o actividades del Departamento. 2 Lubbock Metropolitan Transportation Plan Fiscal Year 2012-2040 Executive Summary The Lubbock Metropolitan Planning Organization (LMPO) will face a number of challenges in the coming decades. Population growth is anticipated to continue, which will result in increased congestion and immense burdens placed on existing infrastructure. Congestion associated with such growth will also result in diminished air quality, increased travel times and overall decreases in quality of life. Confronting these challenges requires a comprehensive and multifaceted approach to ensure that individuals’ traveling and commuting needs are meet and that goods and services are readily available throughout the metropolitan service area. Projections have been difficult to make with continued extensions of SAFETEA-LU. The House and Senate have adopted a new highway transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21). The bill was signed by the President on Friday, July 6, 2012. The $105-billion piece of legislation provides funding for essential highway and public transportation programs, most of which are in the form of formula-based allocations that direct money automatically to states and metropolitan areas. The bill will be in effect for 27 months, expiring in September 2014. Due to the time constraints of this document being approved, the Lubbock MPO will revise the 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) accordingly as requirements become effective. Funding sources and projections for the 2040 MTP were utilized from the formulas and historical allocations from the SAFETEA-LU transportation bill. Historical funding from local government agencies were also incorporated into this Plan. Projects in the Constrained List were ranked with a Project Selection Criteria format and submitted to both the Transportation Advisory and Policy Committees. Priorities were changed accordingly by the two Committees and ultimately the Policy Committee approved a Project List that was used for the Title VI/Environmental Justice analysis and the public participation process. The metropolitan service area continues to grow to the north, west and southwest portions of the City of Lubbock. Projects in the Metropolitan Transportation Plan: 2032 were concentrated in these areas of the City, increasing mobility and connectivity and potentially reducing congestion. The north and northwest side of the City has shown considerable growth in the last decade and travel times began to increase on the network and service began to drop. Progress has been made to meet the needs as the area continues to grow. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama. To respond to the late-2000s recession, the primary objective for ARRA was to save and create jobs almost immediately. Secondary objectives were to provide temporary relief programs for those most impacted by the recession and invest in infrastructure, education, health, and ‘green’ energy. ARRA Projects for the Lubbock MPO included: MPO-007 – Loop 289 from FM 2528 (Frankford) to Quaker Avenue MPO-009 – Loop 289 from 34th Street to 19th Street 3 Lubbock Metropolitan Transportation Plan Fiscal Year 2012-2040 Proposition 12 Funding Program 1 In 2007, Texas voters authorized the Legislature to authorize up to $5 billion in general obligation bonds – bonds supported using general revenue, rather than fuel tax revenues - to be spent for transportation projects. This ballot item was called Proposition 12. The 81st Legislature authorized the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to obligate up to $2 billion in Proposition 12 bonds for non-toll projects and $1 billion in Proposition 12 bonds for the State Infrastructure Bank. Proposition 12 – Program 1 Project for the Lubbock MPO included: MPO-008R – US 62 from Avenue A to Broadway to repair the Roadway Program 2 In summer 2011, the Texas Legislature authorized TxDOT to go to contract on approximately $3 billion in general obligation bonds for highway improvements. Texas voters approved these Proposition 12 bonds, which are backed by the state’s general revenue rather than by fuel tax revenues, by a vote of 63 percent in November 2007. Proposition 12 – Program 2 Projects for the Lubbock MPO include: MPO-40-20 US 87 – Woodrow Bridge MPO-002R Quaker/Erskine Interchange Proposition 14 Funding Texas Proposition 14, also known as the Highway Improvement Projects Act, was on the September 13, 2003 special election ballot in Texas as a legislatively-referred constitutional amendment, where it was approved. HJR 28/Proposition 14 authorized the Texas Department of Transportation to issue notes or borrow money to fund highway improvement projects. The terms of the notes or loans were not to exceed two years. Proposition 14 – Project for the Lubbock MPO included: MPO-005 – Phase IV of the Marsha Sharp Freeway Northwest Passage Projects Northwest Passage Projects, which have neared completion, have alleviated congestion and increased the level of service in the west and northwest side of town allowing for a smoother travel between the main parts of the City of Lubbock to the west side, as well as improving the flow of traffic leading to the South Plains College campuses in Levelland and those at the Reese Center. Slide Road was extended to the north with a new bridge that allows for straight passage under North Loop 289 allowing traffic to continue to Erskine Street. Erskine Street was widened as well to allow for a better traffic flow. Several new developments have begun to the west and to the north and south of the Lubbock Heart Hospital and Surgical Center including houses, apartments and townhouses. Several new businesses have also developed throughout the area. 4 Lubbock Metropolitan Transportation Plan Fiscal Year 2012-2040 Source: LMPO – Ribbon cutting at the Erskine Street/Slide Road Intersection. North Pointe Development One development that has been a beneficiary of the Northwest Passage Projects has been the North Pointe Development, a “neighborhood community”, located north of Loop 289 on Slide Road between Erskine Street and Marshall Street. It is currently the largest neighborhood under development in the North sector of Lubbock. The North Pointe neighborhood is part of a 1,500 plus acre master planned and architecturally controlled community. The development plans for North Pointe and other developments within the community will include landscaped walking and jogging trails, a public park, public schools and retail outlets placed to support the neighborhoods. Centennial Elementary School opened in 2007 and is in North Pointe. Currently the Lubbock Independent School District is in the planning stages for additional campuses to be located in North Pointe. Marsha Sharp Freeway The completion of the Marsha Sharp Freeway Phases I through IV has increased mobility as well. The Freeway, with its Phase IV nearing completion, provides an East/West route through the north side of the City of Lubbock. It stretches from West Loop 289 to beyond the Interstate 27 connection, creating a quick and effective route from the downtown or interstate area to the west side of the City. Pedestrian/Bicycle bridges in four locations above the Freeway give a safe and efficient route for pedestrians and bicyclists to cross above the Freeway. 5 Lubbock Metropolitan Transportation Plan Fiscal Year 2012-2040 Pedestrian Bridge located over the Marsha Sharp Freeway at the Texas Tech Football Stadium Citibus Downtown Transfer Plaza Citibus, the City of Lubbock transit provider for the metropolitan service area, is in the process of completing renovations