Final Environmental VOLUME Impact Statement II From IH 10 to US 290 Grand Parkway Harris County, Texas State Highway 99 Segment E FHWA-TX-EIS-02-01-F November 2007 Document Organization The Grand Parkway Segments E, F-1, F-2, and G study area is divided into four Segments of Independent Utility (SIUs) to facilitate planning, design, and construction because limited state and federal funding provides no assurance that all the Grand Parkway segments would be constructed. Each SIU would connect at least two existing major transportation corridors to ensure independent utility as well as independent significance as required by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) regulations (23 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 771.111[f]). The Segment E Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) is organized in a four-volume set in response to public and resource agency comments concerning potential cumulative effects of Segment E and the need to assess this segment as a facility with independent utility and logical termini, as follows: Volume I presents analyses and results common to all four segments, including project description, the need for and purpose of the project, alternatives considered, affected environment, indirect and cumulative effects, and agency and public coordination; Volume II provides a detailed assessment of Segment E relative to its project area. It includes issues, permits, and federal actions particular to Segment E, such as the need for and purpose of the project; alternatives considered; affected environment; environmental consequences; avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures; indirect and cumulative effects; and agency and public coordination; Volume III contains Exhibits and Appendices referenced in Volumes I and II; and Volume IV includes materials related to the Segment E Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) Public Hearing, comments submitted, and responses provided following the release of the Segment E DEIS in February 2003. The volume covers and section tabs for Segment E are color coded (Volume I [Green, common to Segments E, F-1, F-2, and G] and Volume II/III/IV [Pink, Segment E specific]) to help the reader navigate through the document. The following highlights how Segment E is structured in relation to the FEISs for Segments F-1, F-2, and G: I II II II II III III III III IV IV IV IV VOLUME II TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................................1 SECTION 1: PROJECT NEED AND PURPOSE .............................................................................................................1-1 1.1 NEED FOR AND PURPOSE OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT..............................................................................1-1 1.2 DETAILED TRANSPORTATION NEEDS ANALYSIS.............................................................................................1-4 1.2.1 SYSTEM LINKAGE........................................................................................................................................1-4 1.2.2 EXPANDED CAPACITY .................................................................................................................................1-5 1.2.3 SAFETY ....................................................................................................................................................1-11 1.2.4 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................................................................1-13 SECTION 2: ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS......................................................................................................................2-1 2.1 CORRIDOR STUDY................................................................................................................................................2-2 2.1.1 CORRIDOR A ..............................................................................................................................................2-3 2.1.2 CORRIDOR B ..............................................................................................................................................2-3 2.1.3 CORRIDOR C ..............................................................................................................................................2-3 2.1.4 CORRIDOR RESOURCE INVENTORY..............................................................................................................2-3 2.1.5 AGENCY AND PUBLIC COORDINATION ..........................................................................................................2-4 2.1.6 CORRIDOR REVISIONS ................................................................................................................................2-8 2.1.7 PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE CORRIDOR RECOMMENDATION ...........................................................................2-9 2.2 TRANSPORTATION MODE STUDY ......................................................................................................................2-9 2.2.1 NO-BUILD ALTERNATIVE............................................................................................................................2-10 2.2.2 BUILD ALTERNATIVE..................................................................................................................................2-15 2.2.3 ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION MODES ELIMINATED FROM DETAILED STUDY ............................................2-16 2.2.4 ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION MODES ADVANCED FOR FURTHER STUDY ................................................2-17 2.2.5 TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION ANALYSIS ................................................................................................2-18 2.2.6 PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION MODE..................................................................................2-24 2.3 ALTERNATIVE ALIGNMENT STUDY...................................................................................................................2-25 2.3.1 ALTERNATIVE ALIGNMENTS DEVELOPMENT................................................................................................2-25 2.3.2 SCREENING PROCESS...............................................................................................................................2-27 2.3.3 ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS RESULTS ...........................................................................................................2-28 2.3.4 PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE ALIGNMENT SUMMARY......................................................................................2-33 SECTION 3: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT......................................................................................................................3-1 3.1 LAND USE AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ................................................................................................3-1 3.1.1 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS........................................................................................................3-1 3.1.2 EXISTING LAND USE....................................................................................................................................3-1 3.1.3 LAND USE PLANNING ..................................................................................................................................3-3 3.1.4 TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ......................................................................................................................3-4 3.1.5 JOINT DEVELOPMENT..................................................................................................................................3-5 3.2 GEOLOGY, SOILS, AND FARMLANDS .................................................................................................................3-5 3.2.1 GEOLOGY...................................................................................................................................................3-5 3.2.2 SOILS.........................................................................................................................................................3-6 3.2.3 FARMLANDS ...............................................................................................................................................3-7 3.3 SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS ................................................................................................................................3-9 GRAND PARKWAY FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT – VOLUME II, SEGMENT E 3.3.1 POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS..................................................................................................................3-9 3.3.2 SOCIAL/COMMUNITY RESOURCES..............................................................................................................3-12 3.3.3 PUBLIC LANDS ..........................................................................................................................................3-13 3.4 ECONOMICS ........................................................................................................................................................3-13 3.4.1 ECONOMIC CONDITIONS............................................................................................................................3-13 3.5 PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS.......................................................................................................................3-17