A Regional Transportation Mobility Plan Is Critical To Managing our Future Growth.

In the February 6 Courier, it was reported the various governmental entities in South Montgomery County agreed to move forward with the development of a regional mobility plan under the guidance of H-GAC.  Over the next 30-60 days additional work will be done to get everyone together on an agreed to scope and direction for this study. 

Let me try to put the proposed study in context. What drives transportation funding in the 13 County H-GAC Area is the long range Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) which forecast needs and priorities for the next 25 years. The RTP is then translated in a shorter term action plan, the Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). Without our own plan that is integrated into these regional plans, our ability to receive our fair share of monies available to help fund transportation improvements becomes very remote. In the past, Montgomery has suffered in this regard. The last County mobility plan I can find was done in 1985. How much has changed since then?  

To be successful in dealing with our future transportation needs requires:

1)    Collaboration with and support from  all of us in South County

2)    Development of a short and long term plan identifying “shovel ready projects”—plans that identify what needs to be done, when and at what cost.

3)    Access to federal and state funding and possessing the required matching funds

4)    A seat at the table where federal and state funding is allocated.

The proposed planning effort is the first step in putting these success factors in place. Unfortunately, there will be no “free lunch.” A plan will enable the taxpayers to better understand and put in context requests to support future bond elections and/or increases in their property taxes.

I was quoted in the Courier article that I thought transit improvements were as important as roadway improvements. My belief is based on a long term view over the next 10-20 years. Montgomery County and my community, The Woodlands, are experiencing, and will continue to experience, significant growth. This growth will not occur at the same rate or in the same areas as the past. Just consider the impact on South County of the Exxon-Mobile/ Springwoods development? Another example, The Woodlands is facing increased congestion in our Town Center and surrounding area. It is expected that more of our future growth will occur in our Town Center area rather than in our traditional neighborhoods. This is already a very congested area where traffic and parking is a bigger and bigger problem. Is the only solution just more cars and parking lots?  

We are also in the midst of absorbing a major change in how transit operations will be planned and managed in the future. Effective October 1, 2012, The City of Conroe and The Township are now direct recipients of FTA transit funding and have overall responsibility for overseeing the new Large Urban Transit Area.  We now have the management and fiscal responsibility for our transit programs. For example, The Township is now liable for any funding deficiency generated by our park and ride and other transit programs.  The Township is in the midst of determining how it can improve and sustain an effective park and operation at little to no cost to our taxpayers for the benefit of, not only the Woodlands, but South County. Up to now; the park and rides have paid for themselves. But we are faced with aging buses and rising operating costs. It appears this trend will only get worse over the next 2-3 years. We also need to look at the quality of the service and routes being offered. Should we be offering other Houston destination options? Should we offer a shuttle service to the new Exxon-Mobile location? Given the number of people coming into the Woodlands to work, should we provide a reverse commute option? Should we be offering an Intra- Woodlands Transit service? 

I realize there are significant roadway improvements that are urgently needed today. Some examples are improving access to I45, reducing congestion on Sawdust and Robinson Road, etc. To facilitate future development and the reduction of the congestion on 249, the County is already buying up right of way to connect 249 and Woodlands Parkway. What kind of traffic load will this add to Woodlands Parkway and 2978?  What increased congestion will the Grand Parkway bring to Gosling, Kuykendahl and FM 2978? These are all questions the proposed study can answer.

However, in our planning we have look beyond the problems of today. How many roads can we build or expand? In the long term, we also need to look at other mobility and transit options. Hopefully, the proposed study will be the first step in dealing with both aspects of our mobility challenge.