TEXAS:Houston’s HCTRA Building Westpark

Wesley Freise HCTRA CEO says there’s a traffic and revenue study under way on the 15km (9.5mi) project expected to cost about $250m. He says the toll road is flush enough financially to build the road out of revenues, but he’ll look at a bond issue too: “It is going to be a matter of what’s the best use of funds.”

Preliminary engineering work is also under way with the full design contract to be awarded in the spring for a start on construction in the fall of 2001.

The Westpark pike is a proposed new radial heading west just south of the classy Galleria commercial center near the interchange of the I-610 West Loop and US-59. It is to extend along the path of an SP rail line (to be removed) as far as the outer arterial TX-6. It might later be extended another 8km (5mi) to TX-99, the Grand Central Parkway.

The pike will straddle the western leg of the Sam Houston Tollway (Beltway TX-8) and be tolled on either side. Its main competition will be surface arterials especially the wellknown Westheimer Road which is located just 2km to 3km (c1.5mi) to the north. Another route 5km (3mi) north is I-10, the Katy Fwy.

A preliminary feasibility study in 1998 by Wilbur Smith did not find it a very lucrative toll road, projecting toll revenues rising from $17m in the first year to $21m in 2010 and $24m in 2020 – only about half the revenue needed to support the $250m debt for construction costs. Maximum traffic volumes were modeled in the central section of the project – on either side of the Sam Houston Twy (TX-8) – with traffic petering out at the ends.That traffic model made the road look like a spur each direction for the Sam Houston. Part of the reason for this was that it was modeled without any direct connection to US-59. That was because, at the time, TXDOT which controls the freeway, was opposed to a connection. It has turned around on that now and the toll road should look considerably better financially with direct ramps to and from the freeway network and the ability to link in to the CBD and the I-610 Loop.

WSA reported that revenues on the Parkway would be maximized by varying tolls by time of day. It suggested revenues will be 8% higher with electronic tolls of 11c/km (18c/mi) peak period, peak direction, 6c/km (10c/mi) most other times and 4c/km (7c/mi) at night than if a flat rate toll is charged with 50c barrier and 25c ramp plazas. Variable electronic tolls (ET) would attract 16 to 25% more traffic, according to the modeling, based on the greater ability of such tolling to match the varying value of time-savings offered by the toll road. Off-peak and short trips in particular increase.

“What this indicates is that congestion pricing would make more efficient use of the toll road” said the report.

Freise says all this is being examined again more thoroughly. The road will be 2x2-lanes, full 3.65m (12’) in width with a righthand breakdown shoulder of 3m (10'), but he says “That will be it. Beyond that we’ll have to control traffic with the toll rate. It won’t be expanded further.”

There is very little space in the corridor for cash toll collection and he is keen to keep toll collection costs to a minimum, so it is quite likely the Westpark will be an all-electronic toll road, though no decision has yet been made: “We want it thoroughly studied. Most toll roads absorb about 15% of revenue in collection costs. We need to improve on that, if toll roads are to have a future.”

Hardy Boost

There’s also progress on strengthening the weaker of HCTRA’s two toll roads, the north-south Sam Hardy. A new airport spur will open Jan 28, providing a quicker more convenient connection off the toll road into the terminals. Work was split between the toll authority and the airport at the boundary of the airport. There’s a 50c toll on the use of the airport spur.

At the southern end the Sam Hardy presently stops short of the downtown area by about 5km (3.5mi) with a T-interchange into the I-610 Loop. Both the toll authority and the downtown area would benefit by a southward extension of the Sam Hardy to connect it directly into city streets. Freise says he’s got two alternates under study, one an old railroad right of way, another elevted over a local street. He hopes to make a selection and finalize the concept during 2000 and to work ou the shape of a financial partnership.

The 5km (3.5mi) extension will cost about $60m, Freise says and HCTRA will put in $15m and pay for preliminary engineering of about $3.5m. He’s looking for commitments to fund the remaining $45m from others, if it is to be a non-tolled extension. A new baseball field for the Astros, the Enron Stadium with a fancy retractable roof opens shortly near the planned terminus of the Hardy Extension South. Freise thinks that will generate quite a lot of new interest in the project. (Wes Freise HCTRA 281 875 1400, See TRnl#28 Jun 98 p9)