The details
The project primarily focuses on purchasing and installing communications technology, closed-circuit (CCTV) cameras and vehicle detection sensors at traffic signals, as well as creating a Traffic Management Center at the city’s police station.
The project is intended to help analyze real-time traffic conditions, Megan Campbell, the city’s capital projects and grants manager, said during the meeting.
“If something’s going on, officers can see what’s going on, if there’s a report of a wreck, we can see it on camera,” Campbell said.
Originally approved for construction funding through the Houston-Galveston Area Council for $866,743, the cost has risen significantly due to unstable market conditions from inflation, supply chain and material shortages, Campbell said. She said the project is now expected to cost around $2.1 million.
Funding the project
Campbell said 80% of the project is being funded by federal grants, while 20% will be funded locally.
The project was selected by the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) to receive federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program funding. This funding comes from the Federal Highway Administration to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).
Meanwhile, local funding is a mix of 2016 Bonds for Better Bellaire funding and Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County funding.
The context
Campbell said the reason for the project comes from Bellaire experiencing high congestion in the morning and evening peak hours. High traffic congestion is primarily along Bellaire Boulevard, Bissonnet Street, South Rice Avenue and Newcastle Street, she said.
“As the number of vehicles on the road increases, combined with natural disasters and air quality policies, a Traffic Management System that connects Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) infrastructure and monitors traffic conditions, can be used to increase mobility, increase safety and reduce environmental impacts,” Campbell said.
During an April 3, 2023 city council meeting, Joshua Pascua, the city’s former capital projects and grants manager, said the police department already has a centralized dispatch area with a video screen wall. This project would essentially give the police department more access to cameras that could be monitored on the video screen wall, he said.
Police Chief Onesimo Lopez said that no additional staff would be needed for the traffic management center.
“If you think about the bank of monitors we already have on the wall, this would just be another bank of monitors on that wall where we would have our personnel dispatch responsible for monitoring that,” Lopez said.
What they’re saying
Mayor Gus Pappas said he has heard complaints from people that come through Bellaire on how inconsistent the city’s traffic signals are.
“This has been an issue that has been plaguing the city for a long, long time,” Pappas said. “I think this is a really big lift for everybody that travels in the city and our ability to control our own destiny. I hate the fact that it’s a lot of money, but I really like what this can accomplish for us.”
Council member Ross Gordon said project cost increasing is not just a Bellaire issue, but an issue that has been happening for many projects in the industry.
“Every single one of these types of projects have seen major cost increases over the last several years,” Gordon said. “This is not an isolated incident. It’s across the portfolio of projects.”
Looking ahead
Campbell said TxDOT will handle the construction and bidding for this project, with the hopes of scheduling bids in September.
“TxDOT is going to construct the project on our behalf, so we won’t have to deal with all of the oversight and things involved with construction, they tend to get better prices because they are the state,” Campbell said.
