The $712.6 million mobility proposition includes additions and repairs to infrastructure in Sugar Land, Missouri City, Katy, Fulshear, Rosenberg, Richmond, Stafford, Beasley, Kendleton, Fairchilds, Needville and Meadows Place.
The details
The mobility projects webpage shows projects encompassing both new road construction and general maintenance, addressing the growing transportation needs of the county.
If the bond passes in the election, projects that would take place across multiple precincts include:
- Smart Signal Technology Initiative: $10 million for the implementation of signal enhancements across the entire county aimed at monitoring inbound traffic and continually adjusting signal timing to optimize traffic flow
- Pedestrian Mobility Study: $3 million for a countywide study of pedestrian traffic and mobility
- 4th Street Project: $1.97 million for the construction of a three-lane concrete curb and gutter collector street from Mons Avenue to Rice Street in Richmond
- Pin Oak Road: $10.66 million to upgrade the existing Pin Oak Road and widen it into six lanes
- Settegast Ranch Road: $11.26 million to upgrade the existing two-lane asphalt road to full boulevard with a storm sewer
- Pool Hill Road: $8.3 million to upgrade the two-lane asphalt road to two-lane concrete half boulevard with a storm sewer to optimize traffic flow
- Grand Parkway frontage roads: $20 million for a general upgrade to Grand Parkway frontage roads
- West Airport Boulevard: $17.44 million for pavement widening for an additional lane and a right turn lane from Grand Parkway to FM 1464
- Old Richmond Road: $15.75 million to upgrade the two-lane road with roadside ditches to a three-lane curb and gutter road
- Various road rehabilitation: $39.37 million for road pavement repairs of multiple roads
- Williams Trace Boulevard Phase 3 reconstruction: $22.4 million for the reconstruction of a four-lane roadway with left-turn lanes, inlets and maintenance holes
Zooming out
County Auditor Ed Sturdivant noted Fort Bend County possessed an annual debt capacity of $170 million as of March, as previously reported by Community Impact. Considering project expenditure rates, Sturdivant proposed the bond should be priced at $600 million or less, representing a significant increase from the 2020 mobility bond program.
County Engineer Stacy Slawinski said the county requested a combined $777 million from the past four mobility bonds with projects still in progress, as previously reported by Community Impact. However, progress has been slowed due to inflated construction and right of way acquisition costs as well as increasing construction costs, Slawinski said.
Slawinski suggested a strategic approach to address these challenges by allocating funds for project design in one mobility program and seeking construction funding from future bonds, thereby aligning the county's mobility bond spacing with project completion timelines.
