Oak Ridge North, Shenandoah talk mobility plan

Following the completion of data collection, consultants will evaluate the data and develop some alternatives before considering the alternatives, prioritizing projects and drafting a plan, Gray said. The final step will be finalizing and adopting a plan, and creating workbooks for each south county community.

Gray said each community would receive a workbook specific to their community's jurisdiction, recommending and prioritizing projects and possible funding mechanisms.

Furdlow emphasized the need for the plan to receive state and federal funding for local projects. He said H-GAC seeks state and federal funding for transportation projects through the bi-annual Transportation Improvement Plan and the long-term Regional Transportation Plan. He said H-GAC receives about $100 million to $120 million annually, but the funding is used for all eight counties served by H-GAC.

"It sounds like a lot of money, but when you start funding projects it goes away very quickly," Furdlow said.

For example, a single ramp at I-10 and I-45 recently cost $35 million, according to the H-GAC.

He said communities would need to come to a consensus on projects and their prioritization, although there may be disagreements on some projects that benefit one community over another. One such project could be a proposed grade separation at Research Forest Drive and Grogan's Mill Road. Oak Ridge North Mayor Jim Kuykendall emphasized the need to work together to form a common consensus.

"We need to have a very strong coalition in south Montgomery County," Kuykendall said. "We have got to get our citizens and our long-range boards, we've got to get this coalition here so we can get this money. There are eight counties working to get that money. Houston's to the south and they eat up money fast. If we want money, we've got to reach in there and get it."

H-GAC Transportation Planner Carlene Mullins said the study has several mobility goals for south county, including the development of a shared network on the east side of I-45, the improvement of interchanges at I-45, the analysis of north-south corridors east and west of I-45 and the analysis of specific projects on the east side of I-45.

Oak Ridge North Councilman Clint McClaren said signal synchronization and another north-south corridor on the east side of I-45 are necessary mobility projects for the region.

"Another north-south [corridor] up to 242 would be a major relief to the east side of I-45," he said.

One of three concurrent H-GAC studies in the region, The Woodlands transit study will be completed in August or September, while the regional mobility plan should be completed about a month later, Mullins said. A thoroughfare plan for Montgomery County will begin in March and take about a year.

"All three plans will be using the same data in regards to demographics, traffic capacity and they will use the same H-GAC staff," she said. "The consultants will work together to make sure the studies will compliment the thoroughfare plan."

Both the mobility and transit studies will focus on short-term, medium-term and long-term projects and have an outlook out to about 2035 or 2040, Wurdlow said. The thoroughfare plan is more of a long term study examining the connectivity of thoroughfares countywide for the next 40-plus years.

Public input for the studies will soon be underway, with a business open house scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14 at the Fairfield Inn, at 24485 I-45 N., and a meeting at The Woodlands Township, at 2801 Technology Forest Blvd., at 7 p.m. Jan. 22. A public meeting will be scheduled in February, while a second public meeting will be held sometime during the summer, Mullins said.

For more information, visit www.montgomerycountymobility.com.