League Line

EHRA performed preliminary drainage area delineations for nine creek crossings and calculated approximate 100-year flows for each culvert crossing. Culvert structures were sized for each of the six crossings, ranging from 48” round pipe culverts up to dual 5’x5’ box culverts.

288 & CR56

The purpose of this project was to convert the existing at-grade crossing of Brazoria County Road 56 (CR 56) and State Highway 288 (SH 288) into a diamond interchange that includes a new overpass bridge. Coordination with TXDOT, area landowners, utility companies, and Brazoria County was integral in obtaining approval and acceptance of the project.

Cutten Green Park Northwest Harris County MUD No.6

This project was the second phase of parks implementation outlined in the District's Parks Master Plan, which was completed by EHRA in 2007. Utilizing the site of a recently demolished former wastewater treatment plant provided an opportunity to create a passive park space for District residents.

West Road Phase 2 Sidewalk

EHRA worked with the District to create a comprehensive Parks Master Plan, which included recommendations for the development of over two miles of hike/bike trails adjacent to local streets, and within flood control and utility pipeline easements. The District began implementation of the Plan by prioritizing the beautification of West Road, a major arterial street that runs through the District.

Northpark Drive Mobility Project

EHRA completed preliminary engineering, phase one environmental site assessment and schematic development for the widening of Northpark Dr. between US 59 and Woodland Hills Dr. EHRA also provided program management, drainage analysis and design, traffic engineering, environmental documentation and schematic design for the roadway, as well as grade separation at the Loop 494/UPRR railroad crossing.

EHRA conducted traffic operations and access management studies for the Northpark Dr. corridor. This corridor is approximately 2.2 miles long and has major signalized and unsignalized intersections and driveways that access various subdivisions and industrial developments. These studies laid the groundwork for the widening of Northpark Dr. from a four-lane boulevard cross-section to a six-lane boulevard complete street. The new street design includes low impact development drainage, conventional drainage, a grade separation at the UPRR crossing with mechanically stabilized earth retaining walls, two at-grade crossings for bi-directional frontage access, reconstruction of two concrete bridges over a diversion channel, intersection improvements, a roadway-adjacent multiuse path and traffic signal improvements.

Drainage analysis and design included hydrologic and hydraulic studies of both existing and proposed conditions to demonstrate that proposed project components would not adversely affect the 100-year floodplain in the area. The roadway and traffic designs contained horizontal and vertical alignments, cross-sections, plan and profile, sidewalk and bicycle accommodations, intersection layouts, traffic control plans and signing and pavement markings.

As the program management firm, EHRA coordinated with TxDOT, UPRR, the City of Houston Council District E, COH Planning and Development Department, COH Public Works and Engineering Department, Montgomery County, Harris County, HCFCD and area residents throughout the project.

19 March 2018

Urban Forests

Admin

A new USDA Forest Service study projects that urban land in Lower 48 states will more than double between 2010 and 2060, which will affect forest and agricultural lands that are being converted to urban uses as well as expand the importance of urban forests in relation to environmental quality and human well-being. A USDA Forest Service study published in the Journal of Forestry, "U.S. Urban Forest Statistics, Values and Projections," estimates change in urban land on a national level and state-by-state, and also updates data on the value of the nation's urban forests. Urban land increased from 2.6 percent (58 million acres) in 2000 to 3 percent (68 million acres) in 2010; states with the greatest amount of urban growth were in the South/Southeast (Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina). Researchers anticipate that between 2010 and 2060, urban land will increase 95.5 million acres to 163 million acres (8.6 percent), an area roughly the size of Montana. Eighteen states are projected to have an increase of over 2 million acres of urban land. In addition to assessing change in urban areas, lead author David Nowak of the USDA Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis Program also updated previous estimates of the size of the nation's urban forests, which contribute to the health of urban populations by producing billions of dollars in annual benefits associated with air quality, climate change and reduced energy use. In previous research, Nowak has found that the health impacts of urban forests across the nation include the avoidance of 670 incidents of human mortality and 575,000 incidents of acute respiratory symptoms, among other health impacts.Nationally, U.S. urban forests contain an estimated 5.5 billion trees (39.4 percent tree cover) that produce at least $18 billion in benefits to society. In each of the states with the greatest amount of projected urban land growth (California, Texas, Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania), the increase in urban land over the 50-year period is greater than the land area of Connecticut (3 million acres).

Source: Science Daily