Primary Department: County Engineer
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Milton Rahman, PhD, P.E., PMP, CFM, ENV SP, County Engineer
Secondary Department: Commissioner, Precinct 2
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official: Adrian Garcia, Commissioner Precinct 2
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Grant - Award
Project ID (if applicable): 25102MF3XJ01
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): U.S. Department of Transportation - Federal Railroad Administration
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): 0%
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): Commissioners Court Office
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request by the Office of the County Engineer for approval to accept from the U.S. Department of Transportation - Federal Railroad Administration grant funds in the amount of $2,000,000, with a required local match of $500,000, for the FY2025 Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program.
end
Background and Discussion:
The goal of the planning study is to identify solutions to mitigate the negative impacts of at-grade crossings within Houston’s East End Triangle. This community experiences frequent disruptions from rail blockages, often leading to limited access as trains can block the area from three sides. The planning study will 1) comprehensively study railroad impacts on access and quality of life, focusing on road and neighborhood interactions with train activities at 14 at-grade crossings; 2) complete extensive community engagement which will capture community priorities and confirm alignment with proposed project ideas; and 3) assess the quality of needs at existing Polk Street underpass. Harris County partnered the City of Houston and jointly submitted application and was awarded $2,000,000, with a required local match of $500,000, for the USDOT’s FY2025 RCE Grant Program for a total project cost of $2,500,000. Local match will be jointly provided by Harris County Precinct 2 and the City of Houston. An approval is requested from the Commissioners Court to accept the grant award and execute a grant agreement with the USDOT-FRA.
Expected Impact:
The outcomes of this study will provide a clear path toward infrastructure solutions that enhance mobility, resolve railroad crossing issues, and quality of life for residents that are rooted in community priorities.
Alternative Options:
If Harris County does not approve this FY25 RCE Grant Program grant award and execute the grant agreement, the total proposed planning study cost of $2,500,000 would have to be funded locally.
County Strategic Plan Goal: 2. Connect our community with safe, reliable, equitably distributed, and well-maintained infrastructure.
County Strategic Plan Objective: F: Ensure safety and security for all using the county’s transportation network in alignment with the County’s Vision Zero plan.
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): N/A
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): F2: Improve data collection, utilization, and availability to drive better transportation safety decision-making.
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): N/A
Health Initiative (Goal 4): N/A
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): N/A
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): N/A
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan:
Prior Court Action (if any):
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Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
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10/21/2024 |
252 |
Request to submit the RCE grant application - Passed |
Location:
Address (if applicable): The project is located to the immediate Southeast of the Houston, TX downtown area.
Precinct(s): Precinct 2
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Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
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Service Name |
US DOT FRA Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) Grant Program |
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Current Fiscal Year Cost |
Annual Fiscal Cost |
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Labor |
Non-Labor |
Total |
Recurring Expenses |
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Funding Sources |
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Existing Budget |
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$ |
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Total Existing Budget |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Additional Budget Request (Requires Fiscal Review Request Form) |
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Total Additional Budget Request |
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Total Funding Sources |
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Grants – Proposed Budget (For Grants Items only) |
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Labor |
Non-Labor |
Total |
No. of Grant Years |
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Local Match Source - Existing Budget:
1070 - Mobility Fund |
$ |
$300,000 |
$300,000 |
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Local Match Source - Additional Budget Request:
City of Houston
Other |
$ |
$200,000 |
$200,000 |
3 years |
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Grant Funds Applied for/Awarded (Total) |
$ |
$2,000,000 |
$2,000,000 |
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Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new PCNs) |
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Current Position Count for Service |
- |
- |
- |
- |
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Additional Positions Request |
- |
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Total Personnel |
- |
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Anticipated Court Date: 9/18/2025
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): Click or tap to enter a date.
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Patrick Mandapaka, PhD, AICP, Senior Director, Planning and Development Services, Office of the County Engineer
Attachments (if applicable): Grant documents